Shopping
Style on Wheels
Mobile boutiques are driving
a unique way to shop in Hoboken and Jersey City
WRITTEN BY JACQUELINE GOLDSCHNEIDER
I
f the words “truck” and “trailer” don’t make you think
of fashion, you might want to think again. A handful of
stylish young entrepreneurs are putting a twist on shopping by hitting the road with their mobile boutiques,
fully stocked shops that bring retail therapy wherever
the road may take them. And though they have the freedom to roam, these chic shops are regularly parked in Hoboken
and Jersey City. With a range of styles between them, these
traveling stores offer an array of options to Gold Coast shoppers.
“I look at what’s happening on
the runway and try to identify
fun, modern pieces for my
customers.”
Emily Dell
40
MAY 2016 (201) GOLD COAST
“I cater to the modern young woman,” says Emily Dell of Runaway,
the mobile boutique she opened in 2014. “I shop for the young moms
who don’t have time to shop and working women who are sick of the
clothes at the mall.” To outfit her perfect demographic, Dell, 31, parks
Runaway in Hoboken almost every weekend from March through
November.
Runaway is housed in the back of a 28-foot box truck, but don’t
expect to see anything gritty when you climb aboard. “The shop is like a
real boutique storefront,” Dell says. “It has pull-down stairs and a railing,
and when you walk in you feel like you’re in an actual store,” noting the
faux hardwood floors, elaborate lighting, shelving and dressing room.
Dell sources her inventory from showrooms in Manhattan’s Fashion
District, stocking Runaway with a mix of contemporary apparel and
accessories. “I look at what’s happening on the runway and try to
identify fun, modern pieces for my customers,” she says.
Dell is drawn to texture and color, so you’ll find lots of vibrantly
patterned items on the truck.
“Most pieces can be worn to work but also transition well into
evening for a night out,” she says. “We’ve got some really cool A-line
dresses, cute pencil skirts, and lots of blouses and pants you can mix and
match for different looks,” adding that Runaway also carries accessories
ranging from bags to jewelry.
While she stocks about 300 pieces of clothing and accessories,
Runaway only carries a few of each piece so there are new items every
week for her returning customers.
The walkability of Hoboken brings her lots of foot traffic. “People
there are so curious and excited to come on the truck,” she says. “It’s
such an intimate environment, so I really connect with customers and
get to know them personally.”
Though Runaway is usually parked on Sinatra Drive, Dell posts
upcoming hours and locations at shoptherunaway.com, where you can
also shop online and book private events. Customers can also look for
Runaway at Jersey City’s Groove on Grove festival Wednesday evenings
from May to September.
“It’s a tough business,” says Dell of her one woman show, “but so far
I’ve been loving it.”
TOP: COURTESY OF CHAZZY PATEL; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF RUNAWAY
RUNAWAY