The Truth About Kylie Jenner’s Pop-Up Shop: Get The Inside Scoop On Her Biggest Merch Event

Kylie Jenner’s pop-up shop officially closed its doors Friday evening after being visited by thousands of fans. Jenner opened the store amid excitement and anticipation from fans on December 9 at the Westfield Topanga mall in Southern California. Sites such as Bustle covered the pop-up shop, saying it was good while it lasted.

“The Kylie pop-up was amaze while it lasted, but it was never meant to be a permanent thing. Pop-ups, by nature, are temporary. It was a great way for the makeup and merch mogul to get her products into a retail store and to connect with more customers.”

Because the store was only open for a matter of weeks, fans lined up outside its doors for a chance to shop Kylie’s products. The 19-year-old offered lip kits— even limited-edition shades— her new clothing, holiday cosmetics, and other items at the store.

Despite reading reviews about the “indignity” of shopping Kylie’s pop-up shop, I decided to stop by the store for myself. While some fans literally waited hours to get inside the pop-up shop, my wait time on December 22 was a mere 35 minutes. Finally, after waiting anxiously with a few dozen other fans, I was in the Kylie pop-up.

I found the experience to be the exact opposite of some shopping experiences, such as the one reported by Independent UK. The site covered a fashion writer’s experience inside the Kylie pop-up, and it couldn’t be more different than what I experienced. First, the writer complained about having to submit to the terms of store, such as no sitting while in line.

“…forced to submit on its terms…Fans queuing up for hours were told they weren’t allowed to sit down during their wait.”

However, this wasn’t an issue for me, or the other 80 or so fans standing in line. We were all too excited and chatting amongst ourselves to even think about sitting. And the 20 minutes you’re given to browse once inside the store? No problem. We all knew what we wanted before even getting inside the door. Personally, I bought a few items more than I expected and stopped to snap several photos before checking out, and this all happened within a matter of 10 minutes. The 20 minutes were more than enough to browse, take photos, and get in line.

Next, the Independent article stated the store did not label prices so customers had no idea what they were spending.

“They won’t tell you what you’re spending until you get to the register, so that you can pretend money isn’t an object for you, just like it isn’t for Kylie.”

I found this to be flat-out not true. There were signs on each shelf clearly labeling the prices of each and every product. Sure, it wasn’t labeled like you see at the grocery store, but the signs were there and clearly visible. Now, the steep prices are a different story, but what did fans expect?

The Independent added how Kylie’s pop-up was made to make fans feel lucky to be shopping at her store.

“And it’s all packaged as if this thing is supposed to be a treat for you, a very limited-edition gift that you’re to feel lucky and special for having been given access to.”

At first, I agreed with this statement. But as soon as I pulled into the mall’s parking lot, I was overcome by excitement. Sure, Kylie is making good money off her fans’ eagerness to shop in a physical store designed by her, but it also is a lot of fun for people to do so. I personally stopped by Jenner’s pop-up on my drive home, so I didn’t go out of my way, but some people drove for hours to get there, according to E! News.

I think Kylie knew her fans would love shopping at an actual store and wanted to create a great experience for them— at least that’s what I’m telling myself after spending so much money there. Kylie didn’t have to open a location, even if it was temporary, for fans to shop at as her products sell out online as it is. However, it was a fun and memorable experience for fans, and not just another shopping trip.

Overall, given the short wait time and excitement of seeing Kylie’s famed pop-up shop, it was well worth the time and money to see the store. If you weren’t able to make it to the location, I’m sure Kylie will be doing more pop-ups or even a permanent store in the future given the popularity of this one. Stay tuned!

[Featured Image by Larry Busacca/Getty Images]