“Having skylights in the dealership will allow customers to see the car’s true color.”
Daylight Reinforces Sustainability Achievements for Subaru of America
With one small change to the lighting design in their showroom, one Subaru retailer may sell more cars. Research shows that adding daylight to a retail space makes the environment more conducive to purchasing decisions.
Not only should the retailer see a sales increase from the natural lighting, but the skylights will also protect the environment by saving energy. Sustainability is inherent in Subaru’s culture. In April 2018, the automaker celebrated the grand opening of its new zero-landfill, LEED Certified facility in Camden, N.J. and all Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants. And the ‘Subaru Loves the Earth’ philanthropic initiative, in partnership with TerraCycle, is designed to reuse and recycle waste instead of landfilling it, creating a sustainable circular economy.
Beyond its commitment to sustainability, color is another key way that Subaru differentiates itself from its competitors. The right color on a car can resonate with consumers, explained Kenneth Lin, Director of Product Management for Subaru of America.
“Color can be just as big a draw as the functional aspects of a car,” he said. “Fundamentally, color changes the way a car looks.”
The color of a car is best discerned under daylight, as the Crews Subaru retailer in North Charleston, SC, discovered with the installation of new skylights in their showroom.
Mike Driscoll, also a Certified Subaru Specialist, concurred. “It’s important. Before the skylights, I had a customer who said, ‘Is that color too vivid?’ But the car was gray.”