Mercedes-Benz is reorganizing its sales and is relying less on the previous dealer structure. “We’re going in Germany 15 to 20 percent of the retail space at our locations by 2028,” said Sales Director Britta Seeger (52) of the German Press Agency, after the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” had previously reported on it. At the same time, 38 online shops worldwide are to be online by the end of 2022 go; Seeger spoke of “online car dealerships”.
Mercedes will thus completely reorganize car sales. Sales in some countries had already been switched to the so-called agency model last year. The authorized dealers, who previously acted independently, primarily provide advice, while the prices are set by the manufacturer. From 2023, this model will also be available in Germany and Great Britain be introduced, according to Seeger. The dealers in Germany would have approved the model.
Seeger expects to need less space and fewer locations for this in the future. “We took a close look at which locations we still need in the future,” she is quoted as saying. Above all, car dealerships in prestigious locations and showrooms in the inner cities of larger metropolises are considered attractive for presenting the new models to customers in the future. The online shops, of which the group has only operated four so far, are intended to serve as an additional, digital shop window.
The importance for the group is immense. For Mercedes boss Ola Källenius (52), the digitization of sales is “the other revolution” in addition to the desired electrification of the model range. With the new model, he wants to keep the margins per car sold high. In 2021, the company earned around 5800 euros per car – more than Audi or bmw.
In addition to Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen gradually convert their trading partners to the agency model. Your customers should no longer conclude purchase and leasing contracts with the independent car dealerships, but directly with the manufacturers. This centralization, which analysts also consider to be more cost-effective, could enable the corporations to enforce uniform prices and exclude the often customary discounts at dealer level. Although the dealers are rather critical of the new model, they should receive fixed commissions. The Mercedes partners should receive a commission of around 6.5 percent for every new car sold.