Premium carmaker SkodaAuto India, a unit of the Volkswagen Group, is betting big on boutique showrooms to increase brand awareness and bring customers closer to the brand. Skoda has around 25 per cent market share in the mid-size segment of cars in India and is pinning its hopes on a stronger brand recall to add incremental market-share in the next 3-5 years, a top official said on Wednesday.

The company sold 16,000 cars in the Indian market in 2009 and is targeting to cross the 20,000-mark in 2010. SkodaAuto’s dealership footprint spreads across 65 outlets and covers 50 cities and towns in India. The company continues to expand its sales and service network to meet local demand and has set a target of reaching 75 dealerships by the end of 2010.

According to Thomas Kuehl, board member, Sales and Marketing, SkodaAuto India, the boutique showroom concept echoes Skoda’s philosophy to provide not just quality cars but also a quality experience to our customers.

"The concept has been brought in to bring customers closer to the brand by providing them with all key information through multiple channels. By the end of this calendar year, Skoda plans to have at least 15 to 20 of these boutique showrooms to be up and running in the leading Tier-I and Tie-II cities," Kuehl said, on the sidelines of the boutique showroom launch at Kolkata.

"The showroom will act as a place where customers can catch a sneak preview to the upcoming Skoda models. Many customers would want to know the differences in say, Skoda Fabia, Skoda Laura or Skoda Superb and also variants. The automobile education centre helps bridge that gap for everyone including students, children and enthusiast," Kuehl said.

The showrooms will also offer the Škoda Merchandise collection, a complete range of high quality and exclusive Škoda branded products. Speaking on it sport utility vehicle Yeti, Kuehl said Skoda has aggressive plans for the Indian market and aim to emerge as a major player.