In-venue merchandising is about to get a serious expansion. Now, a Scorpion-themed Drake pop-up store has opened in NYC, just one of several cities dotting the rapper’s tour.
Earlier this month, the ‘Aubrey & The Three Migos’ tour officially set sail in Canada and the U.S. That means lots of hype and promotion ahead of each show, with only a percentage of total fans actually attending the gig.
Accordingly, the Canadian hip hop star is launching pop-up stores to broaden merchandise sales. The first of these arrived in Drake’s stomping grounds of Toronto, but now there will be a new store opening in New York. That looks like the first of several temporary retail outlets, with all stores offering fans exclusive items such as tour merchandise or OVO collaborative pieces.
The pop-up could become part of the playbook for superstar artists. Just recently, Taylor Swift also cashed in with pop-up stores of her own. That included a splashy store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA, which featured long lines from die-hard fans.
In both cases, a tentpole album and tour helped to propel the excitement around the pop-up idea.
As of this past Friday, Drake began his New York performances, which includes multiple gigs at Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. As Billboard first reported, a Scorpion pop-up shop opened on Saturday (August 25th) to offer fans various merchandise they can’t obtain when they’re at the NYC concert venues.
The Scorpion pop-up shop opened in the Chelsea area at 525 W 24th Street for Saturday and Sunday, with its official hours from 10 am through 8 pm.
The store’s interior display of exclusive apparel is almost like a museum exhibit. The various tops are pressed cleanly between clear glass panels and placed inside white frames with artwork in the background.
Scorpion logos as well as official tour art are among the images emblazoned on the shirts and hoodies.
Among the in-store items are hoodies, shirts, and sweaters which feature “Scorpion” themes or tour dates on them. As Highsnobiety reported, some of the featured items include chenille crewneck sweatshirts and premium satin jackets. There are also surprise items offered, but a limited time to buy them.
It’s expected that these pop-up shops will continue to launch in other cities. The exact mix of merchandise will likely shift, though some of the latest Scorpion merchandise is also available at the official Drake website.
The Drake+Migos tour finally got started after some false starts and cancellations, with production snafus cited. Soft attendance has been a rumored reason for the delays, and tickets remain widely available for many upcoming gigs. But weekend footage from Drake’s MSG performances showed healthy attendance levels.