Mercedes-Benz Taiwan Ltd yesterday announced that it is intending to recruit a new dealer in northern Kaohsiung by early next year as part of its plans to expand its nationwide network of outlets.
“We decided to find a new business partner in northern Kaohsiung because we see great market potential in southern Taiwan,” company president and chief executive officer Eberhard Kern, told a news briefing in Taipei.
The company currently has 10 dealers in northern and central Taiwan and the new dealer is to address the company’s lack of presence in southern Taiwan and complete its dealership network, Kern said.
Besides the planned addition of a new dealer in northern Kaohsiung, the company has taken measures to upgrade its retail outlets throughout the country, such as expanding showroom space, upgrading software in retail outlets and training personnel to prepare for the introduction of more product lines, he said.
The network expansion and outlet upgrading work, which has been taking place in some outlets, are to be extended in all major cities by 2015, he added.
Apart from luxury passenger cars, Mercedes-Benz Taiwan is eyeing the compact car market to generate greater levels of sales, following widespread demand for the firm’s new B-Class models — introduced in March — exceeding supply.
Based on government data, Mercedes-Benz was ranked Taiwan’s top foreign car brand in the first half of the year, selling 6,620 vehicles in the country.
Kern said the German automaker was scheduled to introduce a new A-Class series at the end of this year and more new models over the next two years.
Additional reporting by CNA
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