I haven’t designed any auto dealer showrooms. But I certainly would take a lesson from the folks who devised Saturn’s new retail strategy.

Like a lot of other retail marketers, Saturn’s did their homework. Not surprisingly, they learned that 75% of auto buyers do their research online before even getting near an automobile showroom. So Saturn’s new design includes computer stations with free Web access right in the showroom to entice would-be buyers.

Further research showed that their target audience has changed in the past few years. They are mostly female, “…younger, with higher income and education and care more about style and the driving experience than value and pricing issues.” So they’re luring them in with great showroom interiors featuring “modern graphics and furnishings and bold use of the brand’s signature red.”

Wow. I want to stop by and check it out myself for inspiration, even though I’m a few years beyond the Saturn target audience. Combining high tech with high touch sounds like a dynamite strategy, one that almost any retail store could emulate, even on a tight budget.

Read the article, then consider visiting a Saturn showroom yourself. If they can figure out how to drive customers inside, I’ll bet you can, too.