An aggressive global expansion strategy will see Porsche enter 15 new countries by the end of the decade, mainly across Africa.
Porsche’s global sales chief, Bernard Maier, told Bloomberg the strategy was about gaining brand presence in large markets currently not familiar with the badge.
Speaking in Shanghai at the opening of the largest Porsche dealership in the world, Maier said Porsche had earmarked North Africa as the focus of its expansion strategy, but would not specify individual markets.
It is understood that expanding into new countries will help Porsche reach its goal of selling more than 200,000 vehicles a year by 2015/ 2016 – up from last year’s global tally of 145,075 sales.
Porsche accounted for 1.29 billion euros ($184 billion) of parent Volkswagen Group’s first-half operating profit of 5.78 billion euros ($8.24 billion), making it the third-largest earnings generator after Audi and the mass-market Volkswagen brand.
The company also expects further growth through new model lines such as the Macan compact SUV, which will be sold in all markets and is due in showrooms from next year.
Sales in China – Porsche’s second-largest market after the US – are set to expand as it almost doubles its dealership network to around 100 by 2016 from the current 57.
China is also the world’s biggest market for the Cayenne and Panamera, but according to Porsche China chief executiveDeesch Papke the company also wants a greater focus on sports car sales.
“What sits at the core is our 911,” he said. “We’re extremely successful and delighted that our customers have accepted the Cayenne, Panamera and our sports cars already, but we would like to institutionalise the sales of 911 stronger.”
