Citroën's Brazilian importer, Citroën Etoile, has opened a car dealership with a difference in Sao Paulo: all the staff are female.

One of the largest car dealerships in Sao Paulo, the all-new 4000 square metre dealership sells the entire Citroën range and every role in the dealership is filled by women. As well as management and sales people, all the technicians, parts department and even the security people who guard the dealership around the clock are female.

There isn't a single man involved in any part of the dealership.

The aim of the dealership is to set a new benchmark for quality of service offered to female customers. Citroën research in Brazil has shown that the decision on a car purchase is made by or influenced by a women in 70 per cent of purchases* and the quality of service offered in the dealership plays a significant role in choosing a particular brand and model. Research will be carried out at the dealership to investigate the interaction of staff and customers at all levels and lessons learnt at the dealership applied to Citroën dealerships around the world.

The dealership has been sited in one of Citroën's most important markets. Sao Paulo contributes half of Citroen's annual sales in Brazil and its site in Avenue Interlagos places it in one of the prime retail areas in Brazil's largest city.

*The figure for Australia is up to 90 per cent of sales.