Sales staff slips into something more comfortable

Dealer Kenny Schwartz likes to wear shorts. So about 15 years ago, he decided that employees at his World Subaru in Tinton Falls, N.J., should be allowed to wear shorts when the weather allows.

"I wanted people to wear shorts in the warm months because it's more comfortable," says Schwartz.

But a more comfortable staff wasn't the only benefit of the casual dress code. His efforts have translated into larger sales. World Subaru has been its district's largest Subaru dealership in volume for the last 13 years.

The casual dress code also applies to his World Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge-Ram in Shrewsbury, N.J., and World Volkswagen in Neptune, N.J. World Jeep sales are up about 25 to 30 percent since 2014. World Volkswagen has been doing pretty well, too.

Schwartz admits the vehicles themselves are a big reason for his success, but he adds that a shorts-clad staff and appealing work environment "all adds up" to a prosperous business.

Schwartz figures that salespeople might need to show a potential buyer up to six vehicles on the lot. If it's 90 degrees outside and they're getting sweaty and uncomfortable in pants, they might be inclined to show just two vehicles.

"It's better to have them show as many cars as possible until they have a sale," says Schwartz.

His employees' warm-weather look calls for a company polo shirt, khaki shorts and sneakers. They're allowed to look casual, but they must also look neat. The company spends about $1,000 a year for the shirts.

Schwartz believes that when his employees are comfortable, they radiate those feelings to their customers. World Subaru sells about 2,300 new and used vehicles combined a year and is on track for its third-straight Stellar Care dealer award from Subaru, says General Manager Joe Wajda.

And what goes best with khaki shorts and sneakers? High-end art, of course.

Schwartz has several thousand pieces of art that he has been collecting from all over the world for nearly 50 years. About 30 to 40 of those pieces adorn the walls of the Subaru dealership, as well as his main office inside the dealership.

Customers can view an eclectic mix of American folk and street art from emerging artists while they shop at the Subaru store. Artwork makes the dealership feel more "homey" and comfortable, he says, but it is not on display at the other stores because of prohibitions in the VW and Jeep factory image programs. 

If any Subaru customers think a particular piece would look great hanging in their own living rooms, they're out of luck. The work is not for sale, but those who are truly interested are directed to Schwartz's art gallery. 

Detour Gallery in Red Bank, N.J., opened in October and is just a few minutes' drive from the Subaru and Jeep dealerships. The 10,000-square-foot gallery houses original folk art, street art, urban art, pop art and photography as well as what Schwartz calls a few "really cool" antiques. One of the pieces is on loan to the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. 

The New Jersey location helps him avoid the sky-high rent that would be required to open a gallery in New York City, which means he's able to sell the works for more reasonable prices. This helps get the artists' names and work out before the public. 

While his goal at the dealerships is to sell vehicles, his goal at the gallery is different. "My main focus is to help really talented, emerging artists," says Schwartz. "Help them make a living."