Successful, first-time online sales boost Italian luxury carmaker's confidence about business prospects with Chinese car fans, says its chief
It has become a trend for automakers to sell vehicles through e-commerce platforms in China, the world's largest vehicle market and the second-largest for premium cars. Maserati SpA, the Italian luxury carmaker, is no exception.
So, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV subsidiary teamed up last month with Tmall, the online retail arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, to sell its first-ever sport utility vehicle online.
The response to the Levante was breathtaking.
Some 100 Levantes, worth about 1 million yuan ($154,400) each, were snapped up in just 18 seconds, said Harald Wester, chief executive officer of Maserati.
The sales have boosted Wester's confidence about the brand's prospects in China, where the Levante is expected to debut this summer.
Earlier this week, Wester spoke to China Daily about his vision for the Chinese luxury vehicle market. The following are edited excerpts from the interview.
Maserati opened an online store on Tmall. Have you ever tried to cooperate with e-commerce companies in other markets?
This is a trend I personally believe will be set in China due to the average age of people. We were not the first, all major companies are selling cars on Tmall. It is a channel.
We chose a way we call it "internet + human". We don't want to take away business from our dealers. We just want to help them reach customers who are unable to reach them.
Fifty of the 100 cars were sold in cities we do not have dealers and 30 percent were sold through mobile phones.
The customers paid through Alipay and then chose a dealer who contacted them to sign the contracts. The cooperation with Alibaba is the first. We met them last night, they were very happy with what was going on.
What is China's ranking in your global business?
This is our second-biggest market. The No 1 market is still the United States. There are also some smaller markets－Italy, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and so on.
How do you evaluate the ultra-premium vehicle market in China?
We only know our sales. It looks like that the market has stabilized. I believe our strategy is not influenced. First of all, officially it is called "the new normal". Nobody any longer can expect a growth every year of 12 or 15 percent. The growth will be 6 or 7 percent, something in this range.
Secondly, referring to our objectives both globally and in this market, we are less dependent on significant growth of the market than mass-market brands or people which are selling millions of cars in the country.
What is your competitive edge in China against rival brands?
Our advantage is the Maserati brand. It's made in Italy. The car's design, heritage, craftsmanship, all make a big difference.
