How's Business Been?

[Bubbles Galore]

Just like it says, how's it been? We have been using a lot of social media which has helped us tremendously! Sales are up this year compared to last year.

I don't want this to turn into a crazy political/economic thread. I just want to know how others are doing and what kind of specials/advertising/promotions you are running.

Let's hear it!

 

[Dirtychuck]

My salles are up this year over last year also. No special promotions or advertising. I'm just checking the wash twice daily and keeping it clean and well maintained.

 

[Kevin James]

Sales are up considerably over last year. This summer we are way up over last summer, up almost 25%.

 

[Jeff_L]

Sales are strong here, as long as the weather is nice! Keeping the washes clean, operational, and giving the customers what they want.

 

[troyberry]

Are many of you using email blasts or email updates to keep your current clients up to date with what you are offering at your facilities? It seems to me like this would be an inexpensive way to make sure your current business doesn't wander somewhere else as well as maybe solicit a few new customers. Just curious....

 

[MEP001]

A new $3.4 million tunnel opened near us about six months ago. It offers free vacs, not just free with a wash but they're completely open for anyone to pull in and use. Our auto sales are down significantly, and our vacs are down some, but strangely the self serve is up enough to compensate. This is our first year being open that we aren't seeing an increase in the net, but even with a lot of bad weather early in the year we're even with last year.

 

[pitzerwm]

The Forum is doing as good or better than last year. So much for the economy going to hell.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

The Forum is doing as good or better than last year. So much for the economy going to hell.

Yes, but the forum went through a couple of major upgrades.

 

[washnvac]

MEP: why in the hell would someone open a $3.4 M tunnel right now? That takes big ball$! They have forced theirselves to do ungodly numbers just to keep the doors open. Back to the subject, I am in the Mid-Atlantic. Nineteen days of rain in June has not put a good spin on things. Jan-June 09 is down a couple of percentage points over last year. The freefall has stopped, but sales are still meandering around flat or down a bit. No special promos, just trying to keep costs down while still providing a quality product. I am stuck in the depressing mode that the media puts you in. I used to love the car wash business. But the last 18 months have presented unbelievable challenges that have just wore me down.

 

[MEP001]

MEP: why in the hell would someone open a $3.4 M tunnel right now?

I don't know why anyone would spend $3.4 million on an EE tunnel at all. They give a basic wash for $3 with a fuel purchase and discount gas 20? a gallon with purchase of a top wash. I've done a little research, and they appear to have very deep pockets.

 

[washnvac]

Deep pockets plus stupidity will do it everytime!

 

[torquewrench]

Slow as ever here! I'm doing something wrong or its that I live in a small hick town in the middle of nowhere

 

[Sequoia]

Revenue

Revenue increased in 06, 07, and 08.

This year, it's down a *bunch* from last year. June was extremely cool (uhh, where is global warming?) but it's much more than that.

I remember a past $250+ day on July 4th. This year it was under $100 and July 4th was on a Saturday. Overall I think things are down 25-30%, not sure exactly.

 

[Reds]

Overall up 8% over last year (SS & IBA combined). Even though June was the coldest June in 27 years, with only 8 days without precipitation, and only 7 days that were clear (not cloudy) sales & car counts were still up in June. Jan + Feb + Mar were way up over last year due to good carwashing weather IMO. No special promotions, just trying my best to run a good operation.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

It's good to hear that the majority of us are seeing an increase or at least a flatline. Feb. to May have been great, with June and July falling off a little bit, but that is common for the vacation/open house season. Our detailing biz has really taken off too, so that helps tremendously. I'm in-line with most of you, just maintaining a nice facility that always get the cars cleans and works well. We have been using Twitter and Facebook quite a bit to really encourage loyalty which can be a little more difficult with just self serve bays, but I have been pleased with the results.

 

[Red Baron]

why in the hell would someone open a $3.4 M tunnel right now?

Probably for the same reason we bought another wash last fall - the commitments were made long before anyone knew how bad the economy would get.

That said, we've been very happy with the business the new location does. Well beyond our expectations.

 

[Waxman]

Many of you may know that I'm a new guy to carwashing but have been detailing since 1985 and have owned a free-standing detail shop since 1996.

My carwash is doing decently; steadily trending slightly up overall since opening, despite the economy and weather challenges.

Detail sales are good and net is better than ever since I reorganized as a corporation, raised my detail pricing, added a carwash and began express detail.

I keep an email list of customers. I should do a facebook page for my business but haven't yet.

I have been promoting express detail as well as a Senior Citizens Day each week to discount the wash for older folks.

I stay in the game by marketing and doing what the best carwashes do; keep stuff clean and fully functional.

I always look toward the next thing; Shurvend 51, another vac, a petwash.

Most of all, I stay positive and give alot of myself to customers in every interaction I have with them. In short, I create customers for life by airing up low tires, pointing out potentially hazardous equipment on vehicles, giving a hand wash to an elderly, sick or handicapped customer and really 'going for it' whenever a situation to do so presents itself (which seems like every day).

I'm like Michael J. Fox; an eternal optimist.

 

[Red Baron]

In short, I create customers for life by airing up low tires, pointing out potentially hazardous equipment on vehicles, giving a hand wash to an elderly, sick or handicapped customer and really 'going for it' whenever a situation to do so presents itself (which seems like every day).

I work equally hard to let my good customers know I appreciate their business, and to let the troublemakers know I'm a #### with a black belt.

 

[Greg Pack]

Glad to hear you folks are doing well.

I'm in the Southeast Metro area of about 1 million. Overbuilding of washes (especially expresses)in the area, plus normal cyclical downturns has hurt pretty badly. Expresses are faring better than SSs. Layoffs/furloughs increasing here. I know three operators that owned a total of six washes that have been foreclosed on. I'm running four of them now for an out of town bank. They are grossing 40% of what they were just a few years ago. Just talked to another operator who is working out an arrangement with his bank. He is "giving them back" but has agreed to keep them running until a buyer is found. He is 50% off his highs five years ago. It looks ugly here. Most SSs are ghostowns on weekdays. They are for sale or could be had. Absoultely no talk of anyone building anything but expresses, but they have pretty much saturated the market and sopped up all surplus car washes in the market. It looks and feel pretty bad. I'm OK because of my debt structure, but I don't see 2007 numbers coming back anytime soon.

 

[Tim01]

Those who are up, where are you located?

I'm in CO and it's been a big downer year. Probably off 25% from Jan - July.
June was a killer with so much rain or cloudy days. Down 40% compared
to June of '08. It's slightly getting better the 2nd half of July, but then
again next week has 7 days of 30% chance of precip. The city my wash
is at, that chance of rain is always higher. It's like in the cartoons, the
black clouds always hover over the city. Sometimes I just have to laugh...
and then cry some.