MEMMobile – Memphis Flyer

Last week, the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team, in partnership with the City of Memphis and alt. Consulting, officially “rolled out” five mobile retail trucks participating in their latest pilot program MEMMobile “to provide more diverse retail options; encourage small business growth; promote local artists and designers; and increase activity in public areas in the community.”

Lining both sides of the plaza in front of City Hall, the five MEMMobile retail businesses showcased fashion, accessories, and even bicycles, with familiar food trucks rounding the perimeter to satisfy the lunch crowd. Memphians got to shop and really experience the vibrancy that the mobile retail shops can bring to the community.

Here’s a short rundown of those five MEMMobile trucks in the roll-out:

Henny Penny Mobile Boutique — Women’s Apparel and Accessories
We featured Henny Penny owner Cyndii Jo Hartley last week in anticipation of this event. With hot days ahead, the Henny Penny truck boasts a cool air unit to keep your shopping comfortable. They also provide 2 dressing stations which is convenient since there will be many lovely items you’ll want to try on.
Facebook.com/HennyPennyMemphis

K’PreSha Haul of Fashion — Men and Women’s Apparel and Accessories
Kimberly Taylor sees this fashion truck as an extension of her South Main boutique K’PreSha. The goal is to stock the truck with mostly local items and from local designers. You’ll find jewelry, clutches, and casual to dressy apparel for both men and women.
Facebook.com/KPreShaBoutique

Thigh High Jeans — Repurposed Denim Apparel
Co-owners Ann Smithwick and Kerry Peeples are artists who took their art to fashion. They began the company in 2010 embroidering positive quotes on the thigh portion of recycled jeans. Meant to be uplifting, the quote “generates a high” for both the wearer and those they meet. Five dollars from each jean sale is donated to charities such as the Church Health Center, Jolkona Foundation, and Feeding America.
ThighHighJeans.com

Sache T-shirt Truck — Custom-Printed T-shirts
Designer Eric Evans (left) and co-owner John Sylvester (right) not only print t-shirts but they also create custom designs with Memphis pride. They’re the ones behind the recent Tennessee Brewery shirts that include the famed mural “Invest in Good Times.” Beginning their business as part of the South Main shop Sache, they hope taking this portion of the store to the streets will allow them to print shirts on site as orders come in.
SacheDesign.com

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The Bike Smith — Bicycle Sales and Repair
What makes this business great is that owner Jim Steffen is a bike enthusiast who loves repairing bikes. Thus, the Bike Smith truck not only sells bicycles but will conveniently pick up your bike, repair it, and deliver it back to you. Visit his website and you’ll also discover new ways to fashion your bicycle with leather adult beverage caddies. Elevate your Memphis flair by transporting a precious growler full of local brew.
www.bikesmithtruck.com

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To learn more about the MEMMobile pilot program, click here.

Food trucks have taught Memphians how to shop on the street over the past two years, and that experience has laid the groundwork for the next evolution in mobile marketing.

Five mobile retailers will get their formal debuts this Thursday through the launch of the MEMMobile program from Memphis City Hall. The trucks will offer jeans, t-shirts, bicycle products and services, and more.

Most of the participating trucks have already hit the streets, taking advantage of the spring weather and big events like Memphis In May and South Main Trolley Night. Thursday’s rollout will gather all the trucks at City Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with food trucks, music, and speeches from city leaders.

Jim Steffen’s Bikesmith truck

The program began last year as a part of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team’s efforts to boost the economies of certain Memphis neighborhoods. The program started with $75,000 and research on mobile retail in peer cities such as Nashville, New Orleans, and Chicago.

The MEMMobile program offers entrepreneurs forgivable loans of up to $25,000 to buy and design a truck and to get their business off the ground. The business owners also receive technical business training and advice from

alt.Consulting, a non-profit business consulting firm.

The mayor’s team had hoped to get at least 10 applications for the program when they started MEMMobile. But they ended up receiving 20.

“It sort of blew us away to realize that there were so many entrepreneurs who were definitely interested,” said Abby Miller, project manager for the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team. “A lot of them said they had this idea and were thinking about it, but, all of a sudden, this incentive was their tipping point to say ‘Let’s dive in and see what we could do with this.'”

The applications were vetted by a committee of economic development professionals, food truck operators, and the Memphis Grizzlies mobile retail team. Some ideas, like mobile window replacement or art framing, weren’t right for the program, Miller said. The five that were approved had the right blend of financial viability, engaging the public at large, and contributing to the core city.

Given the city’s growing bicycle infrastructure, Miller said the Bikesmith truck “was a natural for this.” Truck owner Jim Steffen said he and his business partner, his wife Julia Steffen, were considering a move away from Memphis to open a bike shop when he ran into Tommy Pacello, a project manager with the mayor’s team, who told him, “Don’t move away. Memphis needs you here to do this kind of stuff.”

“[MEMMobile] seemed like a brilliant way to get into a bike shop for a much lower start-up cost,” Steffen said.

Opening a brick-and-mortar shop would have been “tough,” he said, listing the cost of a lease and buying expensive inventory. Much of that start-up cost will be defrayed by the MEMMobile program as long as Steffen provides quarterly financial reports to alt.Consulting and can prove that his business is actually working out.

Other MEMMobile trucks include clothing stores Sache, Henny Penny, Thigh High Jeans, and K’Presha.