Fashion trucks are on the road, and are growing in popularity with each mile they log. The trend got the attention of CNN last week, when they published an article about Abigail Franklin, a mobile fashion entrepreneur in Tennessee. After spending about $25,000 on startup fees, Franklin began selling jewelry and menswear around Nashville.
From Nashville to Los Angeles, fashion trucks are offering vintage and specialty clothing for consumers that are constantly on the go. It’s a budding trend that’s borrowing a similar business plan from food trucks since there are no templates for mobile business plans…yet. However, since they are the frontrunners for this unique type of business, they can establish rules as they see fit.
If food and fashion trucks can maintain the success they’ve had in recent years, there’s a good chance that they can revolutionize any industry they choose. Many business experts predict that consumers will see home furnishing and beauty stores hitting the road in the next few years.
There are quite a few reasons why moving a retail store into a trailer can be a successful venture. For starters, walking into a fashion truck is a lot like entering someone’s walk-in closet; it automatically makes shopping more comfortable. It all comes down to comfort and intimacy-an experience that most fashionistas are seeking when they shop. Personal attention is one of the biggest selling points of fashion trucks: since only a few people can fit in a truck at a time, it becomes an intimate shopping experience.
While they have been very successful, there are still a few bumps in the road for mobile businesses like fashion and food trucks. While the shopping experience is intimate, many customers might simply walk away if it’s too crowded. Also, mobile business owners need to stay up to date with their customers; their business depends on social media and technology. Most people don’t carry cash on them anymore, so having some form of payment processing is a must. That means that owners will have to attach a credit card machine to their smartphone.
Chances are, consumers will see a rise in fashion trucks and other types of mobile businesses. Whether or not they will be a viable business in the long run, no one knows yet. But at least at the end of the day, when the going gets tough, they can get going.