DETROIT — To better compete with BMW and Mercedes, Cadillac wants about 700 smaller U.S. dealers to create “boutique” stores that focus on the General Motors luxury brand.
The move, outlined by Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen on Thursday at the Washington Auto Show, aims to improve a customer’s buying experience so it matches or exceeds other luxury brands.
Cadillac has 929 dealerships nationwide. About 200 have exclusive space for Cadillac, while 700 more sell the luxury brand along with Chevrolet or other GM brands. Those would become boutique locations with specially trained salespeople and service and luxury features.
In an interview, de Nysschen said the strategy is part of his mission to “take this brand right back to the pinnacle of premium.”
Cadillac’s dealer network is far larger than those of competing brands. But that has its disadvantages, he said, because some dealerships sell Cadillacs “out the back door” of Chevrolet stores.
