Pop Up Grocer

Name

Pop Up Grocer

Legal name

Pop Up Grocer

Website

https://popupgrocer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Grocery / Curated Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Variety Stores (5331)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Supermarkets & Neighborhood Grocers (CRAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pop-Up / Temporary Variety Stores (CRAGAJAJ)

Keywords

• Curated grocery retail
• Emerging CPG brands
• Pop-up retail concept
• Consignment showcase program
• Specialty food discovery

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consignment Sales: Pop Up Grocer operates on a consignment basis with emerging brands. Brands ship products to store locations, items are sold at instructed prices, and unsold inventory is returned or donated. Revenue generated from the margin between wholesale and retail prices.
2. Brand Showcase Fees: One-time flat showcase fees charged to accepted brands for featuring their products in Pop Up Grocer locations. Discounts offered for underrepresented and under-resourced brands.
3. E-commerce Sales: Direct online sales of curated boxes (5-8 items), limited-edition boxes, and collectible merchandise with free nationwide shipping.
4. Café Revenue: In-store café serving beverages including the Dream Matcha Latte, generating additional revenue from the NYC flagship location.
5. Delivery Partnerships: Products available for delivery through Uber Eats platform, generating revenue from third-party delivery commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pop Up Grocer is a discovery-focused grocery retail platform that curates and sells new, better-for-you products from emerging independent brands through a permanent NYC flagship store, rotating 30-day pop-up locations, an online shop, and a Nordstrom partnership in 71 stores nationwide. It sources brands via an online application and showcase program, operates on consignment terms, and offers curated subscription boxes, a brand directory, and an on-site café.

Product overview

Pop Up Grocer is a discovery destination for new, better-for-you products, operating as a single unified concept combining a permanent NYC flagship grocery store and café with an online presence. The core offering includes physical and pop-up retail locations featuring curated brands, complemented by the Brand Directory (an online catalog of 1,200+ vetted brands), Wellness Collection, and Nordstrom/Uber Eats distribution partnerships. The business model also includes Curated Boxes and Subscriptions for recurring deliveries, the Pop Up Grocer Fund grant program, and a Brand Application/Showcase Program enabling emerging brands to feature their products through consignment arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Pop Up Grocer Fund: Annual program that selects one founder to receive a package of cash + creative services to support brand growth.

Products and services

• NYC Flagship Store and Café

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,200+ brands featured in the PUG family
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NordstromflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2024Beginning November 2024, Pop Up Grocer products are featured in the home section of 71 Nordstrom stores coast to coast across the US. Key markets include Manhattan, Austin, Seattle, San Diego, McLean, San Jose, Chicago, Palo Alto, Dallas, and Scottsdale.
• Whims (2024 Fund Recipient)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Whims Delights selected as the 2024 recipient of The Pop Up Grocer Fund, receiving a package of cash and creative services to support brand growth. Annual program selects one founder from applicant pool.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPop Up Grocer products available for delivery through Uber Eats platform, expanding accessibility to customers who prefer delivery convenience.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers the online e-commerce platform enabling online store functionality, brand directory, and subscription services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• Misfits Market: Online specialty food retailer using a discovery/subscription model to deliver curated food and wellness products. Comparable on the curated e-commerce and subscription motion.
• Sephora: While a beauty retailer, Sephora's model of curating emerging brands and giving them shelf access with consumer discovery is a strong analog for what Pop Up Grocer does in food/beverage categories.
• Whole Foods Market: Established national specialty grocery retailer with strong emphasis on natural, organic, and emerging brands. Competes for the same better-for-you shopper and serves as a top-of-funnel wholesale buyer for many PUG brands.
• Thrive Market: Online membership-based grocery retailer focused on natural, organic, and better-for-you products. Competes for the same conscious-shopper audience but at much larger scale and on a digital/membership model.

Emerging players

• Public Goods: Online-first curated essentials retailer with a discovery and membership model. Overlaps in the curated discovery thesis and subscription-style e-commerce motion.
• Imperfect Foods: Online specialty food delivery service with curated discovery boxes and subscription model. Comparable on the subscription/discovery box motion and better-for-you audience.
• Locali / Neighborhood Grocery: Independent neighborhood grocery concepts in NYC featuring curated assortment and prepared food/café. Comparable neighborhood-format discovery grocer with rotating products.

Direct peers

• Other Markets: Specialty retail concept that curates emerging food and wellness brands in a discovery-driven store format. Highly comparable in audience (conscious shoppers, emerging female founders) and curation approach.
• Gelso & Grand: NYC-based specialty grocery market offering a curated, design-forward assortment of premium and emerging food brands. Comparable in physical retail curation and better-for-you positioning.
• Foxtrot Market: Foxtrot (and its successor concepts) operated a similar neighborhood grocery + café + delivery model focused on discovery-driven assortment of emerging food and beverage brands. Closest direct comparable in format and target customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/popup.grocer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pop-up-grocer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pop Up Grocer