Zen and the Art of Luring Vehicle Shoppers

Car dealers crowded together on a strip of U.S. 1 outside Boston are engaged in an arms race of sorts, offering customers more and more amenities.

They include complimentary snacks and even lunches, TV lounges with large flat-screen sets, children's playrooms, boutiques, golf driving ranges and — at one dealership — a “Zen garden” to soothe harried customers, The Boston Globe reports.

Dealers on the “Automile” in the communities of Westwood and Sharon south of Boston need to set themselves apart, says Adam Sholley, managing partner of Swardlick Marketing Group.

”Dealers create these showroom theatrics in order to envelop their customers with a differentiated brand experience, deepening the emotional connection between customer and brand,“ he says.

Herb Chambers, who spent $30 million on his new Lexus showroom with a “Main Street” layout spanning 14 acres, has the most elaborate premises, including the Zen garden.

But a nearby BMW dealership may outshine him when it opens next year. Its plans include most of what is available at Herb Chambers Lexus plus a putting green to boot.