SEAT is the latest carmaker to help consumers to pick up a car at the mall
SEAT has opened a retail outlet that will enable car buyers to choose their new car while doing their shopping at the intu Lakeside shopping centre at Thurrock in Essex.
A new Seat store will be opening in intu Lakeside shopping centre
The Seat Store will have offer the 26m shoppers visiting Lakeside every year to opportunity to research a Seat model, configure it the way they want it, get a trade-in car valued, discover finance options and arrange a test drive – which can even be unaccompanied.
The new store is the latest venture by a car manufacturer to move away from traditional car dealerships and give consumers the chance to see their products in an environment where they are already used to selecting and buying.
It is also a response to the changing way of buying a car, where 97% of buyers do their research online before entering a dealership.
Seat hope to take advantage of Lakeside's 26m annual visitors
Seat is working with franchise partner Group 1 to run the 150 square-metre store, which will employ a team of 13 staff, who have been trained to be approachable, knowledgeable and consider customer service to be central to everything they do.
I am sure the millions of shoppers visiting intu Lakeside are in for a real treat!
The store itself is designed in line with a ‘spirited spaces and warm welcomes’ theme, using natural materials designed to give the feeling of a relaxed space, combined with Mediterranean-inspired colours.
And to bring a piece of Seat’s Barcelona headquarters to the sore, there’s even an olive tree in the centre of the store, with in-built Gaudi-style seating.
The new store is the latest venture by Seat to move away from traditional car dealerships
Richard Harrison, director of Seat UK, said: “Our new store is a world first for us. We are passionate about finding ways to make it even easier for people to discover and fall in love with our award winning range of cars.
The store is a world first by the Volkswagen-owned Spanish carmakers
"With a great team of product experts on board, a stunning new store and experience centre, and the all new Seat Ateca also launching next week, I am sure the millions of shoppers visiting intu Lakeside are in for a real treat!”