THE first ever shopping centre dedicated to Pop Up Shops that opened in Deansgrange recently has succeeded in providing a low cost platform for fledgling new businesses to promote their products while breathing new life into existing enterprises.

The first of the Shopping World enterprise units opened in the Deansgrange outlet on the Deansgrange Road (beside MSL Mercedes) on Thursday, January 26.

At Shopping World you can lease your own Pop Up Shop without having to pay massive overheads. The set up is perfect for existing and new businesses with low rents, no bills for commercial rates, and no electricity or heating bills to worry about.

Businesses are just required to pay a single fee that covers all costs, including rent.

Maureen O'Halloran, marketing and public relations manager at Shopping World, said the centre, which is currently open at weekends only, has been so successful in promoting new businesses that it has received a huge number of requests from local companies to open full time. As a result, she said the centre will open on a seven days a week basis in April.

Cheaper

Maureen said the fees charged for spaces in the shopping centre cost just e17 per square metre and compare very favourably with existing rates charged for retail space elsewhere on the Southside.

She was also keen to point out that the longer a person rents a space the cheaper it will become. She said that when the centre eventually opens seven days a week retailers will be able to rent spaces for as little as e500 per week.

She pointed out that the long term goal of Shopping World is to provide new businesses with the platform they need to promote their products and when they begin to make money expert staff at the centre will help them to negotiate reasonable rents on commercial premises with local landlords.

“This will then give someone else the opportunity to rent a Pop Up Shop space,” she explained. “We aim to foster local business and ultimately create jobs.

“Even if businesses are closed and they want to start up again they can use our shopping centre to do so. If businesses have stock that they want to sell they just have to give us a few weeks’ notice and we can facilitate them. We take care of all the advertising for them and we cover their public liability insurance as well.”

Because Shopping World has been able to offer its clients ample space to open up their Pop Up Shops at low rates, customers will also be able to purchase bargains that cannot be beaten.

Shopping World will hold an open day for businesses only on Monday, February 13 from 4pm to 9pm, so that visitors can see existing units and chat with the friendly staff about helping to meet the requirements of their business.

Shopping World is currently running a weekly competition where the winner will win their very own Pop Up Shop at the new Deansgrange outlet at Shopping World.

Winner

All you have to do is answer a simple question: What is the exact address of the Shopping World, Deansgrange outlet? Send all entries to sales@shoppingworld.ie

The winner will be drawn on the Sunday evening before closing of the centre each week. The winner will receive a free Pop Up Shop of six square metres for one weekend from Thursday to Sunday.

Shopping World is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 8pm, on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm and on Sundays from 11am to 6pm. For more information log on to www.shoppingworld.ie