Nissan to Double Exhibition Specialty Outlets, Where Customers Can See But Not Buy Cars

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A vehicle is showcased at one of Nissan’s exhibition-only outlets in a shopping mall in Yokohama on Friday.

Nissan Motor Co. will more than double the number of exhibition-only outlets it has in shopping malls by fiscal 2027, the company announced on Friday.

The outlets are dedicated to showcasing vehicles, with staff present to explain their features and prices to customers.

Sales and other procedures are carried out at nearby dealerships.

Nissan, which is undergoing restructuring, hopes to increase contact with new customers by accelerating the outlet openings, as the company is experiencing sluggish domestic sales due to a decline in its brand power.

The company began opening exhibition outlets in shopping malls in fiscal 2016. Currently, it has 13 outlets in Kanagawa, Aichi and other prefectures. It plans to add three more outlets next fiscal year, with the goal of operating more than 30 by fiscal 2027.

This year, Nissan’s domestic sales from April to September fell 17% to about 190,000 units from the same period last year, the lowest result in the past 30 years.

“We want to encourage people who haven’t considered buying a Nissan car to do so,” said Akira Sugimoto, Nissan’s executive in charge of domestic sales.