Car Washes Industry Profile

Companies in this industry provide cleaning, washing, and waxing services for cars, trucks, vans, and trailers. Major companies include Autobell Car Wash, Mister Car Wash, and Zips Car Wash (all based in the US), along with Mr Wash Car Wash (Germany) and Uhoda (Belgium).

TThere are about 60,000 carwash locations in the US, according to Carwash.com. The US accounts for about 45% of the global car wash market, according to DetailProPOS. China, the US, and India are among the top countries in terms of new car sales, according to Motor1.

The US car wash industry includes about 16,000 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of nearly $10 billion. The industry includes full- and self-service car wash facilities, as well as truck and bus washes and vehicle detailing services.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by new car sales and growth in consumer income. The profitability of individual firms depends on favorable location and efficient operations. There are few economies of scale. Chains have advantages in advertising and customer recognition. Small firms can compete successfully by having good locations. The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest US companies hold about 20% of the market.

A key source of competition comes from do-it-yourself consumers who prefer to wash their cars at home, also known as "driveway washers."

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services are exterior wash, exterior and interior cleaning, waxing, underside cleaning, vacuuming, and ...