Car Washes Industry Profile

Companies in this industry provide cleaning, washing, and waxing services for cars, trucks, vans, and trailers. Major US 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).

There are over 60,000 retail car wash locations in the US, while there are nearly 70,000 in Europe, according to International Carwash Association. Germany is home to a particularly high number of commercial car washes. Global sales of new cars are a key industry growth driver. China, the US, Japan, India, and Germany are the top markets for new car sales by volume, according to the OICS (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers).

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 less than 20% of the market.

A key source of competition comes ...