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    Home · Events · Pop-up and ephemeral retail
    Events · Barcelona

    Pop-up stores
    & temporary retail

    Open fast,
    close without a trace

    From a weekend activation to a seasonal store. In-house production, on-site installation and a teardown that leaves the space exactly as it was.

    • No-build systems, suitable for rented premises
    • Installed in a single day, open the next
    • Elements reusable across activations

    Tell us about your pop-up

    We reply the same business day.

    Request a quote No obligation · we reply today
    Our work

    Pop-ups that have
    already opened and closed

    View all projects
    Venca – Pop-Up Store — Unical Graphic01 · Pop-Up Store

    Venca

    View project →     Vodafone – Sculpted flip-flop vending machine for Fibra Ono — Unical Graphic02 · Sculpted flip-flop vending machine for Fibra Ono

    Vodafone

    View project →     Vodafone – Light tunnels for an event — Unical Graphic03 · Light tunnels for an event

    Vodafone

    View project →     Vodafone – Retail and Events — Unical Graphic04 · Retail and Events

    Vodafone

    View project →     Škoda eventos – Outdoor Advertising Sculpture with Brand Arch — Unical Graphic05 · Outdoor Advertising Sculpture with Brand Arch

    Škoda eventos

    View project →     Vodafone – Giant snow globe for a Christmas activation in Oviedo — Unical Graphic06 · Giant snow globe for a Christmas activation in Oviedo

    Vodafone

    View project →     Head & Shoulders – In-store football promotion with floor vinyl — Unical Graphic07 · In-store football promotion with floor vinyl

    Head & Shoulders

    View project →     RETA – Stand with arch and relief map of the Andalusian tech network — Unical Graphic08 · Stand with arch and relief map of the Andalusian tech network

    RETA

    View project →
    What a pop-up is

    What a pop-up store is and when it pays off

    A pop-up is a shop or brand space that opens for a limited time: a weekend, a few weeks or a season. It goes into an empty unit, a shopping centre, another store or onto wheels, and comes down leaving the space as it was. That is why it is built with no-construction systems: freestanding structures, fabric graphics, removable vinyl and modular furniture.

    It pays off when you want to test a location before signing a long lease, launch a product, make the most of a campaign such as Christmas or summer, or take the brand to several cities with the same build. If the shop is going to stay for years, a permanent fit-out works out better, and we will tell you so.

    Here we focus on the temporary build: duration, systems and dismantling. For trade fairs see trade show stands, for opening a permanent shop launches and openings, and every option in events.

    Installation duration

    A weekend is not
    the same as a quarter

    What determines how a pop-up is built isn't the design, it's how long it will stand. That's what drives the construction system, the materials and the budget. These are the scenarios we build for.

    Loading 3D scene
    Format01 / 06

    One to three days. Everything has to go up in a few hours and come down just as fast, so it's built with self-supporting elements, textile graphics and lightweight furniture. Nothing that needs fixing in place or drying time.

    Request a quote →

    Materials and finishes

    No-build systems
    and a clean teardown

    In ephemeral retail you're almost always working in a rented space with strict conditions: don't touch the walls, leave no marks, and hand it back exactly as it was. The whole system is chosen with that in mind.

    Removable wall vinyl

    Controlled low-tack adhesive for mural graphics: comes off with heat, leaving no residue and without lifting paint.

    LocationIndoor
    DurabilitySingle use

    Self-supporting structures

    Walls and display units that stand on their own, with no anchoring to the ceiling or the walls. This is what makes it possible to work in premises where drilling isn't allowed.

    LocationIndoor
    DurabilityReusable

    Interchangeable textile graphics

    Fabric tensioned on a profile: the same structure serves several campaigns, only the fabric changes, and it travels folded.

    LocationIndoor
    DurabilityInterchangeable

    Modular furniture

    Demountable counters and display units that reconfigure to fit the store's floor area and get stored between activations.

    LocationIndoor
    DurabilityReusable

    Lighting on a standalone track

    Tracks powered from an existing outlet, with no changes to the store's electrical installation, which is usually forbidden under short-term leases.

    LocationIndoor
    DurabilityReusable

    Packing and storage

    Every element has its own packing and label. This is what makes a roadshow viable and keeps the installation from degrading between cities.

    LocationWorkshop
    DurabilityPermanent

    How we work

    From empty premises
    to opening day

    1. Step 01

      Site visit and lease conditions

      We measure and, above all, read what the lease allows: what can be touched, what has to be returned intact, and the window available for installation and teardown.

    2. Step 02

      Proposal matched to the duration

      We define the construction system based on how many days it will be standing. Overbuilding a three-day pop-up wastes money; underbuilding a three-month one costs you later.

    3. Step 03

      Production and pre-assembly

      We produce and, for complex or touring installations, pre-assemble in the workshop to time the real installation and catch problems beforehand.

    4. Step 04

      Installation, opening and teardown

      We install within the agreed window, leave the store ready to open and, once the campaign ends, dismantle everything and hand the space back as it was.

    01 / 04
    Comparison

    Which pop-up format to choose

    The six formats suit different durations and goals. This is the quick comparison we go through when putting the proposal together.

    FormatTypical durationInstallationReusableRelative investment
    Weekend activation1 to 3 daysHoursAlmost everythingLow
    1 to 4-week pop-up1 to 4 weeksOne or two daysThe structureMedium
    Seasonal store1 to 3 monthsTwo or three daysFurniture and lightingMedium-high
    Corner and shop-in-shopWeeks or monthsOutside store hoursYesMedium
    Touring roadshowSeveral citiesHours at each stopThat is the pointHigh at first, low per stop
    Campaign windowWeeksA few hoursGraphics are single-useLow

    What moves the investment most is not size but how long the build has to last and how many times it will be reused.

    Tell us your dates and venue and we will suggest a format →
    Budget

    How we price a pop-up

    We do not publish fixed rates because every pop-up depends on the venue, how many days it is open and whether the build has to travel. These are the factors that move the figure:

    • Duration

      A few days calls for light materials; a season, finishes that stand up to daily use.

    • Floor area and height

      How many metres of wall need dressing and whether a structure of its own is needed.

    • Lease conditions

      Whether walls can be touched or everything has to be freestanding.

    • Furniture and displays

      Stock, modular or made for the brand.

    • Lighting and power

      Self-contained track, screens or light boxes, and where they are powered from.

    • Reuse

      If the build travels to other cities, it is designed to go up and come down many times.

    • Installation hours

      In shopping centres installation usually happens at night or outside opening hours.

    Get a quote for your pop-up →

    Google reviews

    What our clients say

    5,044 reviews on Google

    • 5/5

      Muy buena experiencia con Unical Graphic. Me ayudaron con el montaje de un stand en una feria del sector farmacéutico y el resultado fue impecable. Destacan por la calidad del acabado, la rapidez y lo fácil que hacen todo el proceso.

      YagoGoogle · Original review in Spanish

    • 5/5

      Me acompañaron en todo el proceso y cumplieron con el plazo de entrega pese al tiempo tan ajustado y las modificaciones de última hora. Muy contentos con el resultado!

      Victor Gonzalez GalvezGoogle · Original review in Spanish

    • 5/5

      Los mejores profesionales del sector en la zona. Calidad de impresión y montaje excelente, pero el servicio y el trato recibido está a otro nivel.

      Oktoberfest Barcelona VIPGoogle · Original review in Spanish

    See all reviews on Google →
    Frequently asked questions

    We answer your questions

    Everything people ask us before commissioning a pop-up or ephemeral retail space: lead times, permits, materials, installation and warranty.

    Can't find your question?

    Ask us directly

    How long does it take to install a pop-up?

    The installation itself is usually a single day for a short activation and two or three for a seasonal store with more elements. What really makes the difference isn't the installation but the preparation: if everything arrives produced, pre-assembled and labelled, a 60 sqm space is fitted out in a day and opens the next. From the first brief to opening, counting design and production, a reasonable timeline is two to four weeks. It can be done with less margin, but you'll need to give up elements that require workshop time and lean more on standard systems.

    Can it be installed without touching the walls?

    Yes, and that's our default way of working, because almost every short-term lease requires it. We use self-supporting structures that stand on their own, low-tack removable vinyl for mural graphics, and lighting tracks powered from an existing outlet with no changes to the store's electrical system. Nothing gets anchored to the walls or ceiling unless the owner expressly authorises it. Before proposing anything we go through the lease conditions with you, because there are important differences between a street-level unit and a space inside a shopping centre.

    What happens at teardown? Does the store end up as it was?

    That's the commitment. We remove the vinyl with heat, which comes off with no residue and without lifting paint if the wall was in good condition beforehand, dismantle the structures and take away all the material. The only thing that might remain visible is whatever was already damaged before we started, which is why on the initial visit we photograph the condition of the premises: it's the best protection for you if there's ever a dispute over the deposit at the end. In premises with very old or poor-condition paintwork, we flag the risk before applying anything.

    How do I decide how much to invest based on how long it runs?

    The rule we use is to spread the cost across the days of trading. A three-day activation can't support workshop-made elements or bespoke furniture: the cost per day skyrockets and you never recover it. A two-week pop-up already justifies a well-designed shop window and mural graphics. And a three-month seasonal store justifies investing in lighting and your own furniture, because that material also gets stored and reused for the next campaign. When we see someone overbuilding for just a few days, we say so; it's more cost-effective for everyone if you plan to repeat.

    Can the installation be reused in another city or campaign?

    Yes, and if you're planning to repeat it, it's best designed that way from the start rather than adapted afterwards. A setup built to travel uses demountable structures, textile graphics that fold, modular furniture, and everything packed and labelled by module with an assembly manual. That raises the cost of the first activation a little and lowers it considerably for the following ones. We can store the material between campaigns, check it over and replace anything that's worn. On roadshows, from the second city onward the installation is usually noticeably faster than the first.

    Do you need a licence for a pop-up?

    It depends on the municipality and the activity. If the premises already hold a compatible commercial activity licence and you're only changing the occupant temporarily, a simple notification is usually enough. If the premises were vacant with no valid licence, or the activity differs from the one authorised, formal processing may be required, and at that point the timeline stops being compatible with many pop-ups. Signage on the shop window and exterior usually does require its own notification, even if temporary. We prepare the technical documentation for the graphic side; the activity licence itself is the tenant's responsibility.

    Can you also produce the furniture and display units?

    We produce simple modular furniture, counters, display units and exhibition elements manufactured in our own workshop, which is standard in ephemeral retail because it needs to be lightweight, demountable and consistent with the graphics. What we don't do is fine-finish bespoke carpentry or installations that require building work. When a project calls for that, we say so and note it in the proposal rather than forcing a solution of ours that wouldn't be the best fit.

    What if the opening date moves earlier?

    It happens often, so we plan for it. The first thing is finding out as early as possible: with a week's notice we can almost always reorganise. What we do then is separate what's essential to open — shop window, main graphics and signage — from what can be finished in the following days with the store already trading. It's better to open on time with 80% installed and finish up afterwards than to delay the opening, especially if the campaign has a fixed date.

    Do you manufacture yourselves, or do you subcontract?

    We manufacture at our own facility at Passatge la Carola, 2, in Cabrera de Mar, and install with our own team. We don't subcontract either of those. In events this matters more than in any other kind of work, because when the date can't move, you can't depend on a third party's schedule or have someone tell you the problem is another supplier's fault. You have a single point of contact from the first sketch until it's dismantled, and that same person is reachable on the day of the event.

    Where do you manufacture and install?

    We manufacture in Barcelona, at our workshop in Cabrera de Mar, and install across Spain with our own team. That applies equally to a single event or a calendar of events spread across several cities: the team and the installation approach don't change depending on where the event falls. We've been doing this for more than 32 years, and when a project calls for a solution that isn't ours, we say so instead of forcing it.
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    Trade fair stands→Corporate events→Sports events→Photocalls and press walls→Launches and openings→View all Events→

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    Open on time, close without a trace

    Tell us about the premises, the duration and the opening date. We'll give you a proposal and a fixed quote within 24 business hours.

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