Polestar retail philosophy
Buying a car is thrilling. Buying a car is fun. At least, it used to be. What was once exhilarating has become routine. Cars have become a commodity like any other. It doesn’t have to be like this. Polestar knows of a better way.
Polestar spaces are staffed with product experts: car nerds with encyclopaedic knowledge and infectious enthusiasm. This allows the customers to explore the products at their own pace, knowing that there are professionals on hand to answer any questions. Buying a car is a massive decision. Staffing Polestar spaces with product experts removes the pressure from this decision, and replaces it with enthusiasm. A winning equation.
With the staffing question answered, Polestar turned next to the actual locations of the spaces. Location is another way of communicating a brand; you don’t find stores selling decorative glassware in a city’s financial district, just as you don’t find a hunting supply store in the lobby of a hotel. Not only that, the spaces should be accessible. You go on a pilgrimage to a holy site, not to buy a car. Polestar spaces are located in city centres, solving the accessibility issue while ensuring the brand is in good company. The first European Polestar space is located on Øvre Slottsgate in central Oslo and threw open its doors in 2019. The first Polestar space in Asia was Polestar Beijing, joined by Polestar Shanghai in June 2020.
“We want to treat the customer with enthusiasm and eye-level engagement,” says Polestar business strategist Mats Blomberg. “We’re interested in building relationships, and having a two-way exchange of information.”
Polestar is a digital brand. Everything, from product education to purchasing the car itself, can be done online. However, there is always an option for those who prefer an away-from-keyboard experience, and the Polestar journey from start to finish will be tailored to that customer’s specific needs and preferences, intuitively and without undue pressure. “We steer people into their preferred stream," continues Blomberg, "it’s important for us to be transparent, and to let the customer decide for themselves.”
