What does the future hold for automotive dealerships and their facilities in Canada and beyond? Some recent ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new dealerships flying the Nissan and Porsche banners provide a tantalizing look.
For Nissan, the grand opening of the HGrégoire Nissan Chomedey dealership in Laval, Quebec marks the Canadian debut of its new retail design initiative, known as NREDI 2. Both the visual and technical aspects of the retail space have been revisited and restructured, touching on all departments including sales, service and financing, with the aim of offering customers a more attractive, comfortable and welcoming space where dealers can offer their services and products as efficiently as possible.
According to Nissan, the NREDI 2 design concept is based on transparency and visual openness, and envelops elements like exclusive delivery zones, large bay windows looking out onto the service bays, a customer lounge in the showroom itself as well as another, quieter space for clients, and an increased digital presence, notably through the use of screens in the service and sales departments, configurator touchscreen tablets and digital wheel stands.
"We rethought the Nissan dealership environment to complement the design, technology and drive experience that make our vehicles stand out," explained Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc. "Nissan’s goal is to provide our customers with dealership experiences of globally consistent high quality. The rollout of NREDI 2 dealerships in Canada signals the next generation of this new standard for dealerships under the Nissan brand."
As for Porsche Canada, which has itself moved into a brand-new head office in Toronto’s north end, two new dealerships flying the Porsche flag opened for business this summer – one adjacent to the new HQ, and the other in Kelowna, British Columbia.
"We are thrilled to move to our new home in Toronto," said Alexander Pollich, President & CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. "Our new Canadian headquarters now incorporate a dedicated training facility which will enhance the level of service we provide to our dealer personnel, further supporting the brand's commitment to the Canadian market and customers."
The new Toronto dealership is in a state-of-the-art facility and will offer customers a memorable experience, he added. The new dealership has an immense showroom that can accommodate 26 vehicles as well as a Porsche Exclusive fitting lounge.
As we previously reported, Mitsubishi has also begun a process to modernize its dealerships in Canada.