5 takeaways from our 2025 Melbourne Pop Up
Our first ever solo Melbourne pop up is done and dusted and here are our takeaways from it.
1. You can never be too organised when planning an event.. Especially an interstate one
No matter how many spreadsheets, labels and packing sheets we still managed to leave a whole box of stock at our Sydney studio. With only 1 day before our retail doors open for our first day of trade this was not something we had planned for… In the end we did manage to get the stock in time but we won’t be doing that again!
2. Shit happens but the show really does go on
When you have a line out the door with people waiting to come into your store no matter what happens the show goes on!!
On our first day of shop, we spent the better half of the morning with the wifi cut out. In my head I saw this as no music, low vibes. Well that is what I thought at least. Every customer that came through that door was honestly just so happy to finally be in our shop and see our pieces in the flesh that no one seemed to care or notice that something was off.
3. Embracing calm chaos and learning from our community feedback
Our 2 main pieces of feedback from our Sydney pop up in May was 1. less chaos and 2. more change rooms. We listened to you. We found a space double the size and dedicated a whole room to a communal change room (along with having 4 private change rooms ofc) and we did not disappoint!
We had lines for 3 of the 4 days of retail but the space itself never felt overcrowded, rushed or cluttered. Creating the perfect retail space is so important to me as for most people it's the first time you really get to feel the presence and community of our typically online brand. Adding little quirks and details that make Itadaki feel authentic to me, including ITADAKI matcha from my dad’s home town, Kyoto, my baby Geta shoes I used to wear around the house, my favourite Japanese anime figurines and our very special calligraphy wrapping paper written by my late uncle. We were also so grateful to collaborate with Aya and Raian from @tatamiandme to provide you matcha cookies using our very own ITADAKI matcha and Kevin from @soya_florist for the most perfect mossy floral arrangements. I felt very proud to call this our shop for the week.
The communal change room really was the hidden star of the show. Not only did it help with the flow of the space by reducing the wait time for the private change rooms but it also created this whole separate section of the pop up. We tried to create a space that almost felt like a home living room, where friends could go in and try pieces on together without feeling rushed and where strangers met and complimented each other. We knew this space was going to be a hit or a miss but it was a big whopping hit and something we will be taking forward with us.
4. Hiring a strong robust team
This is the first time we had to hire a team purely for the pop up. All up we had a 10 person team which still seems so surreal to me as I started ITADAKI doing markets and it really was just all me (and the help of my partner). The team made for such a smooth and seamless event and I am very grateful for our little ITADAKI crew xx When things did not go according to plan, you would never have known, as even if I was in the back jumping from call to call the team really kept the show running and really allowed me to stay sane. These are all the qualities you want in a good, robust team.
5. Nothing tops creating our little world of ITADAKI and sharing it with you
There is something so special about creating a space where people feel seen. Whether you feel connected through culture and drawing ties to your own background. Or if it's the way you feel when you try on our pieces for the very first time. My favourite thing is seeing someone step out of the change room and look into the mirror for the very first time. Wearing a garment they have envisioned on them for a very long time and now finally seeing it on them. The way their face, body and energy lights up. It is confidence in its purest form. As a designer you cannot top the feeling of witnessing that.
Running a pop up is no easy feat but we love hearing and actually putting your feedback into action. So if you have any feedback from the Melbourne pop up drop it in the comments or email us at contact@itadaki.store We would love to hear from you <3
So much love xx
