Infiniti pops up for Christmas

UPDATED: 09/12/2014THREE Infiniti ‘pop-up’ retail outlets have opened in shopping centres on Australia’s east coast for the Christmas period, as the car-maker takes the next step in expanding its dealer network.

Located at Westfield Miranda in Sydney, Westfield Garden City in Brisbane and Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast, the Brand Concept Stores feature showrooms and shoppers can even take a car for a test drive.

Infiniti Cars Australia managing director Jean-Philippe Roux said the experimental program will give the Japanese premium brand exposure to a large number of people in a place they would not normally associate with a car dealership.

“Expanding our retail capacity is the next logical step in the Australian development of Infiniti,” he said.

“Infiniti is Australia’s newest premium car brand and bringing our range of vehicles, including the new Infiniti Q50 sedan, to a large shopping audience during the busy Christmas period is an ideal way for people to encounter and experience our brand, especially in a setting that isn’t reminiscent of a traditional new-car dealership.

“The Infiniti teams in Sydney and Brisbane are spending a lot of time with a diverse range of people, from existing premium car owners looking for a change to passers-by surprised to encounter Infiniti in a place they expected to find a boutique store.”

A similar program has been run in United Kingdom, with an Infiniti Brand Concept Store at a Westfield shopping centre in London.

The pop-up stores are temporary with, the Miranda site open until January while the two Queensland locations will operate until the end of March, 2015.

Infiniti’s permanent dealerships in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are expected to be joined by more facilities around Australia soon.

Infiniti Cars Australia general manager corporate communications Peter Fadeyev said the dealer network was progressing well with expansion plans underway.

“It is too soon to provide any specific details about the brand’s next local dealership but Infiniti Cars Australia is well advanced with this project,” he said.

“All three existing (dealerships) are performing well and gradually growing their local sales and market share figures.”

Nissan’s luxury sub-brand returned to Australia in 2012 after an unsuccessful three years in the mid-1990s.

The current Australian Infiniti line-up consists of the Q50 sedan, the Q60 coupe and convertible, the top-of-the-range Q70 saloon and QX70 SUV. A Q30 hatch will arrive in 2015 while the QX30 compact SUV will follow in 2016.

The Q50 is the biggest-selling car in Infiniti’s local line-up, with 177 sales for the Lexus IS rival to the end of November. The QX70 is in second place with 117 units sold, while third is the Q60.