Point S, a global provider of tires and maintenance, has formalized its joint venture, Point S China, with two major Chinese players in car maintenance, the companies Suremoov and Harson, and the membership of their respective networks. The partnership was formed at the end of the year during the Paris Equip’Auto show and an official ceremony in Shanghai on Oct. 25 of last year. Now, the venture has opened its irst two pilot outlets in Foshan in the south of the country.
The opening of these two pilot centers is accompanied by a training program deployed by the Chinese team at Point S and the harmonization of the two partner networks of Point S China, which already represent more than 1,200 centers. Point S’s development plan remains ambitious and aims to recruit more than 1,000 additional franchised workshops by 2025 for an optimized network in the country.
Located in the city of Foshan (near Canton, in the south of the country), the two pilot points of sale were inaugurated on May 29 and June 6, respectively, in the presence of the leaders of the companies Suremoov and Harson, as well as many officials, journalists, suppliers and potential partners. These events also attracted more than 3,000 customers curious to discover the Point S concept. The pilot points of sale, including one with 15 work bays and the other with 10, have been updated to Point S colors following the guidelines laid out in the Point S graphic charter but adapted to the specificities of the Chinese market.
Looking beyond the health crisis that shook both China and the rest of the world, Point S confirms its ambition in this market, which is on the way to becoming the world’s largest after-sales market for cars. Mr. Lan, founder of Suremoov, said, “Both Suremoov and Harson respectively have 16 to 20 years of retail chain operating experience, so this, combined with the Point S brand, supply system and other resources, will enable retailers to achieve breakthroughs in gross profit and store management. “
Mr. Bouquet, Point S International CEO, said he is delighted with this first founding step in a major project, “The health crisis did not affect our ambitions or change our business plan for the Chinese market and, on the contrary, confirmed our market scenarios which will accelerate and support the attractiveness of our local franchise offer and our brand with independent Chinese players in our sector… “
Suremoov is a leading franchise network in China of more than 950 points of sale created in 2004 and who specialize in bodywork and quick maintenance. Harson, the joint venture’s other partner, has more than 250 points of sale specializing in the maintenance of high-end European vehicles.
By relying on these well-established and well-recognized partners, Point S intends to become a key player in car maintenance in China and consolidate its place as a world leader with a presence on four continents, 39 countries and more than 5,500 points of sale. The group sells more than 18 million tires per year.
