The UK’s biggest Armed Forces charity, The Royal British Legion (RBL), tapped into the new retail world with the launch of its first pop-up shops this week. The shops, created in collaboration with Geometry Global UK, were set up to boost fundraising for RBL’s Poppy Appeal in the lead-up to Remembrance Day (November 11). The pop-ups marked an extension of Legion merchandising from e-commerce to bricks-and-mortar retail and raised awareness of Poppy Shops across the country and online.
The Royal British Legion (RBL), tapped into the new retail world with the launch of its first pop-up shops this week
The pop-ups opened in two of the UK’s leading shopping destinations Bluewater and Westfield Stratford City, reflecting the growing trend of online retailers launching occasional pop-up stores at strategic times in order to boost interest. In this instance, the store was opened to coincide with the national Poppy Appeal, the annual fundraiser for members of the British Armed Forces (past and present) and their families. The poppy has been a symbol of remembrance and hope in the UK since World War I. It is now worn by millions across the UK in the month of November, acting as a symbol, and reminder of what those in the armed forces have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice for us. Whilst Remembrance Day has now been and gone, The Poppy Shop can still be visited online, with all proceeds going directly to the RBL. So if you’ve held off buying your poppy this year for whatever reason, follow the link and pull your finger (and, more pertinently, your wallet) out!
The shops, created in collaboration with Geometry Global UK, were set up to boost fundraising for RBL’s Poppy Appeal in the lead-up to Remembrance Day
The concept was conceived by Geometry Global UK (who landed the Legion brief a year ago) to develop a retail merchandise strategy to drive engagement with the charity and raise funds for the Legion’s support work. The agency has supported staff training and agency volunteers are participating on-site. The pop-ups were produced and designed by Masters Exhibitions and Shows, an agency that specialise in creating innovative, unusual bespoke exhibition trailers and other temporary retail and event installations.
The pop-ups opened in two of the UK’s leading shopping destinations Bluewater and Westfield Stratford City
Sarah Todd, Geometry Global UK CEO, said: “To fuel fundraising we are constantly mining new opportunities for value exchange, engagement and relevance to the digital-era customer's expectation of constant information renewal. There’s a real thirst for retail experiences anchored in newness and discovery, and pop-ups give people the sense they should engage at that moment or they might miss it. The pop-ups are also a terrific opportunity to increase understanding of all the great work the Legion does for the Armed Forces veterans and their families during this important season of the year. We owe these amazing people so very much.” John Norton, head of retail trading for The Royal British Legion, added: “We believe that our Royal British Legion pop-up shops will provide the public with another way to show their support and to raise funds so we can help all our beneficiaries.”
