Shawn Mendes Joins Pop-Up Shop Craze With 'Illuminate Experience'

SOHO, NY — Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes has joined the pop-up shop fad with a new store in SoHo — for three days only.

Mendes opened his Illuminate Experience shop at 168 Bowery on Sept. 21 and it will remain open until Friday. The store is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and then Mendes will host a meet-and-greet on Friday at 4 p.m. Fans will have to be among the first 125 people to show up at the shop on Wednesday or Thursday to get in the drawing to meet Mendes on Friday.

Mendes' album "Illuminate" will be released on Sept. 23. The store will sell "Illuminate" hoodies, T-shirts and other merch. Of course you can also pre-order the album in store.

If you don't know Mendes, you're probably over the age of 25. The 18-year-old singer-songwriter is a native of Toronto — drawing comparisons to Justin Bieber — who grew to celebrity status posting covers on Vine in 2013. He was signed in 2014 and released his first single, "Life of the Party," in June 2014. His first full-length album came out in April 2015, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. He gained further popularity opening for Taylor Swift on her "1989" tour in 2015.

Suffice it to say there will be plenty of teenage girls at the shop on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pop-up shops have become all the rage, especially in the SoHo/Tribeca area. Kanye West opened a pop-up shop to promote his latest album, "The Life of Pablo," in Tribeca at 393 Broadway in mid-August. Future opened one in SoHo to sell his fashion line in early August. Justin Bieber and Drake each opened pop-up shops in New York City as well.

Even restaurants are getting in on the act. Teen chef Flynn McGarry will open a pop-up restaurant in the West Village next month. Even Café Bustelo will open a pop-up cafe — serving free coffee — from Oct. 20 to 24 at 101 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

Photo Credit: GresiaArmenta via Wikimedia Commons