Frida Rose Gaspar

Tucked down an unassuming street in the bustling neighborhood of Williamsburg New York sits a 15 ft UHaul. At first glance, it seems that another soul has moved to the city that never sleeps to pursue some ultimate dream, and you wouldn’t be far off. Once you stop and stare at the cavernous truck, it’s plain to see it’s anything but an ordinary moving day. 

Welcome to UMall, the latest thrift store turning heads on the streets and online. In an article written by Brittany Loggins for the New York Times, she covers the story of Gerald Ortiz and the start of UMall. Essentially a traveling thrift store, Ortiz has converted a 15-ft Uhaul truck into a mini consignment store including clothing racks, vintage designer furniture, and shelves of home goods from local artists. Curated through the passion of finding like-minded individuals in the area looking to advertise their art. Ortiz sets up his $100 rental truck on side streets all over New York City every Sunday and sees hundreds of customers a month. 

The inspiration came to Ortiz when he planned to create a “pop-up event” with a collective of merchants. According to Hubilo, pop-up events are temporary events that are hosted in unconventional places for a few days or hours before they close down. They create a sense of ‘hype’ and exclusivity since they are unexpected or announced a few days in advance.  He discovered that by hiring a U-Haul truck, he could not only deliver the clothing and furniture he sold, but he could also set up the sale in almost any place there was parking, using the truck as a platform to showcase the items for sale.

I think this is one of the most creative and cost-conscious options for those looking to start selling vintage items. Loggins’s article sheds light on Ortiz’s business in a more innovative tone. I would concur to a certain degree, that while it may be innovative for the tight streets of New York, Selling clothing out of trucks has been a growing point of interest for potential businesses. Check out this awesome article from Ashley Volbrecht, owner of Truckshop, about her journey and tips to start a traveling clothing boutique. Looking through the comments on UMall’s Instagram, I caught the user, @nycvintagemap, giving a shoutout to another local NYC Uhaul vintage store, @disobedientdaughter.nyc. Highlighting the commonality between the two businesses. I think this is a great feature piece for what the future of reselling will most likely look like, and further specifies the demographic of certain customers Ortiz is garnering. More than his physical truck, his story is about creating a community of artists to bring exposure to potential customers. 

At the end of the article, Ortiz is quoted saying he may bring this organization to Los Angeles. I also think this idea would be beneficial to UMall, but it already exists. Especially in LA, a city saturated with resellers, I think  UMall would have less of an effect on the West Coast. I have personally been inside a renovated truck/ thrift shop similar to Ortiz’s idea, at a notoriously known local flea market called the Melrose Trading Post. In that case, Ortiz would benefit from reaching out to local flea markets and events like this to bring his business to clientele. In addition to collaborating with like-minded entrepreneurs and sellers. In New York City, driving is already unheard of but in Los Angeles, you practically come out of the womb going 70 mph down the 405. 

I think Ortiz is a great example of someone who is getting ahead of the curve on the latest trend in brick-and-mortar stores, along with having the accessible aspect of using a Uhaul that is intriguing to customers. I will be excited to see how this trend expands in the future, and if rental truck companies will catch on. 

By Frida Rose Gaspar