Want your store to be instantly recognizable on the street? This LABUBU theme pop-up store from Pop Mart takes a straightforward design approach, achieving the ultimate goal of "catching people's attention". Especially, the storefront is entirely made of fiberglass, which is durable and perfect for taking photos. Even ordinary people can easily learn and implement this design.
Contrasting Colors + Brand Highlights, Making the Memory Points Stand Out
The storefront is the first impression of a store. This store's design concept is very straightforward: using highly saturated contrasting colors + huge IP elements to directly capture the attention of passersby. The main color scheme is chosen as bright yellow + cream white, with LABUBU's signature red and blue accents. The overall look is like a sugared summer soda, with an intense sense of vitality.
The huge milk carton above the storefront and the fiberglass sculpture in the shape of LABUBU are both enlarged cartoon elements. Even from several dozen meters away, one can immediately recognize that this is a bubble-mat store's IP store.
Many stores always try to make their storefronts complex and upscale, but this often makes it difficult for people to remember. In fact, using a familiar IP as the main element and using a large area of high-contrast colors to enhance the visual effect, if a passerby only sees it once, they can firmly remember your store's style.
Comparison of Advantages and Disadvantages between Fiberglass Signboards and Ordinary Printing / Acrylic Signboards
1. Customized Fiberglass Signboards
Advantages: High plasticity, giant dolls, irregular milk cartons, and three-dimensional characters can all be integrated into one piece. They are not prone to cracking or fading even under outdoor exposure to wind and sun; The three-dimensional effect is far superior to flat signs, making it suitable for IP-themed stores, snack shops, and trendy toy stores. It has extremely strong plasticity. Whether it's the round shape of the milk carton or the detailed sculptures of LABUBU, they can be accurately replicated. It feels smooth and has a good texture; Moreover, it is waterproof and sun-resistant, and is not likely to fade or deform under outdoor exposure, so there is no need to worry about damage when used outdoors.
Disadvantages: The customization cycle is longer than that of screen printing, and the unit price for small batches is higher than that of ordinary materials.
2. Flat screen printing / acrylic awning
Advantages: Low cost for immediate delivery, fast shipping;
Disadvantages: Can only create flat shapes, unable to make large-scale three-dimensional dolls or irregular roofs. The visual effect is plain, and it is difficult to create a popular打卡spot.
Test conclusion: To make the store stand out and attract traffic, glass fiber custom-made door heads should be chosen as the theme door heads. Simple signs for ordinary street-side stores can be made of acrylic.
Delving into the Details, Making Every Corner a Photo Spot Point
Apart from the storefront, the detailed design of this store is also subtly guiding passersby to stop and take photos, indirectly helping the store to promote itself for free.
The red and yellow striped sunshade at the entrance, the red and green lights featuring the LABUBU logo, the wall posters featuring the IP image, and the fiberglass IP sculptures that can be sat on for taking photos - every corner is an existing point. These details don't require a lot of cost, but they can make people who pass by simply can't help but stop, take a photo, and post it on their social media, thereby indirectly expanding the store's reach.
Many stores only focus on the storefront design, but ignore the interactive details at the entrance. In fact, adding a few small devices that correspond to the theme around the store, such as small sculptures related to the brand, shaped seats， etc., can not only enrich the appearance of the store but also provide reasons for passersby to take photos, making the store's appeal not only "attractive", but also "worth visiting".
Practical Operations for Opening a Store: 3 Steps to Replicate the Same Eye-Catching Storefront
1. The first step is to determine the theme IP and color scheme: Define your brand image and refer to the high-saturation contrasting colors in this case. Use 1 main color + 2 auxiliary colors to avoid chaotic colors.
2. The second step is to split the fiberglass components: Divide the large characters on the storefront, the roof design, and the door sculptures into separate molds. Use fiberglass for large dolls and special-shaped roofs, regular profiles for doors and sunshades, and control the budget.
3. The third step is to add interactive details： Just like ours， arrange cartoon seats and special signal light ornaments on the side of the store to create free spots， guiding customers to take photos and share them voluntarily.
Customized Fiberglass Signboards: 6 Key Tips to Avoid Pitfalls
- 1. Avoid Pitfall 1: Choosing recycled glass fiber materials for the outdoor signboards will cause them to turn yellow and crack within half a year. Therefore, outdoor signboards must use brand-new raw materials.
- 2. Avoid Pitfall 2: Blindly customizing all the signs for the entire store. Small stores can only do the signboards and the decorative items at the entrance. Use regular materials for the doors, windows, and cabinets to reduce costs.
- 3. Avoid Pitfall 3: Ignoring outdoor waterproofing. The gaps in the dolls are not sealed, and water accumulation during rainy days can cause internal delamination.
- 4. Avoid Pitfall 4: Unfocused color selection. Blindly stacking multiple colors. It is recommended to use three colors for a combination.
- 5. Avoid Pitfall 5: Randomly designing the size of the sculptures. The dolls are too large, blocking the light for the doors and windows, affecting the normal operation of the store.
- 6. Avoid Pitfall 6: No reserved installation positions. Adding additional fixing parts when installing on the wall will damage the appearance.
If you want your store to stand out on the street, there's no need to completely renovate the entire place with a huge investment. Refer to the idea of LABUBU's store: a glass fiber structure for the themed three-dimensional storefront + low-cost signature accessories + classic color contrasts. This can be achieved for ordinary snack stores, candy stores, ice cream shops, and general grocery stores.
