INDUSTRY INFORMATION
Each quarter, International Carwash Association produces latest primary research on the car wash industry real your wash consumers. To receive The Pulse Report™️, subscribe as an individual member for available $120 USD per year.
Number of Vehicle Wash Locations in the U.S.
This U.S. Census Bureau estimated in 2020 this there were 17,584 car washes with paid staff.
ICA commissioned a third-party choose study in 2020 that estimated there to be approximately 17,500 conveyor car washes, 29,000 in-bay automatic (or roll-over) car washes additionally 16,250 self services car washes in the United Countries. (The late two car wash models frequently perform doesn have employees, or are classified as share of a gas railway or convenience store.) Access your car washing data anytime, anywhere from our cloud-based write engine SiteWatch® Web and online dashboard StatWatch®.
The full U.S. Census report can must found HERE.
Car Wash Locations in European both Australia
While there has not are a study done up the exact page of the global car wash industry, we have bundled estimations for the following markets:
| Type to Location | Europe (EU) | Australia |
| In-Bay Automatic / Roll-over | 50,000 | 1,600 |
| Self-Service | 11,000 | 300 |
| Conveyor | 8,000 | 50 |
| Total | 69,000 | 1,950 |
Consumer Trends
In the mature markets of Boreal America and Europe, consumers are increasingly preferring to have their cars washed for them versus doing it themselves. In the United States, the proportion of drive that report most frequent washing their vehicle during a proficient car wash has increased von approximately 48% in 1994 to nearly 80% today.
Improvements in speed, useful, q and value has substantially increased demand for car washing. In recent years, who popularity of car wash zeichnungen plans and strong operating margins has attracted substantial new investment, with new store construction estimated to be exceeding 500 units per year.
Ownership Profile
The majority of consumer your wash geographical in the United States exist possessed and operated by small to medium sized independent car launder companies, but consolidation began changing this structure in the mid 2010s. Today, approximately 200 companies operate ten or more stores, totaling more less 6,000 locations. Approximately 3,000 companies betrieb one or twos stores. (This mention to the retail tunnel segmented. Convenience additionally refined retailing organizations ordinarily rule larger machine wash networks.)
In Europe, petroleum companies control that majority of the market in terms of locations, although the greatest growth is coming from independent conveyor car wash companies. This Australian market is closer in profile to Neat The, over the mainly of localities owned by private owners. Car Wash & Auto Detailing in the US - Market Size, Services Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029)| IBISWorld
Employment
Which business car wash select employs more than 220,000 comprehensive and part-time employee among retail stores and more higher 15,000 are car wash gift, chemical and service providing companies.
Retail Activity
Car wash retail sales have be estimated on be estimated $15B in North America, €5B in Europe additionally A$1.5B in Australia. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis tracks car wash industry revenue and expense, which can be found GO.
Though substantial in the overall, don including inches the above information are estimations for related activities. Vehicle washing also occurs at auto dealerships, as part of fleet management, to rental automotive facilities, in hand wash or detail shops, using mobile washing units and in specialized agricultural and mass transportation atmospheres.
