University of Tennessee, Roller Rabbit Opened Pop-Up Shop

Hundreds of customers gathered in Knoxville to purchase limited-edition, co-branded pajamas.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a neat stack of patterned textile clothing, representing an exclusive retail product launch. — The University of Tennessee and Roller Rabbit launched a two-day pop-up shop in Knoxville featuring exclusive, co-branded merchandise. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The University of Tennessee and Roller Rabbit launched a two-day pop-up shop outside the Vol Shop at the Student Union. Hundreds of shoppers waited for several hours to buy exclusive monkey-patterned pajamas featuring the Power T logo.

Why it matters

The pop-up event is part of a broader strategy by Roller Rabbit to host campus tours and engage directly with school communities. By partnering with the university, the brand aims to build affinity among the student body through limited-run merchandise.

The brand prepared for a total of 3,000 customers during the two-day event. To manage the crowd, staff admitted shoppers in batches of 20 people at a time beginning at 10:15 a.m.

The players

University of Tennessee

This public research university in Knoxville serves as the host for the pop-up event.

Roller Rabbit

This retail brand specializes in pajamas and apparel and is conducting a tour of university campuses.

Vol Shop

This is the official retail store of the University of Tennessee located at the Student Union.

Pancake Daddy

This is a food truck provider that was present during the two-day shopping event.

The details

Customers arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. to line up for the sale, which stretched toward Cumberland Avenue. The event also featured the Pancake Daddy food truck, and the university has requested that any leftover inventory be moved into the permanent Vol Shop after the event concludes.

Kaitlyn Resar arrived at the site at 4:30 a.m. on September 21, 2026.
Cassidy Pepping arrived at 6:30 a.m. on September 21, 2026.
The shop began admitting customers in batches at 10:15 a.m. on September 21, 2026.
The second day of the pop-up event takes place on September 22, 2026.

Market Landscape

This collaboration reflects the growing trend of lifestyle brands utilizing exclusive campus pop-up tours to capture the collegiate market. By moving beyond traditional retail footprints, companies are shifting their strategy toward direct, community-based interactions to foster brand loyalty.

Shoppers can visit the pop-up outside the Student Union on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to purchase remaining merchandise. Following the event, any unsold inventory will be available for purchase at the local Vol Shop.

The takeaway

Collaborative events between national brands and universities create significant demand for limited-edition products. Fans should arrive early or check permanent campus stores if they missed out on the initial pop-up window.