Porsche’s experience centres, where consumers can enjoy “real-world fun” as opposed to a digital screen, indicates that immersive retail is still worth considering.
The automaker’s two U.S. Porsche Experience Centers (PECs), located in Atlanta and Los Angeles, have garnered a combined 250,000 visitors in less than three years.
“A quarter of a million guests so far is a testament to the power of experience and to the fascination of Porsche sports cars,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “Porsche stands for superb design and engineering, but also for a superb experience. Getting people behind the wheel in a place where they can really test the performance is the best way to connect them with the Porsche brand.”
The PEC destinations allow visitors to indulge in everything Porsche. This means they can drive, shop and dine in a Porsche environment purposely built and designed to be an immersive retail experience for the public. According to the carmaker’s news release, these centres, unlike certain drive experiences offered by other carmakers, do not sell cars. However, they do work closely with 190 independent U.S. Porsche dealers to, for example, host customer groups sent by dealers.
The centres also allow the automaker to connect with new audiences. The majority of PEC visitors (60 per cent) do not own a Porsche. But of those who visited the track section of the centre, 30 per cent said they were “very likely to buy one.”
The average visitor to the PECs are seven years younger than today’s average Porsche customer, and nearly 25 per cent of them are under 35 years old. Since research shows that more than 70 per cent of millennials would rather invest in experiences than things, the PECs are positioned to entice this crowd — among other audiences.
The PECs are located in Atlanta and Los Angeles in the U.S.; Leipzig, Germany; Le Mans, France; Silverstone, England; and Shanghai, China.
