Latest retail ad idea: Facebook "pop-up" store

Roots Canada says it plans to use a Facebook “pop up” store to preview its spring collection, the latest example of a major Canadian retailer turning to social media to promote its brand. The web-based store, which could be up and running as soon as this week, would be similar to a pop up store in the physical world: a small, temporary site offering a limited collection to build brand awareness. Using Facebook to launch the digital version gives Roots instant access to the millions of Canadians who already use the social networking site to connect with family and friends, the company told Social Media Week, a conference at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management on Monday. “If you’re already on Facebook and you’re spending hours there, you don’t have to leave the site to shop,” Roots’ manager of online marketing and customer experience, Tanja Zelko, told the Toronto Star.

TPG asks: What does this do to newspaper ads?