CARIFY Talk with Thomas Hurter President AGVS-UPSA, President ACS Switzerland and National Councilor

Raffael Fiechter:

Thomas, you are the AGVS President, what do you expect for the garage trade this year?

Well, I think the garage industry is facing an incredibly exciting future, with new forms of mobility and generally many new things coming to the garage owner. The challenges for the garage owner are to ensure that he can profitably apply his existing knowledge and skills to these new forms of mobility and make the best use of his existing infrastructure. How can he make his knowledge as a mobility expert available to the customer in the area of electromobility as well?

How can he convey emotions? Because cars still mean emotions. All in all, I see a big and exciting challenge for garage owners. A big challenge, but I don't think it's ever been as exciting as being a garage owner now!

Raffael Fiechter:

Absolutely! New digital sales channels are both a challenge and an opportunity. One of these channels is Auto Abo - how do you see the prospects here?

I think the car subscription sector will grow. The car subscription gives customers the opportunity to try out different vehicles, to "get a taste" of a vehicle, so to speak. Accordingly, I believe that Auto Abos will not be a niche product, but will become an integral part of the car market.

However, I don't think that car subscription will replace all other forms of acquisition, such as car purchase or car leasing.

Dear Thomas, thank you very much for the good conversation!