Saturn Stores Will Get New Signs

[GMTruckGuy74]

Courtesy of http://www.skyroadster.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9965

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Saturn Stores Will Get New Signs

Automotive News

By April Wortham

Nov. 20, 2006

NASHVILLE - Saturn dealerships will get a fresh look to go along with the brand's new portfolio of vehicles.

On Nov. 9, a sign company here said it had won a contract with the General Motors brand to provide new signs as part of a reimaging program for Saturn retailers. Saturn's main assembly plant is in nearby Spring Hill, Tenn.

New signs are one piece of a makeover plan that will include exterior and interior enhancements at the brand's 432 dealerships, says Saturn spokesman Randy Fox. Some locations have been targeted to be the first to receive the upgrades, but it will be several months before Saturn is ready to reveal what the stores will look like, Fox says. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Juiced by the Aura sedan, the Sky roadster and the Vue SUV, Saturn sales and vehicle production have improved this year. Through October, the brand sold 187,499 vehicles, up 2 percent from the same 10 months a year ago. And through October, Saturn produced 237,632 vehicles at the factory, up 33 percent from 178,317 vehicles made during the same period in 2005.

Since Saturn was created in 1990, its retailers have undergone two renovations - called Retail Environmental Designs, or RED 1 and RED 2. Those renovation programs emphasized store interiors, including new furniture, carpeting, paint and wallpaper.

As with the previous campaigns, the extent of the renovations will depend on the location of the store, Fox says.

"Each individual retailer would have to look at it and determine when and at what level they would be interested in updating their location," he says.

Dealers will pay for the renovations, but Saturn will allow them to recoup some of the costs, says Tom Carpenter, the Saturn representative on the GM National Dealer Council.

The cost has not yet been disclosed.

Saturn dealers got their first glimpse of the new signs in April at a meeting in Dallas, Carpenter says.

Carpenter, who owns three central Ohio Saturn dealerships, described the signs as "the same look, just a more modern treatment."

He says the Saturn logo - with its half-globe and ring reminiscent of the planet of the same name - remains the same. What will be different are the materials and lighting of the signs.

"It's crisper, cleaner. It shows the new Saturn image as we go forward," Carpenter says.

Bob Miles, general manager of Saturn of Cool Springs outside Nashville, says the new signs are just what dealerships need at the moment.

"We've gotten a lot of products we haven't had in the past, and we're going to be getting a lot of customers we haven't had before," Miles says. "This new look fits in with the scheme of those new products."

Rob Cochran, who owns two Saturn dealerships in Pittsburgh, agreed.

"As with all brands, Saturn is focusing on continuing to evolve their brand, particularly as they have new products coming out," Cochran says.

"If you're going to update your brand, you typically do it when you're making a big splash in the marketplace, and that's what they're doing now."

[the_yellow_dart]

Can't find the emote, but...

This thread is useless without pics!!!

[GMTruckGuy74]

Can't find the emote, but...

This thread is useless without pics!!!

219439[/snapback]

I agree 100%, but they haven't released any pictures other than to the dealers at their April meeting. Plus, it states:

Some locations have been targeted to be the first to receive the upgrades, but it will be several months before Saturn is ready to reveal what the stores will look like, Fox says.

I know I can;t wait to see what the new look is like. Maybe the new sign/look will be debuted at either the LAIAS or NAIAS???

[mjdecker]

I'm betting it will be something like this...

except with a silver Saturn logo

[sciguy_0504]

My local Saturn dealership looks pretty nice from the outside. At night, when the interior lights are on and you can see through the windows, the decor does not look like it belongs in a typical middle-class car dealership, IMO. I've never actually been in one, though.

[Flybrian]

My local Saturn dealership is fine. Used to be an Oldsmobile lot, so the layout is the same. Its a bit cozy inside, but nothing trashy. I do see construction going on outside, so I guess its realted to this?

Anyway, most Saturn lots are pretty new so they're generally rather nice. Most B-P-GMC stores, too. Chevrolet needs lots of work. Seriously.

[PurdueGuy]

I do see construction going on outside, so I guess its realted to this?

219461[/snapback]

It's likely not related, since they said it won't be happening for a couple months...

[GMTruckGuy74]

It's likely not related, since they said it won't be happening for a couple months...

219476[/snapback]

Don't jump to that conclusion yet... the dealer's meeting in Dallas was held back in April, so it's likely that some dealers got the go-ahead to do renovations soon after that. There is one dealer in Pennsylvania that I know of (Saturn of Trevose in Bucks County) that is under construction and looks like they're expanding the size of their dealership. So anything is possible.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

GM needs to do this with ALL of their divisions...

I think the only one that has a "theme" is Hummer, and half of those didn't get built.

A lot of GM's dealers around here are kinda ghetto 70s

[AxelTheRed]

What Saturn needs to do is redesign that frikin' logo of theirs. If they really want to reimagine the brand, the have to do away with the logo that makes people think back to the Saturns of old with the crappy designs and plastic bodies.

Edited December 7, 2006 by AxelTheRed

[GMTruckGuy74]

I like the original Saturn logo, and don't see a need for it to be changed. Even though you say the cars from '91-'06 are crappy (remember, the SKY & AURA are '07s), they sold a lot of them and many older Saturn owners are very proud of their cars. Update it if needed, but I don't think a whole new design is needed.

As for changes, GM's done too many already. First they update the styling of many of the brand logos, then they get rid of actual names for alphanumerics, and now you suggest this. I think loyal GM enthusiasts won't be able to recognize GM in 10 years if they keep changing everything!!!

[Satty]

They could just flip the color scheme, red rings on a silver background, or keep the rings chrome and make the background black. You can buy silver on black emblems in the aftermarket and they look pretty good.

[ToniCipriani]

Most of our dealers here were rebuilt already. The ChevOlds dealer I used to go to was reconstructed to get the drive-thru service reception.