Toyota Scoops International Design Effectiveness Award

Toyota (GB) PLC has won the International Design Effectiveness Award, in the Retail & Leisure Interiors category, for The Toyota Experience – a new retail concept for dealer showrooms, currently being rolled out across the UK and Europe. The Toyota Experience beat a host of leading retail giants to the award including Marks & Spencer, Microsoft, Sainsbury’s and Virgin Atlantic.

Toyota (GB) PLC, in conjunction with Designhouse Consultants, developed a new retail concept for its dealerships with an emphasis on browsing, with clear signage and easy access to vehicles.

The Toyota Experience was created as a result of extensive research into car showrooms across the industry and other retail environments such as shopping malls, which recognised that many customers, particularly women, dislike the conventional ‘pushy’ car buying process.

The Toyota Experience is a more successful mix of people, product and place rather than the more traditional ‘look but don’t touch’ environment, which is usually structured around the salesman rather than the customer’s needs. The customers are greeted by a ‘host’ rather than a salesperson, who keep away from the customer area until asked for advice or help.

The judges were impressed with the new retail concept: “There’s also an element of motorshow magic, with theatrical lighting and colourful merchandising helping to make a visit to the showroom more of an event.

“The furniture is comfortable and welcoming, ideal for viewing on your own or for keeping an eye on the kids in the play area. There’s good, fresh coffee available free and visitors can talk to hosts in curved booths with timber and etched glass for privacy.”

Robin Giles, Dealer Representation Manager commented: “Results from our pilot programme showed that since the introduction of The Toyota Experience our new sales rose dramatically, outperforming the volume growth of the local new car market as a whole by over 38%, and the total national market by over 82%. Sales of new cars to women increased by nearly 40%.”

Over the next four years The Toyota Experience will be rolled out to all of the 220 Toyota dealers throughout the UK.

ENDS