Following its announcement back in July, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has now officially rolled out its new “Retail of the Future” agency model here on our shores, making Malaysia only the 10th country in the world – and the first in Southeast Asia – to implement the new sales model.
In essence, the new agency retail model removes “dealers” from the equation, and customers are now essentially buying the car directly from Mercedes-Benz Malaysia themselves. That means no more dealer discounts, ensuring a transparent process and a same “best price” no matter if you’re shopping online, visiting a physical store, or doing both.
Commenting on the launch of the new agency model, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia CEO & President Amanda Zhang said, “This new approach brings a host of benefits from providing our customers the true luxury of time – a luxury that enables customers to interact with our brand on their terms, at their convenience.”
MBM Sales and Marketing Vice President, Bettina Plangger added, “The agency model is a business operation that puts our customers at the heart of it. It’s designed to match the changing ways our customers shop, while also empowering our retail partners with a more streamlined and efficient business approach.”
With the change, existing dealerships are now termed “retail partners”, who will play a vital role as brand ambassadors to ensure a seamless customer “omni-channel” experience, from the initial research phase to vehicle handover upon purchase. The company says that the new agency model will allow retail partners to concentrate even more than before on customers and their support.
Customers can also continue to enjoy a comprehensive range of services at the retail stores, including vehicle sales, flexible financing options, maintenance and repair services, genuine parts availability, as well as warranty support.
Alongside this change, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has now launched a new online store where customers can peruse the company’s national stock for both new and certified pre-owned cars. Customers can also complete the purchase contract directly online if they so choose.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s new online store can be found here.
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