7:48 am, August 21, 2013
MAZDA dealers in the UK will be the first in Europe to showcase the Japanese firm’s new visual identity for its dealerships.
The refresh includes newly-designed layouts, lighting and fixtures and has been tested at Donalds Motor Group in Bury St Edmunds.
Three new Mazda dealers, recently open for business or due to open in the next few weeks, will be among the first to sport the new brand identity. The new outlets are in Croydon, south London, Derby and Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Many of the ideas put forward for the redesign came from members of the dealer forum in Britain and several non-car retail outlets including Apple stores.
Mazda UK managing director, Jeremy Thomson, said: ‘There is more interest in the brand today than we have open points and the biggest problem is lack of suitable properties, not lack of companies wanting to take on Mazda.
‘The focus has been on dealers being entrepreneurial about how to dress their showrooms, not us dictating. The new look, which will be rolled out across the network later this year, has been designed to be cost effective and flexible for dealers providing maximum impact without being too expensive.’
He added: ‘Dealers can choose different seating, desks and lighting. The flooring and desks that were introduced in 2004 remain the same if they want but all signage must conform to our new visual identity.’
