Don’t even bother with search engines, 411, or the Yellow Pages. The only way to track down Caravan, New York City’s hottest new boutique, is by getting real-time GPS coordinatesé from its Web site. The modded Winnebago regularly cruises from uptown to Brooklyn selling art and clothing. Packed with a GPS transmitter, a plasma screen, and a wireless credit card processing unit (receipts are emailed to customers), the roving 240-square-foot store carries hard-to-find items from trendy labels like Penguin, Modern Amusement, and Catch a Fire. Caravan pulls in $25,000 to $30,000 a month even though it accommodates only a dozen shoppers at a time, says cofounder Claudine Gumbel. "We do a lot of appointments for insecure Wall Street guys," Gumbel says, "guys who need a little extra guidance and who like the privacy." The fleet is expanding to Austin, Los Angeles, and Miami, to help a few more rich slobs outrun the fashion police.
- Sonia Zjawinski
Wheelin’ and dealin’: Caravan roams the streets of New York selling clothes and art.
Wheelin’ and dealin’: Caravan roams the streets of New York selling clothes and art.
Wheelin’ and dealin’: Caravan roams the streets of New York selling clothes and art.
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