Ford To Revamp Dealerships To Look Like Hotels
Ford Motor Co. announced a makeover that could span its 9,000 dealerships worldwide to emphasize hospitality and convenience over sterile, intimidating spaces.
The Signature 2.0 concept is meant to make locations more welcoming and create a more streamlined experience for consumers from the website to the showroom.
“It can be intimidating going into a dealership. … It’s not as comfortable as going into an Apple Store, as an example,” Ford Chief Dealer Engagement Officer Elena Ford told the Detroit Free Press. “So this ‘hospitality first’ was something that really came out of, not just talking to customers, but benchmarking other industries.”
The makeover will include large, bright windows, lounging spaces, displays of Ford cars for hands-on and immersive experiences, and refreshments, Ford said in a press release.
For customers who prefer a more traditional car-buying experience, the new concept stores will still include purchase rooms. But Signature 2.0 is also intended to create a better omnichannel experience by making it easier for consumers who already selected cars online.
Dealership owners will have several different versions of the layout to consider, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Ford expects about 250 dealership owners worldwide to sign on to convert their spaces over the next year, Elena Ford told the Free Press. The first U.S. Signature 2.0 store, the Preston Automotive Group-owned Boulevard Ford in Lewes, Delaware, has already opened.
Stefani Gray, communications manager of global dealer engagement for Ford Motor Co., told Bisnow that the cost to each dealership would be different, as some will need a ground-up rebuild, while others would simply renovate existing spaces.
David Wilson Sr., chairman of Preston Automotive Group, told Automotive News that the ground-up build for Boulevard Ford’s 44K SF location cost $12.5M.
Ford said it doesn't plan to make Ford Signature 2.0 mandatory for all dealerships. Gray said Ford will work with dealers that carry multiple manufacturers should they want to convert their spaces to the new concept.
