LAS VEGAS -- Although the official numbers aren't in, the International Carwash Association (ICA) anticipates around 9,000 attendees to have traipsed its exhibit hall, which featured some 380 exhibitors at the 2007 Car Care World Expo.
While educational sessions highlighted consumer data, streamlined and uncluttered operations were a major theme on the exhibit floor.
Highlights include:
PDQ Manufacturing Inc., De Pere, Wis., debuted its new Tandem RiteTouch hybrid wash system, which utilizes simultaneous touch-free and friction [image-nocss] technologies to quickly deliver a clean car while the foam top and side-brush configuration enable a completely open bay.Belanger Inc., Northville, Mich., featured a new, streamlined concept dryer, Airblade, that generates more air volume despite taking up less tunnel space. The company also highlighted the FreeStyler friction in-bay automatic, which features an overhead gantry design for greater reliability and a more open facility.At the booth of Mark VII, Arvada, Colo., the SoftLine tunnel brush station combined a foam top brush with simple side wraps for an intensive cleaning process that can fit in only 22.5 feet of tunnel space.Meanwhile, among the educational sessions, the ICA highlighted consumer data from its 2005 Consumer Habits Study. The association conducts the study every three years. The most current undertaking includes responses from 7,223 households that own or lease a car.
Although the study did not reveal many major changes in consumer attitudes or habits, ICA executive director Mark Thorsby pointed to some interesting statistics that could help self-serve operators in particular improve their business.
Indeed, the self-serve wash user mirrors the heavy c-store user in many respects. Younger demographics tend to prefer self-serve, according to the study; as consumers age, they gravitate toward full-service and conveyor options. Your sweet spot is under 49 years old, Thorsby told the packed conference room of self-serve operators. In addition, more than 50% of customers had annual household incomes under $40,000.
The ICA study revealed that fewer consumers in general seem to be using self-serve washes, with the number of respondents agreeing that they have ever used a self-serve slipping from 56% to 43% between 1996, when the study was first conducted, and 2005. If that number continues to decline, it's cause for concern, said Thorsby.
One area where self-serve operators can bolster their wash offering is in additional services. Respondents ranked a gas station as their first choice for an additional service at a self-serve car wash, following by express detailing, oil change and lube, and a c-store.
Operators can also revisit their marketing programs to increase self-serve usage. According to the 2005 ICA study, factors most influencing self-serve use include a special occasion, the appearance of the car wash and special prices or coupons. Meanwhile, earning a free wash with the purchase of gasoline ranked fourth as an influence, while discounted gasoline with a car-wash purchase was sixth.
The 2005 study is available on the ICA's Web site, www.carcarecentral.com free to members and $125 for non-members. Next year's show will take place in Orlando, Fla., after a few years at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.