Peugeot paints the town blue

Peugeot’s painting its Middle East showrooms blue. Drab is definitely out.

Any colour scheme that might be deemed remotely dull is being given the heave-ho and replaced with a simmering touch of blue which, the carmaker believes, would reinforce its credentials as a maker of fun and zany cars to drive.

All of the showrooms and workshops operated by its importers are being given the “blue box” concept makeover, a process which looks likely to be completed before the end of the year. A couple of facilities have already made the switch to the latest iteration of the concept, first introduced a decade ago.

So, what’s with the new look? It veers towards the minimalist and, according to the design honchos at the company, “set amongst blue aluminium, vehicles look their very best”. The displays can be done “without fuss or pretence”.

Saudi Arabia is where there has been a lot of activity in getting the look just right. “We launched the brand’s newest identity in our Riyadh showroom last month, marking the milestone celebration of Peugeot’s 200th-year anniversary,” said Jamal Sahl, head of Peugeot Middle East. “The same transformation will take place in our Jeddah showroom before the end of 2013.”

The French carmaker, which is clocking up a steady upturn in sales numbers from this region and quite unlike what it is seeing in Europe, operates through two importers in Saudi Arabia - Haji Husein Alireza & Co. and Al-Motawakil Motors Co. “Historically we have always serviced the Saudi Arabian market with two importers, as it is both an important - and successful - one for us,” said Sahl. “We have enjoyed double-digit growth figures in the last two years.”

Ashwani Shiv, divisional manager at the carmaker’s Abu Dhabi dealership Omeir Bin Youssef & Sons, traces a bit of the blue box history. “The concept is the Peugeot-approved brand identity for sales, service and 3S facilities. Showrooms in the UAE were conforming to most of the standards and the one in Sharjah was the first 100 per cent blue box facility that opened in 2009.

“It clearly defines standards on vehicle display, PoS material standards, showroom layout, branding and other things related to that. Peugeot adopted this strategy more than a decade ago to create uniform visibility so that customers could relate to the brand instantly no matter whichever part of the world they were in.

“This has further gone through changes, modifications and improvements based on customer feedback and own experience, the last one being in end 2010-11. The Abu Dhabi showroom inaugurated in September 2011 was the first in the region conforming to the most recent guidelines.”

The importer is also building a facility in Al Ain, which is due to open in 2015.

While its pint-sized 208s and wider 308s have had a dedicated following in these markets, Peugeot’s intention is to go wider. That was the intention behind the recent launch of the 301 sedan.

The Abu Dhabi dealership recorded sales of 650 plus units in 2012 from a 60 per cent plus growth. A repeat growth performance is projected for this year. “With lot more new launches planned over the next two to three years, we expect to achieve a 5 per cent market share of our served segment in the country,” said Shiv.