PopUp RVA closes down permanently following exit from Chesterfield Towne Center

PopUp RVA has closed its indoor market space at Chesterfield Towne Center. The group also formerly operated a vendors market at The Diamond. (Jack Jacobs photo)

PopUp RVA will be popping up no more, as the vendors market operator has called it quits shortly after it transitioned to a year-round model in Chesterfield Towne Center.

The business in recent days closed its space at the Chesterfield mall, where it briefly operated a 9,000-square-foot daily indoor market across from the H&M store near Macy’s.

The group, which for four years ran a market series at The Diamond, has completely ended its operations after the shuttering of the mall space, founder Brian Sullivan said.

The idea behind the mall location was to build on PopUp RVA’s work running seasonal markets by establishing a place for vendors to operate on a more permanent basis, and allow them tap into some of the benefits of a physical brick-and-mortar location with less risk than going it alone.

“We wanted to create a long-term opportunity for local small businesses and vendors to take their businesses to the next level,” Sullivan said.

But the indoor location brought challenges that ultimately led to the end the business. Sullivan said a rent dispute arose between him and the mall, which is owned by New York-based Brookfield Properties.

Sullivan said he was charged more than was agreed to when he signed his lease, and added that he was unable to resolve the problem because of administrative issues and conflicting guidance over the course of the eight-month operation of PopUp RVA at the mall.

“At first we were told it would be fixed, and then was told certain paperwork had to be submitted and we did that, and then were told it had to be done with a different notice,” Sullivan said.

Brookfield’s press office didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Also at issue was that shoppers didn’t visit the indoor market as much as was expected. Sullivan felt he could have potentially kept up with the higher rent payments had business been better at the mall.

“The mall does get pretty good foot traffic, but it wasn’t enough to sustain vendors to a profitable level,” Sullivan said.

He said the market hosted more than 30 vendors during the holidays, but also had days where seven or eight vendors were active. He added that not as many vendors took to the idea of a permanent home as he hoped.

“Folks were used to setting up on weekends for a few hours. This was seven days a week and the hours were longer,” he said. Vendors were able to operate at the mall space in exchange for a fee paid to PopUp RVA, which varied based on how frequently they were open in the space.

PopUp RVA opened the mall outpost in August and hosted vendors there for the last time in late February. Sullivan said that ultimately the move to the mall exhausted PopUp RVA’s resources to the point it couldn’t continue, and that he was in the process of winding down the organization.

Sullivan said he wasn’t sure what his next professional move would be, but PopUp RVA would not continue in a different location or revisit the seasonal market model.

The closing at Chesterfield Towne Center followed PopUp RVA’s exit from The Diamond in September, where it held seasonal vendors markets for four years. The event at the ballpark’s parking lot saw 50 to 70 vendors set up shop weekly, and Sullivan said his operation acted as an incubator for local vendors. PopUp RVA also held a holiday event called Sip & Shop at Stony Point Fashion Park for several years.

“We’ve taken people from a concept or idea to a full operation,” Sullivan said. “I really like working with small businesses and creating opportunities for them. It worked out great for some of them.”