Swedish electric performance brand Polestar has opened its first UK Space in the heart of London, changing the face of the traditional automotive retail model. Polestar London demonstrates the brand’s new retail concept combining minimalist design with seamless digital interactivity. Here, consumers will be able to define the entire customer journey from initial enquiry through, if they wish, to the delivery of their chosen Polestar model.
Positioned in Europe’s largest shopping centre, the location removes the need to make special effort to engage with the brand and customers will have the chance to experience every aspect of the hassle-free experience that defines the Polestar brand and its products.
Inside this modern retail environment, Polestar Specialists, acting as brand ambassadors on a non-commission basis, will engage with and inform customers about the company and its products. Test drives can be conducted on-site, deliveries can be scheduled to home or office addresses and there is no stock held to try and persuade buyers away from their desired configuration.
Those wishing to order or reserve a Polestar can complete the process through the Polestar App or website either in the comfort of their own home in their own time, or with the guidance of a Polestar Specialist in their chosen Space.
Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, says: “The Polestar Space in London has the perfect location, right at the heart of where people shop and relax. For us, performance isn’t just about great driving dynamics, it is also about the experience customers have in choosing their perfect Polestar and the excitement of living with it every day.”
The UK’s capital was an obvious choice for Polestar’s first British Space – the country’s largest city houses nine million inhabitants, but twice as many people visit the capital every year. Westfield London, the home of Polestar London, welcomes 31 million retail visitors annually. Of those, nearly 70 per cent are female and over 80 per cent are aged between 18 and 54. On track to open over 40 global locations before the end of the year, the London Space demonstrates Polestar’s unique concept to immerse consumers in the brand.
“The Polestar Space is our way of changing the face of automotive retail,” says Jonathan Goodman, Head of Polestar UK. “With no salespeople and no vehicles on the forecourt, there is no hard sell, no requirement to shift stock and an entirely customer-focussed journey. Visitors will define how much they interact with the exhibits, and Polestar Specialists will tailor their experience to the customer’s exact needs, not the brand’s. Once they have found the perfect specification, seamless digital interactivity places the vehicle in the customer’s app, ready to be ordered when it suits them. We will put the fun back into buying a car!”
Each Polestar Space is specifically designed to promote, not distract from, the product with a closely curated experience to truly reflect the design-led brand’s ethos. The Polestar vehicles on display take priority, lit with specially designed lightboxes to guarantee photographic studio-quality light without distracting shadows. On either side of the vehicle, the walls display large format art featuring Polestar products and brand details alongside interactive LED display screens.
Those at the configuration stage can experience the unique free-standing atelier table, inspired by design house cutting tables. By physically placing trim modules on the surface, RFID technology allows customers to curate their own specification and see it presented on the display screens. Once the design is perfected, placing an NFC-compatible device on the table means the user can take their configuration away with them without even pressing a button.
Representing the next step in Polestar’s journey to bring a range of design and performance-led electric vehicles to market, these locations will ultimately go one step further. Each Polestar Space will become part of a network and foster a community, hosting talks and exhibitions, from design and architecture to technology and of course automotive.
Designed to offer a seamless customer journey from start to ownership, Polestar London opens to the public on 31 October 2020.
SOURCE: Polestar
