Car Dealerships and Living Walls: A Match Made in Heaven?

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.

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

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.

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).

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.”

Plants bring a fresh outlook to the Fox Subaru dealership in Grand Rapids, MI.