The company also announced that it will adopt a hybrid direct-sales model, combining online channels such as the BYTON app with offline channels such as BYTON Place or BYTON Service Center to provide a full suite of sales-related services that communicate BYTON’s core brand value: approachability.
The second BYTON Place is scheduled to open mid-2019 in Chongqing. By the end of 2019, BYTON will open up to 30 BYTON brand stores in China covering first- and second-tier cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Chengdu and more. The launch of BYTON brand stores in North American and European cities will follow the ramp-up of stores in China.
“The opening of BYTON Place in Shanghai is another milestone for BYTON,” said Dr Carsten Breitfeld, CEO and co-founder of BYTON. “This is a crucial addition as we now have product development, plant construction, as well as our sales and service models in full swing to achieve on-schedule deliveries of our first production vehicle, the BYTON M-Byte.”
A hybrid direct-sales approach to bridge the gap with customers
BYTON has adopted a hybrid direct-sales approach that maximizes value for customers. It combines a full suite of online channels with offline channels including BYTON Places, extended BYTON Places which will provide a comprehensive range of services including pre-sales, sales, delivery, and after-sales, and Service Centers which will exclusively handle vehicle delivery and after-sales.
BYTON will also have BYTON Partner stores to expand its brick-and-mortar sales and service network. These partners will use their own infrastructure and personnel to provide the same consumer experience as in the direct-sales stores. BYTON will use consistent pricing across China and will be the sole, direct contracting party for customers.
“BYTON Place Shanghai is our first offline space to connect with our customers,” said Dr Daniel Kirchert, President and co-founder of BYTON. “It kicks off the official building of our hybrid sales model that combines direct-sales store with BYTON Partner store and is part of our effort to put the customer at the center of everything.”
BYTON Place connects people to a smarter lifestyle and warms to technology
Unlike traditional dealership models that focus on product display and sales, BYTON Place is designed to connect customers to the BYTON lifestyle and be a nexus of the latest high-end technologies. Customers can immerse themselves in the innovative UI and experience first-hand BYTON’s intuitive and convenient multi-dimensional human-machine interface through AR, VR, and Shared Experience Display simulators. Guests can speak face-to-face with the management, engineers, and designers at BYTON.
BYTON is already testing prototypes under real conditions. Currently, 100 vehicles are on test tracks and in road traffic to achieve the highest safety and quality standards in China, the USA, and Europe. The first BYTON M-Byte is expected to debut in mid-2019. The first series cars are to be handed over to customers in China by year-end 2019. Deliveries in the USA and Europe will follow at the end of 2020.
