While most businesses are downsizing and cutting costs, Chapman BMW of Chandler is expanding. Having moved from Scottsdale to a bigger and better location in Chandler on March 1, the brand-new dealership is already thriving, selling approximately 200 cars a month.
Why would Chapman BMW move their already successful Scottsdale location to the outskirts of town? According to general manager Randy Scott, the Scottsdale site could no longer accommodate the big business they were dealing with. “We actually outgrew that facility over there. It was an autoplex for three brands and the customer base grew extremely large,” he says. “We didn’t have the facility to service all those cars.”
When planning this move, Chapman BMW didn’t scrimp on size or quality. Scott says that this new dealership, located on I-10 and Ray Road, is one of the largest overall facilities: It is 313,000 square feet and sits on about six acres. More than 500 cars can fit into the parking structure, making it convenient for shoppers who don’t want to do their browsing in the hot sun. In addition, the new location has enough downstairs space to house 70 technicians to work on the cars. Currently, the dealership is only running on 26 techs, but the room for expansion is a luxury they did not have at the Scottsdale location. “When we built this we built it for the future. It actually might be a little too big for us right now. But it’s profitable so we think we made a good move when we did this,” Scott says.
While much of the country is currently experiencing less-than-stellar business, Chapman BMW of Chandler has done even better than originally expected. Despite being nervous to leave Scottsdale, Scott says that being in Chandler, the dealership has attracted a client base from the outskirts of town, including Ahwatukee, Chandler and Gilbert. Plus, customers who previously bought from Chapman BMW in Scottsdale have since followed them to Chandler, so as to still purchase from the dealership they know and trust. While many car dealerships boast a certain typical clientele, Scott says that Chapman BMW serves a good mix of customers young and old. “[Our customers are] not all millionaires and they’re not medium class. Everybody likes the BMW brand so they kind of come from everywhere,” he says.
In addition to the well-received Chandler complex, Chapman BMW on Camelback will also soon be seeing a new home. Come September, look for a new location just two blocks west of its current Phoenix address, at 12th Street and Camelback (it will be located in an old Toy “R” Us building).
Jonesin’ for a peek at the newest, hottest BMW models? Scott says that some of their latest and greatest include the new Z4, a redone convertible with a hard-top that detracts into the trunk, and the all new 7-Series, which has recently made some impressive improvements over its old body style. For more information, call Chapman BMW of Chandler at 800.721.1932 or visit www.chandlerbmw.com.
