Izzam Ahamed, Dealer Principal at Regency Lexus in Vancouver is a visionary. A self-professed foodie who enjoys travel and fine hotels, Ahamed is always on the lookout for any memorable experiences that he can take home from abroad and incorporate into the dealership experience.

Years ago, Ahamed came up with the idea of bringing vehicles to the consumer, rather than asking consumers to come to the dealership, and despite all the challenges, his vision finally became a reality on April 7th, 2025 with the official grand opening of the world’s first Lexus Studio, which has been described as, “a bold new showroom concept that invites guests to experience Lexus on their own terms, without the pressure of a traditional showroom.”

Ahamed admits that this new concept in vehicle retailing has been in the works for a long time. “A vision is very hard to present without proof,” he says. “In fact, it was impossible to present this idea before Tesla existed.”

Non-commissioned delivery specialists

Lexus Studio is located in the heart of Burnaby, B.C. at Station Square, a master-planned community with both residential and commercial properties. The location has lots of foot traffic, which makes it ideal for consumers who want to pop in at their convenience to learn more about the brand, have a coffee, take a test drive, and make a purchase – all without any pressure from a salesperson.

That’s because the Studio is not staffed by commissioned salespeople. “The team that we selected for the Studio are people-first,” Ahamed explains, “and they know the product very well, because they were the ones who explained the product to our guests when they bought their vehicles and picked them up [at our dealership]. So we’re moving that part forward—we’re explaining the car to our guests before they even buy one.”

General Manager Frank Stokovac explains the logic behind replacing commissioned salespeople with non-commissioned delivery specialists. “We didn’t want people with the traditional habits,” he says. “We wanted something fresh, and our delivery specialists provide that. In fact, everyone at the Studio was at one time a delivery specialist. So they have a different mindset altogether.”

At Lexus Studio, visitors can enjoy the space, ask questions, sit in the vehicles, and research all things Lexus without the pressure of a salesperson nearby. Ahamed says he can see the difference in their body language vs. what is typical in a dealership. “Their shoulders are relaxed,” he says, “because they can be inquisitive, without feeling any pressure to buy.”

Stokovac describes the Studio as a hybrid between a really informative website and a traditional showroom. “You can go in, get all the information you want without feeling pressured, without wondering where this is going, get the answers you need, touch, feel and even sit in the car.”

The staff who work at the Studio have no quotas and “no expectations,” Stokovac adds. “We expect them to be kind to people, show them the vehicle, and let the process unfold at the pace that each guest is most comfortable with.”

Not a replacement for a traditional dealership

Although the Studio has been a success thus far, Ahamed says, there’s still a need for the traditional dealership experience. In other words, he’s not thinking of replacing his Regency Lexus store with Lexus Studio. “I think there’s a large demographic that just wants to get in there and negotiate,” he says. “That demographic still needs to be serviced. But there’s also a demographic that just wants a great experience, and that’s what the Studio is for.”

When asked if the difference can be boiled down to the age of the customer or a generational difference, Ahamed says that it’s not that simple. “My dad likes excellent service, but my mom just wants to get the best deal possible,” he says, “and they’re just a few years apart in age.”

Measuring success

Clearly there’s room for two approaches when retailing vehicles, and Ahamed has proof that both are working well for him. In fact, the Studio is generating a lot of positive feedback from customers who are happy to fill out customer satisfaction surveys.

“We are watching to see what we’re selling, and what’s interesting about this location is that it’s doing better selling a car from stock than I’ve ever seen,” Ahamed says. “So the excitement comes early, people want the car, and they want it now.”

From vision to concept to reality, “Lexus Studio is the result of Izzam sticking his neck out to prove that his concept can work,” Stokovac concludes, “and the results have been very promising.”