Hi Jim,This is such a significant building that I am wondering whether they will fold the Dadeland mall store once Coral Gables is really up and running. They did fold a store in Miami Beach, so it has happened before. At the beginning it seemed that one of their main marketing objectives was to bring visibility to the brand through high traffic locations like Malls. Considering the huge visibility of Model 3 PR and the sheer number of Teslas roaming around the MIA area, I am wondering whether it is now a necessary expense. Other service locations such as Dania and West Palm also have sales people and showroom space. Having their own brick and mortar is a logical next step in locations where they have had decent market penetration.
Whereas Tesla has the ability to do some sales at the Dania Beach and West Palm Beach Service Centers, once you visit them and experience the neighborhoods in which they are located, most would immediately realize how unfavorably they compare in attracting foot-traffic when considering bona fide Tesla Stores located in high-traffic malls.
It is true that Tesla did relocate its Lincoln Road Mall Store to Dadeland Mall. However, the Lincoln Road store was located in a pedestrian mall on an island, South Beach Miami, with poor parking. The Lincoln Road Mall struggles to handle 6 million visitors per year. The Dadeland Mall handles more than18 million visitors per year.
Tesla probably moved the store from Lincoln Road to Dadeland to benefit from the increased foot traffic and lower lease rates. It is unlikely that the Coral Gables Service Center location could ever rival the foot-traffic at the Tesla Store at Dadeland Mall.
Larry
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