George Gray

集装箱不仅仅能运输货物，还可以成为百货集市——这就是芝加哥南部的博克斯维尔零售区背后的创意。

Shipping containers aren't just for transporting goods. That is the idea behind Box⁃ville,a retail(零售)area on the south side of Chicago.Owners sell their goods in modified shipping containers instead of stores.There are more than a dozen containers.They sell ev⁃erything from clothing to running shoes to hot dogs.

Boxville is located in the Bronzeville neighborhood,a historic center of African Ameri⁃can culture and business. Seeing that the area had fallen into disrepair, local leaders de⁃cided to create a practical way for people to start a business without spending a lot of money.

Boxville gets rid of many difficulties that minority⁃owned businesses face by having lower start⁃up costs and a supportive community. Local people, meanwhile, benefit from the convenience of nearby shopping.

Boxville began in 2014 with a single box focusing on bike repair.According to its web⁃site,“The Bike Box offers people bike sales and repair services, meeting their needs for transportation and community.”

The plan of most Boxville business owners is to grow while establishing (建立)a repu⁃tation in the community. Once businesses have become established, they either keep their boxes or move to a larger space. This allows more companies to come to Boxville and con⁃tinue the cycle of entrepreneurship(创业).

One customer I spoke with expressed appreciation of the effort, saying,“Boxville is full of activity.It's full of a lot of people doing positive things.It's a very cool space.”

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What can customers buy in Boxville?

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