Age: 31
Pop Up Grocer offers a curated shopping experience for consumers seeking on-trend food products without having to wade through traditional grocery items to find them.
Founder Emily Schildt, age 31, launched the first Pop Up Grocer location last April in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, and is planning a second location for September.
The next incarnation will be larger, stay open longer—a full month instead of 10 days—and will offer more space for people to linger. “We learned that there are many brands who see the value in our platform for exposure and visibility,” says Schildt.
Companies whose products were featured in the first Pop Up Grocer location included Pan’s Mushroom Jerky, Lesser Evil, CoolHaus, Healthyish, and Mylk Labs.
Pop Up Grocer filters product through three criteria. The product must first be interesting, such as by incorporating an ingredient in a new way or meeting demand for a dietary trend; it must also meet nutritional and ingredient standards; and it must have interesting packaging that provides “an element of intrigue and discovery in itself.”
“We think these criteria, in that order, are important because ‘healthy’ is the new standard,” says Schildt. “It’s no longer differentiating—it’s expected. So, what we bring to our community is a selection of food products that are about more.”
After the September Pop Up Grocer, Schildt says she plans to take Pop Up Grocer to key markets such as Los Angeles, Denver, and Austin, Texas, and to open pop-up stores at events.
Mark Hamstra is a regular contributor to Specialty Food Magazine.
Photo Credit: Daniela Spector
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