Volkswagen Showroom Store, Birmingham

An intimate, garage-like setting outfitted with lifestyle moments, Volkswagen first retail showroom revels in the joy of VW living.

The fact that it’s nestled in the Bullring Shopping Centre says a lot about shifting consumer attitudes: auto retail is now up-close, personal and seamlessly conducted.

Gone are the obscure technical specifications and emphasis on horsepower and mileage. In their place are opportunities for human connections and storytelling, with digital signage and magazine light-boxes exploring lifestyle benefits and shared passions.

With VW’s first retail store, Dalziel & Pow aims to make buying and owning a car as easy as possible.

A digital wall features branded video, iconic advertisements, social media content and eye-catching projections. These are interspersed with tactile objects that celebrate VW’s history, present offerings and future. When explored, they trigger visualisations of ownership benefits or the brand’s latest technological advancements.

Items on the lower shelves have been designed with children in mind, and encourage interaction and participation. Young visitors can turn an ignition key to launch a driving animation, for example.

Messaging is tailored to the local context, noting the distance to local landmarks or places of interest, or highlighting reviews from customers. Together these suggest that VW life is about more than just the car itself.

A series of iPads around a central table provide a space for customers to customise their own car, with the results displayed on a nearby wall. Staff support them through the process and through the remainder of the sales journey, removing barriers to purchasing; existing customers can also drop in to book a service.