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The Storefront Pop-Up Index · 2026
Paris is the world's leading city for pop-up shops, ahead of New York
Global pop-up activity: the cities brands target, the businesses behind the demand, and when they plan to open.
All the numbers come from Storefront, the world's largest marketplace for pop-up and short-term retail space. The data covers the 12 months to 30 June 2026 and reflects demand expressed by brands on Storefront, rather than the size of the overall market.
Updated August 2026Next update October 2026
- Fashion brands account for more than half of all brands looking for space, more than every other category combined.
- Nearly a third of all brands looking for space are American, three times the share from the UK.
- September is the busiest month of the year and August the quietest.
- 30% of brands open within a month of making their first inquiry. Very few plan more than six months out.
- About half of demand comes from independent and smaller brands rather than major names.
The ranking
Paris leads, with New York close behind
London ranks third, followed by Los Angeles and Milan.
How to interpret the index.
The figures are relative scores, not absolute totals. The top city scores 100 and every other city is measured against it. A score of 100 for Paris and 85 for New York means that, for every 100 brands seeking space in Paris, 85 are seeking space in New York.
Number one
85% of Paris
57% of Paris, 67% of New York
30% of Paris, 53% of London
26% of Paris, 87% of Los Angeles
Cities are ranked according to the number of brands that inquired about opening there. Pop-up shops, showrooms, sample sales, galleries and product launches all count. Each city name links to available spaces in that market.
The brands behind the demand
More fashion brands are seeking space than all other categories combined
Art, food and drink, design, and beauty account for most of the remainder.
Fashion57%
More than the other four put together (40%)
Art and galleries15%
Fashion has 3.8 times as many brands
Food and drink10%
Fashion has 5.7 times as many brands
Design and homeware8%
Fashion has 7.1 times as many brands
Beauty7%
Fashion has 8.1 times as many brands
Share of identifiable brands, classified using information from each brand's own website. The fashion category includes footwear, jewelry, denim, swimwear and menswear. Technology and smaller categories make up the rest.
Where they come from
More brands come from the US than from the next four countries combined
The UK ranks second, with one-third as many brands as the US.
US30%
More brands than the next four countries put together (27%)
UK10%
The US has 3 times as many brands
Italy6%
The US has 5 times as many brands
France6%
The US has 5 times as many brands
Canada5%
The US has 6 times as many brands
Netherlands4%
The US has 7.5 times as many brands
Brand origin, based on the country from which each request was submitted.
Crossing borders
Brands look well beyond their home markets
The strongest cross-border flows run in both directions across the Atlantic.
- British brands form the largest foreign group seeking space in New York, followed by Italian, Canadian and Australian brands.
- American brands form the largest foreign group seeking space in London, followed by French and Australian brands.
- In Paris British brands rank first, followed by American, Italian and Japanese brands. Japan appears in no other city's top four foreign markets.
- British brands also lead foreign demand in Los Angeles, followed by Australian and Canadian brands.
Foreign demand in each city, ranked by the country from which requests were submitted.
When brands open
September is the busiest month of the year
Activity is more than twice as high as in August.
59Jan
51Feb
63Mar
60Apr
65May
85Jun
59Jul
43Aug
100Sep
89Oct
72Nov
68Dec
Planned openings by month, averaged across two years. September is set to 100 and every other month is measured against it, so an August score of 43 means activity is equivalent to 43% of September's level. The peak coincides with the major fashion weeks and the run-up to Christmas.
What else the data shows
Brands move quickly, while entry-level space remains relatively affordable
Planning lead times
42% plan one to three months ahead, while 30% open within a month of making their first inquiry. Fewer than one in ten plan beyond six months.
Weekly rental costs
Entry-level spaces start at about $600 a week. Typical weekly rents range from $2,000 to $3,000, while prime locations command $10,000 or more.
Weekly **rent only**, in US dollars. Staffing, utilities, insurance, marketing and fit-out costs are additional. These costs vary too widely by city and format to support a single representative estimate. City-by-city pricing follows in the Pop Up Price Index. For early access, contact [press@thestorefront.com](mailto:press@thestorefront.com).
Key findings in full
These findings may be reused with attribution and a link to this page.
Cities
- Paris is the world's leading city for pop-up shops, ahead of New York and London.
- For every 100 brands looking in Paris, 85 are looking in New York and 57 in London.
- Paris draws 3.3 times as many brands as Los Angeles.
- London attracts about two-thirds of the demand recorded in New York.
Brands
- Fashion accounts for 57% of brands looking for pop-up space, more than the other four categories put together.
- Art and galleries form the second-largest category, accounting for 15%.
- About half of demand comes from independent and smaller brands rather than major brands.
Where brands come from
- Brands inquiring from the US account for 30% of global demand for pop-up space.
- More brands come from the US than from the next four countries combined.
- The US accounts for 3 times as many brands as the UK, the second-largest source market.
- British brands are the biggest group of foreign brands looking at New York, Paris and Los Angeles.
- American brands are the biggest group of foreign brands looking at London.
- Japan ranks among Paris's four largest foreign source markets, but appears in no other city's top four.
Timing
- September runs 2.3 times busier than August.
- September is the busiest month for pop-up openings and August the quietest.
- 30% of brands move from their first inquiry to opening in less than a month.
- 42% plan one to three months ahead. Fewer than one in ten plan beyond six months.
Cost
- Entry-level space starts at about $600 a week, excluding all additional operating costs.
- Typical weekly rent ranges from $2,000 to $3,000, while prime locations command $10,000 or more.
Methodology
How the index works
The Pop-Up Index is a barometer of demand on Storefront, the world's largest marketplace for pop-up shops and short-term retail space, covering pop-up shops, showrooms, sample sales, galleries and product launches. It is based on Storefront marketplace data and therefore measures demand expressed on the platform rather than the size of the overall market. Cities are ranked by how many brands want to open there and scored against the leader, so the figures are relative index scores, not absolute totals. A brand's country is assigned according to the country from which its request was submitted. The index covers the rolling 12-month period to 30 June 2026, reducing the effect of seasonal peaks and quieter periods, and it is updated every three months.
For press
Source: The Storefront Pop-Up IndexCharts and findings may be reused with attribution to the Storefront Pop-Up Index and a link to this page. Charts and underlying data are available below without registration or prior approval.
Full chart pack (ZIP)
Where brands want to open (Image)
The brands behind the demand (Image)
Where brands come from (Image)
When brands open (Image)
Planning lead times (Image)
Every number on this page (CSV)
Read the full release for analysis and context behind the findings. Media contact: press@thestorefront.com.
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