What are the routes that automakers go through to consumers?

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Currently, there are six main automobile sales channels:

One, the brand franchise system. The main is the current popular "4S" stores. Channel model can be expressed as manufacturers → stores → end users. Brand franchise system is since 1998 from Europe into our country and the development of the channel model, the first by Buick, Guangben, Audi and other brands to establish: mainly to the "Trinity" ("3S", including vehicle sales, spare parts supply, after-sales service) 4S store in Europe and the United States is gradually going into decline, but in China is booming, which also has Chinese characteristics: Hardware is very hard, China's 4S auto brand stores in the world can be considered the size and grade of the premier, even the world's most developed U.S. 4S stores can not be compared with the hardware facilities of China's 4S auto brand stores; however, in the construction of software is much worse (which is also in line with the trend of our current automotive marketing, which focuses on sales and light service), in the quality of the dealers, build and maintain their own brand, establish a mature dealer brand and service. The quality of dealers, build and maintain their own brand, the establishment of mature sales process, customer-oriented to provide possible amenities and other aspects are still far from the urgent need to have the attention of dealers.

Two, general agent type. Channel model can be expressed as manufacturers → general agent → regional agent → (lower level agents) → end users, imported cars mainly use this model, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Rolls-Royce and so on.

Third, licensed distribution. Channel model can be expressed as manufacturers → licensed dealers → end users. This is due to the car manufacturers gradually found it difficult to regulate the distribution behavior of dealers and arise, such as Fukang.

Four, automobile hypermarkets, car supermarkets. Such as Beijing Asian Games Village automobile trading market, Chengdu Hongpalou automobile trading market, etc. Strictly speaking, this kind of marketing method can not be considered a separate automobile sales channels, but the big stores and car supermarkets are relatively the same integration of market resources, to promote the sales (for example, even 4S stores can not be purchased in the year of the price increase of the car such as Guangben, in the automobile stores as long as you are willing to pay money to get your hands on it).

Fifth, regional agent type. Channel model can be expressed as manufacturers → regional general agent → lower agents → end users. This model is basically the same as the IT channel regional agency system, which is the first automotive channel model, due to the existence of poor control over the dealers, the current use of this model has been less manufacturers.

Six, other ways. Internet era, sales through the network has been increasingly valued by consumers, the latest J.D. Power survey reported that the company's Web site has become an important channel to influence auto sales.

Problems in the automotive sales channel: manufacturers and channel dealers between the existence of the game phenomenon, manufacturers believe that dealers are difficult to manage, do not listen to, Hu want price, each for their different interests to argue endlessly, the marketing program and the implementation of the policy does not go on, resulting in manufacturers and the final distance between the distance between the consumer more and more far from the customer's grasp of the ability to decline, for example, at present, the guide price and the market price of between Huge gap between the current guide price and the market price is the unspeakable pain in the heart of manufacturers, a dealer in the guide price outside the drop can be penalized, but all dealers are down, manufacturers will have to accept the fact that once again lower the guide price, but the guide price down, dealers will be put forward to the actual selling price of the lower (of course, this is the consumer's happy to see), and so on week in and week out, the manufacturer was led by the nose by dealers to go; Similarly, conflicts between dealers Is also constantly, they complain that manufacturers do not understand the market situation, the product can not quickly adapt to market changes, poor service, rebates and sales incentives can not be honored, the supply cycle is long, the price support is not in place, the distribution of untimely, on the channel can not be equal treatment, etc.; more difficult is that the online sales and the traditional channels seem to be difficult to balance.

In short, the sales channel has become the communication between buyers and sellers of the most critical center, there will be more and more companies found in the product, price and even advertising homogenization trend is increasing today, depending on the product's independent advantage to win the competition has been very difficult to sales channels have become the center of gravity of the attention of today's enterprises, how to operate a good sales channel to play its role is becoming a factory manufacturers The magic weapon to defeat the enemy.