Mercedes-Benz Vans UK is preparing to launch its first pop-up store at the intu Trafford Centre in Manchester, launching a model could be rolled out among UK retailers.

The commercial vehicle brand will initially develop and staff the store itself as it delivers what it believes to be “a first for the vans industry”, but could encourage franchisees to follow suit if the pilot scheme proves successful.

Virtual reality simulators will be among the features to attract potential customers into the new facility which will be open at the high footfall shopping centre for six weeks from February 5.

The new X-Class pick-up will take centre stage, alongside a Marco Polo camper van and Vito Sport crew van inside the store, while test drives will be offered from the Intu Trafford Centre alongside other vehicles from the Van range.

A spokeswoman for Mercedes-Benz Vans UK told AM: “As this is our first pop-up, we are staffing the store with retail-trained staff, along with our product training team.

“This is so we can better understand the types of customer who will come in and the questions they may ask.

“If this store proves to be a success, then we will look to roll this out to further sites and may then open this up to our dealer partners to help staff.”

The spokeswoman said that all leads resulting from the new Trafford Centre pilot would be passed to the brand’s appropriate franchise partners.

Visitors to the Trafford Centre store will be able to explore the Mercedes-Benz Vans range via a ‘Find Your Mercedes-Benz’ touchscreen visualiser and make use of a touchscreen Approved Used Van station.

A range of Mercedes-Benz Collection items will be available to purchase, a statement revealed.

Steve Bridge, managing director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, said: “This is the first time our brand has ever been located in such a retail environment, so this really sets our stall out to those consumers who may never have experienced what we’re all about.

“By showcasing our lifestyle products to the public, rather than expecting them to come to us, we prove our credentials as an approachable manufacturer.

“We are always proud to innovate and do things different for the good of our customers, and this pop-up store is a perfect example of that; what a great start to the year.”