Hello Mike,
As I said in my earlier note, I found a lot of information for you on
how to market your car wash to an affluent market. I’ve identified a
large number of car wash resources and lots of articles about
successful full-service car wash companies that will provide you with
suggestions of what works. The articles discuss how to identify the
characteristics of your local market and give you examples of
approaches geared to the high-end customer. I’ve organized what I’ve
found into several categories that should help you continue your
research.
Wishing you success with your enterprise.
~ czh ~
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FULL SERVICE CAR WASHES – MARKETING APPROACHES
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http://www.carwash.com/article.asp?indexid=6633130
October/2002 Professional Carwashing & Detailing magazine
Does a demographic exist for multiple in-bay washes?
Consumer characteristics: Conveyors
On the other end of the spectrum, consumers who frequent full-service
carwashes tend to be personalizing shoppers who are more concerned
with personal attention, quality, image and value and are less
concerned with price.
The demographic profile in full-service trade areas is mostly middle
to upper-middle income households, consumers who have above-average
disposable income and personal spending habits and most of the
households are owned.
According to consumer studies, quality, convenience, value and safety
are rated as most important for full-service users.
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http://www.carwash.com/article.asp?indexid=6633539
Market fundamentals for first-time carwash investors
A guide for evaluating carwash opportunities and feasibility.
Analyzing demographics
For example, in December 2002, Professional Carwashing & Detailing
listed the 10 highest reported gross revenue per car figures for
full-service. If we take a snapshot of the demographic profile for
each of these areas (Table 3), we find that with a few exceptions,
each market exhibits robust socio-economic characteristics and
favorable demographic trends.
---------------------------------
http://www.bplans.com/c/sp/d/Index.cfm?s=1213
Sample Marketing Plan: Soapy Rides Car Wash
See 2.0 Situation Analysis and 2.1.1 Market Demographics
See 3.0 Marketing Strategy especially 3.4 Target Marketing
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http://www.carwashmag.com/pdf/sept_2003/9.cfm
Marketing - September 2003
New Movers Are Premium Prospects
Newcomers to a neighborhood, people who have yet to establish business
relationships or buying patterns in a market, are premium prospects
for replacing "disappearing" customers. New-resident mailing programs
are one way to reach this potential customer pool. Direct mail
campaigns are reported to be a rich source of "premium quality" new
customers and added profits - especially for the car care industry.
Research reveals that just-moved-in newcomers spend 140 percent more
than established residents, 270 percent more often. They stick with
their "first picks" more than 210 percent longer than new customers
acquired from other sources. Typically, they're five times more likely
to become loyal regulars.
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http://www.washtec-uk.com/making_the_most_from_your_car_wash.htm
PROMOTING YOUR CAR WASH - A - WashTec GUIDE TO YOUR INCREASED
PROFITABILITY
***** This is a long article from a British car wash company. It
offers many suggestions for advertising and marketing campaigns.
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http://www.hanna-sherman.com/resources/business-plan/marketingprograms.html
Creating a Carwash Business Plan -- Marketing Programs
***** See list of ideas for short and long-term marketing programs.
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http://www.moderncarcare.com/articles/181feat1.html
Operators Aim for Maximum Impact -- Maxi award winners find
advertising success
Each year, the International Carwash Association presents three Maxi
awards to carwash companies that have shown excellence in the areas of
print, TV and radio advertising. At the annual convention last June,
three carwash operators were rewarded for their outstanding efforts in
these areas. Modern Car Care spoke with these operators about their
advertising campaigns and what these programs did for their
businesses.
***** These award-winning advertising campaigns can give you
information for how to promote your businesses.
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http://www.moderncarcare.com/Articles/2b1cover.html
Drought Busters
North Carolina operators won't let a drought dry up their business
***** This article discusses advertising and promotional campaigns for
a car wash business located in an affluent area.
--------------------------------
http://www.procarwashequipment.com/pop_eval.cfm
Population Evaluation
======================================================
MARKETING TO AFFLUENT CUSTOMERS -- GENERAL INFORMATION
======================================================
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,310707,00.html
September 01, 2003 -- Motivating Affluent Customers
Targeting the rich can mean big bucks for you. Here's how to approach
your marketing program for this unique market.
***** This is a short article that gives a good overview of marketing
to the affluent.
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http://www.sric-bi.com/CFD/TOCs/2000AffRptToC.shtml
America's Affluent: Understanding the Evolving Needs of the Emerging
Mass Market
2000-01 Affluent MacroMonitor Report
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http://www.sric-bi.com/CFD/MRsummaries/MR.III-9.shtml
Targeting the Affluent: A VALS™ Strategy MacroMonitor Marketing Report
The Right Message
Psychological differences exist between the three principal affluent
segments in how they view advertising and in how they receive and
process marketing information. For example, Actualizers respond to
advertising that seizes their imagination or that demonstrates how
they can achieve greater personal control. Fulfilleds want all the
facts and figures, and then they want to know how and where to find
more information. Meanwhile, Achievers do not want all the details;
they prefer advertising that clearly outlines what the product's or
service's benefits are to them.
***** This is a short article that discusses the VALS segmentation
method developed by SRI for targeted marketing.
-----------------------------------
http://www.marketresearch.com/browse.asp?CategoryID=1427
Home > Marketing & Market Research > Demographics > Lifestyle &
Economics > Affluent
***** This is a list of 40 (expensive) reports profiling the affluent.
Reading the report abstracts/summaries and table of contents can
sometimes give you insights into the problems you’re trying to address
even if you can’t afford to buy the full report.
=======================
FULL SERVICE CAR WASHES
=======================
http://www.parthe.net/_cwg900/00000132.htm
A look at Car Wash Partners pre-IPO consolidation plans and offer
From: Bravo Research
Date: 04 Nov 2000
The Car Wash industry consists of six segments: individuals washing
their own cars, car owners utilizing self-service facilities,
"roll-over" car washes, 10-20 ft. enclosures behind gas stations,
"exterior" only car washes, 50-200 ft. long tunnels in which cars are
moved by conveyor, "full-service" car washes that utilize conveyors
along with a variety of other services to maintain the appearance and
operating condition of vehicles, and lastly high-end consumers can
purchase hand car washes. CWP's plan focuses on exterior-only and
full-service car washes because they represent the largest portion of
the professional car washing market. The markets, while sizeable, are
extremely fragmented. 1.2% of operators own more than 10 locations and
8.7% own 4-9 locations. Of the 14,000 conveyor wash sites across the
country only 625 are controlled by the ten largest operators.
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http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/1998/04/27/smallb1.html?page=1
April 27, 1998 -- Polishing an image
Car Wash Partners hopes to clean up with customer-friendly nationwide
chain
"The industry is really fragmented right now and it's ripe for
consolidation," Cliff Brown said. "Our approach is to focus on
specific regions with controlled growth."
The people at Car Wash Partners aren't the only ones who think there
is a market for a nationwide car-wash chain.
Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Car Wash
Association, a Chicago-based trade group, said he knows of several
other car wash companies in the United States that share the same
goal. Thorsby said that within the past couple of years financiers
seem to have awakened to the potential in the industry. He said
Americans spend about $18.3 billion annually at car washes.
--------------------------------
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/1998/04/06/story7.html
April 6, 1998 . Bay State car wash chain acquires Texas franchise
BEDFORD--Car Wash Partners Inc. this week got one step closer to its
stated goal of becoming the nation's leader in full-service car
washes.
With both operations, Car Wash Partners will have $50 million in
annual revenue, employ more than 1,000 people and wash more than 2
million cars a year. The company also will offer "detailing" of cars
and maintenance services, such as oil changes. As a result, it has
become one of the top five car-wash businesses in the country, said
Cabot Brown, a managing director at Brown, McMillan & Co. LLC in San
Francisco, which owns a majority stake in the company. Boston-based
Bessemer Ventures also has an equity interest in Car Wash Partners.
----------------------------------
http://www.mark7inc.com/pdf/InvGuide_Tunnel_v1.1.pdf
Investing in the Car Wash Industry: Tunnel Washing
***** This is an 11-page paper spelling out how to plan for a high-end
car wash.
-----------------------------------
http://www.moderncarcare.com/Articles/081feat3.html
High-dollar Impulse Items Boost Lobby Sales
Distributor says 'Man cannot live by trees alone'
Since carwash customers are usually of the in-and-out,
buy-a-fragrance-tree-and-leave variety, the thought of selling
"high-priced" impulse items in a lobby may frighten some. But wary
carwash owners should take comfort in the fact that operators across
the country are successfully selling pricier items and improving the
bottom line.
The definition of a high-priced item is subjective and will vary among
operators. Some say it starts at $8 while others consider items $15
and over high-dollar impulse. Both dollar amounts exceed the prices
most commonly seen in carwash lobbies of the past.
Know your demographics
While the chances of moving higher-priced items in an upper-income
area is greater, Levy says operators in blue-collar areas shouldn't
give up on the idea of selling higher-end merchandise.
"The demographics [of an upper-income area] are such that people have
more money to spend, so your ticket averages are going to be better,"
Student says. "But even in areas where the dollars are a littler
scarcer--they'll spend $15 on the right item."
-------------------------------------
http://www.moderncarcare.com/Articles/391profile.html
Carwashing with a Conscience
California operator puts community first
The Valencia Auto Spa offers five types of washes, ranging in cost
from $11.99 to $25.99: a Full Service, Deluxe and Super Deluxe Wash;
Hand Washes and the Ultimate Car Wash, which includes the features of
all three full-serve options, plus seven additional services
incorporating the interior and exterior.
“We are considered to be a very high-end-level carwash and very
high-level detail center,” he says. “We are catering to high-end-level
customers who want the best of the best in carwashing and detailing.”
On average, customers spend approximately $26 per car. Cressall says
the spa’s prices are at the top end of the spectrum in the community,
but says the average dollar-per-car figure also includes carwash
customers who are sold detail items.
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http://www.svcn.com/archives/lgwt/03.29.00/wine-0013.html
March 29, 2000 Los Gatos, California
Fear of drunken drivers unrealistic, council says
Adequately convinced that drivers won't swig themselves silly from
bottles of premium wine, the Town Council overturned the Planning
Commission decision to deny Classic Car Wash's request to sell fine
wines.
--------------------------------------
http://pf.inc.com/magazine/20010901/23308.html
http://www.swashwash.com/news_lather.html
Hell-Bent for Lather
A high-tech car wash (all spray, no brush) aims to become the
Starbucks of drive through suds.
60-Second Business Plan
The pitch: There are 75,000 car washes in America, most of which don't
provide a Rolls-Royce-caliber experience. At the high end are 10,000
so-called full-service washes that scrub and buff, on average, 67,000
cars a year. They're pricey ($13 a pop for pretty basic service);
inconvenient (you have to abandon your car to strangers wielding noisy
vacuums); perilous (equipment that's outdated can ding your vehicle);
and not known for gracious service (holders of these
sweltering-in-summer, freezing-in-winter jobs turn over at an annual
rate approaching 260%). At the other end of the market are drive-in,
do-it-yourself shops, which tend to be run-down and ill-lit. They
leave you fumbling for quarters, and then they soak your feet.
-------------------------------------
http://www.moderncarcare.com/Articles/061feat2.html
6 Ways to Improve Lobby Sales
Set up a plan and stock items that appeal to customers
Choose the right products
Porter says stocking a lobby begins with determining which products
customers will be interested in buying. Local demographics and
customer preferences are all part of the decision--and not all
products are right for all washes.
Impulse items are just that. Prices should be low enough that
consumers feel comfortable spending the extra money beyond the cost of
the wash.
"Unless you're in a high-end demographic area, when you go over $20
things just won't sell," Miller says. At Christmas time, operators may
be able to do a little better, for the most part that's a good limit.
Porter, though, says his company is lucky enough to be in an area with
strong demographics--about $75,000 in income per household. Great
American has done well selling items up to the $20 price limit and
beyond. "We have a sunglasses display, from $9.99 to $19.99," he says.
"We can't keep them in stock."
------------------------------------
http://www.moderncarcare.com/Articles/131feat5.html
Hoppy's Car Wash Is a Hit in Georgia
Operators carry on a family tradition of excellence
"My original goal was to open a self-serve and run it myself without
any employees," Jay says. "West Virginia doesn't have many large,
full-service washes like Hoppy's. The population doesn't really
support the numbers for a full-serve. I thought I was going to stay in
West Virginia to live and thought it would be a business I could start
and run."
Hoppy's offers an exterior wash and three full-service wash packages,
along with express detail and lube services. The average ticket price
in the wash is $13, in the lube center, $18, and in the detail shop,
$48.
===================================
CAR WASH INDUSTRY GENERAL RESOURCES
===================================
http://www.thecarwashtimes.com/index.htm
The Carwash Times is the Internet's one-stop guide to car care
products and information.
http://www.carwashmag.com/
Auto Laundry News
***** Be sure to review the articles archives for ideas on advertising
and marketing.
http://www.carwash.com/article.asp
***** Easy to use, searchable archives.
http://home.earthlink.net/~allanm1/
Car Wash Industry Links
http://www.mortgages-approved.us/dir/car_wash_investing/index.shtml
Car Wash Investing
http://www.moderncarcare.com/
Modern Car Care
http://www.carwashinstitute.com/about_power-inc.html
Car Wash Institute
http://www.hanna-sherman.com/resources/business-model/print-version.html
Developing a Carwash Business Model
http://www.hanna-sherman.com/resources/preferred-properties.html
Preferred Properties For Carwashes
http://www.carwashinstitute.com/services.html
We provide consulting, on-site assessments, and on-site trainings to
the car wash industry. We provide these services for full-service,
flex-serve (off-line full-service), exterior, in-bay automatic, and
self-serve car washes.
***** This outline of a consulting company’s training program for car
wash operators highlights the different types of possible car wash
operations and the need to match the customer demographics to each
type.
http://www.valuationresources.com/Reports/SIC7542CarWashes.htm
Industry Resources Report
SIC 7542 / NAICS 811192
Car Washes
http://www.the-infoshop.com/study/dc14062_euro_carwash_toc.html
The European car wash market to 2007
Pub Time: 2003/05
Published by : Datamonitor
Distributed by : Global Information, Inc.
Price: US $ 4500
This report details the size of the car wash market in 8 western
European countries, which together account for over 90% of car washing
in Europe. It examines both the service station and standalone car
wash markets, outlining the number of facilities, their volumes and
revenues, and details the drivers and direction for growth to 2007,
identifying the markets where there is greatest potential...
http://www.valuationresources.com/Reports/SIC7542CarWashes.htm
Industry Resources Report
SIC 7542 / NAICS 811192
Car Washes
Industry Resources Reports list resources available from trade
associations, industry publications, and research firms which address
subjects such as industry overview, issues, trends, and outlook,
financial benchmarking, compensation surveys, and valuation resources.
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SEARCH STRATEGY
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car wash demographics
high end car washes
full service car wash demographics
full service car wash marketing
sic 7542
advertising high end car wash
targeted advertising car washes |
