[This is a sponsored article with BYD by 1826.]
Singapore’s bodily areas are shifting from purely transactional retail to experience-led locations.
Shoppers, particularly youthful and concrete audiences, more and more search locations the place they will linger with out strain, join socially and expertise a model via meals, design and tradition.
Throughout industries, retail, meals and life-style manufacturers are rethinking how house features—not simply to promote, however to form how they’re skilled.
From particular person manufacturers like Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami’s pop-up, the place potential clients can pamper themselves with a cinema, cafe and carestation to inventive precincts like New Bahru that characteristic retail manufacturers in a design-led and cultural setting, bodily environments have gotten strategic branding instruments.
Now, the automotive trade is catching up. BYD by 1826, which claims to be Singapore’s first built-in automotive life-style model, desires to prepared the ground in enhancing how automotive showrooms can attraction to clients.
BYD is remodeling the car-buying expertise

Whereas lifestyle-first areas are frequent in trend, meals, and retail, automotive retail areas have largely remained transactional. Conventional showrooms can really feel intimidating or high-pressure, particularly for first-time patrons.
As electrical car (EV) adoption grows and automotive possession turns into a way of life alternative somewhat than a standing image, expectations round how folks interact with automotive manufacturers are shifting, alongside the worldwide transfer in direction of experiential areas.
That is evident from how two-thirds of individuals globally anticipate the locations and areas the place they stay, work and play to supply extra enjoyment, various actions, and add worth to the time they spend there.
As such, BYD has been experimenting with areas that mix automotive retail with life-style experiences. Through the years, it has launched a number of of those areas, together with the primary BYD-themed restaurant, BYD by 1826, which opened at Boat Quay in 2023.
These retailers have helped the model perceive how Singaporeans work together with automobiles in relaxed, on a regular basis settings and refine its automotive-lifestyle retail mannequin.
Michelle Ho, Chief Model Officer & Chief Culinary Officer, shared: “Every outlet sharpened our understanding of how completely different communities interact with us.”


As an illustration, whereas BYD by 1826’s Zhongshan Park outlet demonstrated the energy of inclusive, pet-friendly environments that encourage longer stays, the Suntec and Tanjong Pagar retailers strengthened the necessity for accessibility and seamless integration into the routines of pros.
Then again, BYD by 1826 at Waterway Level highlighted the ability of neighbourhood familiarity and repeat visits pushed by espresso tradition.
Armed with these insights, its newest IMM outlet, situated within the West, attracts inspiration from native identification and every day routines. The outlet combines electrical autos, a café, design components, and community-focused actions.
Alongside its accessible EVs, BYD by 1826 at IMM additionally consists of DENZA, a premium electrical‑car model owned by the Chinese language automaker.
BYD by 1826’s IMM hub represents the evolution of the idea from hybrid showroom to experiential hub… [it] alerts a deeper dedication to embedding BYD inside the social cloth of the neighbourhood.
Michelle Ho, Chief Model Officer & Chief Culinary Officer of BYD by 1826
What you possibly can anticipate at BYD by 1826’s IMM hub


On the BYD by 1826 IMM hub, guests can get pleasure from speciality espresso and Singaporean fusion fare, from Chilli Crab Shiok-shuka to Tiger Prawn Risotto Pao Fan, in a pet-friendly, family-oriented house designed for lingering.
Whereas they benefit from the atmosphere and meals, they will additionally browse automobiles from BYD and DENZA.
Collectively, these components kind a “café-first” setting the place meals, dialog, and group unfold alongside vehicles, in accordance with the model.
This reinforces BYD by 1826’s imaginative and prescient of automotive-lifestyle integration, the place they purpose to place automobiles as a part of a spot of familiarity and belonging.


The model has observed that as a result of clients aren’t in a sales-driven setting, they really feel snug asking questions at their very own tempo, which piques their curiosity.
In a number of circumstances, repeat visits have led to spontaneous take a look at drives and ultimately to critical buy concerns.
When folks expertise the model in a relaxed, life-style setting, belief builds organically. That sustained engagement has confirmed way more impactful than a single transactional interplay.
“Every location we open is not only about showcasing automobiles—it’s about creating experiences that belong to Singaporeans,” stated Davin Ongsono, CEO of BYD by 1826.
The way forward for automotive areas


In Singapore, it’s clear that retail areas are now not nearly transactions—they’re evolving into experience-driven locations.
BYD has embraced this development by creating areas that mix automobiles, cafés, and group actions, providing a extra relaxed and interesting means for folks to discover automotive choices.
It’s a notable disruption within the automotive trade, which has lengthy relied on conventional, transactional showrooms.
From the West to the East, the model desires Singaporeans to expertise what the way forward for automotive areas can appear like. You’ll be able to try BYD by 1826 at IMM right here, and uncover its different life-style areas throughout the city-state right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: BYD by 1826
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