A new pop-up retail space coming to Tucson will give local and online retailers a chance to test-drive the downtown scene without committing to a long-term lease.
Krystal Popov is behind the flash retail store, dubbed 5th Avenue Pop-Up, which is expected to open on the corner of Congress Street and Fifth Avenue in September.
The project will allow emerging online brands and retail boutiques around the city the opportunity to lease space for a minimum of three months for a pop-up shop where they can build a customer base downtown.
The goal, according to Popov, is to help those retailers eventually move to a more permanent space downtown.
“Our focus is to grow retail downtown, to support these small businesses that want to open up here but don’t yet know if they want to sign that big lease,” she said.
The vendors, which Popov said would likely be mid- to high-end retailers, would rent the space for anywhere from $800 a month for a 100-square-foot area to $1,750 monthly for a larger shop.
The retailer is also responsible for setting up their pop-up shop using temporary walls and furnishing it, Popov said.
The 300 block of East Congress Street at Fifth Avenue in Tucson as seen in February 1972. At far left is the Paramount, now known as the Rialto Theatre.
Retailers could get some of the funds spent on set up back, however, as Rio Nuevo has approved providing up to $100,000 to reimburse those costs.
Popov anticipates that retailers will pull in an estimated $2,800 a month in sales with help from marketing provided by 5th Avenue Pop-Up.
To help ensure that retailers get the traffic needed to meet those expectations, the board also approved $25,000 for Popov to do pre-marketing.
5th Avenue Pop-Up will have a bar, and customers will be able to order food from Little Love Burger on the patio that connects behind the two spaces.
Other plans for the space, which would primarily be open only during high traffic periods, include setting up pop-up tables and vendor booths on the patio that would operate on a more short-term basis.
There will also be opportunities for hosting events like a girls night out or a bachelorette party, in which attendees would have access to discounts from the retailers, and possibly ticketed events for nonprofits in which a percentage of the retailers’ proceeds would benefit the organization.
“There are lots of creative things that we can do within the space to drive people to this corner and make the space really nice,” said Popov, who also owns The L Offices, a coworking space with locations in downtown and at River Road and Campbell Avenue.
This is not Popov’s first run at pop-up retail concept.
She opened her coworking space last year, mid-pandemic, when many were still working from home.
“When we were not getting people to rent office space, we dabbled in a little retail. We had the L Boutique,” she said.
The opportunity not only made use of vacant space at the L Offices, but also helped vendors who had trouble transitioning to being completely online, Popov said.
“We were very spaced out and we allowed people to come in and sell,” she said. Despite having very little regular foot traffic, Popov said vendors were able to make nearly $2,000 a month in sales.
“So, I’ve had this vision in mind for a pop-up retail style in downtown Tucson,” she said. “It’s happening all over the United States in major cities and I think Tucson is ready for this.”
Rio Nuevo Chairman Fletcher McCusker said downtown Tucson is in desperate need of retail.
“Hopefully all of these people will be so successful they can’t wait to move into a bigger store,” he said.
To learn more about the project, visit theloffices.com/retail.
Photos: Congress Street scenes, Tucson, ca. 1950s
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
People on the sidewalk on Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
Street scenes, Tucson, 1950s
Updated
The only information on a package of negatives from the Tucson Citizen photo archives. Inside were pictures of Congress Street at or near Scott Avenue in Tucson, ca. 1950s.
