Uncle Sam
Member
We got curious about what vendor models had been selected and purchased over the years, so we did a search on our database to see what we could learn. We have kept a detailed database of all the vendors we have sold since we started in 1999 where we record the model, the style of security, bill validator, coin changer, and 27 more data points of information on each vendor. This database is very useful when we get a call from a customer that has lost the keys to his/her vendor or needs some other information. We can go to the database to order new keys or get the necessary information.
We recently searched the database to show us the big picture of what customers order and buy; you can see the results listed below.
• ShurVend “39” model--- 19.7%
• ShurVend “51” model--- 31.1%
• ShurVend Visi-Combo (refrigerated) models--- 34%
• ShurVend 10/18 Selection models---12.5%
• Everything else ---2.7%
The ShurVend “51” and Visi-Combo have the same physical size, but are obviously set up differently. They account for 65.1% of the total sold while the ShurVend “39”, which is 4-inches narrower, accounts for less than 20%. When you compare the number of selections in a vendor and the price of that same vendor, the best “bang for the buck” is either the “51” or the Visi-Combo. Customers understand the concept of value for the dollars invested, so the percentages above reflect that customers choose value. Every car wash site is different and each operator has their unique way of doing business, so each operator chooses the vendor model that fits their operation.
One statistic which surprised us a little is that 31% of the total had no security enhancements while 69% had some kind of security to protect the investment. In the early days there were many vendors purchased by operators with no security because “the wash was located in a good area and we have very little vandalism”. Unfortunately neighborhoods change and eventually the unsecured vendors do get vandalized. More recently Express Exterior washes are being built with a designed, secure location for installing the vendors, so this accounts for many vendors being sold without any security.
These historical numbers show what choices operators made in the past, so this can add knowledge to help you choose which computer controlled vendor might work at your wash site(s).
Uncle Sam
We recently searched the database to show us the big picture of what customers order and buy; you can see the results listed below.
• ShurVend “39” model--- 19.7%
• ShurVend “51” model--- 31.1%
• ShurVend Visi-Combo (refrigerated) models--- 34%
• ShurVend 10/18 Selection models---12.5%
• Everything else ---2.7%
The ShurVend “51” and Visi-Combo have the same physical size, but are obviously set up differently. They account for 65.1% of the total sold while the ShurVend “39”, which is 4-inches narrower, accounts for less than 20%. When you compare the number of selections in a vendor and the price of that same vendor, the best “bang for the buck” is either the “51” or the Visi-Combo. Customers understand the concept of value for the dollars invested, so the percentages above reflect that customers choose value. Every car wash site is different and each operator has their unique way of doing business, so each operator chooses the vendor model that fits their operation.
One statistic which surprised us a little is that 31% of the total had no security enhancements while 69% had some kind of security to protect the investment. In the early days there were many vendors purchased by operators with no security because “the wash was located in a good area and we have very little vandalism”. Unfortunately neighborhoods change and eventually the unsecured vendors do get vandalized. More recently Express Exterior washes are being built with a designed, secure location for installing the vendors, so this accounts for many vendors being sold without any security.
These historical numbers show what choices operators made in the past, so this can add knowledge to help you choose which computer controlled vendor might work at your wash site(s).
Uncle Sam
