Carvana Curbside stores offer omni-channel auto shopping experience

Known for its fully automated, coin-operated Car Vending Machines, the company recently opened its second Carvana Curbside unit — in Birmingham, Ala. 

Here is how the concept works: Customers can shop some 10,000 company-owned vehicles on Carvana.com and then finance and purchase the vehicle — and schedule Carvana Curbside pickup for as soon as the next day. Upon arriving at Carvana Curbside, customers are given a personalized key card that activates all-glass doors to reveal their newly purchased vehicle. Mere feet from curb to car, customers can be on their way in minutes. Like its Atlanta counterpart, Carvana Curbside Birmingham ties together the fun elements of Carvana Car Vending Machines with the convenience of a smaller format, showcasing how Carvana is continuing to offer customers a new way to buy and pick up a car.

Atlanta, where Carvana sold its first car in 2013, is home to an early iteration of Carvana Curbside, whose success has enabled the company to develop a small enough real estate footprint to help minimize overhead, says founder and CEO Ernie Garcia. “As our customer base has grown, so have our ideas for ways to continue to deliver on our promise that we sell cars — but we’re not car salespeople,” Garcia said. “Our Carvana Curbside concept is quick, convenient and fun, much like our multistory Car Vending Machines, but requires less square footage, so we can explore a variety of markets to offer vehicle pickup for interested customers.”

Carvana’s seven Car Vending Machines units are located in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio (Texas); Jacksonville, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Raleigh, N.C.