Cadillac Will Add “Boutiques” at 700 Dealerships

General Motors Co.'s Cadillac unit is rolling out a plan today that would have about 200 of its stand-alone install high-tech boutiques equipped with special luxury amenities and staffed with especially knowledgeable sale and service personnel.

President Johan de Nysschen says the plan will add 700 smaller such boutiques at Cadillac's other U.S. outlets, many of which deal in multiple brands.

The unit says it has no plans to reduce the number of dealer points. But de Nysschen told Automotive News last week that multi-nameplate dealers will be expected to beef up their Cadillac presence.

The overall strategy is to bolster the financial health of Cadillac dealers and elevate the customer experience to rival that of foreign luxury brands. Features will include a "virtual" showroom, perhaps eventually using 3-D holograms, where customers can configure a car.

De Nysschen says Cadillac also will develop unspecified new dealer incentives and compensation programs to bolster customer satisfaction. He further envisions a "more precise alignment" of dealer programs to local markets.