SEAT continues with its international expansion and heads to Norway, a pioneering country in new trends and a benchmark in future mobility where the company is implementing innovative distribution concepts, offering a seamless and customer centric shopping experience.
SEAT is among the first to challenge automotive distribution and business models.
The presented approach is framed within SEAT’s goal of making SEAT Norway a benchmark in terms of digital transformation. Norway is one of Europe’s most digitised countries and a ground breaker in developing emerging trends, so it is the perfect place to propose innovative solutions and test new initiatives that seek to enhance the customer purchasing experience.
SEAT’s objective is to be where the customers are, adapt to their lifestyle and provide them with mobility solutions that meet their needs. The key component of the distribution system is an online eCommerce platform enabling users to purchase cars 24/7, 365 days a year.
The intuitive and easy design of the platform enables customers to close the deal in 10 minutes in just 5 clicks.
After choosing the appropriate model, the customer:
- Selects the trim level.
- Chooses the engine that best suits their needs.
- Elects the appropriate colour.
- Adds the desired accessories.
- Closes the deal by checking out and confirming the appropriate financial products.
This platform is supported by a customer call centre acting as a single point of contact for customers and blurring the line between sales and aftersales.
SEAT brings Norway omni-channel distribution based on an eCommerce platform.
Thanks to this omni-channel customer experience, SEAT is ready to respond to today’s customers’ expectations and makes significant steps to become a benchmark in automotive digitisation. In this sense, SEAT Vice-president for Marketing and Sales Wayne Griffiths highlighted that “Norway is going to represent a great commitment by SEAT and a market launch that will serve as an incubator for the development of innovative solutions for all our markets”. Griffiths went on to say that “implementing the eCommerce platform addresses the need of offering products and services that appeal to our customers, who are 10 years younger than the sector average.”
Physical venues complementing the digital experience
One Brand Experience Centre in Oslo and two Brand Experience spots in Bergen and Trondheim, inaugurated yesterday by SEAT, will be acting as a customer contact centre, offering an onsite support, maintaining the relationship to customers and enabling them to get a first-hand look at cars.
Additionally to the brand experience venues, SEAT is offering 20 service points and 23 delivery points across the Norwegian territory in order to be closer to the customers.
Griffiths shared that “the market is evolving towards new ways of selling cars and SEAT believes in the role of the dealer as a key actor in the sales process. Customers’ needs and demands are changing, and both manufacturers and dealers have to start the journey together in order to meet what drivers are looking for.” Griffiths added that “with the inclusion of new car mobility and connectivity solutions, dealerships will gradually become a mobility platform, offering services such as car software updates and battery recharging, for example.”
Buying a car while snacking on tapas
In addition to the Brand Experience venues, roaming pop-up stores will be travelling around the country in the next few weeks to take SEAT’s omni-channel approach to every corner of the nation. Interested customers can experience the products available in the country and arrange test-drives.
Furthermore and confirming SEAT willingness to be where customers are, an urban experience store will be opened in the city of Oslo later in this year, offering tapas and merging brand experience within customers lifestyle.
Committed to mobility with the collaboration of HYRE
Agreement with mobility operator HYRE offers innovative mobility concepts.
In the framework of the company’s arrival in Norway, SEAT is presenting a collaboration agreement with HYRE, a shared mobility platform, through which it will promote car-sharing services in the country. Designed for collaborative economy environments, this platform gives private individuals the chance to share a car among them via an app, acting as a digital key.
By using the HYRE technology, the vehicle becomes a connected car that can be unlocked, rented and driven by the user, offering urban consumers access to a car when needed.
In this sense, SEAT has reached an agreement with HYRE to put a fleet of 40 cars into operation that will give Norwegian users the chance to combine test drives with the car-sharing service.
Additionally to the HYRE collaboration, SEAT is also offering test drives across the entire Norwegian territory through the AVIS rental network.
A complete range to suit every taste
The Ibiza, Leon, Arona and Ateca are the first models to go on sale.
The company is going to settle into Norway with its top-selling Ibiza and Leon, which will join the brand’s two SUVs, the Ateca and the Arona. This model line-up, which is the result of the biggest product offensive carried out until now, completes a portfolio that matches the needs of the country.
With respect to electric vehicles, the company is aware of how important they are for the Norwegian public. SEAT is going to launch its first fully electric car in 2020 based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, which will signal the start of the brand’s offensive on this front.