One of Hyundai Motor’s most innovative retail operations in Europe, the Rockar Hyundai digital store in the UK, has won a prestigious L.E.A.D.E.R. (Leaders in European Automotive Development, Excellence and Research) award at this year’s Automotive News Europe annual congress in Birmingham, England.
Presenting Rockar Hyundai with a 2015 L.E.A.D.E.R Award in the retail category, the judges and jury from Automotive News Europe and the Automotive Intelligence Centre acknowledged the truly innovative nature of this all-new way of selling cars.
The judging panel stated: “Online and in store, Rockar Hyundai is selling cars via the internet 24 hours a day. Shoppers can handle the entire car-buying transaction at home. It is a pure digital dealer experience with no haggling and the vehicle is delivered right to the buyer’s door.”
Established in 2010, the L.E.A.D.E.R. Awards are presented annually in three categories: Retail, OEM and Supplier.
Thomas Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented: “We are committed to matching our products and services with the needs of our customers, fitting with our brand claim ‘New Thinking, New Possibilities’. With Rockar Hyundai, customers now have a new way to manage car purchase and ownership around their busy lifestyles. Traditional, physical car dealerships will also continue to play a vital role in the car buying and ownership experience.”
Simon Dixon, CEO and founder of Rockar, said: “It’s a real honour to receive a L.E.A.D.E.R. Award from Automotive News Europe. Rockar is challenging every preconception about how buying and selling a car should be, and it’s fantastic that this has been recognised. We’ve already had over 100,000 people visit the Rockar Hyundai store in Kent’s Bluewater Shopping Centre since its opening just over six months ago. When looking at the success of Rockar so far, it is clear that challenging the historical approach to car buying is the way forward.”
Launched in November 2014, Rockar Hyundai is the world’s first automotive digital retail experience, which offers customers an all-new way to buy a new car and meets the needs of modern shoppers who are comfortable with purchasing online.
A collaboration between Hyundai Motor and Rockar, the Rockar Hyundai digital store provides a truly customer-focused experience that allows visitors to part-exchange their old car and purchase a new Hyundai – with cash or various finance packages – all at the click of a mouse or touch of a button. Visitors can buy a new car 24/7 from their home or office using a computer, tablet or smartphone. The ‘no-haggle’ pricing means everyone pays the same, and throughout the process customers can choose whether or not to speak to a representative.
To support the Rockar Hyundai online site, customers can visit the physical store at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent – Europe’s leading retail, leisure and entertainment destination, which attracts 27 million visitors a year.
