The fabric of the city
The Armstrongs brand is synonymous with car sales and now spans New Zealand with 15 brands across 16 dealerships. Avenues visited the site of the first showroom on St Asaph Street to discover the secret of its success.
Rick Armstrong began his career in car sales as a groomer in Christchurch. Spurred on by a love for cars, he knew he wanted to own his own dealership. This began with the first Armstrong’s branch on St Asaph Street, which is now home to their Christchurch showrooms for Subaru, INEOS, Citroën, Peugeot, and Opel.
Dealer Principal George Wallis says that although there are 16 branches around the country, St Asaph Street holds a special significance due to its history in the city.
“We’ve been here for a while. We understand what it is to be part of the fabric of Christchurch’s CBD and the wider Canterbury community.”
George also mentions that their uniqueness makes them stand out, thanks to an array of brands that mean different things to different people – perfect for the varied lifestyles of those who call the region home.
“Each brand has its own characteristics. Subaru is all about lifestyle, practicality, and capability, really the car for the Kiwi. Peugeot is all about elegance, refinement, stunning interiors – French flair in vehicle form. Citroëns are about being deliberately different, very comfortable, and functional. Then, Opel is all about modernity. It has German pedigree but with a modern, cutting-edge styling twist. Then there are the INEOS Grenadiers – a utilitarian vehicle truly built on purpose.”
Rick says no matter what a customer chooses, the approach is the same.
“We have the customer at the centre of everything we do. We try to manage really good relationships with our customers.”
George adds that there is nothing they enjoy more than a successful outcome for a customer.
“Even though we’ve been doing this for so long, nothing matches that excitement of helping someone get their new car.”
George encourages people to come by and just start with a chat, noting that now is a good time to purchase a new car.
“We’ll make you a coffee and have a chat about your needs – we want to talk about what is important to you – then go from there. Your current car isn’t going to be worth as much next year as it is today, so pop by, and we’ll help find something that suits you.”
Alongside sales, they supply parts and full service, and George says these three tiers work in harmony to keep people as part of the “Armstrong’s family”.
Beyond St Asaph Street, Armstrong’s has two other sites in Christchurch and 20-plus throughout the country, employing about 700 people.
Despite the size of the group, with a CEO and management structure, Rick is still involved – and he says he still enjoys being instrumental in the business as much as he did when it all began, especially in challenging times.
“I get real enjoyment out of leading my business through challenges and making it more successful and stronger because in times like this, you’ve got to be with your people. It gives me real satisfaction to see we’ve been going really well.”
Though now residing in Auckland, Rick mentions that he is fully committed to Armstrong’s presence in Canterbury, with ambitions for growth, telling customers to watch this space for exciting developments to come.