Don Gregor

Lululemon has long used pop-ups to test new markets or take advantage of seasonal spikes. Naturally, pop-ups are never as swish as permanent stores – but traditionally, they have been polished spaces with effective merchandising and a solid selection of products. This approach is important, both to protect the brand and to truly assess the level of demand before deciding on a permanent store. Unfortunately, many pop-ups – including the one shown below – are now miserable.

One minute you're soaring high with a multi billion dollar valuation. The next, you're an ex-parrot being sold for a paltry $39 million. The turbulent flight of Allbirds is one for the case study books. It's a tale of a company that was built on an obsession with sustainability, rather than an obsession with what customers actually wanted. It's a tale of a firm that believed its own hype that it was significant enough to open a string of expensive, high-profile stores. In many ways, it's a shame.