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来源丨AC汽车(ID:acqiche)
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Recently, Guangqi Honda's first "Happy Car Maintenance" was officially put into operation in Chongqing.
The picture comes from the Internet
It is understood that Lexiang car positioning community store, the total investment of the project is more than 1 million, covering an area of more than 600 square meters, with two new car delivery booths, two standard reception stations, 4 maintenance stations, 2 fine washing and beauty stations, and nearly 200 square meters of customer rest area.
The picture comes from the Internet
Judging from the official news, the first Lexiang car is operated by Chongqing Guangben Mingjin 4S store. In the future, the "Happy Car Maintenance" service center will be deployed in more cities.
In fact, the layout of after-sales chains by OEMs is not new, and there is no reason not to move the knife to the big cake of the aftermarket when the revenue capacity of the new car business is close to the peak.
However, the development of after-sales chains built by OEMs is less than expected.
Guangqi Honda launched the "Joy Quick Repair" chain in 2016, and the volume of voice in the aftermarket is very small. What is the difference between the comeback and the launch of a new brand chain? For dealers and the independent aftermarket, what impact will the reorganization of the main engine factory bring about after sale?
From the joy of quick repair to the enjoyment of car maintenance
Back in April 2016.
Guangqi Honda's first "Joy Quick Repair Shop" in China landed in Shenyang. The store is also wholly owned by Guangben's dealers.
At that time, the investment cost of the project was about 600,000 yuan, mainly engaged in high-frequency businesses such as car washing, beauty, and maintenance, and formed a "1+N" service model with its 4S stores. Choose the urban community closest to the user, or the third- and fourth-tier cities with fewer outlets.
The picture comes from the Internet
From the perspective of customer service types, the Joy Express Repair Shop specializes in Honda's models, and the beauty washing business is open to other brands. The source of spare parts for the maintenance business is 4S stores and direct supply from manufacturers.
According to the plan at that time, Joy Express gradually built 20 stores in Suzhou, Zhengzhou, Linyi, Lanzhou, Changchun, Shijiazhuang and other places.
In 2020, there will be only 5 Joy Quick Repair Shops. Now, the joy of quick repair has faded out of the sight of the aftermarket.
Let's take a look at the happy car.
First of all, it is also invested by Guangben dealers to build stores. In terms of the investment cost of the first store alone, Lexiang car maintenance is higher.
Secondly, Lexiang has increased the display and delivery area of the new car, and the standard reception workstation is more like a mini version of the "4S shop", and the fine washing and beauty business is more conspicuous, more like a shop-in-shop, and the "Xuancai" brand trademark has been applied.
The picture comes from the Internet
Finally, in terms of store image display alone, Lexiang Car Maintenance is more like a socialized car maintenance chain, while Joy Express Repair Shop focuses on Guangqi Honda's brand elements in store signs.
In addition, it is also mentioned in the official information that Lexiang car maintenance will be more intelligent and digital. It is speculated that Guangqi Honda's "transparent workshop" function, as well as the safe intelligent inspection system and 5G remote diagnosis technology may be introduced.
From 4S mode to after-sales chain
From the first introduction of the 4S model to China in 1998, to the launch of "Joy Quick Repair" in 2016, and then to the creation of "Happy Car Maintenance" in 2024, Guangben's after-sales service model has been changing.
Behind the active adjustment of after-sales strategies by OEMs, the sky is changing in China's auto market.
With the advantage of entering the Chinese market earlier, Guangben's sales in China over the past 20 years have also been very resistant. As early as 2005, Guangben's cumulative sales exceeded 500,000 units. After that, in just two years, Guangben increased its sales to 1 million units.
With the explosion of China's auto market in 2009, Guangben's sales also soared. By 2016, Guangben's cumulative sales volume successfully exceeded 5 million units.
And 2016 is a special year. The days of the joint venture car companies represented by the Japanese and German are relatively moist, and the 4S stores are also in the era of lying and earning. The aftermarket is in the limelight under the agitation of capital, which has also attracted mainstream car companies to enter the after-sales market, such as Shanghai Automobile Xiangjia and SAIC General Motors Workshop.
At this time, Guangben launched "Joy Quick Repair", which is more like a strategic follow-up, which is a little different from the heavy investment of the other two.
As the auto market ushered in negative growth for the first time in 2018, the Japanese Sanjie, represented by Honda, did not show much fluctuation. Until the beginning of 2021, the "cold air" of the car market finally blew to Guangben.
According to the data, from 2021 to 2023, Guangben's sales will be 780,300, 741,800 and 640,400 respectively, a year-on-year decrease of 3.17%, 4.93% and 13.7%, respectively, declining for three consecutive years.
Especially in 2023, there are rumors of layoffs for the first time in 25 years, revealing the reality that Japanese joint ventures are beginning to decline.
Since entering 2024, the situation of Guangben has not improved, and sales in the first quarter fell by 21.7% year-on-year.
In the context of the overall stall of fuel vehicles, it is difficult for Guangben to stand alone, and in terms of the layout of the new energy field, Guangben has not come up with enough products to play, and the electrification transformation is long and difficult.
In this context, Guangben's intention to re-launch "Happy Car Maintenance" is clear at a glance. New car sales are declining, and it is becoming more and more difficult to make money by selling cars, and it is an open secret that OEMs are eyeing the after-sales business.
What is the impact of the comeback of OEMs after sales?
In 2016, when OEMs laid out after-sales chains, more arguments were that giants entered the market and hit hundreds of thousands of auto repair stores.
From the perspective of brand, capital, technology, management experience, etc., OEMs do have many innate advantages to become independent after-sales integrators.
However, guided by the results of the layout, most of the situation of the main engine factory layout of the auto service chain is not optimistic, and most of them are "stillborn" or "die halfway", and some brands have been defeated in China, and the few remaining ones are constantly adjusting their after-sales strategies.
There have been a variety of analyses in the industry on the reasons why the market is less than expected after the OEMs enter the market, such as the OEM system is too large, business collaboration and organization management are often separated, and the ability to control the chain and operate the car owners is lacking.
Some people in the industry said that the joy of the quick repair project was not implemented, and it had something to do with the fact that Guangben dealers had no motivation to do it, because the gross profit of new cars was high at that time, and it was too easy to make money by selling cars.
"Dealers are now doing happy car maintenance, somewhat forced to helpless, even if there is motivation to do, but the environment of the aftermarket is not the same. ”
This is an indisputable fact, and the competitive environment in the aftermarket has long been different.
"Cats, Dogs and Tigers" three car chains have been 4S after-sales strong enemies, the traditional chains represented by Xiaomuzhi and Baiyuan intensive care rely on new media expansion, and many special, specialized stores rely on operating users to compete for the after-sales cake.
In the face of the strategy of OEMs to do after-sales chains, the most difficult thing is actually 4S investors. Because there are only two options in front of the dealer:
or don't do it, and wait until other 4S stores take the first step to cut into the aftermarket, and their own living space will be squeezed;
Either do, in the face of the aftermarket surrounded by wolves, not to mention how high the investment cost is and how long the return cycle is, it is unknown whether it can really recall and retain the lost customers of 4S.
Although it is not easy for 4S stores to make a choice, one thing is certain, that is, in the context of the decline in the gross profit of new cars, they will do everything possible to maintain the basic after-sales market.
The 4S shop that was "pressed" will definitely make a radical response at the after-sales end, whether it is the layout of the chain frontal counterattack, or the construction of a sheet metal spraying center, the promotion of low-cost maintenance packages, etc., to consolidate the city wall, the repair shop will eventually usher in stronger competition.
Article source: AC Automobile, thanks to this