Lincoln has opened its first three Chinese stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, built according to “The Lincoln Way,” a new ownership experience for Chinese customers.

The Lincoln Way is based on research across luxury retailing experiences from different sectors, including hospitality. Key elements include a dedicated Lincoln Team, a “welcoming, home-like environment” featuring a relaxing tea room, intuitive personalized technology, with an exclusive Personalization Studio, and complete sales and service transparency.

Lincoln spent three years to understand the new luxury automotive customer in China. Its research showed that today’s Chinese luxury customers are “no longer satisfied with luxury as an overt statement of their personal net worth.” Instead, they are “increasingly seeking luxury as a way to express their unique individuality.”

To make sure it nailed it, Lincoln built a fully functioning prototype dealer facility in Shanghai a year ago to research, test and refine every aspect of the Lincoln customer experience throughout the purchase and ownership process.

Lincoln says its dealerships are built around the customer, offering an inviting environment that customers associate with the living room of a home or a five-star boutique hotel lobby. There are different zones and pavilions with seating clusters where customers can relax with their family and friends.

By the end of this year, Lincoln plans to have eight stores in China, and by 2016 60 stores will be open in 50 cities across the country. The Lincoln stores in China currently sell the MKC crossover and MKZ sedan, with the two models to be followed by the Lincoln MKX, the Lincoln Navigator and an all-new full-size luxury sedan by 2016.

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