GLYN Hopkin has invested more than £1 million in a new flagship retail concept store in Romford, Essex, to house all the Fiat Chrysler Automobile brands under one roof.
The new, cutting-edge facility is the first of its kind in the UK and has more than 300 square metres of display space to showcase the entire FCA range. The showroom combines new virtual reality (VR) technology with physical demonstrators to ensure that customers can experience their product of choice, regardless of its physical location.
Customers can take part in a virtual walk-around of their desired car, to their exact specification, and even jump in the driver’s seat to experience the interior. Passengers aren’t left out in the cold, with the walk-around mirrored on screens so they, too, can be part of the experience.
The new store will give customers the opportunity to view the entire range of Fiat, Abarth, Jeep and Alfa Romeo products from the comfort of just one site. A full range of colour and trim swatches are available for people to touch and see, while a merchandise area will allow them to accessorise their car to suit their needs.
Electric car charge-points also ensure that the site is ready for the introduction of the first electric and plug-in hybrid models from FCA.
Lee Titchner, FCA UK network development director, said: ‘This is the first time that one of our retailers has combined all of the FCA brands under one roof with this new showroom concept and visual identity.
‘With a wide variety of products and a need to make sure that they are perfectly suited to their owner, Glyn Hopkin have used an innovative VR approach to meet customers’ growing expectations.’
Fraser Cohen, managing director of Glyn Hopkin, commented: ‘Our new FCA retail concept store in Romford is the first of its kind in the UK, and follows the introduction of this concept in other key locations across Europe.
‘We have represented the FCA brands in Romford since 2000 and it’s great to see their evolution over our 20-year partnership. It’s an exciting new chapter and we look forward to welcoming our current and future customers to our new, cutting-edge store.’
The new retail concept store is located at 279-289 London Road, Romford.
MORE: New country managers named in FCA management shake-up
MORE: Dozens of jobs lost as Bristol dealership shuts up shop
