SelfServeCov.

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T H E V O I C E O F T H E C A R C A R E I N D U S T R Y

Results from the

Auto Laundry News

SELF-SERVICE SURVEY
2017
www.carwashmag.com
SELFSURVEY2017.qxd:SELFSURVEY2007.qxd 5/2/17 9:14 AM Page 49

2017 Self-Service Survey

Results From The Auto Laundry News

he 2017 A uto Laundry News Self-Service Survey was con-
ducted through a mailing of questionnaires to a random selec-
tion of subscribers who own or operate self-service car wash
locations. The information in this report results from an analysis of
data provided by respondents throughout the United States.
As in the past, for purposes of comparison, survey responses from
sites with in-bay automatics (sites with) and sites without this type of
equipment (sites without) are on occasion tabulated separately. In the
current survey, participating locations with in-bay automatics make up
51 percent of the total response. Some sites without operate conveyor
washes along with their wand bays. These sites account for 9 percent
of the total responses, while sites that offer wand bays only make up
40 percent.
Revenues
In the current survey a majority of respondents are again able to
report progress. Overall, 52 percent report generating greater income
than one year ago. This compares to 51 percent in the previous survey
who experienced improvement. However, a larger percentage of
participants this year than last report a decrease in income 19
percent versus 14 percent. Nevertheless, as can be seen in the graphic
on page 51, performance, overall, has remained fairly stagnant over
the past four years.
Sites with continue to outperform sites without. As was the case
last year, 60 percent of the former report higher revenues, while 43
percent (38 percent last year) of sites without do so. Reported rever-
sals are a near repetition of the survey results of two years ago with
17 percent of sites with reporting a drop in income compared to the
previous year and 23 percent of sites without doing so.
In an exception, sites without do better than sites with in respect of
monthly per-vacuum income, albeit a narrow margin: $304 versus
$297.
Equipment
Overall, 51 percent of self-service washes have in-bay automatics
on site, 2 percent have full-service, and 3 percent have flex-serve.
These numbers closely track the results in previous surveys. However,
the percentage of locations reporting express-exterior washes on site is
fluctuating some: 6 percent two years ago, 11 percent last year, and 7
percent currently.
As they did the previous three years, sites with reported adding new
equipment during the previous 12 months in greater numbers than did
sites without 35 percent compared to 26 percent in this years sur-
vey. In-bay automatics, in-bay credit card acceptance, and vacuums
were the most popular additions.
Forty four percent of sites with and 31 percent of sites without are
planning to purchase equipment during the 12 months ahead. LED
lighting is at the top of the shopping list. The graphic below shows fur-
ther detail.
ACCESS TO
THE INTERNET
85% YES

NEW EQUIPMENT
40% of operators plan to add equipment in the WEBSITE
next 12 months 26% YES

In-Bay
Handheld
Dryer

Others
11%
21% Credit Card
Acceptance RESPONDENTS OPERATING
AN IN-BAY AUTOMATIC ON
15% THEIR COIN-OP LOCATION

In-Bay Automatics
LEDs
35%
11%
49% 51%
Self-Serve
Equipment NO YES
7%

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017 49

SELFSURVEY2017.qxd:SELFSURVEY2007.qxd 5/2/17 9:14 AM Page 50

Alaska-California-Hawaii-Oregon-Washington
Pacific
PERCENTAGE OF WASH
Arizona-Colorado-Idaho-Montana-Nevada-
BUSINESS DONE BY SEASON Mountain
BY REGION New Mexico-Utah-Wyoming

Pacific 14 30 35 21
WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL Iowa-Kansas-Minnesota-Missouri-Nebraska-
Midwest
North Dakota-South Dakota

Mountain 34 29 23 14 Illinois-Indiana-Michigan-Ohio-Wisconsin
Central

Midwest 22 31 25 23
Central 38 25 21 16
Alabama-Arkansas-Kentucky-Louisiana-
South Central
Mississippi-Oklahoma-Tennessee-Texas

South Central 23 29 25 23
Southeast 31 28 20 22
Delaware-Florida-Georgia-Maryland
Southeast
Carolinas-Virginia-West Virginia

Mid-Atlantic 32 29 24 16
New England * * * *
New Jersey-New York-Pennsylvania
Mid-Atlantic

NOTE: Some results do not total 100 due to rounding Connecticut-Maine-Massachusetts-

New England
New Hampshire-Rhode Island-Vermont
*Too Few Responses

PERCENTAGE OF
WASH BUSINESS PERCENTAGE OF
DONE BY DAY OF WEEK WASH BUSINESS
DONE BY
HOUR OF THE DAY

MONDAY MIDNIGHT-
8:00 AM
SUNDAY 10% TUESDAY
19% 4%
8% 8:00 AM -
7:00 PM - 10:00 AM
MIDNIGHT
WEDNESDAY 15%
10%
9%
SATURDAY
25% THURSDAY 20%
11% 28% 10:00 AM - NOON
3:00 PM- 7:00 PM
FRIDAY
18%
24%
NOON - 3:00 PM

40 39%
35
VOTED
BEST
30
MONTHS

25
ATTENDANT

20
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

15 14% FULL-TIME 13% 15% 20% 18% 16%

12%
10
PART-TIME 42% 38% 39% 51% 45%
NONE
5
45% 47% 41% 31% 39%

0 MARCH FEBRUARY APRIL

50 AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017

SELFSURVEY2017.qxd:SELFSURVEY2007.qxd 5/2/17 9:14 AM Page 51

INCOME (COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEAR)

HIGHER SAME LOWER

60
50
52% 51% 52%
48% 47%

40 36% 35%

30
34% 32%
29% 29% 29% 30%

20
24%
19% 20% 19%
14%

10
0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

EXPANSION PLANS
10
10%
BUY VS. BUILD
9%

8
Expansion Plans: Buy vs. Build
(in next 12 months) 8% 8% HOURS
OF
OPERATION

6
6% 6% OPEN SUNDAYS
5% 5% 5%

4
4% 4% 4% 98%
3%

2 OPEN 24 HOURS
1%

0
91%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Planning to Buy Planning to Build

COMPETING SELF-SERVE
IN AREA
RESPONDENTS WHO
NUMBER OF COMPETITORS OPERATORS REPORTING OPERATE A COMBINED
0 14% AUTOMATIC/
SELF-SERVICE
1 26% FACILITY

2 27% 55% 45%

3 18% AUTOMATIC SELF-SERVE
WASH WASH
4 5% REVENUES REVENUES
AS AS
5 3% PERCENTAGE
OF
PERCENTAGE
OF
MORE 7% TOTAL

5 10 15 20 25 30
TOTAL
THAN 5 INCOME INCOME

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017 51

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EXPENSES (Operating Costs As Percentage of Total Monthly Revenues)

ELECTRICITY 6.5%

FUEL (GAS, OIL, ETC.) 5.2%

WATER 4.3%

SEWER 4.1%

CHEMICALS 5.1%

VENDING PRODUCTS 2.9%

SOFTENER SALT 1.0%

COLLECTION 2.7%

LOT SWEEPING 5.5%

ATTENDANT LABOR 9.3%

BOOKKEEPING 1.6%
REPLACEMENT PARTS 5.0%
NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR

*
REPLACEMENT PARTS 1.6%
VANDALISM

VEHICLE DAMAGE
REFUNDS 0.5%

PIT PUMPING 1.8%

ADVERTISING & PROMO 1.2%

*Too Few Responses 0 2 4 6 8 10

THE
THE AVERAGE THE AVERAGE
MONTHLY AVERAGE MONTHLY
GROSS MONTHLY GROSS
INCOME GROSS INCOME
PER BAY INCOME FOR
WAS PER VENDING
WAS
$1,623 VACUUM
WAS
$398
$299

54 AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017

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CURRENT EQUIPMENT
83%
WATER SOFTENER
PRICE
83%
VACUUMS WATER HEATER
PRICE PER MINUTE
COLD WATER RINSE 73%
30 90%
26.2 27.0 26.5% SPRAY WAX
25 23.2
24.6 72%
LIQUID TIRE/ENGINE CLEANER
20 FOAMING TIRE/ENGINE CLEANER
49%

15 TRIGGER GUNS 97%

10 FLOOR MAT HANGERS 89%

5 VENDING MACHINES 92%

0 VACUUMS
99%
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 33%
AIR DISPENSER
FRAGRANCE DISPENSER 72%
WASH BAYS
PRICE PER MINUTE
CARPET CLEANING MACHINE 52%

60 BILL CHANGER 94%

50.1 51.7 50.7%
50 48.5 81%
45.8 SPOT FREE RINSE WITH R.O.
40
10%
SPOT FREE RINSE WITH D.I.
30 FLOOR HEAT 57%

20 FOAMING BRUSHES
96%

10
22%
SOAPY WATER BRUSHES
0 PRESOAK 84%
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 55%
BURGLAR ALARM, SAFE
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE 72%
EXPRESS
EXTERIOR 30%
IN-BAY HANDHELD AIR DRYER
NEARBY
DOORS 38%
No 42% 47%
MULTI-COLORED FOAM
Yes 58% 72%
CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE
HAS HAS NOT
HURT HURT IN-BAY BILL ACCEPTANCE 35%
BUSINESS BUSINESS 16%
WATER RECLAIM SYSTEM
46%
SURFACE PROTECTANT
43% 57% 42%
TOKEN ACCEPTANCE
LED LIGHTING 54%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017 55
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MARKET SIZE
HOW FAR DO
CUSTOMERS COME?
SITE LOCATION
50

34% 41%
40 s
es

o r le s s
34%

le s o r l
30

ss
le s
mi

r le
8% 2
25%

le s s
mi

so
45 % 3

le
i

or
SUBURBAN

4 m il

ess
20

es
49 %

rl
m
URBAN

so

s
RURAL

le

le s
70 %
mi

or
8
les
10
74 %
mi
10
89 %

AUTOMATICS
8000
MARKET INCOME
LEVEL $7,449 $7,174
7000
AVERAGE
60
60% $6,579 MONTHLY

6000
$6,355 GROSS
$5,955 INCOME

5000
50
AND
EXPENSE

4000
40

30% $3,382
3000
30
HIGH

$2,732
MIDDLE

2000
20 $2,300 $2,079 $2,169
LOW

10%
1000
10

0
0 AVERAGE MONTHLY GROSS INCOME PER AVERAGE MONTHLY EXPENSE PER
AUTOMATIC AUTOMATIC

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

80
70
60
64% PERCENTAGE OF OPERATORS
60% 58% WITH MULTIPLE SITES 2014

50
40
2015

30
2016

20
21%

10
16% 14%
8% 8% 7% 8%

0
4% 6% 7% 5% 5% 4%
2% 3%

1site 2 sites 3 sites 4 sites 5 sites More than 5

56 AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS MAY 2017