The car retailing experience is shifting up a gear in Queensland with multimillion-dollar redevelopments creating state-of-the-art automotive facilities.
Traditional showroom design models have been superseded by modern properties that resemble the lobbies of 5-star hotels. High-end designer furnishings and décor, espresso bars, flat-screen TVs, interactive tablets and wi-fi access are among the latest additions as dealerships adapt to changing consumer behaviour and expectations. It is all part of a new “hospitality” mindset in car retailing where tech-savvy, well-informed customers are the driving force and the changing face of the modern showroom reflects the merging of the physical and digital presence of the dealerships.
Zupp Property Group – the development and investment company of former king of the car dealerships John Zupp – is undertaking a major redevelopment of the largest holding in its automotive property portfolio.
The $8.7 million latest stage of the project at Aspley marks the first foray into the Brisbane car dealership market by Gold Coast-based Condev Construction, which was awarded the tender. It comes off the back of nine Gold Coast dealerships it has completed in recent years.
Managing director Steve Marais said he was excited to be working with Zupp Property Group on such a high profile site. “It’s an excellent opportunity for the business,” he said.
The 33.000sq m site at Gympie Rd Aspley was acquired by John Zupp in 1972. After selling his auto retail empire in 2007 he kept control of the dealership properties leasing them to Automotive Holdings Group. Zupp’s chief executive officer Neil Ferguson said despite the rapidly changing face of car retailing John Zupp’s design criteria for the Aspley site had stood the test of time. “John has always had an eye to the future,“ he said. “An enormously pleasing aspect of our Aspley redevelopment has been the retention and refurbishment of the workshop, which John built 30 years ago. “It was state-of-the-art then and it exhibits strong forward-thinking design characteristics that are still relevant today. “And while it’s sad to see some of the other original buildings go, our tenants operate in a highly-competitive environment and it’s only fair we support them with best-in-class facilities to welcome their customers. “That’s always been John’s big thing … everything is driven by making the customer’s experience the best it can be.”
Written by Phil Bartsch, published in The Courier-Mail, 08 February, 2019
