The humble Ford dealership will soon be a thing of the past as the Blue Oval begins to roll out its 'Ford Store' concept across Europe.
This may not sound like a big deal but it does, somewhat, bring us back to the Glass Palace thinking that prevailed before 2008.
Ford executives have been off to visit exclusive stores like Apple and Nespresso outlets and brought some of those ideas back to the brand. The aim is to make the buying experience more relaxed, less 'pushy salesman in your face'. Everything will be interactive with car configuration done on iPad before being send to a large Video Wall that will allow you to inspect your freshly designed car in life size. You can even bring in a configuration you have done at home and send it to the wall - skipping the iPad section completely.
There will be dedicated 'Relax' areas with seating to chill on while admiring the Ford branded merchandise spotted around and in seven dealers in Ireland a dedicated Vignale lounge with unique decor and ambience from the rest of the showroom.
Ford has decreed that Ford Stores will be standalone - no chance of walking into a dealership and seeing a Mondeo alongside one of its rivals. If a dealership currently operates such a system there must be a divide between brands. There also has to be a change to the signing outside with the Ford Store logo taking precedence over all else including the franchise name.
Available test cars will be lined up outside, one for each model offered (including commercials) in a signposted space. No waiting for the salesman to find that Focus you want to test drive and then go searching for the keys - everything should be to-hand making the customer experience less time consuming and stressful.
Which all makes sense from a customer point of view but how do the dealers feel about this outlay so soon after the return to profitability?