Retail pop-up specialist Sook has closed all its stores after failing to find sufficient funding.

Sook Space exterior

Sook operated pop-up spaces in the UK and South Africa

The UK-based startup was founded in 2019 to improve the “future of the high street by providing brands with access to flexible pop-up spaces”.

It operated in locations such as London, Birmingham, Southampton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds and Kent, as well as one space in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

In a LinkedIn post, Sook founder John Hoyle said: “I’m devastated to announce the closure of Sook.

“In spite of the extraordinary efforts of our team, growing sales and achieving international scale, we were unable to raise sufficient investment to continue in the current environment.

“I’m so proud of all that we achieved and incredibly sad that we cannot continue. Please support our team members as they search for new roles.”

“They have first-hand experience of disrupting the retail and real estate sectors during incredibly challenging times. 

“Thank you to everyone who supported us over the last five years.”

The business stopped trading on December 31, 2023.