EP#31: Benefits of building a mobile & e-commerce business w Laura Layton
Ever wonder what it would be like to have a mobile and e-commerce fair trade store? In this podcast, I interview Laura Layton, the mind behind Tin Lizzy, a mobile shop which travels the Mid-Atlantic region. Laura purchased a truck one year ago, right after graduating from college, and turned it into a mobile store. She attends outdoor festivals, street fairs, markets, or other locations permitted by her city. She specializes in selling fair trade and sustainably sourced women’s apparel and accessories. Each item she sells in her truck has a story, for example buying items from local artists or craftsmen in India. After studying Fashion Merchandising in college, she decided to focus on sustainable retail. She felt concerned by the unethical business practices of how the fast fashion industry operates and did not want to support these same practices.
In just one year, she has been able to grow a loyal customer base who follows her at street fairs. Tin Lizzy has been mentioned in several blogs and local newspapers including The Baltimore Sun and Accessories Magazine. Her story is a true testament that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
E-commerce has allowed her to build customer relationships both in person and online. At a street fair for example, she will meet people personally, but then customers can further interact with her brand later. Often customers will try on, touch and feel her clothes and accessories in person but will then take their time to decide before purchasing, which is made possible by her online store.
In this podcast, you will learn:
– How to juggle different facets of your business
– The in & outs of working with fair trade vendors
– How to grow your customer base organically
– Ideas on how to create a mobile store
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