The Thivolle Group is the first French operator to inaugurate a new Renault site format. Called Renault Live, this concept gives pride of place to mobility with a wide range of test vehicles and a small interior space.
In a few months, and after 40 years of career in the car distribution, Jean-Paul Thivolle , leader of the group of the same name, will retire, leaving the care to his three children, François-Xavier , Edith and Emmanuelle to make end this epic family successful.
At the dawn of his retirement, Jean-Paul can boast of having launched this year two of the biggest projects that will mark the life of his group: the acquisition of the group Levôtre , and more, recently, the revival of Renault’s Saint-Etienne concession, one of the largest in its network of 21 sites in total.
7 million euros of investment
With a particularity: this concession will be the first in France, and one of the first on the Old Continent to adopt the new Renault Live standards. After 18 months of work and an investment of 7 million euros, will come out of the ground in 2020 a closed showroom twice smaller than before, but with a larger exterior housing a wide range of vehicles to test, including electric, but also charging stations. This site, located near the Chaudron, is geared towards new mobility: customers will also find the offer of short-term rental Renault Mobility and bikes service city, Vélivert.
“The principle of these Renault Live concessions: to be dedicated to testing, with more accessible locations.” The Thivolle group is a pioneer, its site in Saint-Etienne will allow the brand to see if this format can then be adapted to ‘other places’ , says Renault which is illustrated by multiplying the formats of showroom. Proof of this is the opening a few weeks ago of the first Renault City of France, in the Val d’Europe shopping center in Marne-la-Vallée, with the support of the Havard group.