[car fanatics]

General Motors
Photo credit: General Motors
January 30, 2012
By: CF staff

Paul Masse Buick GMC in South Kingston, Rhode Island, is one of about 170 dealerships nationwide in to recently undergo a major renovation. A total of 1,900 Buick GMC stores are in various stages of makeover.

More than 80 percent of eligible dealers are enrolled in dealership update program

DETROIT – Buick and GMC customers nationwide are discovering how a more welcoming dealership atmosphere enhances the experience of buying a new car or servicing a vehicle. More than 1,900 dealers, many in major markets, are showing the way.

The ongoing dealership image enhancement program includes a new exterior façade with updated signage, a bright and airy showroom featuring a customer greeting station, and a customer lounge with free Wi-Fi. In some cases, a café or salon is part of the experience.

The changes are important because both Buick and GMC currently attract more than 40 percent of their buyers from brands outside General Motors.

Gensler, a leading global architecture firm, is helping Buick and GMC marry the new design details with each dealership’s existing building.

Paul Masse, owner of two Buick-GMC stores in New England, has completed one dealership update in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and is in the process of revitalizing another store in Woonsocket.

“The design group from Gensler did a great job with the colors and appearance,” Masse said. “It really does bring in a new type of customer.”

And Masse’s customers are noticing the differences.

“This new store provides such a comfortable place to buy and service a vehicle,” said Crystal Montgomery of East Providence. “This dealership takes quality to a whole new level.”

To date, more than 170 dealers have completed the image enhancement program. Combined with the number of stores at various points in the process, 1,900 Buick and GMC dealers are involved. By the end of 2013, more than 2,000 buildings across the United States will be fully revitalized.

“Luxury shoppers today expect a certain level of treatment when purchasing a vehicle,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “Those expectations are now being met at many Buick and GMC stores around the country. These aren’t just new faces on old buildings. We’re creating the complete and convenient dealership experience that attracts these buyers.”

Buick and GMC shoppers will also find, in addition to a fresh look and a hot cup of coffee, the strongest product line in each brand’s history. Both the GMC Acadia crossover vehicle and Buick Enclave luxury crossover had their best sales year ever in 2011, and both brands have excellent fuel economy stories to tell with Buick’s Regal sport sedan and LaCrosse with eAssist luxury sedan models topping 36 mpg on the highway and the segment-leading Terrain smaller SUV delivering 32 highway mpg.

[Tonavi]

About time. The dealers around here are like mobile homes in comparison. They haven't been updated since the 70s and Midway Ford even has wood veneer on the walls still.