Credits: photo by Anthony Kwan for Bloomberg, August 2016.

The image shows Nutella’s pop-up store (a brand of the italian company Ferrero) at the Pacific Place Center (a mall) in Hong Kong, during the month of August 2016.

Do you see the queue for a personalized Nutella jar? During the days of opening, more than 17,000 personalized jars were sold, with customers willing to spend $HK80 ($10) for a 350-gram (12-ounce) jar of the hazelnut confection with a personalized touch. “We are very surprised and delighted to see the campaign has been so well-received by Hong Kong consumers,’’ the company said in a statement.

The pop-up stores might be a source to reach new customers: they offer freshness, immersive experiences, special or limited-edition products, and the retailers have the opportunity to turn this contact’s point into new and long-term customers.

Besides Ferrero, other global companies – such as Nike, Kiehl’s, Uniqlo, Lululemon Athletica – are experimenting the pop-up stores as a way to generate new sales.

The changing consumer demand is a challenge for the retail companies and their marketing strategies, so the pop-up stores could be a good idea even for italian companies with an interest in international markets.