The rise of the assisted approach trend, the shift to express exterior formats, adoption of automated point-of-sale (POS) and subscription models, advances in car wash technology and a surge in institutional capital are five of the most impactful convenience-store car wash growth trends, according to Eric Wulf, CEO of the International Carwash Association.
Wulf spoke at CSP’s Forecourt Forum on Dec. 3 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Wulf said convenience stores hold several built-in advantages over standalone car washes, starting with location. C-stores already sit on strong traffic corridors, he said, with a steady stream of customers “taking turns onto your concrete” before a single wash is sold.
He added that retailers also have more opportunities to convert customers into wash buyers or subscribers. Fuel pumps, checkout counters and on-site staff all create touchpoints that express wash operators don’t have.
And unlike stand-alone sites, c-stores can lean on powerful loyalty tools from fuel rewards to coffee programs to steer customers toward the wash. For example, K&G Petroleum, Littleton, Colorado, and MAPCO, Lawrenceville, Georgia, launched car wash apps this year with monthly subscriptions and loyalty offerings.
Those everyday essentials that c-stores provide, Wulf said, function almost like “oxygen for the American economy,” giving retailers a cross-promotional advantage car washes alone can’t match.
With these advantages in mind, Wulf shared more on the five ways that c-store car wash growth has evolved.
Consumers shift to professional car washing as “do-it-for-me” demand grows
Wulf said the first major trend reshaping the industry is the broad cultural shift toward “do-it-for-me” services. Consumers who once washed cars in their driveways now overwhelmingly rely on professional sites. Finding someone hand-washing their vehicle at home, he joked, is “like finding a rerun of 'Andy Griffith' on TV.” The behavior has largely disappeared, pushing demand firmly toward professional washes and setting the stage for rapid industry expansion, he said.
Express exterior car washes reduce labor and transform operating models
The second trend Wulf highlighted is the widespread adoption of the express exterior model. What once required a dozen or more employees on a busy Saturday now operates with fewer than four staff members, Wulf said. Advances in detergents, wash materials and equipment have eliminated most manual prep and towel-drying. This streamlined format reduced labor needs, boosted speed and reliability and helped make the model scalable, Wulf said.
These car washes that rely on fewer employees could be either in-bay automatic, where the vehicle stays stationary while a machine moves over the car to wash it, or automatic conveyor car washes, where vehicles are placed on a conveyor belt that moves it through the wash while stationary machines, brushes or sprayers clean it.
Automated POS systems and subscriptions drive predictable car wash revenue
The next major trend, Wulf said, came with automated point-of-sale systems and the rise of subscription programs. By moving away from cash handling—historically a pain point in both labor management and loss risk—operators could simplify staffing and reduce operational friction.
Automation has also made it possible to scale to multiple locations with fewer on-site management demands. The subscription model in particular reshaped revenue predictability and fueled the growth of regional chains.
Car wash technology advances improve uptime and operational efficiency
Wulf pointed to technology as another key trend, encompassing both wash-process improvements and equipment-management innovations. Modern sites rely on remote monitoring, predictive failure analysis and more sophisticated chemical and mechanical systems that improve uptime and wash quality.
These tech-driven efficiencies have been essential in supporting higher volumes, growing subscription bases and reducing operational surprises across multiunit networks, he said.
Weigel’s, Powell, Tennessee, launched its first Auto Spa in July, a tech forward concept that offers car wash tunnel technology, smart vacuum stations and license plate recognition.
Institutional capital accelerates car wash M&A and new store growth
Finally, Wulf said institutional capital has poured into the industry, especially after COVID served as an unexpected proof point. While much of retail shut down, car washes continued operating. That resilience caught the attention of private equity firms. The result has been a surge in M&A activity, record levels of new-store construction and rapid consolidation across regional and national players, he said.
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