A trunk show is an event in which

vendor In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms ...

s present

merchandise Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more i ...

directly to store personnel or customers at a

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

location or another venue such as a hotel room. In many cases it allows store personnel to preview and/or purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public. Typically, clients view the merchandise, place orders, and then wait for the vendor to manufacture and deliver the goods. If the merchandise has a

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

, the vendor may choose to have the designer present at the event to add to the customers' experience. Prototypes, samples, remnants and leftover items from runway shows are also sometimes offered at trunk shows. Trunk shows may be open to the general public and advertised in the mass media or may be confined to special customers or those on a mailing list. The term is derived from the common practice of merchandise being transported to these events in trunks.

Bridal industry

Trunk shows are particularly popular from January to May in the bridal industry because the bride can view more designer's collections than in store.

Online trunk shows

Online or virtual trunk shows are gaining traction in the luxury sector.

Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is a luxury department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son, Andrew Goodman. To ...

held its first virtual trunk show in 2010, and

Salvatore Ferragamo Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. An innovative shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo established a reputation in the 1930s. ...

launched its first online show in August 2011. Linda Fargo of Bergdorf's labeled virtual trunk shows "the future." Retailers add behind-the-scenes footage and customers make online purchases, usually pre-season and at full price. Many trunk shows online allow pre-order with a deposit.

Theatrical Performance

A Trunk show may also refer to a very small theatrical performance. This may be a short skit or sketch with only a few (Or even one) actor, where the only props and costumes for the event are contained within a single trunk.

References

#Harrington, Jolene Rae. "Brides Want to Know: Trunk Shows.

#Marshall Heyman. Bergdorf Trunk Show Enters Cyberspace

#Salvatore Ferragamo. Salvatore Ferragamo Launches First Online Trunk Show

#TINA PENG. Why Trunk Shows Are Going Virtua

#On Our Radar: The Virtual Trunk Show. http://www.fabsugar.com/Our-Radar-Virtual-Trunk-Show-534554 Personal selling {{Business-stub