Fred Beans adds 7th Ford dealership
New location expands company’s footprint in Chester County
WEST WHITELAND » The Fred Beans Automotive Group recently added a new Ford dealership to its roster. In early October, the company acquired the former Sloan Ford, located at 415 Lincoln Highway in West Whiteland — the company’s seventh Ford dealership and now operating as Fred Beans Ford of Exton.
“Our new dealership promises the same personalized approach to customer service delivered by a team with extensive knowledge of, and my shared passion for, the Ford brand,” Fred Beans, founder and president of the family of dealerships that bear his name, said in a press release. He added that the company is “growing our footprint” in Chester County with the new location.
According to Beth Beans Gilbert, vice president of the Fred Beans Automotive Group, the company had originally expected to close the deal in the spring, but that date was pushed back to Oct. 5, due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Both parties put the deal on pause to focus on their own teams and to plan for moving forward in a world with COVID-19,” Beans Gilbert said in an emailed response to questions.
She added that there wasn’t a lot that needed to be done to transition the property to a Fred Beans dealership beyond updating exterior signage. The building had already been renovated to reflect the new Ford design, making the transition “practically turnkey” for the company.
One noticeable difference, according to Beans Gilbert is the expansion of inventory. Customers have access to about 1,500 new Ford vehicles and 1,800 used vehicles from across the Fred Beans group.
Selling and buying cars during a pandemic
Coronavirus has changed so many things — including the car buying process. Beans Gilbert said the Fred Beans Automotive Group has committed to developing new processes for interacting with customers in-person to ensure comfort and to protect against the spread of the virus.
“When our customers visit us in-person, they will see our team members wearing masks, social distancing and even moving business outside when the weather cooperates. They also will see our team following our enhanced cleaning protocols, which includes frequently disinfecting high-touch points,” she said. Updated procedures cover new ways of greeting customers, running test drives and maneuvering around vehicles for “walkarounds” to avoid close contact.
In addition to following contact and cleaning protocols, the company has worked to enhance its digital retailing experience with the June launch of the Fred Beans ExpressWay — to streamline the online buying process.
According to Beans Gilbert, customers first choose their vehicle after browsing all 21 Fred Beans dealerships. They can then get a value for their trade; calculate the cost of the new vehicle; use the digital retailing tool to compare the cost to lease or purchase, determine the down payment and compare offers; and then apply for financing.
That focus on online sales is Fred Beans Automotive Group’s’ immediate plan for growth, Beans Gilbert said.
“We know that each generation is more comfortable than the next with browsing and buying online, and we also are aware that the current public health situation has influenced many customers to seek online over inperson transactions,” she said.
Online sales, according to Beans Gilbert, have been especially strong this year — doubling in the last 6 months. In addition, she said 20% of customers are engaging with the online tools — up from 8% of customers using the online tools prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beans Gilbert said the Fred
Beans Automotive Group has been able to strategically adapt to meet customer needs during the pandemic. As a result, she said the company has seen numbers that “were not far off” from previous years.
“Our success has always come from how we prioritize the customer’s experience, and that has helped business remain steady in a turbulent year,” she said.
Helping neighbors
The dealerships within the Fred Beans Automotive Group share a charitable cause. In May, the company launched the Fred Beans 500,000 Meals Challenge, to help those impacted by the pandemic. The company has committed to donating $25,000 a month through Dec. 31 — divided among organizations that fight hunger in the communities where the company operates. The donation comes from car sales and a portion of service and CARSTAR collision bills.
“This hunger-fighting campaign further helps motivate us to keep meeting customers’ service and car-buying needs, because we’re giving a portion of our sales back to the community. And, we know the need remains strong for food and will likely grow as a we enter a second wave of COVID-19,” Beans Gilbert added.
For more information or to make a donation to support the 500,000 Meals Challenge, visit https://w w w.fredbeans.com/ half-million-meals-challenge/.