Cadillac’s crosstown rival, Lincoln, has been slowly decreasing its brick and mortar storefront count over the past year, cutting 100 stores from its U.S. dealer network in 2023. That number will continue to decline over the next year, as Lincoln is planning on eliminating 100 more locations throughout 2024, according to a report from Automotive News.
The plan further emphasizes Lincoln’s strategy to bump sales and dealer inventory turnaround by eliminating quite a few stores in its network, particularly those paired with a Ford storefront. All told, Lincoln aims to cut its dealer network down to just 400 stores nationwide in pursuit of a smaller, more profitable business model. Lincoln’s parent, Ford Motor Company, is offering buyouts to interested retailers that include benefits like increased Ford inventory and incentive plans for loyal customers.
Currently, Lincoln only has 164 standalone stores, meaning they aren’t partially dedicated to selling Ford-branded vehicles. Of those, 58 feature the marque’s new “vitrine” styling, and there are plans to build 23 more with this design language this year. Even so, Lincoln still has the largest dealer network among its rivals. For reference, Cadillac has 73 fewer stores overall.
“We have too many dealers,” Dianne Craig, Lincoln president, said last year, according to a report from our sister publication, Ford Authority. “If we’re going to be a successful luxury brand, we need brand-exclusive facilities. Most of the dealers we have are still dualled [Ford and Lincoln]. We love them as our Ford partner, but we need to focus on having that brand-exclusive experience.”
Lincoln sales in the U.S. have declined steadily over the past four years, slipping to 81,818 units sold throughout the 2023 calendar year. Comparatively, Cadillac moved 147,214 vehicles in the same time period, outselling its crosstown rival by a whopping 65,396 units, or nearly two-fold.
“You certainly can’t base the last few years on the future of Lincoln,” Craig said. “2023 was not where we wanted to finish. ’24 is going to be a breakout year for Lincoln.”
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