New Features Help C-store Car Washes Keep the Revenue Rolling
Another trend gaining traction is car wash subscription programs. H&S Energy Partners, the Orange, Calif.-based operator of 170 c-stores, and Enmarket, the Savannah, Ga.-based operator of 130 c-stores, recently announced the addition of car wash subscriptions in partnership with marketing technology company Liquid Barcodes.
"A lot of c-store operators have chosen to jump on the bandwagon of subscriptions and simply put, it's a no-brainer," said Saurabh Swarup, general manager, North America and head of global sales at Liquid Barcodes, which has an office in Fairfax, Va. "Operators are seeing 90% margins and also seeing a 90% autorenewal rate."
Equipment Trends
The days of the conveyor belt car wash are all but gone as the majority of convenience stores today are using in-bay automatic washes, which are available with brushes or touchless.
For years, brushes were the dominant model with around 80% choosing this over touchless. However, the last 18 months have seen a shift to 50-50, according to Underhill.
"I think consumers' taste and preferences might be guiding this trend," he said. "Touchless has an advanced cleaning ability. [They] are a little more expensive over the brush — maybe $5,000 to $10,000 more — and also cost more to run in terms of water, energy and chemicals. You have to use more of all three to get it clean without brushes."
At Family Express, the retailer has opted to offer its customers a choice, so at its newest car washes, there's the option of a brush or touchless wash in a single bay. The customer can decide, according to Fasel, who noted that touchless is a priority with activating the wash.
"Touchless automation has become a major focus," he said. "Giving customers the ability to activate the car wash without having to go inside the store, interact with a kiosk or roll down their car window has become increasingly popular. A significant number of cars we wash use touchless automation to activate the wash, and that number continues to grow every day."
In addition to a touchless start to the wash, which happens via a mobile app, Family Express offers kiosks. As of now, 75% of the cars washed at its locations have some interaction with the kiosk, whether purchasing washes directly through it or entering a code for washes purchased at the fuel dispenser or inside the store.