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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

2017
Results from the
Auto Laundry News

Exterior
Conveyor
Survey
www.carwashmag.com
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Results From The Auto Laundry News

2017 Exterior
Conveyor Survey
he 2017 Auto Laundry News Exterior Conveyor Survey was conduct-
ing through a mailing of questionnaires to a random selection of our
subscribers who own and operate exterior conveyor car wash business-
es. The information presented in this report results from an analysis of data pro- Exterior
vided by respondents from locations throughout the United States.
Only
ExteriorOnly vs. Express ExteriorSites WEEK- WEEK-
For comparative purposes, respondents are, on occasion, separated into two
main categories: exterior-only operations and express-exterior sites. A third cate- DAYS ENDS
gory, exterior washes with off-line full service, is employed when relevant. Exte-
rior-only participants make up 43 percent of the total response, express-exterior EMPLOYEES
sites account for 33 percent, and exteriors with off-line full service round out the
total with 24 percent. 3.9 FULL-TIME 3.7
All respondents self-identify as belonging to one category or another. At best,
many represent an approximation of the identity they have chosen. Less than half
of express-exterior respondents, for example, report employing an automated
pay station, an element regarded as essential to the format. Only 86 percent of 5.6 PART-TIME 6.6
these respondents offer free vacuums another express-exterior basic
though this compares to the 33 percent of exterior-only participants who do
the same.
The vast majority of express-exteriors (83 percent) rely on a friction-only
process; the remaining 17 percent have a hybrid system in place. At 68 percent,
exterior-only operators are less likely to exclusively employ friction. Twenty-one Express
percent of these respondents report having touch-free systems, while a further 11 Exterior
percent opted for a hybrid process.

Revenues WEEK- WEEK-

Overall, 43 percent of respondents report income growth over the previous ENDS
year. The graphic on page 42 provides a three-year perspective. This is quite a
DAYS
drop from the 78 percent who made advances last year, but is largely attributable
to declining progress reporters in the exterior-only (35 percent) and exterior sites EMPLOYEES
with off-line full-serve (30 percent) categories. Seventy percent of express-
exterior participants report growth; none reports declining revenue. 3.1 FULL-TIME 3.2
Future
Twenty-two percent of exterior-only and 29 percent of express exterior
respondents plan to build a new wash in the coming year every one an express 3.4 PART-TIME 3.2
exterior.

COMPETING CONVEYOR Exterior

WASHES IN AREA with
NUMBER OF COMPETITORS OPERATORS REPORTING
Off-line
0
Full
4% Service
1 29% WEEK- WEEK-
2 24% DAYS ENDS
EMPLOYEES
3 24%
4 5% 4.7 FULL-TIME 5.1
5 7%
MORE 7% 3.7 PART-TIME 5.3
THAN 5

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS JULY 2017 37

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PERCENTAGE OF WASH BUSINESS DONE

BY DAY OF WEEK BY REGION
MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT SUN

Alaska-California-Hawaii-Oregon-Washington * * * * * * *
Pacific

Arizona-Colorado-Idaho-Montana-Nevada-
Mountain
New Mexico-Utah-Wyoming
13 8 12 12 17 20 18

Iowa-Kansas-Minnesota-Missouri-Nebraska-
Midwest
North Dakota-South Dakota
13 10 10 10 17 23 17

Illinois-Indiana-Michigan-Ohio-Wisconsin
Central
8 12 8 8 20 23 21

Alabama-Arkansas-Kentucky-Louisiana- 10 9 8 14 20 29 10
South Central
Mississippi-Oklahoma-Tennessee-Texas

Delaware-Florida-Georgia-Maryland
Southeast
Carolinas-Virginia-West Virginia
12 10 10 12 15 22 20

New Jersey-New York-Pennsylvania

Mid-Atlantic 12 9 9 10 19 26 15

Connecticut-Maine-Massachusetts-
New England
New Hampshire-Rhode Island-Vermont
10 6 9 10 18 28 20

* Too Few Responses Note: Some results do not total 100 due to rounding

OPEN
SUNDAY
PERCENTAGE OF WASH BUSINESS
DONE BY SEASON BY REGION
Exterior Express
Only Exterior
Pacific 21 30 29 20
WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL

Mountain 33 25 22 20
100% 86%
Midwest 33 23 25 20
Central 46 21 18 15
OPEN 24

South Central 29 26 22 22
HOURS

Southeast 40 23 17 20
Exterior Express
Mid-Atlantic 38 26 18 17
Only Exterior

New England 33 30 20 18 17%* 14%*

* Wand self-serve bays only

AVERAGE AVERAGE AVERAGE

DAILY ANNUAL MONTHLY
TRAFFIC WASH IMPULSE
COUNT VOLUME SALES

Exterior Only 34,100 62,400 $300

Express Exterior 34,600 90,900 $293
38 AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS JULY 2017
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%
50
44% OTHER BUSINESS ON SITE

40 36%
EXTERIOR
ONLY

EXPRESS
30 EXTERIOR
23%

20
14%
11%
10 6% 7% 6% 6%

0% 0% 0%
0 SELF-SERVE GAS SALES C-STORE FAST LUBE DETAIL OTHER

SERVICES OFFERED VACUUMS

ON THE CONVEYOR

Exterior Express
Wheel Cleaner 87%
Only Exterior
Undercarriage Spray 74%

Rust and Inhibitor 36% NUMBER OF STALLS

Triple Foam 72%

Clear-Coat Protectant 79% 6.4 9.9

Spot-Free Rinse 74%
TYPE
Tire Dressing 59%
INDIVIDUAL
Hot Wax 67%
CENTRAL
Heated Dry 13%

Hand Dry 26%

35% 53% 47%

65%

TUNNEL ENTRY
EXTERIOR EXPRESS
ONLY EXTERIOR
79% FREE
80 71%
14%
70
33% NO
60
YES 67%
50 43% 44%
NO 86%
39%
40 33% YES
30
20
10
0 Live Greeter Auto Pay Station Help Loading Conveyor

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS JULY 2017 39

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AVERAGE
PERCENTAGE OF OPERATORS TUNNEL
USING FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT LENGTH

FRICTION WASH 80%

TOUCHLESS WASH 10% EXTERIOR EXPRESS

HYBRID WASH 10% ONLY EXTERIOR
FLAT BELT CONVEYOR 3% 105 99
OVER AND UNDER CONVEYOR 88% FEET FEET
SURFACE CONVEYOR 9%
WASHING CURTAINS 16% OPERATE
COIN-OP
STATIONARY MITTER CURTAINS 0% BAYS ON SITE
MOTORIZED MITTER CURTAINS 94%

PREP GUNS 88% EXTERIOR EXPRESS

COMPUTERIZED CONVEYOR SERVICE 75% ONLY EXTERIOR
HIGH-PRESSURE FLOOD ARCH 59%
44% 36%
WAX ARCH 100%

FOAM APPLICATOR 88%

TOP BRUSH 34% AVERAGE NUMBER

OF BAYS
TIRE BRUSH 63%

ROCKER BRUSH 66% 5.1 6.0

WRAPAROUNDS 88%
WINDOW SIDE BRUSH 47%
NEW EXTERIOR
REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM 53% WASH BUILT
WITHIN THE
AIR DRYERS 100% PAST YEAR
DRYING CURTAINS 3%

WATER RECLAIM SYSTEM 56%

AVERAGE PURCHASE PRICE
TIRE DRESSING APPLICATOR 53% OF THE NEW PROPERTY (LAND ONLY)
$733,000
WATER REPELLENT ARCH 56% AVERAGE MONTHLY RENT
(too few responses)
BUBBLER ARCH 25% AVERAGE COST OF IMPROVEMENTS
(BLDG., LANDSCAPING ETC.)
Lava APPLICATION 34% $2,080,000
AVERAGE COST OF EQUIPMENT
$807,000
INCOME: CURRENT YEAR VS.

2014
PREVIOUS YEAR

63% 25% 12%

2015 78% 12% 10%
2016 43% 33% 24%
MORE SAME AS LESS

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80
ADVERTISING & 61% of Exterior Only operators advertise
PROMOTION

70
57% of Express Exterior operators advertise 75%

60
75% 64%
64%
Exterior Only Express Exterior
50
40
30
36%
27%

20 18%

10
13%
9%

0
0% 0% 0%
NEWSPAPERS DIRECT MAIL RADIO TV YELLOW PAGES SOCIAL MEDIA

OPERATING COSTS
Exterior Only/Express Exterior Operating Costs
(AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REVENUES)

RENT
ACCESS TO 13.9%
THE INTERNET EQUIPMENT & BLDG. MAINTENANCE 5.4%
93% YES
CHEMICALS 8.4%
EXTERIOR
Exterior Only 27.8%
LABOR
FULL SERVICE
Express Exterior 16.8%
WEBSITE UTILITIES 9.2%
64% YES
INSURANCE 3.2%

ADVERTISING & PROMOTION 1.8%

EQUIPMENT ON LEASE 2.5%

CUSTOMER CLAIMS 0.8%

GROSS REVENUE
PER CAR

Exterior Only
AVERAGE

Express Exterior
GROSS
REVENUE
PER CAR
80 78%
70

60

50 45%
40

30 27%
20 18%
9% 11% 11% $9.68
10
0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0
$4-$7 $7-$9 $9-$12 $12-$15 $15-$18 $18+

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS JULY 2017 43

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o r le s s
HOW FAR DO CUSTOMERS COME?

es

ss
m il
(Percent from within 2-mile radius, 3-mile radius, etc.)

le s

r le
10 % 2

le s s
mi

so
41 % 3

le
i

or
4 m il

ess
es
52 %

rl
m
5

s
so

le s
73 % le
mi

or
8
les
LABOR COSTS 76 % mi
10
90 %

AVG. EMPLOYEE OPERATORS

SELLING GASOLINE
WAGES UNIFORMS

PER FULL 48%

HOUR
PER EMPLOYEE PARTIAL 35%
NONE 17%
5% PAID MINIMUM WAGE
41% PAID MINIMUM WAGE to $10.00 PER HOUR YES
35% PAID $10.00 to $12.00 PER HOUR 7%
19% PAID OVER $12.00 PER HOUR NO
93%
35 34%

30
25 21% 24% PERCENTAGE OF
OPERATORS REPORTING
AS THEIR
20 BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR

15
10
5% 5% 5%
5 3% 3%
0% 0% 0% 0%
0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

44 AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS JULY 2017