On 16th February 2012, Ford India launched a total of 45 new dealerships at 35 locations in India. The American car maker now has 230 outlets based in 123 cities of the country, which enables it to reach out to customers based across the length and breadth of the country.
Ford has built 20 3S facilities (Showroom, Sales and Service), 11 sales centres and 14 service workshops, bringing the total to 45 outlets. The new Brand@Retail centres by Ford have been constructed in accordance with the global norms followed by the company. Presently, the manufacturer has 40 per cent of its outlets based in Tier I and Tier II cities of India, in order to cater to the increasing demand for Ford cars in these regions.
Talking about this expansion in sales and service network, Anurag Mehrotra, Vice President, Marketing, Ford India, commented, “Today, Ford dealerships are located across the length and breadth of India and offer world-class after sales service plans at a competitive cost. As we broaden our portfolio, we are committed to growing closer to customers through our sales and service network to create delightful experiences.”
Micheal Boneham, President and Managing Director, Ford India, also quipped, “Ford has started 2012 with a new promise and is committed to going further to enrich the lives of customers across India. Adding to our commitment of bringing eight new products to India by mid-decade, we are focused on augmenting the customer experience with our world-class service initiatives.”
In northern India, Ford has opened new outlets in New Delhi, Noida, Rohtak, Sonepat, Panipat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Alwar and Bikaner. Rourkela, Agartala and Kolkata are the locations of its new centres in the East, whereas Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Gulbarga, Hyderabad, Belgaum, Thanjavur and Tirupur are home to new Ford outlets in the South. In West India, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Goa, Jabalpur, Indore, Sagar, Solapur, Bhillai and Jamnagar were chosen as the sites for new Ford outlets.
The American automotive giant already has Quick Service at 90 outlets in India, under which it carries out routine service in less than one and a half hours. It also has 10 Mobile Service vans in the country for conducting minor repairs as well as routine tuning of vehicles.
Ford India has taken several steps, including the increase in number of dealers, since it announced its plans to roll out EcoSport, Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), in the country. This improved dealership network will help in selling larger number of the new SUV in the domestic market. The manufacturer had earlier adopted the same strategy in 2010, when it was about to launch Figo. Exactly two years ago on 16th February 2010, the car maker opened the doors of 28 dealerships, which had eventually proven crucial for the success of its hatchback.
