Peugeot has unveiled the smallest car dealership in the world… in a London phone box. The iconic red K6-series phone box, which opens for business in Russell Square from Tuesday, September 12, has been converted into a fully connected online showroom using Peugeot’s unique e-commerce system, ‘Order Online’.

Customers will be able to gain access to the diminutive dealership by getting a special code at http://www.peugeot.co.uk/russellsquare. Inside, they will find a tablet device connected to the e-commerce portal, where they can browse, configure, finance and ultimately order a new car.

Touted as the world’s smallest at 0.8 square metres, the dealership (dubbed Peugeot Russell Square) is open between 7am and midnight every day until the end of this month.

Decorated to reflect the French car brand’s signature blue, Peugeot Russell Square has been established to highlight the success of ‘Order Online’, which was launched in January this year.

Peugeot’s e-commerce site was the first by a major car brand that allows customers to complete the entire process of buying a new car from start to finish. Each user can create any number of different vehicle configurations, using all of Peugeot’s model range and option choices, before either continuing to order or saving their profile and returning later after consideration.

The first order was placed on the website within 12 hours of the system being launched. Since then, it has hosted nearly a million users who – during 1.5 million sessions – have completed more than 134,000 vehicle configurations and received more than 35,000 part exchange valuations.

David Peel, Peugeot Managing Director, said: “The world’s smallest dealership is a perfect example of how technology continues to change the way we research, view and purchase products.

“Not that many years ago, the process of buying a new car involved reading lots of printed literature and trawling around dealerships. Now, despite a car being the second-largest purchase most people make in a lifetime, it can be done from anywhere – even from inside a phone box.

“We recognise that the retail landscape is ever-changing and consumers like to have the freedom and flexibility that comes with browsing online, without the pressure of having to negotiate or make snap decisions. Order Online puts our customers firmly in the driving seat, allowing them to chop and change what they want and make a decision in their own time, in their own space.”

At Peugeot Russell Square, customers can take a seat at a specially designed desk and browse a miniature forecourt in the form of a counter displaying 1:64 scale model cars. The dealership has been kitted out with Wi-Fi and an iPad to enable the car buyer to do everything as they would at home such as configure a vehicle, consider finance plans, get a part exchange value for their existing car and even book a delivery date.

The end-to-end e-commerce system also allows customers to start the process online and then visit a regular-sized dealership for a test drive, still giving them physical access to the cars. After test driving the vehicle, customers can log back into the portal from anywhere and find their vehicle specification still stored.