11:12 am, May 5, 2023
Dealer group Snows has officially moved into Cazoo’s former flagship customer handover centre in Southampton.
Car Dealer revealed earlier this year that the troubled online retailer would be vacating the Second Avenue site as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.
Snows then moved in quickly and were able to secure the lease following talks with Kent County Council, which owns the premises.
It has now been rebranded as Snows’ Southampton Car Centre and is open for business once again.
After lifting the shutters at the end of last week, customers have been flocking to the centre, which is stocking models from a wide range of manufacturers, such as Hyundai, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford and Nissan.
Bosses are also planning to recruit around 40 members of staff in the next year after Cazoo employees were made redundant by the Alex Chesterman-led outfit.
Snows will be re-opening the workshops at the centre to all makes and model servicing, MOT and cosmetic repairs over the coming months, allowing all customers to enjoy the highest levels of customer service.
Alex Domone, chief operating officer at Snows, said: ‘’Naturally, we are delighted to have opened the doors to our new Southampton Car Centre.
‘We’ve wasted no time at all in stocking the premises with a wide range of high-quality vehicles from a variety of well-known manufacturers.
‘There really is something for everyone – whether you’re looking for an economical city car, a family-sized SUV, or a sporty option for the summer. Our friendly team are already welcoming customers to the premises. We had an excellent first weekend with really good footfall – it’s very exciting.
‘We will be offering car sales, servicing and body repairs – everything that a customer would expect from one of Snows’ franchised dealerships.
‘We will be delivering the same high levels of customer service that we provide everywhere else.’
(The site as it looked when Cazoo occupied it)
The site was the jewel in the crown of the Imperial Car Supermarkets portfolio which Cazoo acquired in the summer of 2020.
A large number of Cazoo delivery trucks were based there as well as customer care staff in offices above the main handover centre.
The online used car dealer spent millions rebranding the dealerships and the Southampton store – pictured above – was heavily modified with a huge sign erected on the corner of the building.
When Car Dealer visited the centre, while filming our documentary (below) on the disruptor, we looked around inside to see work stations set up for visiting customers, a refreshment bar and computers installed for customers to browse stock.
