Minoli helps Lotus deliver consistency through their new retail identity

For over 70 years, Lotus has led the way in producing lightweight and innovative sports cars. Iconic models such as the Lotus Elise, Exige, Evora and of course the famous Esprit used by James Bond, have underpinned the company’s ambition to deliver a distinctly different and dynamic driving experience and to set new standards in innovation and achievement.

As the brand has recently completely reinvented itself and the entire product range, so their retail network and corporate identity has also been entirely renewed with a striking visual language and state of the art facilities in which to showcase their latest stunning line-up of performance cars.

These include the Emira – which will be the last petrol-powered car from the Lotus stable, the Evija hypercar – first electric Lotus and the most powerful production car in the world, and the Eletre SUV – the most technically advanced Lotus in the history of the brand.

The strategy and design direction for the new Retail Identity was designed by Meda International, a specialist in Customer Experience, Retail Design and Architecture. The scheme is based on the principle of removing complexity from the automotive retail environment and focusing on three fundamental customer requirements that the space must enable: to recognise the brand, to see the car and to talk to someone.

In providing for these requirements, the team at Meda designed the Lotus retail concept around three key spaces:

• ‘Curated by Lotus’ – A space that enables the brand to communicate who they are, what they stand for and that can evolve with the company and customers over time.
• ’Simply the Car’ – Just a single Lotus in its own space, ready to be viewed, appreciated and explored.
• ’The Forum’ – A quiet and relevant form of digital technology that enables drivers to connect and exchange information and a single space where people come together to talk to each other.

Minoli have partnered with Meda on many occasions with common clients in the UK and European automotive industry including Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo, Kia and Lotus. In total, Minoli have supplied specialist showroom and workshop tiles to 15 automotive manufacturers ranging from volume brands through to prestige and performance marques.

The tile chosen for this brand-new Lotus latest retail specification is the Minoli BST Boost Grey rectified Italian porcelain in both 120/120 and 60/60 format for showrooms and customer facing areas. Installations have included the product display areas at Lotus’s production plant in Hethel, Norfolk and at the Bell & Colvill Retail Centre in Horsley, Surrey, which is one of the longest established Lotus dealerships in the world.

We look forward to supplying further sites as the extensive global brand identity programme continues to be rolled out across the United Kingdom and Europe.

You can see more images of the Lotus retail environment on our website here.