I’m going to be hitting the road shortly to see first hand what many are describing as the near future of the automotive purchase experience.
Specifically, I want to play around in some of the new digital showrooms that are bringing technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and touch-screen interfaces into the traditional bricks-and-mortar dealership.
Happily, I won’t be travelling alone. Todd Phillips, our editorial director, is coming along for the ride.
We’ve already covered many of the destinations we will be visiting as news items in Canadian auto dealer. Many have also received extensive coverage through other media channels as well.
So what’s different now?
We want to experience first hand some of the radically re-invented customer experiences available through dealerships such as the Audi City store in London, England and the Hyundai Rockar stores (also in England). There are others examples too, as most brands are experimenting with a new type of store that sits somewhere between the traditional physical dealership and a purely online path.
We want to see for ourselves how it feels to play with the technology. We want to experience how we are handled as customers. Frankly, we have a lot of questions, and we think you’ll find the answers enlightening as you form your own thoughts on what’s coming next.
We have a lot of questions, and we think you’ll find the answers enlightening as you form your own thoughts on what’s coming next.
While we will be travelling to England to “test drive” these stores, not all our research requires us to go so far afield. There are important examples close to home, like Toyota’s Towards Tomorrow gallery in the Square One shopping centre in Mississauga, Ont.
Interestingly, I’ve heard Towards Tomorrow referred to as a limited-time event (it launched on March 5 and runs until the end of May) and as a gallery, but not as a store because customers cannot actually complete a transaction at the location. Instead, the leads will get forwarded to Toyota dealers. Customers can explore vehicles using a range of technologies, and take them for test drives.
An initiative like Towards Tomorrow sits somewhere between Toyota’s website and a Toyota dealership. The thinking at the foundation of these initiatives is to bring the cars and information to the customers, rather than having the customers come to the store.
Online research is now the norm for the vast majority of vehicle purchasers. Online purchases may be next. Certainly, many are saying that is the case. In that kind of environment, what is the role of the physical dealership? Do your stores still have a role?
Perhaps, more importantly, does a digitally-enhanced in-store experience create a sustainable role for the physical store? Will the enhancements to the experience you can offer your customers through technology be enough to keep your customers coming to you facility?
As the publishers of your magazine, we intend to be help you find answers to the many questions these digital dealerships create. We’ll bring you impressions from a trusted and familiar source, and one that has your best interests at heart.
So stay tuned. Our flights are booked, and you’ll be the first to hear what we find.
