Minnesota Mobile Market

As art enthusiasts make their way toward Sociable Cider Werks at this year’s Art-A-Whirl in Northeast Minneapolis, they will surely notice the eclectic fleet of vehicles in its lot, including a refurbished caravan, delivery truck, trolley, shipping container, and Volkswagen bus. Since food trucks have been sprouting across the Twin Cities over the past several years, our minds have been trained to associate any retro, renovated and over-sized set of wheels as a stop for a quick, savory bite to eat.

This fleet of mobile entrepreneurship is the beginning of that exception.

Sota Clothing and Handsome Bicycles have come together to launch the first annual Minnesota Mobile Market, a band of like-minded entrepreneurs who see the value in putting wheels beneath their craft in order to engage new communities. Spencer Johnson, founder of Sota Clothing, was first attracted to this avenue of customer engagement because of the way it challenged retailers to find new ways to sell their product. He also enjoyed the element of surprise in catching their customers off guard with where their product could be found.

Within the mix of retailers at Minnesota Mobile Market’s first gathering, you’ll be able to approach a vehicle’s window sill in pursuit of a pair of running shoes from Mill City Running, bike gear from Handsome Bicycles, a paddle board from Paddle North, a summer blouse from Style Trolley, or a beach tank top from Sota Clothing.

In the future, Minnesota Mobile Market has plans to travel greater distances. Making stops throughout the state so mobile vendors can engage new communities as well as strengthen existing relationships- turning online interactions into personal connections.