Buying and non-buying motives for Citroen cars: an approach from the perspective of the Romanian dealerships

Abstract

The paper is focused on uncovering buying and non-buying motives for Citroen cars. As a research instrument, in-depth interviews were used to collect data from the sales managers of all 17 Citroen car dealerships in Romania. The findings offer some ideas of what individuals look for when purchasing a car and what the perceptions, attitudes and motives about Citroen are amongst the actual clients and prospects. According to the conclusions, Citroen is a popular car among people with previous experiences with the brand, its strengths being the technologies used and the fine touches. The main downsides are the high price and maintenance cost, the perception that the French cars are less reliable and the low interest of the prospects in second hand cars from Citroen. Considering the identified strengths, Citroen should consider building a brand position in Romania based on technology and product specifications.