Retail on wheels isn’t just for taco trucks anymore.
Portland, Ore., has long been known for its mobile food carts but now you’ll find people selling clothes and fashion accessories out of trailers and buses.
Take Vanessa Lurie and her husband, for example. Last September, the couple opened their vintage clothing store in a 1969 Cardinal Deluxe trailer.
Erin Sutherland runs her store in a 1960s British double-decker bus. The $4,500 bus has a spiral staircase and stocks vintage clothing. Although the bus has wheels, it’s pretty much stationary, which makes the permitting process a bit more involved.
Robin Carlisle runs her hair studio in a 1964 Kenskill trailer.
According to retail experts at Avanade, these stores on wheels are a brilliant concept. This kind of thinking outside the box brings the product right to the customers, adding value as well.
Plus, people are more prone to impulse buys because the product is right in front of them.
Source: Marketplace, July 2011
