Brick and Mortar Businesses Created from Shipping Containers on the Rise: What’s All the Fuss About?
by: Elisheva Ray
At first glance the answer is easy.
At least for the owners of the Brick-and-Mortar business establishments housed by shipping containers, they are.
Of course, for the shipping container business trend to continue its ascension into industry stardom, there also must be a strong customer appeal – because let’s face it, without raving fans as customers, the business is bound to fail.
Before we dive into the customer-appeal side of things, however, let’s look at why many business owners are nixing traditional Brick-and-Mortar establishments, and instead are opening-up shop from the doors of shipping containers.
Reduced Overhead Cost
“I want to start a business with a high overhead cost,” said no one ever!
In fact, quite the opposite is true.
While aspiring and/or veteran entrepreneurs have an idea or seek to solve a problem they are passionate about in the world, when they start and build a business, the aim is to keep overhead costs as low as possible.
Low overhead cost yields higher profit margins, which allows the business to continue to prosper.
This is specially the case of restaurants housed in shipping containers, which points to another benefit for business.
Easy Transport
There is a growing popularity of restaurants being housed in shipping containers.
The durable and mobile aspect of shipping containers allows restaurants to test the waters.
If the market value in one location proves to be less than favorable, the shipping container can be easily transported to another location.
Of course, other considerations like applying for permits will apply.
Additionally, when deciding on the best location to purchase a permanent Brick-and-Mortar establishment, owners can test various locations before doing so, which saves time and money.
Simplicity
With every passing year the pull towards minimalistic and simplistic living continues to climb.
This includes the consumer attraction to food products with simple straightforward ingredients, the rising popularity of tiny homes, which can also be made from shipping containers, and the goals of tech developers to make the complexity of technology more user-friendly and simpler.
The Business Insider quotes Steve Jobs as saying,
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there you can move mountains.”
That said, given the small compact nature of shipping containers, owners have no choice but to only supply the shipping container with what is absolutely necessary for the functionality of the container.
THE APPEAL TO CUSTOMERS
The Customer is King!
In the business world it is a common practice to acknowledge that the customer is the head honcho – the end-all-be-all, or as Mariam Webster Dictionary defines, “The chief piece in the game of chess.”
Rhetorical question.
Who crowned the customer with such an esteemed title as – KING?
Not to be confused with the controversial statement, the customer is always right.
Wondering what any of this has to do with the rise of Brick-and-Mortar business establishments being house in shipping containers?
Everything.
First off, it goes without saying, the best business idea is the one works. And keeps on working.
Put another way, it doesn’t matter if the business has low overhead cost, ease of mobility and fosters simplicity, if it doesn’t draw customers, it cannot turn a profit and therefore will not prosper.
What’s more, if it has a big boom of a grand opening yet does not attract repeat business or draw in new customers, than the business idea is considered a flop.
Can you say Hashtag Back to the drawing board (#backtothedrawingboard)
Okay moving right along.
All that said, why do customers continue to spend their hard-earned cash on business establishments housed by shipping containers?
Essentially customers want what these businesses have to offer – whether it be great products, services and/or the entertainment provided.
Other important factors, though not as obvious, have to do with human drives.
Despite the growing trend of Brick-and-Mortar businesses created from
shipping container, take a stroll downtown in any major city like Atlanta, Chicago,
New York, Miami, etc. and you’ll notice that the dominant business construction
are conventional style buildings surrounded by four or more walls that have a defined entrance and exit(s).
Caters to Our Need for Novelty
Novelty centers around our need as human beings for new and diverse experiences.
It’s how we grow and advance in the world – whether personally or professionally.
The Psychology Today website explains it farther:
“A sense of novelty activates the dopamine system directly. As a result, it enhances mood, positive outlook, motivation, and goal setting.”
This is why you experience such exhilaration when you try a new dish at your favorite restaurant (assuming it is just as good, if not better than your usual selection), when you buy a new car, change your hairstyle, redecorate your office and the like.
It’s also why changing up where you go for date-night can make you feel closer and more charged-up about your partner.
This is the one reason why innovation is such a key value of successful brands we’ve come to know, love and trust — like Google, Apple, Coca-Cola, etc.
Inspires Creative thinking and Self-Expression
Whenever we discover a new way of doing something, whether we ourselves came up with the stellar idea or are a witness to someone else’s brilliance, it creates within us a sense of creativity, adventure, and imagination.
Additionally, “Seeing a marvel feat that reminds us how amazing, talented, and creative people are makes us feel more good,” says Gail Saltz, MD.
A visit to the art gallery, for instance, could make a light bulb go off in your head as to how to solve a work-related problem that’s been keeping you up for weeks.
That said, when you see a problem being solved in a new way, whether you’re aware of it or not, something in you says, wow, now that’s impressive, I wonder how “they” did that.
Even better, your brain wonders how you yourself might be more “impressive” by considering a new approach to handling challenges like relationships or health problems, for instance.
This causes a dopamine rush, like mentioned before.
Dopamine is the brain chemical that triggers happiness and positive emotions.
The result, you walk away with a greater sense of hope, possibility, and eagerness about life – however it is not likely that you will connect your sudden zest for life to your encounter with shipping container business.
Of course, after reading this blog, you may very well do just that.
Lucky you.
Nurtures our Need to Keep Up with the Joneses
Sounds far-fetched, I know.
But hang tight.
So, despite this growing trend of shipping containers being used outside of their original use, which was to revolutionize global trade in the mid-nineties, most consumers are accustomed to the traditional style brick-and-mortar business with a storefront.
That said, the very fact that you know about this trend, whether from personal experience or from reading this blog, makes it so that you belong to a niche community of people in-the-know about the growing popularity of this trend.
Therefore, it is common that when people cross paths with a business housed in a shipping container for the first time, they respond to it like a tourist from out of town – even when local.
