Shop and Go

If mobile grocery stores can deliver fresh produce to your door, why can't fresh fashions arrive the same way?

Claudine Gumbel and her husband, Brian, both 31, couldn't let that question go, so last June, they developed Caravan, a boutique-on-wheels that brings the hottest fashions to people all over New York City--and soon, Los Angeles and Miami. With commercial license plates and a sales tax permit, the mobile business has a clear advantage over traditional stores: "If an area doesn't work, we move on," says Brian. "We're not stuck with a bad location."

Claudine's background in fashion and PR helps Caravan fill its boutique with merchandise from today's trendiest designers, such as Lure, Heatherette and more. Items change weekly, keeping regulars interested--and giving the merchandise a limited-edition feel. According to Claudine, who says sales could top $700,000 this year, "Our designers love the frequent changes, and so do our customers."

This article was originally published in the June 2006 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Shop and Go.