Dealerships suck. I'm sorry if you're a dealership employee, but come on, you know this, I know this, everyone knows this. It's not an inviting place, the people are there to rook you, the lights are hard fluorescents, and you're more likely to find the Ark of the Covenant than the actual machine you were looking for when you stepped into it. Even some of the more high-end or vibe-based dealerships still fall victim to some, if not all, of those traps, too.
But you can't have that type of experience if you're trying to relaunch a brand—i.e., Norton Motorcycles—as well as launch it properly in markets you've never been before. You can't have suck because that's basically a death sentence to your reemerging brand and its success. And Norton knows it.
To get away from the traditional handful of semi-dusty motorcycles all lined up together under the harsh light of a dealership showroom—you know what I'm talking about—Norton has sought the services of Foster+ Partners, the same design firm that helped shape Apple's headquarters in a bid to redesign the dealership experience. Or, at least, make it somewhat better, somewhat more personal, and far more bespoke than the traditional model currently allows for.
It's also supposedly far less cost-intensive than traditional dealership makeovers required by some brands, which means it could be more attractive in furthering dealership adoption.
"The retail centres will balance British heritage with a distinctly forward-looking aesthetic – reflecting Norton’s resurgence strategy," says the press release, adding, "Inspired by a gallery-like experience, each motorcycle is presented as a piece of sculptural engineering. The new retail design philosophy allows customers to fully appreciate the craftsmanship, engineering and heritage embedded within every Norton model."
What is it, though? Well, think of a pop-up like you'd find at an auto show, where the company dictates the look, feel, and design of the show stand. But in this instance, there's more room for customizing your perfect Norton, and aims to "[redefine] how premium motorcycles are presented, experienced and sold." Hopefully, they have good coffee, too.
According to Norton, the layout was designed to fit within 50sq meters and be easily implemented so as to not create chaos whenever the dealership needs to change a floorplan. Basically, they wanted it easily movable so as to be more attractive to potential dealerships so they adopt Norton Motorcycles. Add unlike other requirements from other brands—I'm thinking of the costly Harley and Indian displays those companies used to put onto dealerships—Norton says this display and branding has a "highly cost-efficient entry point, substantially lower than typical investment requirements," and an "anticipated seven-year lifespan," meaning you aren't replacing it year after year.
Again, everything is being done to up the dealership experience, as well as sell dealerships on stocking Norton Motorcycles for world domination.
"Motorcycles at their best are emotional, sculptural objects of desire. In our experiential stores, they will be presented in environments that reflect their precision and modernity," says Norton's Gerry McGovern, adding, "Working in collaboration with Foster + Partners, we are placing in-store design and architecture at the heart of our resurgence, elevating our retail experience in a way that is clean, modern and compellingly desirable. The ambition is not merely to sell motorcycles, but to stage them – elevating their purchase from transaction to experience."
