Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Greenwich, in Connecticut, sold 60 new cars in 2016, more than double its 2015 total. Alan Sheynin, the store's sales manager, recognized the size of his showroom made the extra traffic a bit uncomfortable.
"We did that basically in a tiny little two-car showroom," he said.
A new facility, completed this month, moves what had been a shared Bentley facility into a new four-car showroom.
Sheynin's dealership is not alone. Over the past two years, nearly 40 percent of the 36 Rolls-Royce dealerships in North America have begun or completed facility renovations.
Those renovations mean more than expanding to accommodate a lineup that has ballooned in recent years. It is a chance to enhance the customer in-store experience in a segment where great is often not good enough.
The latest renovations, says brand spokesman Gerry Spahn, aim to turn each Rolls-Royce facility into "a cross between a jewelry workshop, a couture fitting room, and a dealership," he said. "Modern, clean and elegant. A unique place to sit."
Larger lineup
Much has changed in the 15 years since BMW AG purchased and rejuvenated the British brand.
As recently as 2009, a Rolls-Royce dealer had to showcase only the Phantom sedan.
Then in 2010, the brand introduced the slightly smaller Ghost, which was then spun into the Wraith coupe in 2014. The Dawn convertible followed in 2016. Next, Black Badge variations of all three rolled into showrooms.
Room also must be made for the Cullinan SUV. The company will start taking orders for its first SUV at the end of the year, with U.S. deliveries beginning in 2019.
"Some of our previous locations didn't have the space," Spahn said. "They were configured for maybe three models, not the full family we have today."
Sales rose for the brand with the new offerings. Rolls-Royce delivered 3,362 vehicles globally last year; in 2016, the brand had its second-highest total ever at 4,011.
The Automotive News Data Center estimates Rolls-Royce sales in the U.S. at 1,320 in 2017, up 2.4 percent from 2016.
While dealerships' sizes are keeping up with the growth, with the renovations, the in-store atmosphere remains a concern. A Rolls-Royce dealership should be intimate, Spahn said. While most of the selling process happens before the visit, or outside of the dealership, luxury customers desire an elegant setting to commission a vehicle.
"I've been in dealerships where VIP customers come in, and it's like your in-laws or parents or somebody special is coming to dinner," Spahn said. "Coffee is prepared, pastry is ordered. It's an occasion. Some of our owners are car buffs, and they'll come in and just wander around."
Curate your own
Customers seeking immediate gratification can choose a vehicle from the lot. But then they miss out on curating its features exactly to taste.
While buyers of other brands may thumb through a handful of color swatches on the showroom floor, Rolls-Royce customers retire to the in-store atelier to review their interior and exterior options.
Consider the leather. Most of the leather comes from the Swedish Simmental breed of cows, because, "Not only do these larger cattle give bigger hides, but they are also raised in a moist region with a temperate climate. This makes a big difference to the hide, as their skin doesn't dry out."
In addition, buyers can request paneling made of open-pore teak, used primarily in boating vessels due to its resilience, or sweet-smelling rosewood, a material in such high demand some species of the tree face extinction.
"What's really, really helpful is we have all of the samples that they can physically see, feel, bring outside into the sunlight with a paint sample — which a lot of our clients do," Sheynin said. "It truly gives them a vision of their masterpiece, so to speak."
Exterior paint themes may range from aquatic to equestrian, or be inspired by musical composers or far-off constellations. High net worth clients are known to commission paint colors to match homes, favorite clothing or the exact shade of a flower petal. Some selections might prove, shall we say, problematic. In those cases, the sales representative needs to display tactfulness, subtlety and frankness.
"It's not our place to tell the customer how to spend their money, but there's a certain subtle way to let the client know that perhaps there's an alternative, and when it comes time to sell the vehicle there may not be as large an audience," Sheynin said. "It's our job to manage expectations."
Ultraluxury car dealerships should limit distractions and function more as an art gallery than a workplace, says Brian Bates, CEO of Holman's Consumer Services, which owns Holman Automotive Group Inc. The group includes a Roll-Royce store among its 36 U.S. franchises.
Lauderdale Imports, the group's multibrand facility in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has not undergone a major facility renovation since 2007. Its 12,000-square-foot showroom holds about 20 new and eight used vehicles.
The dealership is building an ultraluxury palace, slated for completion in 2019, half a mile down the road from the current site. It will house Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce offerings in a 40,000-square-foot facility. That building will share the property with a Holman-owned Infiniti dealership.
No cubicles
"The new facility is more than just a showroom. It will consist of three expanded new-car showrooms, a Gallery to hold events and display cars, a Holman experience area with additional vehicle display, a dedicated delivery area and a covered used-car display area," a Holman spokeswoman wrote in an email.
"There won't be cubicles," Bates said. "There will be lounge areas that are comfortable and accommodating to the customer."
While declining to say how much the building project will cost, Bates said supplying an ultraluxury experience will more than compensate for the investment. Fort Lauderdale, he said, is the fifth-largest automotive luxury market, drawing customers — many of whom are automotive enthusiasts — from around the country who "spend a lot of quality time in South Florida."
