China is the new market for European car manufacturers. The Beijing Auto Show 2012 has proven that the Chinese like their cars big, fast and with a lot of bling. Sales of luxury and sport cars surged 21 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to 2011 and analysts foresee even greater growth for the years to come. It is the perfect moment for Mercedes AMG to open their first shop in Peking.
Mercedes AMG Opens Shop in China
The AMG centre lies on the fashionable Sanlitun Road in the middle of the embassy neighbourhood. It is the only car dealership in the area. There are only trendy and luxurious shops around such as Miu Miu and Montblanc. But this is exactly where AMG belongs. The sport subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz is the latest trend in Beijing.
Nowhere else in the world is AMG as popular as in China at the moment. “Most of the customers are rich parents who want to buy a car for their children,” said Conrad Yan, the manager of the AMG shop. The bestseller is the expensive Mercedes S 65 AMG. But younger people are also interested in the starter model C 63 AMG. “The average age is between mid twenties and mid thirties,” added Yan. This is why the fashionable neighbourhood was chosen. It’s home to young people who have a lot of money.
On 381 square metres, AMG is exhibiting everything they’ve got to convince the potential customers. On a big power wall visitors can configure their own dream car. One floor below, they can choose one car from ten of the latest models to take it for a test drive. The potential buyers can simply drive out of the back of the shop and cruise along Sanlitun Road.
The wooing seems to be working. Once the Chinese entered the shop they make quick decisions. “Most of the customers don’t want to wait but take their new car immediately with them,” said Yan. “Only if they have special wishes and want some parts from AMG Performance Centre, they are willing to wait a bit.”
So far, the shop has been a total success. It opened at the beginning of April and has already sold 14 cars in the first four weeks. And the expectations are even bigger. In 2011, AMG sold a record 1,800 models in China. This is an impressive start considering that the Mercedes-Benz subsidiary only came to China in 2007.
AMG is doing so well that it’s planning to open further shops in Luxemburg, Hong Kong and Goteborg. The luxury car manufacturer is hoping to double its sale numbers in the next few years to more than 40,000 units per year.