From the material companies before 1980s, the distribution offices and electromechanical companies in the middle and late 1980s, to the automobile 4S shops that can be seen everywhere now, China Automobile Distribution Group has stepped out of the planned economy step by step and embraced the market economy.
With the economic reform and development in China, the automobile circulation industry in China has been stubbornly surviving. Driven by the market economy, this industry has a tenacious upward self-drive, and has stood at the top of the mountain after a trough. In 2020, this industry once again stood in front of challenges.
Who is "killing" the 4S store?
This is a very sensitive and difficult issue to discuss separately, but when the industry has begun to discuss such a problem on a large scale, everyone realized the seriousness of the matter. At the same time, it seems that this issue has really begun to be taken seriously.
65438+February 10, china automobile dealers association released the survey results of "automobile dealer inventory" in 2020 10, and the data is not optimistic.
1 1.72 In that month, the comprehensive inventory coefficient of automobile dealers was 1.72, up 15.4% year-on-year and 9.6% month-on-month, and the inventory level was above the warning line.
The increase in inventory directly leads to the decline in the profitability of dealers. In this regard, the circulation association said that near the end of the year, the profitability of dealers is insufficient, as well as sales assessment targets, new car listing and various promotional activities, and the price of new cars is upside down.
As a commonplace problem in automobile sales channels, "pressing the library" has not been eliminated. This problem has always existed between the OEM and the dealer, just like a double-edged sword, pulling back and forth never stops.
In 2020, the problem of this double-edged sword will become more prominent. On the one hand, it tests the health among inherent manufacturers, and on the other hand, it serves as a yardstick for judging humanistic care in public.
Shen Jinjun, president of china automobile dealers association, even made such remarks in the middle of the year: "The main engine factory still continues the mode of' production according to plan', which has caused a large amount of inventory accumulation and left dealers breathless."
Compared with the problem of "pressing warehouse", dealers will face a more important problem in 2020: the profit composition of dealers is changing under the upside-down price.
On August 3rd this year, Lang, Deputy Secretary-General of china automobile dealers association, released the "Survival Report of National Automobile Dealers in the First Half of 2020", which showed that in the first half of the year, more than 30% of the dealers' sales volume dropped by more than 30% year-on-year, and the average income of dealers' new cars was 76 million yuan. The average gross profit margin is negative, which is -3.5%, and the situation of "sales is loss" is intensified.
The price inversion rose from 79.9% of 20 19 to 83.7%, and the price inversion of joint venture brands was more serious. Under such circumstances, the loss ratio of automobile dealers in the first half of the year rose to 48.8%, nearly half.
From the structural point of view, from 20 18 to the first half of 2020, the proportion of new car sales in China's automobile distribution profits changed very obviously: 34.2% in 20 18; 20 19 years to 3.4%; In the first half of 2020, it has almost dropped to a negative value.
Financial services and after-sales services have gradually become the growth points of dealers' profits, but is this growth point long-term?
Although the two 4S stores involved have been rectified, it can be seen from one side that the profits of 4S stores are gradually being squeezed.
At present, the living conditions of dealers throughout the year have not been released. However, judging from another round of "pressure tide" at the end of the year, the situation faced by dealers is not easy.
It is no exaggeration to say that in 2020, the problems reflected by the loss-making 4S stores have touched the living conditions of the entire automobile circulation industry.
In fact, although this question seems to be "forbidden to discuss", in 2020, it is being carefully explored and become the answer that the whole industry is trying to find.
At this year's Beijing Auto Show, XC40 RECHARGE, the first pure electric vehicle of Volvo brand, announced its official direct sales.
Li, Senior Director of New Business Development Department of Volvo Car Greater China Sales Company, had an in-depth communication with Master Car on this issue. In his view, the direct selling model can promote dealers to continuously improve their service capabilities. "We hope that through this kind of direct sales, we can have a unified service process, a unified standard, and an open and transparent price, saving customers a lot of unnecessary time."
WEY Tank 300, a hot-selling model just listed a while ago, also announced the adoption of APP to place orders. All consumers use the APP as the only entry point for booking. Li Ruifeng, senior vice president of CMO of Great Wall Motor and WEY brand, bluntly said that this can ensure that consumers enjoy the same price and rights in any dealer in China.
In addition, Buick also launched a new model of electric vehicle direct sales in 2020. 202 1, more traditional car companies will join this attempt. Will this be a hole to tear open the long-term tight defense line of traditional automobile sales channels?
For a long time, due to different positions and business models, the relationship between OEMs and distributors is very subtle, interdependent and antagonistic.
However, will the OEM take the initiative to "kill" the 4S shop? It is unlikely.
First of all, for the OEM, if we get rid of the existing sales channels and 4S stores, it will not only cause problems at the terminal reach level, but also mean giving up years of channel construction and long-term business model. Secondly, if there is no 4S shop, the OEM must build its own sales channels at its own risk and increase its operating costs.
OEMs want to eliminate channels. In addition to these superficial disadvantages, there are many complicated interests that are unspeakable in the dark, and the resistance is not generally great.
Most OEMs are still very cautious.
During this year's Guangzhou Auto Show, Du, deputy general manager of GAC Fick, communicated with Zhiche Huang in an interview and specifically asked Zhiche Huang about a series of views on online and direct sales channels. He also agreed with the advantages of direct sales channels in terms of service and price.
However, when the owner asked him if he had similar considerations in building a direct store, he got a negative answer. But at the same time, Du also said: "According to my years of experience in the automobile industry, dealers now provide after-sales service and parts in physical stores. In the future, under this new model, dealers can consider making a city exhibition hall in the city center. "
It is reasonable to believe that there will be a big discussion about the reform of automobile sales channels in China automobile industry in 2020. Similar to many problems, there are basically two opposing voices in the industry. One is that the 4S shop is a product of the past, and it is difficult to return it; The other is that 4S stores carry too many consistent consumption habits and industrial models, which are difficult to be replaced.
In fact, since the development of automobile circulation industry in China, the inherent distribution mode has lasted for nearly 20 years. In the past 20 years, China's automobile industry has grown from weak to strong, China's Internet industry has leapt to the forefront of the world trend, and the mobile Internet is basically in a leading position. The upstream of the industry is changing, and the user demand, consumption scenarios and service concepts are also changing. These changes are all impacting the old automobile sales model.
If we compare the development of automobile circulation industry in China to a ship in a long river, after 20 years of wide water surface, the ship once again entered the winding river valley, and the "murderer" who "killed" the 4S shop may just be a shoal buried in the torrent of the times.
"I personally think that the channel will not die for a long time to come. I still firmly believe that the channel is king! "
On the eve of Guangzhou Auto Show, Shen Jinjun, President of china automobile dealers association, gave an impassioned mobilization speech to dealers and used car dealers at the 2020 annual meeting of China automobile circulation industry.
Shen Jinjun's remarks have his own set of closed-loop ideas: "The core of the channel is service, and the final judgment of whether the channel is competitive lies in the efficiency of the channel and the experience and satisfaction of consumers."
As the president of the circulation association, Shen Jinjun will not ignore the problems in the industry while speaking for dealers. Self-remoulding is his beacon of reform for dealers. In Shen Jinjun's view, "How to serve consumers well? This is the most important point in the next 10 year. "
The service improvement of 4S stores can be reflected in many aspects, the first is digital marketing.
Nowadays, the automobile circulation market in China has entered a period of rapid integration. Dealer groups need to innovate their business models and apply new technologies to better meet the challenges brought about by changes. With the rise of the mobile Internet, new technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digitalization have gradually penetrated into the automobile circulation industry, which is both an opportunity and a challenge. How to build a high-value digital innovation system is a problem that automobile dealer groups need to think about.
Secondly, the quality and transparency of after-sales service are equally important.
There are voices that it is difficult for 4S stores to make real changes due to years of industry inertia, while the attitude of some car companies will be much milder, such as Julian Blissett, global executive vice president of General Motors and president of General Motors China. The "China Connect" executive once said that although many transactions can be conducted online, terminal services still need to be carried out around individual consumers, and terminal services always need to be provided by dealers offline. To be sure,
Obviously, at present, car dealers are at a critical fork in the road. At the moment when the direct sales model of new energy vehicles is popular, 4S stores may passively divide several different business models according to their own different situations in the future. But in any case, if you want to remain competitive, you must go through a difficult period of self-innovation, otherwise you may become the one that has been replaced.
Will the 4S shop be "killed"? This extremely long and wide-ranging question should not be answered by one person. No matter how the automobile distribution channel develops in the future, it should be the result of the choice of industry, market and users.
If we analyze this problem comprehensively now, the reason why traditional 4S stores are struggling is not a unilateral problem. Obviously, there is not only one answer to this question.
As the article said at the beginning, the automobile circulation industry in China still exists after decades of changes, which shows that this industry is deeply recognized by the market and has extremely tenacious vitality, but now it is standing in front of the choice.
Some people say that China's economy will be the most difficult year in 20021year, but judging from the forecast data of several major associations, the performance of China automobile market is still worth looking forward to. Will this be a turning point in the industry? You might as well wait for an answer from 202 1.