In the world of premium automotive retail, few accolades carry the weight of a BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse accreditation for its dealer network.
Performance Motors Limited (PML), an authorised BMW dealer in Singapore for 46 years, recently joined an elite circle of BMW dealers worldwide to achieve this Lighthouse accreditation. It is the only showroom in Singapore to receive this certification, and one of three within Southeast Asia, in addition to Malaysia and Thailand.
During a recent visit to Singapore, Ms Ritu Chandy, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, BMW Group, and Mr Lars Nielsen, Managing Director, BMW Group Asia presented the certification to Mr Lawrence Tan, Managing Director, PML, and Mr Jeffrey Gan, Managing Director of Southeast Asia, Sime Motors.
Mr Gan said: “We are deeply honoured to be recognised as a BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse. We have invested significantly in the transformation of our flagship showroom in Singapore as part of our commitment to strengthen the BMW brand and deliver premium services to our customers. This important milestone will spur our Singapore team to continue raising the bar for customer experience dedicated to our BMW owners.”
“Performance Motors has been a trusted partner of the BMW Group for more than 45 years, and they have consistently demonstrated what it means to be a future-forward BMW dealer,” said Mr Nielsen. “Their commitment over the years to strengthening our brand and delivering unique experiences to our customers is more than we could have imagined. With the Retail.Next Lighthouse showroom, they have taken their passion for the brand to another level, and we hope other showrooms in the region can do the same.”
So what does it take to be a BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse?
The coveted Lighthouse status is not just a badge of honour; it signals a dealership has raised the benchmark for the implementation of the BMW Retail.Next global retail concept – one that reimagines the customer journey and is being rolled out by the German marque globally until 2028.
The BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse accreditation highlights PML’s success in delivering exceptional experiences, its extensive use of digitalisation throughout the showroom, and its commitment to sustainable practices to elevate the BMW ownership journey for its customers.
This follows PML’s successful retail transformation as part of its 45th anniversary last year. It unveiled its revamped flagship showroom in September – the largest BMW Retail.Next facility in Singapore at over 100,000 sq ft.
Experiential, tech-enabled and lifestyle-driven
More than a traditional showroom, the PML BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse is designed as a lifestyle hub. It seamlessly brings together immersive displays, digital tools and unique experiences with premium hospitality.
“Performance Motors’ retail strategy revolves around being experiential, technology-enabled and lifestyle-driven,” said Mr Tan. “Our vision is to have a “living” showroom that is constantly evolving to offer new experiences for our customers. It is not just a place to view, buy or service cars. It is THE lifestyle destination for the BMW community to come, enjoy and experience the brand in a meaningful way.”
Using digital tech to deliver convenience and personalisation
Taking the lead in driving innovation, PML has integrated cutting-edge technology extensively across various customer touchpoints. This has resulted in greater convenience and personalisation for customers while improving operational efficiency – another one of the key criteria for the BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse certification.
Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR): ANPR uses cameras to capture the vehicle numbers and track the location of each car arriving for service appointments. This makes it more efficient for PML service staff to find individual cars across the various servicing bays and workshops. Customers also get peace of mind knowing where their vehicles are during their service journey, by checking their bespoke OneGo by mobile app.
Smart Contactless Key Drop Lockers: In an industry first, customers can conveniently access the Smart Contactless Key Drop Lockers, available 24×7, through the OneGo app after checking in online for their service appointment. This allows them to skip the queue waiting for a customer service advisor to go through their details and take over their car keys.
Facial Recognition: Facial recognition is enabled for BMW Luxury Class and M customers to access the exclusive Performance Lounge located on the third floor of the showroom. PML ensures that it has robust data security measures and transparent privacy policies to maintain customer trust in the system.
Curated lifestyle experiences for stronger customer engagement
The ability to create exceptional customer experience is one of the key criteria for BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse recognition. PML has upped the ante when it comes to creating memorable experiences based on customers’ lifestyle preferences, especially when it comes to gastronomy.
PML Culinary Experience: Using its café bar counter, the biggest in a dealership in Singapore, PML hosts a monthly omakase-style dinner for its most valued customers. This PML Culinary Experience has featured collaborations with renowned local restaurants and chefs, such as Chef Seow Tzi Qin (Jiak Kim House), Executive Chef Gabriel Low (Shoukouwa Shinjidai), and Michelin-starred Chef Denis Lucchi (Buona Terra).
Curated Breakfast: PML customers can pre-order a Curated Breakfast as part of their service appointment, to be served on their arrival. The menu is refreshed half yearly, and currently features dishes such as blue pea nasi lemak, seafood laksa and sous vide eggs. The Curated Breakfast has turned an otherwise routine appointment for customers into a care-driven experience to be enjoyed.
Other culinary delights: Service customers in a rush can take away the PML Grab & Go Breakfast after dropping off their cars. Regular customers can also pop by the café to enjoy complimentary refreshments and afternoon snacks.
Sustainable practices built in
PML has demonstrated a firm commitment to sustainability. Green spaces are built into the showroom design, with efficient lighting throughout. The electricity consumption is fully offset by equivalent Renewable Energy Certificates, and monthly Earth Hours are practised.
PML Green Initiative: PML has been encouraging its BMW owners to reduce water wastage through its Car Wash Opt-Out during regular servicing. In support of NParks’ OneMillionTrees, PML has committed to planting a tree for every 30 car washes saved. Under this PML Green Initiative, more than a million litres of water have been saved, and 150 trees have been planted around Singapore with the help of employees, partners and customers.
PML Sky Garden: Herbs, vegetables and fruits are planted and regularly harvested from the PML Sky Garden on Level 6. Promoting a farm-to-table concept, the produce is used for in-house F&B offerings. Coffee grinds from the PML cafe are also recycled to the garden. The PML Sky Garden is supported by NParks’ Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme.
Guiding the future
Mr Tan said, “This PML BMW Retail.Next Lighthouse certification shows that we are headed in the right direction with our retail strategy. We will continue to lead the way in elevating the BMW brand by creating the best automotive ownership experience for our customers. This is only the beginning. We will continue to innovate and redefine what premium automotive retail means in Singapore and beyond.”
