Clutch opens Halifax customer hub in former East Coast Lifestyle flagship store

Clutch employees attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the company’s new customer hub in Bayers Lake Business Park on Wednesday. Photo by Ryan Taplin /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentLess than a year after East Coast Lifestyle shut down what it had hoped would become a flagship retail destination, the state-of-the-art building in Halifax has found a new tenant.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentClutch, Canada’s leading online used-car retailer, officially opened its new customer hub Wednesday at Bayers Lake Business Park, taking over the former East Coast Lifestyle facility after the Nova Scotia apparel company shuttered the location in October, just 13 months after it opened.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentWhen East Coast opened the building in September 2024, it featured a large retail and office space, warehouse and an outdoor terrace.Article contentNow the space has been repurposed as Clutch’s largest Atlantic Canadian operation, marking another step in the company’s national expansion.Article content Clutch president and founder Steve Seibel (centre) and CEO Dan Park (right) talk with Adegoke Fadare, MLA for Clayton Park West, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the company’s new customer hub in Halifax on Wednesday. Photo by Ryan TaplinArticle content“It’s been about a year in the making,” Clutch chief executive officer Dan Park said Wednesday before the grand opening of the Hobsons Lake Drive location. “We’ve done some minor retrofits.”Article contentUnlike a traditional used car dealership, the building functions as a logistics and customer service hub. Many of the vehicles Clutch sells in Halifax arrive from other provinces, where they undergo safety inspections, detailing and certification before being delivered to customers or made available for pick up.Article content“When they come here, we want to make sure that they are safetied and meet our retail standard, which is quite high,” Park said.Article content“We have some lifts in the back that allow us to do full safety inspections and certify the cars before they get sold. This site allows for that. It also serves as a hub for our flatbed trucks to deliver cars directly to customers’ homes.”Article contentArticle contentThe Halifax customer hub, according to a company news release, will serve as a pick-up and drop-off location for customers buying or selling vehicles through the Clutch website.Article contentCustomers can browse the company’s online inventory using in-store computers, compare vehicles with staff assistance, receive help listing their own vehicles and obtaining an offer and speak directly with a representative about the buying and selling process.Article contentWhile Clutch was built as a digital-first business, Park said physical locations remain an important part of the customer’s experience.Article content“We found that over time, people, regardless of whether they’re picking up or dropping off, a physical location is certainly helpful because we are selling a car, and the car unfortunately is not a digital good but something that needs to be physically handed off from one person to another,” he said.Article content“We’ve always had one in Halifax, but it was much smaller. So, we’re excited to be expanding to a much bigger, nicer and more centrally-located facility in Halifax to serve our customer base here.”