AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Costco plans carwash for another site
Costco, the warehouse supermarket chain, has plans to add a carwash and gas station to its San Juan Capistrano, CA, store as soon as permits are approved for its property acquisition. At the tail end of last year, Costco also began the process to add a carwash to its San Marcos, CA, location, as well. Currently
the chain has two conveyor carwashes in operation, one is in California and the other is in Washington. The company has not said if it
plans to continue with the express exterior format at its two new carwashes.
Costco’s involvement in the carwash industry came about after 10 years of research and one failed attempt in 2003. It opened its first
carwash in April 2006 in Washington, the company’s home state, and followed with a San Diego location in 2008. It has used MacNeil
conveyor equipment and the express exterior format, offering members a single-price wash service.
Carwashes thrive in winter weather
Carwashes across the nation were finally able to accept the weatherman’s reports after volumes increased this winter due to both sun and snow. Cold winter weather (and the accompanying salt and sand) boosted car counts in Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, Iowa and Alaska, while warmer weather patterns were drawing in customers in Massachusetts, West Virginia and Minnesota.
For example, the In and Out Car Wash in Joplin, MO, was seeing about 100 cars per hour after a winter storm this January, up from
the 100 cars a day it had been seeing earlier in the season. Carwash Manager Kyle Jackson said, “This is wonderful. The temperatures
have warmed up, the streets have dried up, we have plenty of cars coming in with plenty of dirt on the cars.”
Nearby in Rogers, AK, Boomerang Car Wash was also doubling its volume, but it was due to warmer weather and not snow and cold.
In North Attleboro, MA, a heat wave helped carwashes in the middle of January, which brought out self-serve customers in high
numbers. As carwash customer Dave Lopez explained, “It’s the perfect temperature to get rid of the salt. You can’t wash it when it’s
cold because when you drive off, it freezes up.” PC&D
