Vroom Inc., an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used vehicles, is expanding its local presence with a new hub in Statesville.
The new Extended Mile hub, at Interstate 77 and Turnersburg Highway, can deliver to customers within a 300-mile radius and holds up to 1,000 vehicles. It is one of Vroom's largest facilities. With Vroom, customers shop for vehicles and choose financing options online. Last-mile employees then deliver the vehicle to a customer's driveway for a concierge experience. Employees can also help explain the car's features.
Founded in 2012, Vroom (NASDAQ: VRM) has added more than 30 hubs in areas such as Atlanta, Dallas and Denver, with more planned in the coming months. The hubs house delivery trucks and provide space for Vroom to clean and detail cars to make a good first impression, said Hanif Saad, Vroom's senior manager of hub operations.
Extended Mile hubs are the next tier up from Vroom's Last Mile hubs, with a broader reach and more customized experience.
The new Statesville location, now with about 10 employees, gives Vroom better access to its customers.
"It's been an important market for Vroom for many years, but Statesville specifically is ... central to many of our other major markets, and it serves as a pretty important thoroughfare logistically for us to reach Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and (we) also are just really proud to be part of the recent wave of tech companies that are expanding their presences in North Carolina," Saad said.
Purchases by Statesville-area customers increased 244% from January 2021 to December of that year. The top-three most-purchased vehicles were the Ram Pickup 1500, Jeep Wrangler and Ford F-150. Cars sold to Vroom by Statesville-area customers increased by 339% in the same time frame, with a 38% increase in average sale prices.
Saad said the pandemic accelerated Vroom's business, as more customers are getting comfortable with purchasing cars online. For safety, Vroom implemented a contactless delivery experience. Used-car prices have skyrocketed in the last year or two due to high demand and supply-chain shortages holding up new-car production.
"We want to give customers their Saturdays back," Saad said. "We really want to give customers that additional option to really make the car-buying experience fun."
