Suzuki resumes retail operations, more than 50% of dealerships re-opened - IAB Report

Suzuki has resumed its sales and service operations in India. More than 50% of the dealerships have been re-opened across the country in a phased manner.

Although India is still under lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19, the MHA has issued fresh guidelines with regards to the resumption of manufacturing, industrial and commercial business activities. Following all the mandatory protocols, Suzuki has restarted its retail operations in the country. As of 22 May 2020, more than 50% of the company’s dealerships have re-opened in most parts of the nation except the containment zones.

Since the Japanese two-wheeler giant has restarted its operations, it has sold 5,000 new products and serviced 50,000 vehicles as on 21 May 2020. Suzuki has also resumed dispatching stock to its dealerships throughout the country from 18 May 2020.

Suzuki has prepared extensive SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) which include several safety guidelines such as frequent sanitisation, practising social distancing, wearing masks, etc. These SOPs are to be followed by all Suzuki dealerships and service centres.

Speaking regarding the company’s resumption of retail services, Mr Koichiro Hirao, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd., said, “We can assure our existing and potential consumers that it is entirely safe to enter the showrooms to buy new vehicles and get the existing ones serviced. Our utmost priority is to adhere to various preventive measure to maintain a safe operational environment across functions. We thank our customers for their continued love and support for the brand in these challenging times as well.”

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Moving forward, Suzuki plans to re-open its remaining dealerships gradually while adhering to social distancing norms, implementing safety measures and introducing a newer process to limit human interaction. The company also plans to introduce various customer-friendly initiatives allowing easy ownership.

In other news, the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT BS6 was teased last month. The company will launch the new middleweight adventure tourer soon.