The Rise of Pop-Ups in the Hamptons
Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern, two Stanford graduates, have taken an unconventional approach to launching their probiotic-rich yogurt start-up, Sourmilk. After leaving their jobs in private equity and tech, they’ve relied on what they call “the drug-dealer method” to move product. Without a physical storefront, they use social media to generate interest and then deliver online orders directly to customers, often meeting them at street corners or businesses in Manhattan and Brooklyn. While this method is labor-intensive for a $5 serving of yogurt, it’s necessary for selling a perishable product without a traditional retail space.
For now, the pop-up model is the only way to go. However, as summer approached, the duo knew they needed to expand their customer base. They targeted the Hamptons, where wealthier and older New Yorkers reside—potential future city customers. They found a spot at SoulCycle’s Bridgehampton location, which invited them to participate in a multi-vendor pop-up in early July. This brief stint led to a week of sold-out pop-ups across the Hamptons, and they have since secured a retail partner for the fall in the city, with several other retailers on the South Fork also showing interest.
Exposure Over Revenue
Not all brands are focused on immediate sales when setting up pop-ups. For example, Austin-based lifestyle brand Katie Kime launched a pop-up at Goop in Sag Harbor this summer, offering bags, pajamas, and ice buckets customized with Hamptons motifs like the Parrish Art Museum and Sag Harbor Cinema. For founder and CEO Katie Kime, the goal isn’t just extra revenue—it’s about exposure. “You’re so closely concentrated within and beside the top brands in the world. I just haven’t seen anything else like it,” she said.
This trend has attracted hundreds of other brands, leading to some controversy among local small businesses. Heidi Humes, owner of Sunshine Amagansett, a concept store in East Hampton, worries that the surge of pop-ups is taking money away from smaller local shops struggling to survive. She had to move her store two years ago when her landlord rented the space to a high-end brand from the city.
Humes doesn’t mind small, thoughtfully curated pop-ups like those from Katie Kime and Sourmilk, which test the market and engage with potential customers. In fact, pop-ups are a weekly event at her shop, which features merchandise from female artisans worldwide. However, she finds it disheartening when big luxury brands set up shop. “It felt like commercialism did a hostile takeover this season,” she said.
A New Era of Commercialism
The influx of pop-ups has changed the Hamptons’ landscape. What was once a place for relaxation and escape has become more crowded with city vendors, fitness instructors, and restaurants setting up temporarily. One summer resident joked, “Don’t people just go to the beach with a sandy paperback and then come home and throw a few burgers on the grill anymore?”
Luxury stores have long been part of the Hamptons scene, but now there are pop-up brokers facilitating these events, pairing out-of-town brands with local companies. Commerce has moved beyond main streets and into prime waterfront locations or historic luxury hotels.
Ice-cream pop-ups have become particularly popular, with luxury brands like Gucci serving Jon & Vinny’s from a cart. The Maidstone Hotel partnered with Brooklyn’s L’Appartement 4F, which spent $500 to have its croissants shipped east for the weekend. Clothing brands like Sezane and Saks, which has an online storefront on Amazon, have also set up in the area. Chanel even hosted a “summer salon” at the Hedges Inn, while Topping Rose Hotel in Bridgehampton featured rotating luxury pop-ups from Ferragamo, Burberry, and Giorgio Armani X Kith.
From Pop-Up to Permanent
Some brands have graduated from pop-ups to permanent spaces. Love, Binetti, after years of doing pop-ups, set up a permanent location in Sag Harbor last year and hosted pop-ups itself, including one with Missoni Home, Assouline, and New York vintage shops like Khata Space.
Multiple New York restaurants, calling themselves pop-ups, showed up for the summer with seasonal leases. Out-of-town retailers like Elyse Walker, Rebecca Minkoff, and Carbon-38 followed suit. Some brands popped in for curated events, such as Cindy Crawford hosting a small industry lunch at Pierre’s in Bridgehampton for her beauty company Meaningful Beauty. Yola, a mezcal maker, held a happy hour at Lucky’s in East Hampton with shrimp cocktail, tomato salad, and specialty cocktails.
Montauk: A Summerlong Pop-Up
Montauk became a hub of activity throughout the summer, with the Surf Lodge turning into a giant summerlong pop-up featuring takeovers by Casablanca, Ned’s Club, and Asos. Gurney’s Resort had a beachfront takeover by Dolce & Gabbana, offering a Cadillac “experience” with chauffeured rides. Sisley took over the Montauk Yacht Club with themed treatment rooms, while Hero Beach Club offered weekend wellness activations with sponsors like DanceBody offering workouts alongside free sports bras and tights.
The workout space, surrounded by dozens of brands offering potions, powders, and branded items, was largely staffed by brand ambassadors handing out products for exposure. “People basically leave with a tote full of landfill,” said one Hamptons regular.
Influencers and the Pop-Up Cycle
The presence of influencers in the Hamptons has amplified the pop-up frenzy. Their posts can spark a chain reaction, bringing more pop-ups to the area. This cycle is familiar in New York, but not everyone is comfortable with local spots becoming crowded with people mostly there for the Instagram feed. A Reddit user commented, “Influencers and brand pop-ups have made my favorite bars and restaurants seem like they’re clubs in Ibiza. It’s really a shame to see what this part of NY has turned into, especially Montauk.”
Some brands have leaned into this model, flying influencers to the Hamptons like many do for distant locales. Hotel Lobby Candle, known for its tomato-scented candles, collaborated with Wheels Up, a private plane operation, and flew a group of influencers to the Hamptons. Both brands’ online posts featured a pillow on the plane that read “my candle flies private.”
