Uni Popshop is an immersive, hands-on entrepreneurial experience that challenges students to think fast, take risks, and turn ideas into profit. The University transforms an empty retail space in the heart of Bath into a live trading environment, where student teams compete to generate the highest revenue. The winning team keeps their profits, while remaining funds—or losses—are reinvested into next year’s challenge. Beyond the competition, Uni Popshop is a powerful learning experience. Students take part in a programme learning about marketing, product market fit, time management, team building, problem solving, and finance. They produce business and marketing plans, complete risk assessments and pitch against each other in teams for the chance to trade for a day in the shop. Five successful teams each have 24 hours in the shop to sell as much as possible and make the most profit. Trading days are followed by individual team finance workshops with the Students’ Union Head of Finance and joint workshops from Careers to help them reflect on their skills development and craft their experiences for interviews, CVs and professional social media. A professional photographer does headshots for their newly updated LinkedIn pages. The results are all kept secret until the Grand Finale when each teams costs, revenues and profits are revealed and the winners are announced.
Finalist
Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award
Siobain Hone
Finalist Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award
University of Bath - United Kingdom
"Uni PopShop - a practical, sustainable entrepreneurial activity with real risks and real profits."
Engage on social media
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobain-hone-280ba61/(Personal LinkedIn account)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/enterprise-bath/?viewAsMember=true(Work LinkedIn account)
instagram.com/enterprisebath(Work IG account)
https://facebook.com/enterprisebath(Work FaceBook account)
@siobain(Personal Twitter account)
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Summary
Key People
Helen McHenry
Students' Union Head of Finance - Helen M on left of photo next to Helen S
Finance,
University of Bath-
Helen Stringer
Director of Employability and Student Success
Employability and Student Success,
University of Bath
Danielle Wickstead
Student Enterprise Officer
Enterprise Bath - Research and Innovation Services,
University of Bath
Siobain Hone
Graduate Enterprise Manager - better photo of me!
Enterprise Bath - Research and Impact Services,
University of Bath
Acknowledgements
Mentors
Mark Roach – LEMME
Gavin Eddy - Sweet Spot
Daniela Defazio - Matcha Morning
Laurence James – fostoq
Hannah Sweet – RK
University of Bath
Enterprise Bath – Danielle Wickstead, Pascal Loizeua, Dom Beal
Employability and Student Success – Helen Stringer
Communications & Engagement
Finance Office – Helen McHenry
Students’ Union – Mark Whelan
Security Office
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Mystery Shoppers Anne, Tony, and David
Images
Pop-Up Shop Team SweetSpot
Team Lemme in the Pop-Up Shop with Phil (VC) and Siobain
Pop-Up Shop Poster showing trading days for each team
Pop-Up Shop day 4 Team Fostoq
RK Clothing - Team 5 in the Pop-Up Shop
Pop-Up Shop - poster 1
Pop-Up Shop poster 2
Pop Up Shop - poster 3
Pop-Up Shop poster 4
Pop-Up Shop - poster 5
Pop-Up Shop - week 2 reflective workshop schedule
Pop-Up Shop Team 3 - Matcha Morning
Winners of the Pop-Up Shop Competition 2025 - Team Lemme
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
https://tbebathandsomerset.co.uk/students-compete-in-bath-city-centre-pop-up-shop-competition/
This project has had a significant impact on student learning and entrepreneurial development by offering a high-intensity, real-world business challenge. Students gain practical experience in launching and managing a business, developing key skills in financial planning, marketing, teamwork, and strategic thinking. The initiative fosters creativity, resilience, and accountability through real stakes—including managing a startup loan and understanding the consequences of loss.
By integrating mentorship from local business leaders and collaboration with the city council, the programme strengthens students’ ties to the community and provides a professional support network. Structured reflection and feedback processes enhance learning and confidence, while the shared experience of risk reinforces real-world entrepreneurial thinking. Ultimately, Uni PopShop equips students with both the mindset and practical skills to succeed as founders or as innovative professionals in any career path.
Working in collaboration with different departments has strengthened the reach of the project, given enterprise activities a higher profile on campus and brought greater expertise to the programme.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
The Uni PopShop initiative highlights the transformative power of experiential learning in entrepreneurship education. By placing students in real-world, high-stakes scenarios, it accelerates learning in areas such as problem-solving, teamwork, and decision-making. Embedding genuine financial risk—for both students and the educator—cultivates accountability and deepens engagement.
Mentorship plays a vital role, connecting students with local business leaders who offer practical insights and real-world context. This bridge between academia and industry enriches learning and supports professional development. Structured reflection is also key—students are encouraged to evaluate their journey, helping them transfer experiences into career-ready skills.
Cross-disciplinary teamwork further strengthens resilience, as students navigate diverse perspectives and develop collaborative leadership.
From a leadership standpoint, Uni PopShop offers several lessons. First, leading by example—the educator’s willingness to take risks builds authenticity and trust. Second, adaptability is essential: each year’s programme is uniquely tailored, reflecting the fast-paced, evolving nature of entrepreneurship.
Strong external partnerships, particularly with local councils and businesses, enhance relevance and demonstrate the economic and social value of student enterprise. Fostering a culture of reflection, growth, and inclusion ensures students are not only challenged but supported. Finally, recognising effort and celebrating success publicly boosts confidence and encourages ongoing participation.
In summary, Uni PopShop provides a high-impact model for entrepreneurial learning—where innovation, community engagement, and thoughtful leadership empower students to build real-world skills and entrepreneurial mindsets.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?
This has been a popular activity at the University of Bath this year with numerous requests from students and colleagues for a repeat in 2026. Expanding the programme further would allow more students to be involved in the activities and workshops leading up to the competitive pitching event and allow us to manage the risks of teams dropping out. Colleagues from other Universities have visited the shop and asked for help and support in setting up their own versions.
I presented on the PopUp Shop at the 2025 UiiN conference in Amsterdam in June and I'm working my way through requests for collaborations and possible international exchanges of students and shops for next year. Working with colleagues and teams from other countries would be very exciting for staff and student teams alike.
I'm hoping my presence at the Triple-E Awards will help make this happen.
