# Canadian Flannel Popup Initiatives Uniqlo's 'The Welcome Store' Shows How Welcoming Canadians Are By Ell Smith | Published 2017-09-26 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-welcome-store References: [dailyhive](http://dailyhive.com/toronto/uniqlo-opened-an-empty-store-in-toronto-and-relied-on-canadians-to-fill-it-up) & [torontolife](https://torontolife.com/style/fashion/uniqlo-flannel-pop-up/) 'The Welcome Store,' [Uniqlo's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toronto-eaton-centre-store) newest concept space, presented guests with a flannel shirt and two simple options: "keep it, or hang it up for a new Canadian." The space, which opened in the heart of downtown Toronto demonstrated how welcoming Canadians really are by functioning as a "reverse popup," -- the store's walls started bare, but were filled after guests hung what could be a free T-shirt on the walls for a newcomer. Uniqlo's chief of Canadian operations stated "We opened a pop-up space that was completely empty so that Canadians could be the ones to fill it up.” Later, new Canadians were welcomed into the newly-filled popup space, where they were informed the shirts had been gifted to them by existing community members. The touching campaign claims "The only thing more Canadian than a flannel, is giving it away." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 82% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Activism](https://www.trendhunter.com/activism) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Reverse Pop-up Stores:** Opportunity for businesses to create pop-up spaces that start empty and are filled by customers, fostering a sense of community and engagement. - **Gift Economy:** Growing trend of businesses incorporating gifting into their marketing strategies, creating a sense of goodwill and reciprocity among customers. - **Community-driven Campaigns:** Opportunity for businesses to involve their customers in campaigns that showcase the values and generosity of a particular community. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Retail:** Retailers can adopt the reverse pop-up store concept to create unique and engaging experiences for customers. - **Fashion:** Fashion brands can explore the gift economy model to build stronger connections with their customers and promote a sense of community. - **Marketing:** Businesses in the marketing industry can help their clients create community-driven campaigns that resonate with their target audience and drive positive brand sentiment. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Elevated Flagship Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toronto-eaton-centre-store.md) - [Retail Expansion Strategies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uniqlo-new-toronto-location.md) - [Store Opening Celebrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uniqlo-quebec.md) - [Holiday QSR Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cf-toronto-eaton-centre-1.md) - [Branded Warm Clothing Donations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heart-of-lifewear.md) - [Awareness-Raising Shoe Store Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soles4souls-canada.md) - [Immersive Intimate Brand Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/knix-popup.md) - [Purposeful Gifting Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/advent-of-change-popup.md) - [Premium Athleticwear Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reigning-champ-toronto.md)