Portland Pop-Up Program Promotes Small Shops

Portland, OR’s Pop-Up Shops program once relied on small, vacant retail spaces for small business to set up shop for the holiday season. But tightening retail space throughout the metro meant that four small businesses set up shop in a single vacant space at 606 S.W. 9th Ave.

The four shops are:

• Faith Hats, which offers reclaimed cashmere sweaters and cashmere hats and scarves made from recycled materials.
• Via Raiz, offering Mexican crafts.
• Blanchet House of Hospitality, training men recovering from alcohol and drug addiction to become furniture makers.
• Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, consisting of diverse entrepreneurs.

The goal of the annual program is to help newer businesses become permanent retailers, while assisting landlords in filling their retail space. The 15 retail spaces that hosted pop-ups in the past now have permanent tenants.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter