SUBARU Australia has outlined a new corporate identity theme for its dealerships that is likely to be of minimal cost to dealers and yet expected to reap big results with customers.

Its ‘dealership of the future’ theme, outlined at the recent launch of the brand’s new hybrid car range, holds to the mandate of Subaru Australia’s managing director Colin Christie that “we’re not interested in big glass boxes” as showrooms.

“In fact, we are actively pushing back on large and expensive showrooms in favour of smaller, more experiential areas and spaces designed to maximise customer comfort and promote interaction with the brand,” he said.

The focus is a showroom and service area makeover created by Sydney-based global commercial design group Chada in conjunction with Subaru Australia.

Chada is an award-winning interior design centre with the majority of its work in the hospitality industry. Recent works include the Taronga Wildlife Retreat, Hilton Auckland, Pan Pacific Singapore and the Cineaste Hotel, Beijing.

Subaru Australia’s general manager of network development, Bernie Smith, said the new-look showroom design will start to be rolled out at the end of this year and he expects national coverage within two years.

“We’ve designed the look to be modular because it has to fit all shapes and sizes of our existing dealerships,” he said.

“We’re not talking about building new ones (showrooms) because very few of our dealerships fit a perfectly square plan.

“It is designed to be a low-cost upgrade. We put money aside for dealers and we will use these funds for the upgrades to dealers showrooms – that will reduce any costs to dealers.”

Mr Christie said he had been mindful of the costs and said the upgrades would be “zero or minimal cost” to Subaru dealerships.

“The refreshes we have done over the past 15 years would be the lowest cost, or certainly among the lowest, of any brand,” he said.

“We have always had a clear mindset that dealers have to be profitable, they must be viable and must be sustainable. Our role is to ensure we can support that.”

Mr Smith said one of the trends in the industry was to make shopping a more interesting experience.

“We need to reward our customers when they make the choice to come into our showrooms and we have to deliver a memorable experience,” he said.

“There are only two places that a customer can physically experience the Subaru brand – inside one of our cars or inside one of our dealerships.

“We feel that our new dealer showroom design concept will set us apart and give our retailers a point of difference.”

Subaru Australia’s general manager of marketing, Amanda Leaney, said the new showrooms would reinforce the dealer as part of a community that makes customers want to build a relationship.

“It will engage and inspire people through touchpoints and brand messaging,” she said.

“The lounge area, for example, will be welcoming just like your home.

“The showrooms and service centres have to be places that feel exactly like Subaru – imagination, independent spirit and the relaxed confidence that comes from quality.”

The design has a central customer area that becomes the heart of the showroom. Subaru Australia lists mandatory items as the customer lounge and the reception desk, with optional features available for insertion on a site-by-site basis. These could include a cafe and even an ice-cream trolley.

Mr Smith said the new design has a few core parts that are central to the brand experience.

“However, around this is a modular layout that can be brought in for different dealer needs and sizes of showrooms and for city or regional dealers,” he said.

In design, one of the most obvious changes is the move of the concierge to the back of the showroom.

“So there’s a more free-flow entry that allows customers to explore the brand,” Mr Smith said.

“One of the big challenges to salespeople is how to bring to life the safety and tech features of Subaru cars.

“By using screens with touchpoints, we show customers what features are in a Subaru. The screens in the showrooms will make it much easier for customers to understand the real benefits of Subaru.”

The new showroom design also has a children’s interactive area with screens, so they can also be part of the experience.

“It’s a full family affair,” Mr Smith said.

“One of the core principles is to give service customers a new experience, more like a local cafe. It allows them to relax while the car is being serviced or grab a take-away coffee if that is the customer’s preference.”

Mr Smith said the concept was designed to create a long-standing relationship with the customer.

“Retail should be fun,” he said.

“The decision to visit the dealership should be a good call. It allows customers to come to the showroom and learn more and more about what they’re looking for. We need to be very transparent about the whole process and look after the customer.”

By Neil Dowling