08/12/2025
Da Eric Wulf via LinkedIn :
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Perspectives on the car wash industry for leaders who are growing, investing, and curious.
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New Channels That May Shape Car Wash Demand
Author image Eric Wulf
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The traditional customer-to-car-wash relationship could face new competition.
I recently found myself at a presentation about, of all things, the truck stop business. Listening to the speaker, I was surprised to learn just how significantly fleet accounts and payment systems influence where a driver fuels—often more than convenience, food options, or even price.
I began wondering whether a similar dynamic could someday emerge in car washing. What happens when the person using a service isn’t the one deciding where to buy it? Could the familiar transaction between a driver and a wash face new competition from forces neither can see?
Consumer Demand: Still Dominant
For most car washes, the primary path to purchase remains unchanged: a driver decides to get a wash, sees a site, pulls in, and pays. Operators compete for that decision through location, service, branding, and subscriptions.
Business Demand: Familiar B2B
This channel is already utilized by many car washes. Local fleets (police departments, service companies, etc.) purchase washes through agreements typically sourced and signed locally. Operators influence these accounts through price, performance, and relationship.
The defining feature of today's consumer and business demand is simple: you can go out and win it.
But what if, as the truck stop example suggests, new influencers of demand were to emerge—ones you never meet, never sell to, and may not even know exist?
Algorithmic Demand: Software Shaping Decisions
Digital assistants and in-vehicle systems already influence visibility and discovery. To be successful today, a wash must be easy to find on digital maps (“Siri, find me a car wash”) and maintain a strong online reputation (“Is that car wash any good?”).
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