Buffalo – Today, Mayor Byron W. Brown, Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC), Buffalo Place and Working for Downtown kicked off the Queen City Pop-Up: 2017 Spring Edition at the Brisbane Building, located at 403 Main Street, across from Lafayette Square. Queen City Pop-Up, launched in 2014, is downtown’s first pop-up retail program designed to encourage retail activity along Main Street by creating new “pop-up” shops that feature local retailers. The program brings vibrancy to empty storefronts by filling them with retailers on a short time basis, free of charge, and lets retailers test their product in the downtown marketplace. Brisbane Realty Associates, LLC has generously agreed to sponsor the retail space for the 2017 Spring Edition Queen City Pop-Up participants.
The Queen City Pop Up program has been extremely successful, with previous participants reporting sales increases of over 50% and exposure to a much broader customer base. These outcomes have resulted in several previous participants opening permanent locations on Main Street following successful experiences with Queen City Pop Up.
“I am thrilled to kick off another installment of this small business initiative. The Queen City Pop Up program has proven to be a beneficial opportunity for small business retailers to expand and grow their retail operations,” said Mayor Brown, Chairman of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC), the organization overseeing the program.
A Request for Proposals was issued in March to identify local retailers interested in participating in this downtown retail effort. A selection committee, comprised of representatives from the Queen City Pop-Up partner organizations, reviewed the proposals and determined the program finalists. Three local retailers were selected to participate in the 2017 Spring Edition of Queen City Pop Up: Baskets by Ms. Regina; Najah Sauces and Ten Thousand Villages. These small businesses offer a unique mix of items including artisan crafts, custom baskets, hand-made jewelry and specialty sauces.
The goal of the Queen City Pop-Up program is not only to activate storefronts but also to inspire participating retailers to locate their retail operations on downtown Main Street. Many Queen City Pop Up participants have located permanent shops along downtown Main Street following successful runs with Queen City Pop-Up.
Queen City Pop-Up: 2017 Spring Edition will run from June 22, 2017 through September 1, 2017. Store hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from noon - 4:00 p.m. For more information contact Brandye Merriweather, BUDC Vice President of Downtown Development at 716-362-8373 or go to www.buffalourbandevelopment.com, www.buffaloplace.com or www.workingfordowntown.org.