Recently, some foreign media
reported that Tesla is re-evaluating the way it sells electric vehicles in the
Chinese market, considering closing some shopping mall showrooms in cities such
as Beijing, and paying more attention to lower-cost suburban stores that can
provide maintenance services.
In this regard, Tesla China
responded to the first financial reporter, saying that domestic sales channels
are still in a normal expansion rhythm, and it is not known where the news of
foreign media comes from. The reporter combed and found that since September,
Tesla has still deployed experience centers in supermarkets in Shanghai, Xi'an
and other places; at present, Tesla has 26 experience stores in Shanghai, and
the number of Tesla stores in Shanghai in the same period last year was 21.
Tesla is the pioneer of the car
direct sales model. The sales and after-sales services of traditional car
companies are handed over to agents, and the integrated services of display,
sales, delivery and after-sales are provided in the form of 4S stores. Earlier,
Tesla split the display, sales, delivery and after-sales functions, and built
experience stores, experience centers, delivery centers and after-sales centers
in cities, and achieved greater user access and sales through the high traffic
of supermarkets. sales volume.
However, the disadvantage of the
direct-sale business model is that the operating costs are relatively high. The
high rental costs in the supermarket and the labor costs in the store must be
borne by the company itself, and the initial terminal channel construction and
expansion pressure is great.
According to the semi-annual report
disclosed by Xiaopeng Motors, in the first half of 2022, Xiaopeng Motors’
sales, general and administrative expenses were 3.306 billion yuan, a
year-on-year increase of 88.7%. Xpeng Motors said the expansion of its sales
network, related personnel costs and higher commissions from franchised stores
were among the main reasons for the year-on-year increase in expenses. In the
first half of the year, Li Auto's sales, general and administrative expenses
reached 2.53 billion yuan, an increase of 87.9% year-on-year. The increase in
rental expenses caused by the expansion of the sales network was also one of
the main reasons for the year-on-year increase in expenses.
According to data, the annual rent
of Xiaopeng Motors’ store in Sanlitun, Beijing, is about 10 million yuan; the
annual rent of Weilai’s store in Wangfujing, Beijing, exceeds 70 million yuan.
Although exhibition halls in supermarkets can bring huge traffic to car
companies, they also have to pay a corresponding price. Cui Dongshu,
Secretary-General of the Passenger Federation, believes that the current
domestic new energy vehicles are still in the period of penetration and
development. In the stage of market shortage, the direct sales model can still
win high profits for enterprises, but in the stage of oversupply, a large
number of direct sales channels with heavy assets may become A heavy burden on
the business.
A marketing executive of a joint
venture car company told the first financial reporter that the advantages of
the direct sales model are high traffic, good brand promotion effect, and
direct contact with users. The disadvantage is that there is no mature channel
network to digest inventory, and market sales cannot be accurately estimated.
Risk cannot be shared.
Traditional car companies such as
Volkswagen, GM, GAC Aian, and BYD are also accelerating the deployment of
supermarket stores, but the cost of expanding supermarket channels is mostly
borne by dealer investors; a slight difference between several traditional car
companies is that Volkswagen , GM, etc. have adopted the direct sales model,
and the dealers only provide services to users and do not have a direct sales
relationship; BYD and other auto companies’ supermarket showrooms are operated
by dealers, and their sales model is no different from traditional 4S stores.
At the same time, with the increase
in sales volume, the new power auto companies mainly operated by supermarkets
and supermarkets have begun to build more maintenance and delivery centers to
better maintain the service system.
In the past two years, Tesla has
begun to set up Tesla centers in China that include pre-sales services such as
consultation, test rides and test drives, and after-sales services such as
maintenance and sheet metal spraying. Although the form is similar to a
traditional car 4S store, Tesla still adopts the direct operation model, that
is, there is no intermediary agent link, and the newly built outlets are
directly managed by Tesla.
New domestic auto companies
including Weilai and Xiaopeng are also expanding their supermarkets and stores,
and at the same time laying out service centers that integrate pre-sale and
after-sale functions. Relevant service centers have already moved out of
supermarkets and started to be deployed in suburban areas, automobile business
circles and other areas.
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