Are express conveyors the future of car washes in Australia?

conveyor car washes australia

Express conveyor systems (sometimes referred to as tunnels) are ideal for high potential sites that require a superior wash finish coupled with high volume throughput.  They reduce waiting times and, in turn, increase wash revenue.

The 2022 International Carwash Association (ICA) Consumer Study highlighted that there was growing demand among consumers for professional car wash facilities as less people wash their vehicles at home.

Express conveyors are one way that car wash operators can take advantage of extra consumer demand whilst dramatically increasing their profits.

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The financial benefits of express conveyor systems

Automatic car washes can clean around 10 vehicles per hour, give or take.  An express conveyor can wash between 50 – 150 cars per hour, depending on its size and configuration.

Unfortunately, many car wash operators don’t believe there is a demand at their facility to warrant the installation of an express conveyor.

They are often wrong!

One way operators can increase patronage, even draw customers away from their competitors, is to introduce subscription programs or Wash Clubs.

For a monthly subscription fee, customers enjoy unlimited car washes.  While this increases the demand on equipment, a conveyor system can easily accommodate this.

Consider this… a car wash operator introduces a Wash Club subscription fee of $30 per month.  Five hundred members sign up.  That’s $15,000 per month in upfront fees.

As we know, some subscribers will be heavy users, others light users – it’s all part of the subscription model, using the successful psychology of health club membership programs.

Importantly, an express conveyor system can handle the extra demand – even during peak times.  After all, it does no good to increase demand but remain capacity constrained.

Customers are happy with the cost savings and the convenience of fast wash times.

Best of all, the operator benefits from the payment of regular, upfront monthly subscription fees.

express conveyor car washes

Small footprint. Big profits.

What most operators don’t realise is that the MacNeil automatic express conveyor only requires a 10 metre bay footprint – the same as a traditional rollover automatic machine.  Of course, there are longer versions, but they start at 10 metres.

This compact design is unique to MacNeil and is not offered by other express conveyors on the market.

The compact MacNeil express conveyor can be configured to comfortably wash up to 50 cars per hour. Larger conveyors can accommodate 150 cars per hour.

With the equipment being able to handle such high wash demands, operators can introduce high-yield Wash Clubs confident their facility can handle the extra customer patronage.

The potential at your facility.

Express conveyors really are a big piece of the future of car washes in Australia.

If you would to discuss how an express conveyor will enhance your facility, contact the Good Sight team for an obligation-free assessment.

Good Sight’s industry expertise and national service network are your partners in business and investment success.

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