By Dylan Afuang
THE FIRST Philippine BMW showroom that features the German auto marque’s Retail.Next concept which intends to make both the physical and digital buying spaces more convenient and upscale recently opened.
Leading the opening of Pampanga Premier Cars were officials of SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (the country’s official importer and distributor of BMW vehicles), and Laus Group of Companies, the former company’s partner for the Northern Luzon city dealer. The business is located on the ground floor of CGIC Building along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
The Retail.Next concept applies to all BMW Group brands that include Mini, while Pampanga Premier Cars is also the first local BMW dealership to be powered by solar energy, as boasted by Laus Group Chairman and CEO Lisset Laus-Velasco.
“The Philippines is now the fifth market in the BMW Group Asia region to roll out Retail.Next,” BMW Group Asia Managing Director Lars Nieslen said in a video presented during the inauguration. “In today’s retail landscape, both the physical and digital space remain equally important and need to seamlessly come together, ensuring customers have the best experience possible,” he added.
For his part, SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. President Spencer Yu said in his message during the event: “By leveraging innovative retail concepts and the latest technologies, we are now able to offer our customers in Pampanga a truly differentiated experience that brings our brand to life in new and engaging ways.”
At Pampanga Premier Cars — which spans 1,256 square meters and can display six cars and the motorcycle line of BMW Motorrad — the Retail.Next concept is apparent through the outlet’s open interior spaces and other design flourishes, and digital tools such as the Emotional Virtual Experience (EVE).
The outlet greets customers “through a unified entrance… With each vehicle thoughtfully staged and oriented toward capturing attention, customers are invited to explore their desired car,” described a release provided by SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. One vehicle in the showroom can also be thoroughly showcased under a halo-shaped light.
The BMW Café and Customer Hospitality area, where refreshments are served, are designed with warm lighting and comfortable seating arrangements. One wall references Pampanga’s carving traditions with its wood panel featuring hand-carved designs. BMW-branded merchandise, such as luggage, jackets, shirts and scale models, dot the space.
The EVE software, meanwhile, renders a vehicle in 3D so customers can view and customize their desired model during the consultation and sales process. With EVE, customers can also view the dealership’s vehicles in stock and visualize their prospective BMW in various colors, trims, and in different environmental settings.
Customers have the freedom to engage in sales consultations in various areas inside, with a private sales lounge available to them. A multifunction bay can host vehicle handovers and presentations or new product launches. Service consultation lounges, meanwhile, provide comfortable and private settings for transactions between the service advisor and clients.
Electrified BMW vehicles can receive charge through the Type 2 charging points installed at the front of the dealership.
The Pampanga Premier Cars showroom and after-sales are open from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dealership can be reached by e-mail (customercare@premiercarsbmw.com.ph) or phone (045-963-7777).