ness’ recent ‘Cut the Christmas Crap’ pop-up was a massive success, and inspired him to integrate physical experiences into the brand’s marketing more moving forward. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” Howard said.  “It was an opportunity to pull the brand outside of our Instagram feed and make it exist in the real world. I think, so often, for e-commerce and B2C brands, you can get stuck behind your computer using data or anecdotal evidence to try to figure out what people like. “But there’s really no substitute for just standing in front of someone and asking them what they think about the brand and, more importantly, what they like and don’t like.” Howard also noted that the pop-up, which was open for the Christmas period, helped Single Use Aint’s Sexy connect with customers that were on the fence about purchasing the brand’s products.  Being able to showcase products in real life, show off how they work, and directly answer any questions allowed the business to alleviate the anxiety some people had about using waterless soap.  Howard describes the product range as “Berocca for hand wash” since the soap is a concentrated effervescent tablet that dissolves in a glass container with water.  “[We’ve learned] to never assume that just because you think you have a clear message or marketing, it can always be more clear, especially for older people who don’t necessarily spend a lot of time online and maybe don’t understand how a tablet can turn into soap,” Howard explained.  “People really need to have it explained simply, because we’re different from a more traditional hand soap.”  The business is launching its second pop-up later this week. It’s not all good, though When a primarily online brand launches a pop-up store, however, it can go both ways, as fashion brand Showpo recently saw.  At a recent sale event in its Sydney warehouse, Showpo reportedly saw “ten times” the usual number of customers visit the pop-up on a day when temperatures were close to 40 degrees Celsius, something that the business didn’t anticipate, according to CEO Jane Lu.  Customers were lining up in the heat without adequate cover without water to keep cool, and when they reached the front of the line, many reportedly found issues with the stock on display, including production samples that were still covered in marker. Inside Retail contacted Showpo for comment about the event, but didn’t receive a reply. While some customers were quick to forgive the brand, with Lu issuing an apology on social media, PR expert Phoebe Netto believes significant reputational damage may have already been done.   “While the CEO’s apology may have been delivered in Jane’s genuine communication style, it came across as a little insincere, lacking in empathy and genuine remorse,” Netto, the managing director of Pure Public Relations, told Inside Retail.  “A more empathetic approach would have connected with customers on a deeper level and helped rebuild trust and likeability.” According to Netto, pureplay brands must find ways to overcompensate for the lack of face-to-face contact they have with customers, and focus on building strong relationships.  “Overall, the business could have handled the situation better by being proactive and empathetic, and going above and beyond to show their care for customers,” Netto said.  She pointed out that the brand could have sent a team member to a nearby supermarket to purchase bottles of water, and that the cost would have been in the hundreds of dollars, as opposed to the possible reputational damage and loss of loyal customers. Howard noted that, if a brand is asking people to come to a physical space, it’s got to be prepared.  “You’re creating an experience for them,” Howard said.  “[Our store] became almost like a community hub for a week. There was barely a moment when it was empty – that doesn’t mean people were always buying products, but just bringing people into our brand universe has had so many positive impacts.”