Fashion: The NI firms using pop-ups to sell High Street style

Jamie Harkin, after dropping out of university, found himself unemployed, lost, and back living with his parents in his hometown of Omagh, County Tyrone. His dream of becoming a lawyer had crumbled, and after leaving his course at King's College London, he was unsure of what the future held.

During the pandemic lockdowns, he decided to start selling his old clothes on the fashion app Depop. Fast forward to 2025, and Jamie is living in Toronto, heading up his own business, Jamie Online, a vintage fashion brand that aims to make second-hand fashion shopping easier. While the company is based in Omagh, it is also one of many online businesses using pop-up shops to gain a temporary presence on the high street.

Pop-up shops have enabled Jamie Online to expand its business across Europe, from Paris Fashion Week in 2023 to a recent Christmas event in Belfast. Data from PwC shows that around 10,000 pop-up shops appeared on UK and Irish high streets a decade ago, but that number has since doubled. Lisa Hooker, head of consumer markets at PwC, said, “High street shops specialising in retail and leisure are declining by an average of 2% a year, but pop-ups are growing because people want the freshness and fun they offer without a long-term commitment.”

Hooker also noted that, "the main purpose of a pop-up shop is often not to make money, but to raise brand awareness and build relationships.” Pop-up shops are temporary retail spaces set up to sell products or promote a cause for a short period. They are often used to test new products or markets, raise awareness, or launch new product lines. They can also be used to respond to seasonal demand or trends. Typically, they are set up in busy, high-footfall areas, such as high streets or shopping centers, and can take many forms, from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to market stalls.

At Jamie Online’s Christmas pop-up in Belfast, the company’s marketing manager, Mia Gregory, said that the temporary venture gave them a chance to "engage with customers." Having previously sold to influencers and online celebrities such as Madelyn Cline and Molly-Mae, the company is now learning how best to use the art of pop-up shops. Operations manager Mary Gormley said, "We have realised in the past that three-day pop-ups work really well for us, but at this time of year, Saturday is always our busiest day." She also added that organizing a pop-up shop is no easy task: "There is so much more involved than you would think, but it is fun to organize and it’s great to be here."

Jamie Harkin’s journey from legal aspirations to online fashion began after he completed his A-levels at Drumragh College in Omagh and went to university in London. But, after growing tired of the experience, he decided to leave. Starting to sell clothes was almost by chance, he saw a "gap in the market"—and then he took the opportunity. His business started with a £500 investment, sourcing products from over 30 countries globally, aiming to "streamline the process of second-hand shopping."

The trend of pop-up shops has also been embraced by another fashion business that trades in a fabric with a long history on the island of Ireland. Amy Anderson and her husband, Joe, own the linen business Kindred of Ireland, and Amy is following her own family history—Amy grew up listening to stories of her grandparents working at the Moygashel linen mill. “She grew up listening to these stories and felt a calling back to those roots,” said Joe.

Like Jamie, Amy was also at a crossroads after leaving school, but after a gap year and six months working in China, she decided to apply for a design and fashion course at Ulster University. After graduating in 2020, she founded Kindred—a business that she now brings to people through pop-up shops. Speaking about the pop-up in Belfast, she said it was great to meet new customers and those who had already purchased her products online. “We are a Belfast brand, but because we sell online, you don’t get to meet these people.” Joe said the aim of their pop-up shops is to “raise brand awareness and drive people to your website.” He added, “They work for us, there is no tie-in, just turn up, take your stock, and test the market.”

The company has had plenty of experience with pop-up shops, and not just in Belfast. “We did a pop-up in the Mayfair Centre in July and August, and people traveled from all over the UK to see the collection and try it on,” said Amy. “Some people have been following us online, but they have never actually bought anything because they are not sure if it will fit.” “Pop-ups have given us so much to take away and learn from, we’ve discovered new markets and learned things from our customers that we would never have learned online.”