Boutique On Your Street is one of the first retail businesses in Edmonton to sell clothes out of a bus — but it might not be the last. The business is following a growing trend in Canada of businesses turning to new and innovative ways to sell their products. Wendy Smith opened Boutique On Your Street in June 2023.
She had spent the previous month coming up with a business plan, buying an old DATS bus from the City of Edmonton, renovating it and stocking it with merchandise. From her home base in Spruce Grove, she drives her bus around Alberta, selling fashionable clothing for men and women in places like Fort McMurray, Jasper and Ponoka. "I had originally looked at opening a brick and mortar shoe store, and being a single mom, I could either rent one or I could stock one, but I couldn't do both," she said in an interview.
Her friend recommended that she sell her products out of a bus instead. "This seemed like a great way that I could afford to do it and still be there for my kids." Smith says the limited space inside her bus means she's more purposeful with the clothes she sells.
(Submitted by Wendy Smith) Joseph Aversa, a professor in retail management at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the retail space is changing because the relationship between consumer and retailer is changing. "We have a very different relationship with retailers than we have had in the past," said Aversa, who specializes in retail decision-making and location research. "What we're starting to.
