He added that it takes “basically double the time” to sell an EV “because you have to break a lot of constraints that people think about”, including charging infrastructure, warranties and reliability.
“So that’s the story behind the short-format stores in city centres: we sell cars, we display cars, we sell merchandise, people can wait and work…” he explained, highlighting that salespeople will be on hand to offer a more traditional dealership experience, but the spaces can otherwise be used much more casually and in an educative manner.
While the initial line-up of cars on display will be electric, Bellouni suggested the new Clio will be added from early next year, given its inherent urban focus.
Alongside the various new cars on display, Renault is displaying its wide range of branded merchandise – including skateboards, clothing, scale models, snow globes and even handmade foosball tables costing nearly £4000.
There is also a vinyl bar, run in partnership with Sony Music, where visitors can sit and listen to records via personal headphones.
The thinking behind the diversification is that “when people are buying for love, they are not buying a product – they are not even buying a brand – they are buying a story,” Bellouni said.
