Cazoo is poised to invest £1 million in a new used car handover customer centre in Carlisle – the first of seven new facilities.
The online retailer has revealed that the former Border Cars and Lloyd Group Honda showroom on Grearshill Road, Kingston Industrial Estate, Carlisle, will be the location of the next physical addition to its retail portfolio.
Cazoo said the facility is one of seven new customer centres to be is one of seven customer centres to be established by Cazoo in the second half of 2021.
The facility will allow customers to collect vehicle bough online – as an alternative to its existing home delivery option – and will also provide MOTs and vehicle maintenance.
Alex Chesterman, the founder and chief executive of Cazoo, said: “We have been delighted by the response of consumers to our online car buying proposition.
“Our new Customer Centres provide more options for our customers on how they want to receive their Cazoo car and also allow us to serve them better post-sale through our own service centres.
“We’re excited to be opening our latest site in Carlisle as we continue our mission to provide the best car buying experience to consumers across the UK.”
Following the additon of a new customer centre in Doncaster in May, Cazoo now has 17 physical vehicle handover and aftersales locations across the UK.
Cazoo acquired the Grearshill Road for its Carlisle facility this year.
Honda’s former Border Cars Carlisle franchise moved from Lloyd Motor Group to Stan Palmer back in March.
The Ford, Honda, Isuzu and Suzuki dealership added to an existing Honda operation in Cockermouth with a £200,000 showroom investment to bring the brand to its site on Montgomery Way, Rosehill, Carlisle.
Speaking at the time, Stan Palmer managing director, Neil Palmer, said: “We have been selling Hondas for 25 years in Cumbria so it’s a natural way for us to strengthen and expand our relationship with them.”
Cazoo is gearing up for a H2 public offering on the New York Stock exchange after attracting a valuation of £5 billion earlier this year.
The business claims to have sold over 25,000 cars online since launching in 2019.
It now has its own capacity to recondition vehicles, following the acquisition of Smart Fleet Solutions in February, and has expanded into vehicle subscription with the acquisition of the UK’s Drover and Cluno, in Germany.