Thinking about adding a car wash? Location and layout are critical.
By Austin Burns
Car washes are popping up with more regularity across the United States than ever before, making them a popular commodity in the c-store industry as an additional revenue source. Though margins on these investments may be shrinking ever so slightly, they add immediate value to their locations and are one of the better ways to expand loyalty programs and create the loyalty engagement owners and operators are so desperately seeking.
But what key elements go into designing a c-store or travel center site that features a car wash? What makes one location good and another better?
Size and Access
When designing a site, it’s important to take what the site gives us. While there is no magic number in terms of land size, it’s a good starting point to have no less than two acres. Smaller can work, but at Paragon we caution owners and operators to be wary due to tunnel size and other factors they may not be considering in relation to the overall site design.
It’s important to begin by evaluating ingress and egress of each site. Customer access points are so critical that they can make large sites seem impossible and small sites perfect. If you have quality points of entry and exits on your site, the customer experience is off to a great start.
One of the most challenging aspects of our industry is planning for and accommodating the varying types of clientele, the vehicles they arrive in and how they interact with these sites daily. Typical sites include the store itself, a fuel canopy, parking and at least one QSR with a drive-thru. Now, let’s throw in a car wash while we’re at it. Understanding the amenities included on the site requires a proactive design approach. Journey mapping each customer’s experience is a required process.
It’s important to design to your peak. What that means is creating an optimized space when the site is at capacity. The design needs to ensure everyone has a place to go without negatively impacting the customer experience for another guest. A poorly designed site has pain points: areas that inhibit people from getting where they want to go. The goal is to eliminate any of those pain points that may occur.
Consider this pain point scenario: You are navigating your way to enter the car wash only to find that a line from the drive-thru is blocking the queuing lane for the car wash you are trying to access. This sort of confusion can be devastating to the overall customer experience and the result could potentially be the loss of one, if not two, profit centers. Something like this can easily be avoided if you design to your peak.
Wayfinding and Optimized Visibility
Visibility is a fundamental tenet of good design. Effective wayfinding combined with striking exterior aesthetics elevates the allure of the car wash tunnel, invigorating the senses and creating an exciting experience. Strategically locating the tunnel near major highways or thoroughfares becomes crucial, guaranteeing it is an irresistible draw for those passing by.
Allocation of space and management of queues play pivotal roles. Providing ample room for maneuvering and a queue that’s both visible and accessible are essential. Sharp turns should be avoided in favor of seamless navigation, as the length of the tunnel directly impacts wash quality and throughput. Furthermore, meticulous attention to detail extends to elements like water drainage, ensuring a smooth experience from beginning to end.
Vacuum stations, often overlooked, emerge as focal points of differentiation. Beyond the attraction of “free vacuums,” the layout and functionality of these areas determine customer satisfaction. Spacious stalls, equipped with dependable suction, elevate the post-wash experience, fostering confidence. Strategic placement of stalls—whether angled or straight—shapes traffic flow and accessibility.
Pursuing Excellence
In an environment saturated with hastily established car washes, prioritizing customer experience is principal. Hasty implementations will yield subpar results. Instead, dedicating time, expertise and resources to meticulous planning and execution makes success more likely
Austin Burns is the director of sales and marketing for Paragon Solutions, a one-stop shop provider for innovative consulting, design and branding services for retail and commercial applications.
