With a range of retail store becoming vacant because of economic distress, new opportunities present by being able to rent the front windows of these stores at low rentals.
The idea is not new and real estate agents and investors have started looking for alternatives to hiring property management company for their vacant space to “fill” a vacant shop.
The renting of shop windows gives the impression of filling a vacant shop while at the same time offering another channel for retailing.

It has developed into quite a major enterprise in the US because of the economic crisis in their real estate market.
Some real estate agents have built specialist businesses in identifying suitable premises.
The concept suits online businesses trying to establish a “bricks and mortar” connection.
Established businesses use temporary vacant space for outreach activities and the use of banners with products identified by a QR code can provide online opportunities for a restricted range of businesses.

Some entrepreneurial pharmacists could adapt a pharmacy experience to this new form of retailing and it may suit the promotion of any new clinical service that may have been developed.

The spaces utilised need not be empty shops, but could embrace spaces like the walls of bus stop shelters, railway stations or mall bulletin board spaces.
Posters with QR codes can “pop-up” virtually anywhere there is reasonably high traffic.

Retailers like Westfield are actually encouraging an adaptation of the pop-up store by renting retail space to online retailers through the use of “connected glass” built into a shop window.
It is virtually a large iPad touch screen to enable mall customers to purchase items through retailers like eBay and enabling a wider choice from a single mall location.

While these concepts are in the early stages of development they do seem to represent a cheap form of promotion at a time when all business is under pressure.

The only limitation is imagination.