Ten years of BusStore: the leading European used bus brand is celebrating an anniversary

• International quality brand for used buses is celebrating its success story
• Exactly ten years ago, the BusStore trademark opened the BusStore Center Neu-Ulm, establishing its first site in the world
• Combining all of Daimler Buses' used bus activities
• Great customer accessibility thanks to rapid expansion throughout Europe: The initial 12 BusStore sites in Europe have now become 25
• Gold, Silver, Bronze: Security and transparency through reliable classification
• Continuous expansion of the service offering

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Neu-Ulm - BusStore, the leading European quality brand for the marketing of used buses under the umbrella of Daimler Buses, is this year celebrating an anniversary that reflects a magnificent success story: In February 2014, exactly ten years ago, the BusStore Center in Neu-Ulm, the first and to date largest BusStore site, opened its doors. With the Neu-Ulm BusStore Center and a further 25 locations in 23 European countries, BusStore can now look back at the impressive progress is has made: Since its foundation, Daimler Buses' used bus brand has developed into the European market leader within the industry and has continuously expanded both its network of sites and its range of services.

Till Oberwörder, CEO of Daimler Buses, says: "Over the past ten years, we have developed a viable business model with motivated employees, loyal partners and trusting customer relationships, which offers unique added value for all those involved in the used bus business. In the future, we will also be launching a second-hand market for busses with alternative drives – services such as fast and reliable residual value determination for eCitaro vehicles are already available.

BusStore has developed to become the leading used bus provider

Daimler Buses presented the BusStore trademark for the first time at the Busworld trade fair in 2013. However, the actual and official premiere of the new trademark took place with the opening of the Neu-Ulm BusStore Center in 2014. This was the start of the centralized marketing of used buses at a site in Germany, and the beginning of a truly unique and lasting success story. Its constant international expansion of the used bus network, the highest level of bus expertise and the well-maintained top quality of the vehicles have always been backed up by individual support and a high-quality range of customer-oriented solutions.

The initial 12 sites in Europe, have now become 25 sites. Long-term customer relationships and trust form a healthy foundation for the success of the BusStore used bus marketing concept: More than 3.500 satisfied customers from 54 countries have already been won over by BusStore's services and have received their new used buses in the ten years since it was founded. They have benefited from the Europe-wide range of top-quality used buses, as well as the time saved when searching for the right bus, thanks to the short distances to the BusStore in their country. Thanks to personal contacts with proven expertise and advice in their respective national language, they were able to drive home with vehicles tailored precisely to their requirements. And the range of services has also been constantly evolving: Today, it ranges from sales and financing to vehicle classification and warranty promises, to service contracts for recent used vehicles and flexible leasing offers.

Steffen Germ, Head of BusStore Europe, summarizes as follows: "Much more important than all the figures are the employees, customers and partners who have made BusStore what it is today: a European network that stands for a unique range of top-quality used buses. Whether at difficult times, such as during COVID-19 pandemic, or in a boom like the one we are experiencing now: We always guarantee the same high standards across countries, and we offer all facets of the business, from direct sales to leasing or financing, with and without a buy-back guarantee. In addition, with our drivetrain warranty we have an absolute unique selling point on the market, which offers our customers additional security and guarantees maximum availability within Europe’s best service network, by offering Omniplus service and maintenance contracts."

Rapid expansion throughout Europe

The expansion of BusStore began with sites in Neu-Ulm, France, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. In the following years, BusStore expanded its network and opened additional sites in Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece. Over the past five years, new branches have been set up in other European countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Finland and Luxembourg. With a total of 26 sites, BusStore has more than doubled its presence in just ten years, so it can serve customers throughout Europe.

Networking within the European sites is a major advantage of the BusStore used bus range. If one site does not have a suitable vehicle in stock, it can use the entire range of all 25 sites to find a suitable used bus for almost every customer requirement. Several thousand used buses have so far found a buyer across countries in this way.

Buses of the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands have been the focus of the BusStore range from the very beginning, and to this day they account for more than three quarters of all purchases and sales. In addition, all common bus brands can be found in the sales lists, which BusStore customers can view both at the sites and on the multilingual online websites at www.bus-store.com.

The distribution of city, intercity and touring coaches from more than 40 bus brands with mileages of up to 2.9 million kilometers remains at the heart of BusStore activities. The range ranged from classic vehicles built in 1976 to well-maintained modern classics and used vehicles just a year old.

Security and transparency through reliable classification

Buying used busses is a matter of trust – this trust is achieved by BusStore through its high level of performance, long-standing customer relationships and the brand image as a professional and serious business partner. All buses sold throughout Europe undergo expert quality checks and are classified into three quality categories: Gold (excellent quality), Silver (good quality) and Bronze (reliable quality). The used buses of all brands are classified according to the clear, transparent and uniform BusStore standards, that interested parties and buyers of used buses can rely on throughout Europe:

• Gold: Vehicle age up to four years, mileage up to 400 000 kilometers, visually high-quality reconditioning inside and out, tire tread at least 60 percent as new, valid technical inspection, Omniplus service contract possible on request. The BusStore drivetrain warranty has been available for Mercedes Benz and Setra busss since 2017.
  
• Silver: Vehicle age up to six years, mileage up to 600 000 kilometers, vehicles are roadworthy and visually reconditioned, tire tread at least 50 percent of new condition, valid technical inspection. The BusStore drivetrain warranty is also available for Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses in the Silver category.
  
• Bronze: Technical inspection has been carried out in accordance with BusStore standards, the vehicles are roadworthy and thoroughly cleaned.

With this clear and transparent classification of its vehicles, BusStore creates trust and has set the standard for used bus business throughout Europe. The classification ensures reliable vehicle quality and makes it easier for buyers to buy a used bus, for example from a BusStore site further away, in one of 25 European countries. If buses have to be reconditioned, only original parts are installed. All necessary repairs and services are carried out before sale in accordance with BusStore's high standards.

Service offering continuously expanded

Like the classification, the wide range of services contributes to BusStore's success. Since its launch, BusStore has continuously expanded this range. In addition to the sale and purchase of used buses of a wide range of models and brands, the focus is now also on increasingly interesting leasing and financing options, as well as the BusStore drivetrain warranty for buses of the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands.

In addition, BusStore offers service contracts for recent used vehicles as well as retrofit solutions, for example for Sideguard Assist, or special retrofit packages that increase the protection of drivers and passengers from infections such as COVID-19. On request, the vehicle can also be transferred across borders, including the completion of all necessary formalities.

In addition, the offer has been expanded to include the “BusStore Flexible Leasing” short-term leasing and the flexible leasing concept, which offers customers the advantage of flexible terms, predictable costs and fixed return options without additional costs. BusStore customers who opt for a used bus from Mercedes-Benz or Setra also benefit from the Omniplus service network: With over 600 authorized service outlets, it is the largest and densest bus service network in Europe.

The Neu-Ulm BusStore Center

The Neu Ulm BusStore Center is the European hub for the used bus business. More than 500 used vehicles are sold each year via the Neu-Ulm Center. The range of used vehicles on offer ranges from city buses to five-star coaches, from shuttle buses to employee buses for works transport as well as special vehicles for fire and rescue services. The Neu Ulm BusStore Center is the largest BusStore site in terms of area, with an area of around 15 000 square meters. In addition to open air parking space for around 250 used buses, it also includes several bus garages, a large workshop, its own paint shop, and office space. 18 sales consultants and workshop employees are available at the BusStore site in Neu-Ulm to answer questions from interested customers, conduct test drives, and assess and evaluate vehicles.