Volkswagen chooses Bullring to trial new retail concept
Car manufacturer Volkswagen UK is setting up shop in Birmingham as it looks to use the city to trial a new retail concept for its vehicles.
Rather than the traditional garage forecourt, the company has taken out a 1,921 sq ft unit at the Bullring Shopping Centre as it looks to capitalise on the 36 million people who visit the mall annually.
Partnering VW in the project, which will create 17 jobs, is Johnsons Cars. The dealership was formed in 1999 and has run Johnsons Volkswagen in the Birmingham area since 2004.
VW said the move was in response to changing consumer habits and the store would enable people to conduct everything from initial enquiries to the purchase of a new or pre-owned Volkswagen car while they were in the shopping centre.
It said a clear focus on meeting customers’ changing needs was central in the design and development of the store.
VW said together with its retail design agency Dalziel & Pow, it wanted to create an experience that made the process of buying a car as easy and straightforward as possible.
Shoppers visiting the Bullring store will encounter a variety of displays highlighting VW’s advanced in-car technology. They will also be able to experience the cars first hand by sitting in models on display in the store. The vehicle selection will be refreshed on a frequent basis to keep the new store right up to date.
Alison Jones, Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said: “The store allows us to try out new ways of bringing our cutting edge products and technologies to the public in their usual retail environment.
“The store is very much a long-term pilot that we will learn much from. It is all about presenting our cars and services to the public in a place that is really convenient for them.”
Mike Berwick, Operations Director of Johnsons Cars, said: “This is a completely new retail format and way of going to the market, and so it is exciting for us to work with Volkswagen on this project. This store will complement our existing five Volkswagen retail locations and the combination will allow us to expand our customer service offers both in sales and aftersales.”
Michaela Moore, General Manager of Bullring Birmingham, said: “Volkswagen joining the centre is a real coup for us. We were excited by the new store concept and, with their additional offering of onsite test drives, we think it will be a real hit with our shoppers.”
The new store will open on July 7.
