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Pop-Up Shops at Wilmington Street

An award-winning pop-up retail space in Downtown Raleigh presented Downtown Raleigh Alliance

Pop-Up Shops at Wilmington St is programmed by Downtown Raleigh Alliance in partnership with Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center for pop-up retail tenants looking to share an affordable retail space with other up-and-coming retailers, participate in business counseling, and experience the Downtown Raleigh market.

The program will relaunch in early summer 2025 and is accepting applications through April 25th from business owners who would like to participate and who meet the program criteria.

Complete the interest form below to apply for this program.

INTEREST FORM

For questions and additional information, please contact: kateturley@downtownraleigh.org 

Previous retail tenants:

Program overview:

Pop-Up Shops at Wilmington Street is a pop-up retail store program in Downtown Raleigh. This storefront location is available for pop-up retail tenants looking to share an affordable retail space with other up-and-coming retailers, participate in business counseling, and experience the Downtown Raleigh market.

(Above) Overview video about the Pop-Up Shops program. Produced by Angela Hollowell, Rootful Media.

The goals of the program are to:

  • Provide affordable retail space in a desirable location within Downtown Raleigh to Minority- and Women-owned businesses
  • Provide counseling opportunities for tenants to grow their business through Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center
  • Give tenants the opportunity for retail success in a storefront location, further boosting their confidence to sign a long-term lease within Downtown Raleigh

This is an ideal business opportunity if:

  • You have a retail business that you want to expand to a storefront location in Downtown Raleigh
  • You only need a small area to operate
  • You do not currently have a physical storefront location in Raleigh but have been considering opening one
  • You are welcoming, customer-service-oriented, and willing to share space with other businesses
  • You are motivated and driven to grow your business through the counseling opportunities provided by Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center (SBC)
  • You are motivated and driven to market and advertise your pop-up to generate sales and foot traffic
  • You are prepared to submit a business plan (including a marketing plan and financial plan)
  • You are prepared to represent your business in a formal interview

Location:

The retail space at 120 S. Wilmington Street is 810 square feet and positioned on a high foot traffic street within the center of Downtown Raleigh. It is surrounded by many popular restaurants, residential units, offices, and other nearby retailers.

Division of space:

The 810 square feet of retail space will be subdivided to accommodate up to two retail tenants at one time. Tenant floor plans will range from 400 to 810 square feet. Each tenant will sign a lease committing to a specific floor plan and square footage within the space.

Eligible businesses:

  • MWBE owned retail businesses

Ineligible businesses:

  • Food or beverage businesses
  • Franchises
  • Businesses that already have a storefront location in Raleigh

Hours of operation:

Program tenants are required to staff the shop and be open during set regular hours of operation:

  • Wed - Sat (11am - 7pm)
  • Sun (11am - 5pm)

*Special, one-off circumstances, emergencies, and certain holidays not withstanding. It may also be permissible, if mutually acceptable, for co-tenants to make joint coverage arrangements for increased flexibility. However, DRA and program partners reserve the right to terminate the lease and program agreements in the event of repeated violation of this hours-of-operation requirement.

Lease term:

The standard lease is a six-month lease term with ability to mutually extend for an additional six months. We are unable to offer lease terms of more than 12 months.

Tenants will be taking possession in May with a June opening.

Pricing:

Tenants will pay a reduced rental rate that is determined by number of participating tenants in the space. Monthly rent plus common area maintenance fees are anticipated to be no more than $800 per month. Common area fees cover common services such as most utilities, internet, security system and weekly cleaning service. Exact rent and common area fees will be set via final lease agreement. Please reach out directly for further questions on rent.

Security deposit:

A two (2) month security deposit is required at the time the lease is signed.

Criteria to apply:

  • A business tax ID
  • The business use must be retail
  • Applicants must complete the application and submit a business plan (including marketing plan and financial plan) by the application deadline of April 25, 2025
  • Applicants must complete an interview with DRA and Wake Tech SBC staff 

If accepted, tenants are required to do the following:

  • Commit to a six-month lease term
  • Work full-time in their business
  • Staff the shop and be open during the hours of operation: Wed - Sat (11am - 7pm); Sun (11am - 5pm)
  • Provide a POS system and be able to process transactions (can be as simple as a mobile-device Square Reader)
  • Provide retail display infrastructure
  • Obtain basic business liability and property insurance for the use of the pop-up space
  • Share a pop-up location with other retail tenants and adhere to the tenant code of conduct agreement
  • Attend an orientation with Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center
  • Schedule and attend one (1) business counseling session per month through Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center for the duration of the lease term. Counseling is free and confidential.
  • Report monthly transaction numbers and sales numbers to Downtown Raleigh Alliance. This information will remain confidential.

2023 IDA Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is proud to be awarded the 2023 Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence in Economic Development by The International Downtown Association (IDA) for its resourceful approach to equitable economic development and retail activation. This peer-reviewed award acknowledges an excellent response to an urban place management challenge many downtowns face. 

Disclaimer:

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate, Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) and Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center (SBC) are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information provided herein is provided with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. We strongly recommend you and/or your advisory team perform a thorough review of the included property to determine its compatibility with your real estate goals and specifications. In no event will Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA), Wake Tech Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center (SBC), their partners, agents, or employees be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information herein.