To mark the launch of a new short-term ‘pop up space’, Mansfield’s Four Seasons Shopping Centre is offering one lucky business a free retail unit for a fortnight next month.

‘Mansfield Pop Up’ is the new and freshly decorated space designed to give growing businesses the opportunity to sell their wares in their own shop premises within an affordable, flexible contract – £250 per week plus VAT.

The 123sq metre space, located inside the centre opposite River Island, provides businesses with a base for one to six weeks at the fixed price, which includes rent, rates, utilities, basic furnishings – and even social media promotion.

Rebekah O’Neill, Four Seasons Shopping Centre manager, said: “This is a really exciting new opportunity for up and coming businesses that would like to try having their own shop in a busy location without the higher costs and commitments usually associated.

“We are now taking bookings for August, but to celebrate its opening one business will be our first tenant completely free – for two weeks in July.”

Mansfield was recently named England’s ‘best town to start a business’ with 625 businesses launched in 2021. The survey, carried out by School of Marketing using the latest ONS data, found that for every 10 new businesses that closed in 2021 in Mansfield, more than 16 were started.

One such business is Hey You, which opened in the Four Seasons in August last year as a three-month pop-up shop selling homeware, wall art, ornaments and gifts. It has been so successful it is now moving to a much larger and permanent unit in the centre – expanding its range and renaming it ‘Hey Baby, Hey You’.

Hey You was originally set up online, establishing a strong presence over three years of trading, before owners Charlotte Otter and William Ferguson decided to trial a face-to-face relationship with customers via a pop-up shop in Four Seasons.

Operations manager Mo Collier said: “We have had a lot of success and a lot of really positive feedback from happy customers, so we now need to move into different premises – and look forward to opening on 2nd July.”

“Hey You is a perfect example of how pop-up shops can provide a perfect trial for businesses nervous of taking the plunge,” added Rebekah. “We have had several independents’ success stories that start this way over the years – and are looking forward to supporting many more with this new scheme.”

Any business owner wanting to enter the competition to win a fortnight free use of the unit is invited to do so via the ‘Mansfield Pop Up Shop’ Facebook or Instagram Page. Simply tell the Mansfield Pop Up Shop team why you would like the opportunity.

The only criteria is that you must be ready to take on the shop from 18th July to 31st July inclusive, so ideally it would suit someone currently trading online with products or goods ready to go