Maserati rolls out new ‘online to offline’ global car retail concept

Maserati has vowed to maintain the “centrality of dealerships’ role” after unveiling a new OTO Retail project corporate identity (CI) in a bid to adapt to customers’ growing demands for online sales.

The Stellantis-owned Italian premium car brand said that OTO stands for “online to offline” and the new CI is set to debut a series of new digital customer touchpoints across its franchised dealer network.

OTO Retail has recently been launched as a pilot project in the North American market and will now be adopted at sales points across the globe, with newly-developed showrooms in Milan and Shanghai among the first to adopt the new concept early next year.

Among the digital retail platforms set to be introduced to the Maserati brand are: “My Maserati Showroom”, to facilitate online aftersales bookings; “My Maserati Expert”, to request details or information; “Remote Test Drive”; and “Multi-channel Service Booking”.

Maserati’s new CI also places the Maserati Fuoriserie programme at its heart, offering customers the opportunity to customise their vehicle.

Bernard Loire, Marserati’s chief commercial officer, said: “The focus at Maserati is always on the customer, continuing the brand’s history of innovation and tradition, quality and exclusivity.

“We have therefore revamped our sales processes to arrive at an evolution of the customer journey.

“The brand wants to meet and exceed the expectations of customers, who will now be able to take advantage of an omnichannel experience.

“We believe that this type of offer – utilising the Maserati Fuoriserie programme to customise our cars – is the right response to the wishes of the new luxury consumer.”

A statement issued by the Italian brand said that the new CI project “adds digital tools to support sales, maintains the centrality of dealerships’ role and enables customers to personalise their purchase experience by deciding which aspects should be worked on in a Maserati showroom and which others can be completed digitally”.

In April this year Sytner Group opened the doors to its first standalone Graypaul Maserati dealership, officially separating it from fellow Italian brand Ferrari in Birmingham.

The opening came in the same month that HR Owen revealed it plans to create a brand-new Maserati dealership as part of its planned 5.4-acre dealership ‘megacentre’ at Hatfield, Hetfordshire.

Maserati’s UK registrations dipped 37.3% to 585 (2019: 933) in a COVID-impacted 2020 sales period as the wider market declined by 29.4%.

Year-to-date to the end of October, registrations are up 28.4% to 619 (2020: 482).

Maserati has plans to grow its registrations.

Earlier this year the brand unveiled an ambitious strategy featuring as many as 16 launches –including 13 entirely new models and three refreshed models between now and 2024 – under the ownership of Stellantis.