Belleville Market encourages merchants to bring their brands to life through thoughtfully planned in-store activations. Product demonstrations, tastings, meet-the-merchant moments, seasonal launches, and other special experiences help create memorable guest interactions and strengthen the overall Belleville experience.

Because Belleville operates as a shared, curated department store environment, all merchant-led activations must be planned in partnership with Merchant Support and scheduled in advance.

To support this, we have introduced a new Merchant Event & In-Store Activation process to help coordinate scheduling, assign appropriate activation locations, and ensure that events align with store operations and guest experience standards.

How to Request an Activation

Merchants who would like to host an event, demonstration, tasting, or other activation must fill out our Merchant Activation Event Request Form. Requests will be reviewed by Merchant Support.

Requests should be submitted at least 15 days in advance of the proposed date. Earlier submissions are recommended for:

• Weekends

• Major Belleville events (such as Spring Open House or holiday programming)

• Large City of Easton events (such as Bacon Fest)

Each request should include:

• Activation concept or event description

• Proposed date(s) and timing, including planned breaks

• Operational needs or equipment requests

• Preferred activation location (if applicable)

Activations are approved based on:

• Calendar availability

• Activation space availability

• Operational impact on the store

• Alignment with Belleville presentation standards

• Event balance during major store or city events

Because activation areas and the store calendar are limited, last-minute activations may not be approved.

Activation Locations

To maintain guest flow and presentation standards, activations must take place in approved areas of the store.

Anchor Merchants:
Anchor merchants may host activations within their licensed shop-in-shop space. Activations must remain within the merchant’s footprint and may not extend into aisles or neighboring areas without approval.

Showcase & Curated Merchants:
Showcase and Curated merchants will be assigned to a designated activation location, which may include:

• Demo Desk — Gallery

• Taste Desk — Taste Department in Gallery

• PARC Activation Area

• Loft Desk

Activation locations may shift based on store layout and programming. Final placement is determined by Merchant Support.

Activation areas are limited and scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis once approved.

Important Guidelines

All standard Belleville Merchant Policies remain in effect during activations.

Merchants should note:

• All items sold during an activation must be entered into inventory and properly tagged in advance

• All sales must be processed through the Belleville POS system unless prior approval has been granted

• Independent checkout systems, QR payments, or external POS tools are not permitted

• Merchants must have a representative present for setup, the duration of the activation, and breakdown

Activations must also maintain Belleville’s presentation standards. Merchants are expected to keep activation areas clean, organized, and guest-ready, and activations may not block aisles, disrupt neighboring merchants, or extend beyond assigned spaces.

Why This Process Matters

When thoughtfully planned, activations help energize the store, introduce guests to new products, and strengthen individual brands within the Belleville environment.

This process helps ensure that activations are well-coordinated, properly supported by store staff, and integrated into the broader Belleville guest experience.

We strongly encourage merchants to host activations and look forward to working with you to create engaging in-store moments.

Review our full guideline here for more information.