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From pop-up to permanent: How independent brands are betting big on their first stores

In an age where algorithms curate our lives and screens mediate our interactions, remains a visceral, irreplaceable force.

From the agora of ancient Athens to the mall-rat culture of the ’90s, humans have always gathered to touch, taste, and talk. In 2024, merchants with brick-and-mortar stores generated an average of 81% of their total sales in person—up 7 percentage points from 2023, according to data.

This growth underscores a simple truth: The thrill of discovery—a scent, a texture, an unexpected conversation—can’t be digitized. It’s not a question of online versus offline. It’s a hybrid ecosystem where tools dissolve the boundaries, letting brands meet customers exactly where they are.

For a viral fragrance brand, one pop-up changed everything

When Dossier founder Sergio Tache launched his fragrance brand in 2019, he did it “the hard way.” Online-first. Selling $49 dupes (or duplicates) of $300 perfumes meant battling consumer skepticism. Yet Dossier thrived, amassing a cult following thanks to the #FragranceTok community and viral scents like Ambery Vanilla (a dead ringer for YSL’s Black Opium).

“It just didn't make sense that to go out on a date and smell nice, you had to fork out $150 at Sephora. We wanted to create high-quality perfumes made in France, but sell them at affordable prices for the 99%,” says Tache.

Despite the brand’s meteoric growth, a 2024 pop-up in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood exposed a blind spot: Demand far exceeded expectations, and a line wrapped around the block for hours. The sight piqued Tache’s curiosity.

“I was walking down the queue talking to people who were kind enough to wait such a long time. I asked them a simple question, ‘why are you here?’ They gave me a very simple answer: They wanted to try the perfumes.”

In addition to their dupes, the pop-up showcased their underdog Originals Collection (their own creations), which customers overlooked online. The in-person response to this collection gave Tache a second revelation.

“At the time, it was still a small category for us. But once people got to experiment with them, there was big enthusiasm,” says Tache. “I saw that if we want to showcase all the great things we’re doing, we need a physical space where people can interact with perfumes in a way that’s hard to do online.”

Fast forward to now, Dossier is opening two NYC stores this summer: an 1,800-square-foot flagship in Nolita and a mall outpost. Their mission: translating a digital-native, minimalist ethos into a tactile, human experience. The stores will showcase all 150+ fragrances, inviting customers to layer scents—a ritual nearly impossible online.

With Dossier, brick-and-mortar isn’t a detour—it’s an elevation. “We want to meet customers where they are. If they want to have a great experience in our own boutiques, we'll meet them there. If they love shopping online, we're online,” Tache says.

A bookstore gets the tech to power its first chapter

For Amanda Badeau, The Archive bookstore wasn’t just a pivot to physical retail—it was her first-ever business. As a lifelong booklover who left her corporate job, she wanted to curate a space where people could escape.

“I've been working toward this goal my entire life. I have always dreamed of owning a bookstore,” says Badeau. In The Archive, Charleston’s dark academia haven, moss-green walls, flickering candlelight, and towering shelves of fantasy novels evoke a grown-up Hogwarts.

The Archive’s opening weekend was a love letter to brick-and-mortar’s enduring power. More than 700 fans lined up for hours, some driving as far as from Georgia, to step into Badeau’s vision: a moody refuge where $6 glasses of wine pair with $28 “romantasy” hardcovers. Many had learned of The Archive’s opening day event from a single viral reel of Badeau ripping a “coming soon” banner off the door.

“That day the line just kept growing. I still can't believe that so many people wanted to not only come to our bookstore, but were willing to wait in line for it. It's a very humbling experience.”

Badeau’s sanctuary stocks hundreds of SKUs, from niche titles to locally roasted coffee beans. Uploading inventory via CSV lets her sync real-time stock levels across her shelves. Though The Archive launched as brick-and-mortar first, Badeau’s point-of-sale (POS) setup is laying the groundwork for ecommerce. When she does go online, it will be all one .

“I wanted to do something where I could host my website, run my , and have the physical inventory of the shop linked with the POS. I just wanted everything to be connected,” says Badeau.

“People on social media are always asking whether we ship. So I want to set up ecommerce, build the brand, and hopefully even expand to other states. I want The Archive to be a household name for anyone who loves books.”

An IRL laboratory for digitally native brands

And then there are the countless brands still testing the waters before diving in. According to 2024 Shopify data, 22% of entrepreneurs sold their products through avenues like craft fairs, holiday markets, and farmers markets, while 17% opted for .

TikTok's first family, the D’Amelios (Marc, Heidi, Dixie, and Charli), learned the power of in-person connection through a pop-up shop for their eponymous footwear brand last year. Fans were able to try on shoes, take photos, and even participate in a meet-and-greet with the family.

“So much of our journey has been shaped by social media, so stepping into a physical retail space felt like entering a new chapter,” says cofounder Marc D’Amelio. “Being able to offer that in-person connection gave us the chance to build trust and hear direct feedback, which was incredibly valuable.”

It also allowed them to capture customer contact information and preferences, “which is so important for continuing the relationship beyond the pop-up,” D’Amelio says.

The founders of Eastside Golf, a streetwear-golf brand, left their NYC pop-up with one clear takeaway.

“We need our own store,” says cofounder Olajuwon Ajanaku. “We generated an incredible reaction from all types of people, whether they were men, women, golfers, or non-golfers.”

The founders plan to take what they’ve learned through the pop-up and apply it to their upcoming retail location in the Detroit airport.

“Since the beginning, we have always wanted to create a space that's a home base for Eastside Golf, and the pop-up offered us a snapshot of the world of brick and mortar,” says cofounder Earl Cooper.

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