Automaker adds an agency, Genesis Estrie, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the 24th in Canada, the sixth in Quebec
SHERBROOKE, QC – A check of the line-up of cars Genesis Motors Canada has on offer reveals nary an SUV in sight. That’s going to change, said Richard Trevisan, brand director Genesis Motors Canada.
“The second half of this year brings the launch of the GV80. It’s the first SUV in the history of Genesis.”
Customers can order the GV80 now. Trevisan said next year, the automaker will add two more completely new products – an SUV smaller than the GV80 and an EV.
With new products comes the need for standalone, imaged Genesis Retail Experience Centres (GRX). The automaker doesn’t call them dealerships and they’re not run by dealers. The automaker calls them distributors. More about that shortly.
Trevisan explained that a few brand experience centres are strategically located in places like Pearson International Airport, where travellers with time on their hands have a chance to see, feel, and touch the product. Others are located in more conventional locations, mostly nearby other premium brand stores.
The Genesis experience
Trevisan explained that the typical Genesis customer is looking for a different experience when they buy a Genesis. They can shop for and buy the model they want from the convenience of their home or office using a laptop or cell phone.
“That means control is in the customer’s hands,” he said. “Add to that, we have all-inclusive pricing across Canada, so no matter where you purchase a Genesis, whether it’s in Victoria or Halifax, you get the same trim level, equipment package and the same service portfolio and warranty. All for one price and the price is the same wherever you buy. There’s no haggling.”
He said buying a car the Genesis way gives the customer the added comfort of knowing that the price they paid for a given model is the same all Genesis customers paid no matter where they bought their car in Canada.
Buying and owning the Genesis way
Should the customer want a test drive, they book one from the local distributor via their laptop or mobile device. A Genesis experience manager (GXM) – that’s Genesis for sales consultant – will drop off the car. The customer needn’t set foot in a dealership – the entire purchase including financing and signing can be done online.
As for F&I, when the customer is building their car, the system prompts them to consider the F&I products: winter tires; extended warranties and protection plans. The prices are on the menu; as with the vehicle, the price is set.
The GXM also plays the role of digital business manager.
Trevisan explained that “before COVID-19, the GXM brought the car to your home and they talked about F&I products, etc. Now it’s done digitally with video chats. And we are looking to give the GXMs the ability to do online walk-arounds.”
A GXM will deliver the customer’s new car to the customer’s residence.
Similarly, when the car needs servicing, someone from the distributor will pick it up and leave a courtesy car. When the car is ready, the owner needn’t come in. Someone from the distributor will deliver it and pick up the courtesy car.
Additionally, with five years of complimentary Genesis Connected Services, owners can check on their vehicle’s health and perform a number of remote functions such as locking doors and remote start, right from the smartphone app.
Most of the elements of the Genesis sales approach were in place well before COVID-19.
Trevisan said the automaker turned to Google Analytics for information on how the luxury consumer wanted to buy a car. The study, called Think Luxury, revealed that 80 per cent of luxury customers wanted to buy a car online as they would any other item. “So, we asked ourselves how we could launch a totally new brand and bring that innovation to the sales process. And so, we are bringing the showroom into the customer’s home.
“That’s the idea behind Genesis,” he added.
The old-fashioned way
If a customer wants to buy a Genesis the old-fashioned way, they can. There are 24 distributors across Canada. There are models on the showroom floor in select locations and test drives available. The customer can buy one there. But the customer isn’t limited to what they see on the showroom floor or in inventory. They build the Genesis they want right down to colour and order it there or at home.
The delivery may take a matter of weeks, but the customer gets exactly what they want, including the colour. The customer’s choice is not limited to what is in the distributor’s inventory.
Genesis then fills the order and sends it to the customer via the automaker’s centralized inventory. Other than an inventory that includes each model available – they’re used for display and test drives – and some CPOs, the distributor carries no large inventory. So, there’s no costly floor plan financing.
“The distributors’ job is to support the purchase,” Trevisan pointed out. Among other things, that means hiring and training the right GM and GXMs and building a GRX.
Groupe Beaucage comes on board
Groupe Beaucage opened Genesis Estrie for business May 4. It’s located in a renovated building in Sherbrooke, QC. Groupe Beaucage is made up of 23 dealerships in the Sherbrooke area. Brands the Groupe sells include premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti.
Genesis Estrie is located near Mercedes-Benz de Sherbrooke, a Groupe store, as well as other luxury brands. There are reasons for that.
“Sherbrooke is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Quebec. It has six luxury brands. So, there’s already a demand. And Genesis allows us to have a competitive portfolio in our region,” explained Mariève Beaucage, Groupe vice-president.
The Groupe also favours the Genesis way of doing business.
Beaucage explained that business has been brisk with six cars sold so far and for orders for the GV80. “We opened. Turned the lights on and people showed up.”
Beaucage sees a customer mix of young and old who are too busy to shop the traditional way. Genesis understands that reality. “The Genesis business model is in harmony with the customer’s need. Their vision is really appealing to us and we wanted to be onboard with that.”
With no haggling to do, she said that the stress is off staff as well.
The sales goal is 100 a year. That’s twice the number set by Genesis Canada. Beaucage is “super confident” her team can hit the target with or without the new standalone building the Groupe has planned.
Trevisan added that the automaker’s image guidelines are still on the drawing board. The wait isn’t bothering Groupe Beaucage.
Mariève Beaucage said “the building is almost secondary because we are doing business online. We still have people who want to come to us and see what’s in the showroom even though we are in a pandemic situation. And we have a place where we can welcome them until we have the new facility.”
By Lawrence Papoff special to wheels
Keyword: Genesis has Big Plans for its Product Lineup