Honda launches new network

Honda New Zealand has unveiled an e-commerce platform for selling vehicles as part of the launch of its new national sales and service network.

The company announced proposed changes to its operations in February 2021 and has spent two months consulting with its independent agents.

This has resulted in an expanded national network comprising eight Honda NZ-owned and 10 independently owned Honda stores, six independent service stores and three authorised service centres.

Honda stores resemble previous dealerships and allow customers to experience and buy new vehicles. Any sale will be directly with Honda NZ, not an independent agent, and customers will receive full servicing, Honda genuine parts and accessories.

Service stores will service the marque’s vehicles, genuine parts and accessories. Demonstrator cars will be available and a brand ambassador will be on site to complete sales.

The authorised service stores will service cars using only genuine Honda parts and accessories.

Previously, Honda NZ owned seven branches and had 17 independent agents.

Nobuya Sonoda, pictured, Honda NZ’s managing director, describes the revamp as a “significant evolution” for the marque.

“We are grateful to all our agents that have signed on to deliver this new customer model from Kaitaia to Invercargill,” he explains.

“The changes reflect the best of our traditional agency model while introducing an e-commerce platform that affords customers to browse and purchase their next Honda either completely online or to start online and finish in-store with one of our Honda ambassadors.

“What we are doing is challenging ourselves to polish the customer experience we provide so that it is seamless and easy to follow.”

The online store enables customers to build and purchase new Honda cars, either partially or end-to-end at www.honda.co.nz.

Sonoda-san adds plans to go online were well advanced before Covid-19 struck but the pandemic has “reinforced the importance of having a multi-channel sales model to meet the changing needs and expectations” of consumers.

“Thanks to NZ Post’s latest e-commerce research we know that about 305,000 New Zealanders shopped online for the first time in 2020,” he notes. “And in total we spent about $6.8 billion online, around $1.2b more than in 2019.

“This change builds-on Honda’s unique price promise which eliminates the need for haggling over price.”