A mobile shipping container that can be rented by brands/SMEs to be used as
1. Pop up store
2. Mini cafe/Food truck
3. Demo space - try out new products ex: Peloton bike
4. Brand activations
5. Events - yoga, meditation, food tasting
Brands can rent the space for a day, week, month.
Aside from renting out the mobile retail unit, we also provide decor/shopfit/point of sale and staffing.
What a great idea! Of course, right now at the moment there is probably less demand, the beauty of your service, i am guessing, is that it can be outdoors and somewhat weather resistant. I would encourage you to reach out to event managers and planners with the idea - i feel as though there is something like this with tents, but i don't think i've seen this exact type of full-service approach. Especially not with the added industrial 'cool' factor.
You may run into event spaces that provide this kind of service, so getting to them with the idea to use your service to offer to their clients might be a B2B model worth exploring.
-JL
For straight-to-customer approach,
Your ideas are just fantastic! I strongly believe that they would be immensely successful and have great business potential if you keep the following points in mind:
1. Customer Convenience: Perhaps the most important role of bringing the ready to be consumed goods to the doorstep of the consumer is performed by the retail community. Consumers benefit from retailing as retailers perform marketing functions that make it possible for customers to have access to a broad variety of products and services. Retailing also helps to create a place, time, and possession utilities. A retailer's service also helps to enhance a product's image. Retailers stock goods and ensure the availability of products and services just when the customer needs them. Convenience Stores operate over extended hours throughout the week and give customers greater flexibility and choice.
2. Accessibility to Products & Services: Products and services have no value for consumers until they are acquired and used by the customers. Retailers acquire products and services from different places and. assort them at a single point as per the needs of the consumers and thus facilitate customers' access.
3. The convenience of Size: Retailers breakbulk and serve the products in quantities and sizes as desired by the customer. For example, shampoo is available in small sachets. The retailer helps consumers by providing appropriate products, services, and advice in the packing and quantities desired by them.
4. Providing Associated Services: A vibrant retail sector benefits the consumers by providing a range of products and services efficiently. Retailing can be done in either fixed locations or online. Retailing includes subordinated services, such as delivery. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service provider services the needs of many individuals, such as a public utility, like electric power. Retailing also helps to increase living standards and enable consumers to possess various goods, services, and utilities.
5. Supply Chain: Retailers are part of an integrated system called the supply chain. A retailer purchases goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or directly through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the consumer for a profit. Retailers participate in the sorting process by collecting an assortment of goods and services from a wide variety of suppliers and offering them for sale. The width and depth of assortment depend upon the individual retailer's strategy. Retailers provide a vital link between producers and ultimate consumers.
6. Value Chain: When consumers purchase goods, retailers must order more goods to replenish their stock. In turn, factories must manufacture the goods for retailers. The factories then purchase more raw materials to use to manufacture more goods. This is how consumer spending can drive much of the economy.
7. Research & Information: The retailer provides useful information across the supply chain. He informs and educates customers about product features and benefits. They provide information to consumers through advertising, displays, and signs and sales personnel. Marketing research support is given to other channels, members. Retailing in a way is the final stage in marketing channels for consumer products. He also provides feedback about consumer requirements to the manufacturers and wholesalers which help them in planning production and supply.
8. Mobilizing Finance: The retailing industry mobilizes the investment and savings of people, as a small shop can be set up with minimal investment. They store merchandise, mark prices on it, place items on the selling floor, and otherwise handle products; usually they pay suppliers for items before selling them to final customers. They complete transactions by using appropriate locations, and timings, credit policies, and other services e.g. delivery. They influence the lifestyle of consumers and help people to build their identity in a social setting.
9. Economic Development: Retailing has a great impact on the economic development of a nation. Retailing has become an intrinsic part of our daily lives. Consumer spending on retail goods drives much of the global economy, and the retail industry employs many people. Nations that have enjoyed the greatest economic and social progress have a vibrant retail sector. Retailing is one of the most important industries in the world and plays a predominant role in the economic development of the country. Healthy retail sector growth and speeds up economic development.
10. Generating Employment: There are many people and companies involved in the production, distribution, and retail of goods. Globally, retailing is the largest revenue generator and employment provider next only to agriculture. It provides opportunities to the poorest and unskilled along with the educated and skilled. As a major source of employment retailing offers a wide range of career opportunities including store management, merchandising, and owning a retail business.
11. Social Responsibility: Successful retailers also recognize that people want to see the improvements in the general level of consumption and social cohesion over time. Retailers must enhance their perceived value to the community by acting as a focal point and through effective public relations and promotional campaigns including sponsorships. This encourages social responsibility behaviour by the corporates where public welfare programs get funded by a certain percentage of purchase prices of the company's products.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
It sounds interesting as i have seen many great shipping container stores and 'store / food parks' (UK).
At a high level the few things that pop to my mind are:
- Locations (ie: traffic that fit brand demo): your ability to offer interesting locations with on brand traffic will be a driver to your success (aside from brands using it for their own locations)
- Quality: show and make sure you can execute 'on brand' 'wow' 'cool' build outs. make sure that they feel fresh (vs used) for each successive customer
- Business Model: Do a high level spreadsheet as It's likely it could be a lower margin business (rental, booth etc) which is not an issue, but you need to decide if that is what you are after to commit to for your journey (or how to change the model).
I met the founder of BoxPark back when they were just getting started and loved the concept: https://www.boxpark.co.uk/
Your retail idea sounds innovative and versatile! Offering a mobile shipping container for rent as a pop-up store, mini cafe/food truck, demo space, brand activations, and event venue provides a flexible solution for brands and SMEs to showcase their products and engage with customers in various settings. Providing additional services like decor, shopfitting, point of sale, and staffing further enhances the value proposition for potential clients. Overall, it's a creative concept that addresses the evolving needs of retail and experiential marketing. For more insights into retail industry trends and solutions, you might find this article helpful: https://www.cleveroad.com/industries/retail/
