Ford Gives Car Buyers an Alternative Way to Shop with New Store in Manchester

Ford Motor Company has opened its own retail store, situated in Next at the Arndale Shopping Centre in Manchester, introducing a new shopping environment for consumers to buy cars.

Consumers can browse and buy vehicles directly from Ford, in a more casual setting than traditional car dealerships. In the new store, you will find the popular Mustang, the latest Fiesta ST and three other examples from the manufacturer.

Embracing Digital

The space is also filled with interactive displays and tablets where shoppers can explore Ford’s range and learn about the vehicles. You will be able to view models in different colours, trims and specifications in an instant, and see the interior and exterior from all angles, just by moving your hands across a screen.

If you decide you want to test drive or purchase your personalised Ford, you will be able to do so via Ford’s specially-developed online sales platform.

This allows customers to choose a vehicle, initiate a finance agreement, arrange a part exchange and order a new vehicle for delivery to their home or a participating dealership. Ford’s warranty and road assistance benefits are included in online deals, so customers will get the same options and offers as they would in a dealership, but they will be in the driver’s seat.

Ford ‘hosts’ will be available to offer assistance with the new online sales service, helping customers with vehicle configurations and booking test drives. Orders can be completed then and there, but customers will be able to save their deal and come back to it at another time and place, as long as they have internet access.

Changing the Car-Buying Experience

Ford of Britain Chairman and Managing Director, Andy Barratt, said: “Ford recognises a growing appetite to browse for cars in other retail environments and online. We are excited to be able to respond, through the partnership with Next, to the changing way consumers want to shop and interact with our brand.”

The fact that such a major manufacturer has opened this store and created its own online retailing platform is evidence that the impending shift in the way consumers buy cars is well and truly becoming a reality.

And it’s not just manufacturers and new car retailers who are making changes to adapt to this new automotive era. Numerous used car dealers and franchises are looking at ways in which they can offer customers an easier, more convenient way to buy cars.

Click Dealer ourselves have recognised the spike in interest in purchasing vehicles online from the volume of our dealers’ customers who have used our own online vehicle retailing platform, ClickEngage™.

Similarly to Ford’s, our platform enables individuals to choose a vehicle from a car dealer website, organise a part exchange, select a finance deal, add products like warranty plans and reserve the vehicle, ready for collection or delivery. This can be done in the dealership with the assistance of a staff member, or anywhere else the buyer can access the internet.

To find out more about ClickEngage™ or to book a free demo, get in touch with Click Dealer via marketing@clickdealer.co.uk  or  01782 454354. Alternatively, you can send us a message through our contact page.