Unconventional Nissan Dealership in Seattle Shuttered
A mere two years after it opened, Stadium Nissan in Seattle will close its doors for good as a short-lived attempt to break the mould.
When it opened in 2010, owner Greg Smith knew he was stepping outside the typical Nissan retail business model and so did the automaker. His grey, unpolished showroom that displayed cars for sale on the curb got initial attention, but that novelty seems to have disappeared quickly, prompting Smith to send the store with it.
But his prospects as a car dealer weren’t always so depressing; During a profile interview with Automotive News less than a year ago he sounded optimistic.
“I knew I could sell it, especially if I could sell it in a Seattle kind of way,” he said, but that positive outlook proved to be unfounded less than a year after his statement.
Stadium Nissan was meant to be a fit for misfits, but even that idea wasn’t enough to court buyers from the city where grunge rock was born. Instead, the exception to Nissan’s neat and tidy dealership philosophy turned out to be a flop despite being blessed by the brand’s North American management.
Nissan seems disappointed by Smith’s decision to fold, but it’s hard to blame him for not wanting to support what seems to be a failed experiment.
“Nissan dealers are independent businesses, and therefore must make their own decisions regarding their operations. We are disappointed that Mr. Smith has chosen to close, however we must honor his decision to do so,” the automaker said in a release.
[Source: Automotive News]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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