First Audi City Cyberstore Opens in London

There is no denying that the digital age has changed our lives, for the better or worse, depending on your perspective. Information is available at lightning speeds today, thanks to an innovation first created for the military – the internet.

With improvement in digital display technology, the wonders and beauty of the natural world is reproduced with stunning clarity in our artificial world.

Cars manufacturers have been using these technologies behind the scenes for quite some time now, where designs and concepts are displayed life size using advanced digital displays. This enables them to look at their design in great detail and make minute adjustments if needed, before a prototype is even built.

Now, Audi is the first manufacturer to bring this experience to the man on the street. Dubbed Audi City, it is the company’s first digital showroom. The first store is opened in London, close to Piccadilly Circus.

Audi’s entire model line-up is presented fully digitally in a compact space. This approach allows the German prestige brand to have a present in the heart of every major city in the world.

Audi plans to open more than 20 such stores worldwide by 2015 and they will eventually play a significant role in marketing new mobility services and electric-drive Audi models.

PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY:

Audi is showcasing its model line-up in new locations – and complementing the brand’s existing dealer network with a new retail format. On July 16, the first Audi City will open close to Piccadilly Circus, London – a real cyberstore in the heart of a global city.

This new approach sees the brand’s entire model line-up presented fully digitally in a compact space. With the newly-created position of Customer Relationship Manager, visitors can expect an even more personal level of consultation and assistance with individual services.

As an urban meeting point, Audi City will also reinforce dialogue between people and the brand – and on a worldwide scale. Over the next few years, more than 20 further stores will be established in major international cities.

“Audi City combines the best of two worlds – digital product presentation and personal contact with the dealer,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “This new retail format brings us even closer to our customers – geographically, of course, but first and foremost in terms of the quality of our relationship. Audi City offers new freedom for tailor-made services and an even more individual contact with the customer.”

Thanks to groundbreaking media technology, the vehicle manufacturer now has the ability not only to present its growing model line-up – including all colours, equipment options and functions – in its entirety, but also to offer customers the chance to experience the sheer breadth of the range in full. Visitors can digitally select their vehicle from several hundred million possible configurations and experience it in realistic 1:1 scale on screens that almost fill the entire space. Moreover, technical details such as the drivetrain, bodyshell or LED light technology can be presented individually in order to make innovations understandable on an intuitive level.

With Audi City, the premium manufacturer is responding to customers’ changing needs. “People are placing greater emphasis than ever before on a direct and personal bond of trust with their vehicle brand – especially in respect of the increasing variety of products and available information,” explains Schwarzenbauer. “Thus, with Audi City, we are creating a one-stop-shop for experiencing our brand. It is right in the midst of our customers’ lives, yet seamlessly connected to the online range offered by the four rings.”

This is particularly assured by the Customer Relationship Manager, who will be deployed in future at Audi City locations. This individual will be the customer’s central and consistent point of contact for all needs – from the first consultation to after-sales and ongoing services. Plus, every Audi City is also connected to an Audi dealership that provides the entire spectrum of AUDI AG services as a single-point centre of competence.

With this highly personalized customer dialogue and the provision of individual services, Audi City represents a substantial expansion of the retail experience. In support of this, AUDI AG offers employee training targeted specifically at these urban stores and also supports the dealer in their selection and further training. Furthermore, employees increasingly have a more broad-based educational background – as IT experts, for instance, who are qualified to explain the digital world of Audi City.

Their central urban location makes each Audi City more than simply an additional retail outlet. Audi City will also evolve into a meeting place for fans of the brand, where they can make contact with the world of the four rings whenever they want. The stores will also be used as a dialogue forum for issues outside of core automotive business. For example, following close of daily business, they will play host to readings, round-table discussions and exhibitions on issues such as urban development and mobility or on matters relating to art, culture and design.