EVS: AREA SHOPPING MALLS EXPANDING INTO CAR SALES
VinFast Opens New Showroom in Westfield UTC
Monday, August 1, 2022
The entrance to the new VinFast showroom at Westfield UTC. The company plans to sell its VF8 electric SUV (inset) as well as other products there. Photo by Jeff Clemetson
In addition to the UTC location, VinFast opened showrooms in Corte Madera, Berkeley, Commerce, San Mateo and Santa Monica – the site of the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for all six locations where company executives laid out VinFast’s goals. (The Santa Monica event was livestreamed to the other five locations.)
In addition to plans for expanding into other states in 2023, VinFast also intends to open a vehicle production facility in North Carolina in 2024 – and locations in Europe and Canada “are well under way,” Westbrook added.
VinFast Global CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy did not attend the ceremony but in a statement before the event, she said “the six VinFast Stores in the U.S. marks an important milestone in the company’s global journey, as we move toward bringing premium products and services to American consumers.”
“I believe that introducing VinFast and interacting with customers one-on-one in our corporate-owned and operated stores is the best way to build relationships with customers and to ensure quality service,” the CEO added. “We are proud to drive the global EV revolution towards a sustainable future. This future officially takes its next step today in California and will soon expand across the U.S. and globally.”
EV Auto Mall
VinFast’s Westfield UTC opening marks the La Jolla mall’s fourth EV company to lease retail space onsite. The company joins Tesla Motors, Lucid Motors and ElectraMeccanica at the popular mall.
Using high-traffic, high-profile shopping malls, rather than traditional auto sales lots with cars at the ready for test drives and a robust service center, is a trend started by Tesla – and a new model adopted by many other EV companies since.
The smaller footprint showrooms allow potential customers to meet with salespeople to learn about vehicles to make custom choices and if they decide to purchase, the car is ordered to their specifications and then delivered at a later date.
The smaller footprint also makes sense because EVs are non-combustive and have less mechanical issues, so manufacturers rely less on service centers.
As EV adoption by consumers heats up, the showroom trend has created a boon for retail centers around the world, especially in large cities like Shanghai where spaces can lease for as much as $1 million a month.
“There’s an overlap between the target consumer groups of electric vehicles and premium commercial developers,” Vivian Zhu, director of retail at JLL Shanghai, told Bloomberg News. “Those middle-class visitors who tend to shop for cosmetics or luxuries on the ground floor are also regarded as potential buyers for a Tesla or Nio.”
For Westfield UTC, EV showrooms are an opportunity to offer its visitors something unique.
“The showroom model speaks directly to this guest experience by recreating the way we approach car buying, ultimately allowing Westfield UTC yet again the opportunity for us to create an approachable, community-driven destination,” Perry said.
Telsa has the most destinations in malls in San Diego with UTC and an additional showroom location at Fashion Valley mall, as well as a service center and sales room in Carlsbad. And although a specific location has yet to be determined, Volvo’s EV brand Polestar is jumping into the San Diego market with plans to open a showroom later this year.
VinFast LLC
CEO: Le Thi Thu Thuy
Headquarters: Hai Phong City, Vietnam (Parent organization Vingroup: Singapore)
Business: Auto manufacturer
Revenue: In 2021 Vingroup posted a $1 billion pre-tax loss due to poor sales of its gas vehicles and investments in its EV line.
Employees: 5,000+
Website:
Notable: VinFast was founded by Vietnam’s richest man, Pham Nhat Vuong.
Inside VinFast's new Westfield UTC showroom. Photo by Jeff Clemetson