The food truck is popular in Japan. You might think of it as foods such as crepes, kebab, ramen or takoyaki. Now, it’s more than that. It extends its idea during a pandemic. In this period, you are practising new norms. Retail businesses need to tear down the stereotype. One of their tests is applying mobile sales cars to build new sales channels. You put shelves in cars, put products on them and go to a destination where people expect. You might find it interesting, or odd or creative. Here are some examples:

 

• Muji travels to areas where people live and find it hard to reach stores. They sell about 100 SKU. This service stretches to Finland now.

 

• airCloset is a subscription service for women that needs personal styling aid. They serve remote and face to face.

 

• Perfume is a Japanese girl group that has started a fashion truck. It goes to various cities to sell.

 

• #FR2DOKO is a cult fashion brand that sells limited goods. You use GPS apps to chase where the truck goes.

 

• Mitsui Fudosan lends trucks to retailers who can sell goods in the diverse spaces where they own. The retailers are fashion brands, toys, and shoe repairs. And now they offer hotel units in the centre of Tokyo.

 

As you see in the examples, the concept of mobile sales cars tells us that it has more room for growth in retail. It’s like weaving through a crowd. You find a chance where big platformers don’t see it.

 

If you were a brand that takes this idea and gets a good response from customers, what would you do next?