A fitting home
Archibalds’ new Land Rover showroom brings Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery together in a state-of-the-art space where the experience is every bit as considered as the vehicles.
There is a certain expectation that comes with buying a luxury vehicle. The showroom should feel considered, the service personal, and the entire experience should match what you’re about to drive away in.
That thinking is at the heart of Archibalds’ new Land Rover showroom at 38 Tuam Street.
The new Christchurch home of Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery brings sales, servicing, parts, and accessories together under one roof.
It’s a significant investment for Archibalds, but sales consultant Amber Inwood says it’s ultimately about creating somewhere customers actually want to spend time.
“The new showroom is a very welcoming environment, where clients can peruse vehicles, configure their perfect car, or simply hang out in our barista area or in one of the many relaxation spaces.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to buying a car, particularly at this end of the market. Some customers want to explore every detail; others arrive knowing exactly what they’re after. The new showroom has been designed with both in mind.
“It is very much a bespoke environment where the levels of interaction are designed to meet each person’s preferences,” Amber says. “It also flows beautifully through to the Service and Parts areas, allowing each guest to receive the full dealership experience.”
That connectivity is just as useful for the people working within the building.
“With the whole team being in one building, it makes it simple for staff to communicate each client’s needs – be it the model of the new car they are looking at, the accessories they are wanting to add to their vehicle, or even just how they take their coffee,” sales manager Corey Gray says.
It’s a small detail, perhaps, but one that sums up the thinking behind the development. Corey says the brief was simple: “The brief was to be customer-centric while also allowing our staff to easily interact with clients. The new showroom definitely has achieved this!”
The investment also forms part of a much bigger story for a company that has been part of Christchurch for more than a century.
Archibalds general manager Mark Milligan says the business has been evolving since its beginnings on Oxford Terrace in 1918, with its presence continuing to grow throughout the city.
“Our goal is to be the South Island’s number one premium vehicle destination. Facilities such as the new Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery showroom certainly represent this, and add to the outstanding facilities we have for our Porsche, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus brands.”
And the showroom won’t only be a place to buy cars. Archibalds regularly hosts meetings, launches, and events, with the new space providing another setting for local business and community groups. As an official Land Rover retailer, it also connects customers with experiences beyond vehicle ownership, from showroom events to curated driving adventures.
Elsewhere, the new Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus showroom on the corner of Montreal and St Asaph Streets is now operating, with further enhancements to come.
“There is always something in the pipeline,” Mark says, “as Archibalds strives to provide the very best and the very latest in vehicles and facilities for our South Island-wide community.”