This is the first sales report since BMW announced it was switching from monthly to quarterly sales figures, and with the first quarter just coming to a close, and with the world under the weight of the new Crown pneumonia outbreak, and the general trend of declining sales, perhaps there are a few things we should be more concerned about at the moment...
Sales are not a priority in the face of the epidemic
BMW previously announced temporary plant shutdowns in the U.S. as well as in Europe, which has hit models like the X family as well as the 7-series, with data showing BMW shutting down about 80 percent of its retail outlets in Europe, and about 70 percent in the United States.
Overseas, BMW is supplying vehicles to relevant social and healthcare organizations to ensure that those sectors have easy access to travel. In many places, BMW is also helping social and public ****ing organizations by donating supplies such as masks and disinfectants.
BMW is currently working closely with a global network of suppliers to procure the necessary respiratory masks and other medical equipment at short notice. BMW is also currently said to be considering the possibility of producing its own medical masks, and if that's possible, perhaps making a more precise contribution to the fight against the epidemic, as the country's Wuling did previously.
In addition to this, at a time when epidemics are raging overseas, BMW has also issued the hashtag #FlattenTheCurve, a call to action to contribute to smoothing out the curve of the epidemic's growth, and while everyone longs for a springtime outing in their BMWs, the road to safety is the way to move forward at the moment.
Chinese sales were down 30.9 percent (116,452 units) in the first quarter due to the Chinese New Year holiday and the impact of the epidemic at the start of the year, with February in particular having the biggest impact, but according to the report's analysis, the trend has been reversed from March onwards, suggesting that the Chinese market is set for a sustained recovery.
With the current domestic epidemic also achieving a stage-by-stage victory and society gradually restoring order, looking back at the past quarter, more than the strength or weakness in sales, how to cope with and take charge of the storm has become a theme for both large companies and small individuals.
Why is BMW continuing to invest in factories even as sales in China fall?
In February, when the domestic epidemic hit hard, BMW took the lead in the automotive industry to donate money and made three consecutive donations, as well as opening a national counseling hotline, and said it would continue to pay attention to Chinese society's efforts to fight the epidemic and provide support, winning praise from netizens. And then announced that absolutely will not be able to guarantee the safety of employees in the case of resumption of work, although this at the time of production capacity, sales will have a greater impact, but nothing is more important than health.
The fact that about 95 percent of BMW dealers are back in business today is also due to a series of anti-epidemic measures launched by BMW during the special period, because the gloom will eventually lift and everything will be back on track, and doing a good job of preventing epidemics in dealerships is also for the sake of consumers' health and safety.
While the epidemic has had a big impact on the Chinese market as well as the global market, Gao Le, president and CEO of BMW Group Greater China, still said, "With the gradual improvement of the situation of epidemic prevention and control in China, we have entered the second phase to guide our business operations back on track, that is to say, under the premise of ensuring the safety of our employees, we will resume our business operations in the areas where the market is picking up. operations." Gaulle added, "As we enter the second phase, we are not only trying to revitalize our business, but we are also trying to regain confidence.
And Gawler also said it will strengthen its China strategy, with a commitment of 3 billion euros in China, and remains optimistic about the overall situation in China, and is very optimistic about China's medium- and long-term development. Meanwhile, last week, BMW announced the official start of construction of the new plant in Shenyang Tiexi, which is expected to realize mass production in 2022, which is also a positive signal for BMW at a special time.
BMW Brilliance's new Shenyang Tiexi plant groundbreaking ceremony
Which models are affected when you buy a BMW at the moment?
Because of the epidemic, the shutdown of overseas factories will inevitably affect the delivery of new BMW cars around the world, and the shutdown may last several weeks, which means that as long as the current purchase of U.S. and European production of BMW imports, will be a certain degree of delay in the production of the car, and the new car order, the waiting time will be even longer.
But for BMW's domestic 3-series, 5-series, X3, X1, 1-series sedan, X2, 2-series wagon, the impact is not great for the time being, because the domestic BMW's Shenyang production base has also resumed double-shift production, so the intention of the domestic models of the friends can rest assured that the booking of the car.
And next, as part of BMW's new car program, the all-electric iX3 will be put into production in the third quarter of this year at the BMW Brilliance plant in Shenyang and go on sale within the year. In addition the X5?M, X6?M, and M8 four-door versions will also go on sale within the year, all of which will still help stimulate BMW's sales in the domestic market in the next few months, and I believe the sales picture will see a big turnaround in the future after order is gradually restored in all sectors.
Writing in the end:
While the first-quarter sales were announced with the Chinese market as well as the global market declining, there is no topic more important than health in this windy time when the whole mankind is fighting against the epidemic, BMW, whether it's overseas or in China, is contributing its strengths and fulfilling its promises.
With everyone's commitment, I believe that all mankind will overcome the epidemic sooner, and looking back on BMW's commitment to the Chinese market in this quarter, I also believe that in the next three quarters, it will definitely usher in another rebound in the market and sales growth. Just like the words that swept through the circle of friends in the past two days: "Blue sky and white clouds will come as expected".
Did you buy a BMW in the first quarter?
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This article comes from the authors of the Motor Home Car Family, and does not represent the viewpoint position of the Motor Home.