Supercheap Auto Flagship, Sydney

Supercheap Auto’s revamped Sydney flagship is a response to consumer trends in car ownership and maintenance, as well as the potential future threat of Amazon as it expands its reach across Australia.

The store, in the blue-collar, ‘car crazy’ suburb of Penrith, is both highly experiential and merchandise rich, and delivers the atmosphere of a car enthusiast’s club. The concept has been dubbed ‘Customer Experience Centre’, and will inform updates across the brand’s 320 store nationally.

An experiential concept store where cutting-edge digital is seamlessly integrated with theatre and customer engagement.

Guided by McCarthy Design, the store format has evolved to become a primarily service-driven offer, as well as a testing lab for new innovations and technology. The store area has been increased to allow for a central experiential area, and now features merchandise categorised by occasion.

The customer journey is a doughnut. The entire Supercheap Auto merchandise offer is in the outer ring: car care, parts, garage, 4WD, safety and more. Each area features interactive screens, selection aids and ‘call’ buttons to summon experts, and is supported by oversized signage and wayfinding.

The centre of the doughnut is product-free, and focuses on customer engagement and service. Here you’ll find the ‘Car Clinic’, a stage featuring a project car used for demonstrations and product showcasing. A bank of overhead screens showing motorsports and bleacher-like seating creates a sports-like vibe.

The ‘Pit Stop’ creates a membership space where customers can share projects and local events, while a 24-hour parcel pickup outside the store adds convenience. To retrieve parcels, customers use a unique text code to unlock on-site lockers.

Supercheap Auto understands that it’s not enough to compete on price: today’s stores are hubs for expert service, events and community.