Mexican Media Brands
Ford Tests Dealer Showrooms in Shopping Malls
Ford Motor Co. has begun testing satellite vehicle showrooms in shopping malls.
Share
Ford Motor Co. has begun testing satellite vehicle showrooms in shopping malls.
The initiative, which is led by chief customer experience officer Elena Ford (the great-great granddaughter of company founder Henry Ford), aims to attract new customers. The carmaker notes that fewer people are visiting traditional stand-alone dealerships.
Pilot programs were launched in conjunction with local dealers this year in Belgium, Germany (pictured), Italy and Quebec City. A location somewhere in the U.S. also is in the works.
The storefronts—dubbed Smart Labs—typically house several vehicles and product liaison representatives who can answer questions and pass leads onto the dealership’s sales team. Some locations also have vehicles on site for visitors to test drive.
The 1,800-sq-ft Brussels outlet generated 200 leads the first month it was open, and doubled that volume two months later in July, according to Benjamin Abeloos, the sales and marketing manager of the dealer partner. He tells The Detroit News that the July leads resulted in 25 sales from customers who otherwise may not have visited a Ford dealership.
Dealers are using some of the mall-based showrooms to close sales directly onsite. Although fewer people are visiting traditional stand-alone dealerships, Ford says the intent is to supplement such facilities rather than replace them.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Multiple Choices for Light, High-Performance Chassis
How carbon fiber is utilized is as different as the vehicles on which it is used. From full carbon tubs to partial panels to welded steel tube sandwich structures, the only limitation is imagination.
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.
