Quote:
Originally Posted by Car-Addicted
MINI Direct Sales Model Delayed In Germany:
Loved or loathed by brick-and-mortar dealers, direct sales have been in the planning stages at the BMW Group for years. However, the agency model is going to take a bit longer than planned for MINI in Germany, according to a new report from Automobilwoche.
As planned, the agency model will be rolled out on January 1, 2024, in Sweden, Poland, and Italy. Additional countries throughout Europe are going to follow, and as previously announced, direct sales are not planned for the United States or Australia. The core BMW brand will adopt this strategy on the Old Continent from 2026.
But what exactly are direct sales? As the name implies, MINI will sell cars directly to customers. There will be no room to haggle as vehicles will be available at fixed prices across the country. Dealers are still going to play a role since they’ll earn a fixed commission by finalizing the deal.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2023/11/20/m...elayed-report/
Model for the future or dystopian nightmare?
Seems like a lot of folks on this forum relish the battle for the best deal.
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The car buying experience in the US is certainly ripe for disruption. The problem - dealership networks are so entrenched, sometimes reinforced by state laws, that the manufacturers themselves are damn near powerless to get away without significant legal battles.
That being said, even those who enjoy the haggling would agree that there's no, NO reason to be at the dealership for hours on end just to buy a car via an archaic model.