Developer
Eastbanc is about to bring D.C. its first permanent retail pop-uppery.
It builds on the success of the Cady's Alley Holiday Bazaar, a seasonal pop-up market that featured clothing, accessories, and home decor from local brands who had previously only sold their wares online. Five brands--
Tuckernuck, Read Wall,
Zestt,
Chubbies, and
Victoria Road--popped up in a former furniture store starting November 15 to early January (though Tuckernuck still occupies the space and is having a closeout sale).
"We had the opportunity to put [this concept] out there, get a taste and see if something like this had legs," says Barry Greenberg, vice president, leasing, for Eastbanc, which developed Cady's Alley. Turns out it did, so the pop-up bazaar is becoming a permanent feature.
The 8,200-square-foot, two-floor space will be occupied by a rotating mix of between eight and ten retailers, for 90 to 120 days at the most. The idea is to give a fledgling business a chance to try out retail without a huge commitment. "[It's a] low entry into the market, [for] e-commerce and local folks trying to get a foot in, but don't want to commit the dollars...and at the same time, they want a taste of brick and mortar."
The space won't be broken up with permanent walls or partitions; instead, retailers are being encouraged to use natural barriers like tables or clothing racks to separate one brand from another and keep the feel of the otherwise relatively open space. With an enormous skylight and views of the Potomac from the second floor, keeping the open feel shouldn't be a challenge.
Greenberg and Eastbanc director of leasing Jennifer Crane are lining up tenants and hoping to open the bazaar in April. Crane says she has verbal commitments from one women's apparel maker and a cookie store (to further encourage shoppers to check out both levels of the space). Crane is looking for a mix of national brands and local D.C. brands.
"We're quite excited about this opportunity," Greenberg says. "Hopefully we begin to launch people out of here and into full-fledged stores."