Mazda rolls out store redesign - Automotive News
Black and white are in. That's the fashion decree from Mazda, which last week celebrated the grand opening of the first dealership sporting its new store design, Retail Evolution, part of the brand's effort to project a more premium image. At the time, it "really fit the brand," Jim O'Sullivan, CEO of Mazda's North American arm, said in an interview. But that began to change after Mazda parted ways with Ford Motor Co. in 2009 and launched a series of cars that attracted a different audience. Mazda began outlining the changes to dealers in July 2014. The first Retail Evolution dealership, Mazda of Everett in suburban Seattle, has a 19,500-square-foot showroom and a glass-encased platform called the "jewel box," in which a Mazda is... Mazda expects to finish six stores by the end of 2015 and break ground on five more, with roughly 75 projects to follow in 2016. . The company hopes that a healthy economy and a well-liked product lineup will inspire more investments than last time. In the 12 years since Retail Revolution was introduced, fewer than one-quarter of Mazda's 600 stores made the switch. O'Sullivan said Mazda will consider financial incentives to help dealers with upgrades but on a case-by-case basis. Source: www.autonews.com
