SINGAPORE – The Central Business District (CBD) is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about buying a luxury sports car.
But the CBD is where German sports car manufacturer Porsche is locating its physical showroom for its merchandise and cars. It will also be offering test drives to prospective buyers there.
Until its permanent space at Guoco Midtown in Beach Road is ready in the middle of the year, it will be operating a pop-up store at Guoco Tower in Tanjong Pagar.
Officially opened on Wednesday, the pop-up store has a coffee bar and a single car on display, and carries Porsche-branded merchandise. Parked in the building is a range of Porsche models set aside for customers to test drive.
A team of seven sales staff and six product experts are rostered to be at the showroom.
Having a showroom in the city is an initiative by Porsche Singapore, which was set up by the German manufacturer to sell cars directly to customers here.
The company replaced Stuttgart Auto from Eurokars Group, the brand’s authorised dealer in Singapore since 1985, on Jan 1 this year.
Mr Karsono Kwee, the executive chairman of Eurokars Group, sits on the advisory board of the new company as its chairman to give advice.
On Dec 31, the Porsche signage on the showroom at 29 Leng Kee Road, near Alexandra Road, was taken down, marking an end to the dealership arrangement.
With the move, Porsche no longer has any official presence along Singapore’s motor belt.
Speaking to The Straits Times on Monday ahead of the opening, Porsche’s spokesman said that Singapore is now the only place where the Stuttgart-based manufacturer has direct and absolute control over the official sales operations in a country.
This is unlike in China, Germany and the United States, where Porsche’s direct retail operations compete with independent dealers, who are also representing the brand.
In an interview on Porsche’s media website in 2020, the brand’s director of digital sales said that the company wanted customers to be able to “experience and buy all Porsche products and services” both online and offline.
The exact approach in each market where the carmaker operates is adapted to suit local conditions.
The company’s spokesman told ST that it is using the Singapore market to try out new ways of doing business, which may include processes that are not so obvious to the customers.
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