Gradually, luxury brand Cadillac is seeking to differentiate itself and create a distinctive brand, particularly in relation to parent company General Motors. Part of its strategy is to gradually open stand-alone Cadillac dealerships.
Up until now Cadillac buyers always had to visit their local Chevrolet dealer to do their shopping. When you consider the distinct market for this premium brand, the buyers of which expect premium service, it’s been a grossly imperfect setup. In recent years we’ve seen some dedicated Cadillac sections set up within GM dealer buildings, but that still wasn’t enough in the view of many.
This week we see a fourth Cadillac-only dealership open in Canada, this one in Woodbridge in the Greater Toronto Area. It joins two other stand-alone dealers already operating in Western Canada, and another in Laval, Quebec.
The new dealership is owned by the Foss family, which already owned a Cadillac banner that operated within a GM dealership but has acknowledged that this wasn’t good enough.
“We need to differentiate ourselves. We need to be a standalone representation of this most beautiful and amazing luxury brand.”
- Karen Foss, CEO of Foss Automotive Group
At the new location, customers considering buying a Cadillac will be treated accordingly, meaning they’ll benefit from a special ceremony on delivery of the vehicle, music of their choice during that event, handing over of the keys by a specialist wearing white gloves, etc.
Cadillac is enjoying a solid year to date in Canada, despite the current industry-wide downturn in sales. In the first half of 2019, the company sold 7,184 units, which is 1,193 more than the same period last year when it had moved 5,991 units.
