The recipe uses the molecular gastronomy technique of spherification.
Walmart is working with Popable, a marketplace for brands and spaces, to offer short-term leases at select stores. The terms of the contracts are negotiated directly by both parties.
Brands
The poppable texture of these fried balls of gelatinous goodness is a result of sodium alginate and calcium salt, two food additives that are safe for human consumption and commonly used in the lesser-known cooking discipline of molecular gastronomy. While these ingredients may sound strange to non-specialists, they are essential to the process that makes boba so irresistibly chewy, spongy, and mouth-wateringly delicious.
Houston-based start-up Popable, a marketplace that connects brands and spaces for short-term retail leasing, is https://popable.com partnering with Walmart to offer small businesses shop-in-shop opportunities inside select stores. Small businesses can check the list of participating stores on the Popable website, and then be paired with a local Walmart store to negotiate a short-term lease without the commitment of a long-term deal.
Whether it’s at a marketplace, event, or retail space, pop-ups are an way to extend brand awareness and connect with consumers in new ways. If you’re looking for a place to host your pop-up, check out our growing list of markets, festivals, and service providers on Popable.
Spaces
A growing number of small businesses are leasing pop-up spaces to generate sales, brand awareness and validate a new market opportunity. These short-term leases can help a business test its wears and determine whether it is ready for a long-term commitment.
There are a variety of unique retail spaces that offer pop-up space. Some are art galleries and event venues that have a lot of flexibility with rental lengths. Other spaces are old stores or warehouses that have been converted to retail. These spaces are a great option for brands looking for a space that is easily accessible and provides a lot of built-in foot traffic.
Finding the right space to fit your needs is critical
for your pop-up success. With Popable, itâs easy to find the perfect space and brand to work with. Our proprietary matching platform makes the process simple and fast, without requiring a broker. Our goal is to drive the resurgence of retail by connecting brands and spaces in a more efficient way.
Retailers
Pop-up stores have become a go-to marketing strategy for brands looking to expand their reach and connect with consumers. As a result, retail department store Walmart has partnered with Popable, the online marketplace that connects brands and spaces for short-term retail leasing, to allow small businesses to lease space in select stores on short-term leases ranging from one month to a year.
This pilot program is intended to offer visibility to smaller local retailers and fill some of the âstore-within-a-storeâ retail vacancies at Walmart, says Scott Blair, co-founder and CEO of Popable. Blair says the company has a list of Walmart stores nationwide that are participating in this new program.
Finding the right pop-up space can be a daunting task, with endless hours spent searching and vetting. But with Popable, the process is quick and easy and you have direct access to a decision-maker to negotiate. In addition, there are no broker fees. This makes it a great option for both large and small retailers to take advantage of the built-in traffic that comes with the Walmart partnership.
Customers
Popable is a platform driven by relationships, not transactions. Itâs free for Brands to post their business and broadcast their marketing message, while Spaces and Markets can post photos and details of spaces available for temporary rentals. Our proprietary matching software then connects them directly with each other, without the added expense and bottleneck of brokers. Weâre driving a new era of retail; enabling brands and spaces to grow their business untethered.
Walmart and Popable are partnering to offer small retail spaces in Walmart stores across the country for short-term retail leasing. The companies cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the catalyst for their partnership, which will help many small retailers and startups bounce back from the various impacts of the pandemic and reach more customers during the holiday season