Nissan’s first City Hub has been unveiled today, marking a new approach to dealerships for the manufacture.
The new approach sees the convergence of e-commerce and a concept store. It is making its debut in Velizy 2, a shopping center just outside Paris.
The Nissan City Hub features 88m2 of screen surface and displays, five spots dedicated to model test-drive handovers and a planned expansion after autumn 2019.
New e-commerce solutions have been developed to ensure ease of use and multiple opportunities to personify and purchase cars directly online, with a “no-pressure” approach.
After the planned expansion, Nissan City Hub will also be the opportunity for consumers use xStorage Home. This is an energy storage solution that uses new and second-life Nissan EV batteries and France’s electric vehicle quick charging network.
50% of car purchases start online, and 60% of consumers have decided on the brand, model and price before having set foot in a dealership.
Based on this, Nissan’s development of its future retail distribution strategy is based on a new, integrated model that leverages both the local knowledge and strong foothold of dealerships with the new opportunities created with digital.
It aims to provide an improved online and offline ecosystem based on new formats and new technologies, giving customers full control of their purchasing process.
Group Altaïr has called the concept “a natural evolution of the industry”, and sees it as a different app4roach to the conventional dealership model.
Leon Dorssers, corporate vice president for Nissan Motor Company, said: “Nissan City Hubs will put people at the heart of our vision for tomorrow’s mobility, all while they’re going about their normal shopping.
“Today’s unveiling marks a new step forward in our global commercial strategy, using e-commerce and new mobility technologies to enhance the customer experience both online and offline.”
Nissan looks to employ the concept in other similar metropolitan spots, such as Berlin, Tokyo or Shanghai.