A Stressful Setting

Car dealerships can be a stressful place for both the buyer and the salesperson. According to some sources, a career in car sales is almost as stressful as being a heart surgeon (Source: The Car Flipping Expert). And for the buyers, purchasing a car can be more stressful than getting married (Source: Capital One)!

With so much stress, it’s easy for buyers to get decision fatigue and for salespeople to become burned out. Car dealerships need a way to create a stress-free environment with a peaceful ambience. Enter a simple and elegant solution: The living wall.

Living Walls Are Here to Help!

What exactly is a living wall? It’s a plant-covered wall! It can clean air, absorb sound, and create feelings of calm. Looking at plants can lower stress, blood pressure, and increase attention span (Source: Chang and Chen, 2005; Raanaas et al., 2011). Plants also act as art, inspiring feelings of warmth and happiness (Source: Amway Article), and adding unique texture and movement to a space. All these benefits create an inviting environment for customers, which can lead to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

Employees pose in front of the living wall at Planet Lincoln Love Field Dealership in Dallas, TX. Image Credit: LiveWall.

A living wall can also be a statement of the dealership’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This can be appealing to customers who value eco-friendly practices, and may be more likely to choose a dealership that shares their values. Brands like Lincoln and Subaru are increasingly investing in choosing natural elements in their space – indoors and out.

A lush, colorful living wall brightens the days of customers and employees alike at Subaru Pacific Dealership (Hawthorne, CA). Image Credit: LiveWall.

Real Life Project Spotlight

Fox Subaru, one of the highest rated dealerships in the Midwest, recently installed a living wall in their Grand Rapids, MI showroom. Subaru prides itself on being a leader in environmentally friendly practices, with a sign reading “Subaru loves the Earth” at each desk, and dealership certified Eco-Friendly Retailer practices. According to Alex Marcia, an employee and delivery specialist at Fox Subaru, having the living wall in the dealership, “brings life and calm into the space.” Employees and customers alike find joy in the wall, “the wall gets a lot of attention – customers think it’s the coolest thing ever!” The wall draws everybody’s focus to the plants and elevates Subaru’s reputation as a company, “having the wall here creates a calming atmosphere and changes everybody’s perspective.”

A lush wall of plants brings a fresh outlook to the Fox Subaru dealership in Grand Rapids, MI. Image Credit: LiveWall.

A Good Opportunity

Living walls represent an excellent opportunity for car dealerships to reduce stress, beautify their space, and portray their brands as progressive and environmentally-conscious. In service centers, the stress of a high service bill may be softened by a beautiful and natural setting. Any dealership looking to update their sales floor or service area should consider a living wall as an attractive design element to breathe life into its space.

For More Information:

• Capital One: https://www.capitalone.com/cars/learn/getting-a-good-deal/wonder-why-you-dread-car-buying-a-famous-psychologist-explains/1030
• Chang, C. Y., & Chen, P. K. (2005). Human response to window views and indoor plants in the workplace. HortScience, 40(5), 1354-1359.
• Raanaas, R. K., Evensen, K. H., Rich, D., Sjøstrøm, G., & Patil, G. (2011). Benefits of indoor plants on attention capacity in an office setting. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(1), 99-105.
• The Car Flipping Expert: https://thecarflippingexpert.com/is-car-sales-a-stressful-job.html
• Amway Article: https://livewall.com/living-wall-creates-happiness-in-downtown-grand-rapids/

The walls featured in this piece were manufactured by LiveWall LLC., a West Michigan company that makes walls that are easy to install, with optimal plant health and beauty. Customers interested in having an indoor or outdoor living wall can reach out to sales rep Lori May (LoriMay@LiveWall.com). Check out livewall.com for more information, past projects, and inspiration!