Genesis dealers now opening standalone stores, six years after U.S. sales began

After six years of selling vehicles out of Hyundai dealerships, the growing import luxury brand Genesis is now opening standalone retail stores in the U.S.

Its first opened last week in Lafayette, La., and dealers have more than 20 others in planning or construction stages across the country.

A Genesis store in Cherry Hill, N.J., owned by Peter Lanzavecchia, the head of Genesis’ retail advisory board, will open by the end of the year.

Others in planning phases include a dealership in Greer, S.C., not far from BMW’s big U.S. manufacturing complex, and two in greater Los Angeles in the Cerritos and Corona markets.

A Santa Monica location — operated by Mike Sullivan, who owns the LAcarGuy dealership group — is already selling Genesis vehicles, but in an interim facility while the permanent structure is being built to open by year end. Sullivan is the only non-Hyundai dealer in the process of opening a standalone Genesis dealership.