RED Stripe aims to expose its brands this Christmas through a pop-up store at the Hi-Lo supermarket in Barbican, St Andrew.

The store offers discounts and gift bags on a wide range of the firm's spirits and brewed products.

Red Stripe officially launched the pop-up store on November 4, housed in a colourfully decorated, refrigerated 20-ft container in Hi-Lo's car park, where it will remain until December 31.

Emphasising that customer partnership is behind the pop-up store, Red Stripe sales director Brian Pengelley said the idea came from similar initiatives undertaken by parent company Diageo in Brazil.

"In the end it's really about giving a great shopping experience to customers, exposing our many brands to them at competitive prices, giving tokens, providing special attention to customers and creating a new atmosphere for shoppers," Pengelley said.

"We are a one-stop-shop, offering world-leading brands of spirits and brewed products, with ease of shopping and no lines," he continued, noting that "the Hi-Lo location is perfect; it is convenient, with ample parking".

Known as a pop-up shop in the United Kingdom and pop-up store in the United States, pop-up retail is the trend of setting up temporary sales spaces. Pop-up stores, which tend to appear unannounced, quickly draw in the crowds and then disappear, and are said to be a successful sales strategies that are on the rise worldwide, bringing a fresh feel, exclusivity and surprise to shoppers, prompting higher sales for both parties in the partnership.

The Red Stripe and Hi-Lo partnership is no exception, said Hi-Lo's store manager, Carole Waldron McLean.

"It is a symbiotic relationship," she said. "It is the best way of branding."

The initiative will drive to Hi-Lo customers who during the season have a high demand for liquor, said the store manager.

"With Red Stripe partnering with us this season, we expect to see a 10 to 15 per cent increase in liquor sales," she revealed.

Red Stripe brand ambassador Kayon Tobias said the range of drinks offered in the Red Stripe pop-up store is very wide. It includes Johnnie Walker Black, Red, Green and Gold Label; Smirnoff Vodka and Smirnoff flavours, such as Blueberry, Cranberry, Peach and Coconut; Tequila, Baileys and other liquors.

On the brewed shelves beers are sold in six and four packs as well as cases and include Heineken; Guinness; Dragon Stout; Malta and Malta Light; Red Stripe; Red Stripe Light; Red Stripe flavours, such as Apple, Ginger and Lime; and Smirnoff Red Ice and Black Ice.

A big customer of Red Stripe, Hi-Lo Food Stores Jamaica Limited was incorporated in 1954 but was acquired in 1984 by Grace Kennedy & Company Limited. Operating from 12 locations islandwide, today the chain of stores is a wholly owned subsidiary of Grace Kennedy, as a member of the Grace Foods & Services Division.