Rivian Plans More Retail Locations Across US, Opens First Tomorrow in NYC

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Rivian is set to launch a number of new Spaces showrooms across North America beginning with one in New York City's Meatpacking district on June 16th.

Each Space is a retail and experience center. The establishments are temporary or permanent (depending on location) that the company says will, "serve as an opportunity for the brand to grow and connect with current and future Rivian vehicle owner in key locations while aiming to inspired and enable adventure for all."

Rivian has faced criticism over the past year regarding its production levels and plans to spend billions of dollars on a new manufacturing site in Georgia.

"We've spent the last year focused on ramping production. This year, our focus is shared between that effort and about our commercial footprint - how we meet our customers where they are. They're hungry to experience our vehicles and we're excited to build these platforms for them to do so," Rivian's senior director of facilities design and retail development, Denise Cherry, told Newsweek during an exclusive interview.

Unlike a typical car dealership, each Space has its own styles and surrounds. The Meatpacking location at 60 10th Avenue is just under the famed High Line recreational pathway. It features a floor-to-ceiling glass storefront, vintage furnishings and product displays made of diverted ocean-bound plastics from Rivian's factory in Normal, Illinois.

"We understand that car buying is a collective decision – you bring your spouse, your friends, your kids. We've built spaces that are intentionally welcoming and inclusive for everyone. As we were in the design process, we often referenced a family scenario where we didn't want parents to feel like they had to grab their children's wrist in our Spaces. Kids of all ages should feel like they can run around, explore, and learn about our vehicles, brand, and mission," Cherry said.

The 10th Avenue Space is the company's first East Coast location, joining the first Spaces locale in Venice, California on the roster, but designed to be temporary and bridge to a future Spaces location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Other new Spaces will have more unique design. They will be introduced through 2024 and feature different formats, including a former historic gas station turned Rivian Charging Outpost in Groveland, California, one of Yosemite National Park's gateway towns.

Laguna Beach, California's South Coast Theater is home to another new Spaces concept. The location, along the Pacific Coast Highway, was previously a cinema.

A 10,000-square-foot Spaces site in Austin, Texas will feature green space, a rooftop patio, and panoramic views of the downtown area. It will sit adjacent to the Ladybird Lake biking and running trail in the South Congress district.

Some Spaces will feature electric vehicle chargers, including the Charging Outpost, which will combine a "restorative retail destination" with the Rivian Adventure Network DC fast-charging site.

"As a designer, I may be biased but I firmly believe that a physical experience can connect with people on a deeper level and help us build lasting relationships. It's one thing to hear or see something, it's another to walk through and physically experience it. Adaptive reuse of unique buildings in thoughtful locations (like a gas station en route to Yosemite and movie theater in downtown Laguna Beach), fixtures made from ocean-bound plastics, a friendly and knowledgeable exchange with one of our specialists – we hope these tell the story of who we are and what we stand for in a meaningful way," Cherry said.

The new Spaces join over two dozen service centers that the automaker has in the U.S. and Canada.

With the locations, Rivian joins a growing list of EV manufacturers that are leaning into self-promotion and away from the dealership sales model.

"There are several key potential advantages to having company-owned boutiques. Perhaps the most obvious one is the ability for Rivian to have complete control over the brand experience to prospective customers. Rivian can make its company-owned boutiques a true reflection and extension of the brand, effectively communicating what Rivian is all about to potential customers in a physical setting," Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at AutoPacific told Newsweek.

"With these boutiques located in non-automotive retail centers, Rivian can also dissociate the brand from traditional high pressure franchised automotive retailers and capture potential customers who are shopping for fashion and other consumer goods at least in part for their own enjoyment."