Home washing numbers increase and transactional customer price satisfaction dips to lowest level since Q1 2023, but member satisfaction is at an all-time high.
International Carwash Association released its Q4 2024 edition of The Pulse Report to its members, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of the car wash industry and its customers based on timely research completed in November 2024.
The most significant finding is the increase in home washing triggering a modest decline in past year washers who use a professional car wash most often. The key correlating factor appears to be a decline in price satisfaction among transactional customers (non-subscription members). “The decline in U.S. consumer confidence, linked to the economy, is evident in transactional consumer price satisfaction. At the same time, price satisfaction among subscription members actually improved,” said ICA Research Director Bob Klein.
Importantly, overall customer satisfaction with their favorite wash remains exceptional. “The Pulse surveys have shown that the vast majority of customers are very satisfied with the car wash they use most often and, in our Q4 survey, 93% of members said they intend to renew — the highest level this year,” Klein said.
Key Highlights from Q4:
• While down modestly, 73% of consumers wash at a car wash most often.
• Member satisfaction closed the year at the highest recorded level since Pulse tracking began in 2021 (83%).
• Members’ intent to renew reached the highest level this year (93%).
• Transactional customer price satisfaction dipped to the lowest level since Q1 2023. Only 30% reported they are very satisfied.
• Transactional customers value offers such as BOGOs and an important non-price driven tactic, loyalty programs, when deciding on whether to visit a car wash.
The Pulse Report Q4 also features economic insights impacting the car wash industry from Alex Chausovsky and additional statistics related to the presentations at ROADMAP, Destination: PROJECTIONS, held Dec. 13 in Austin.
“The Pulse Report Q4 2024 features information that has been researched and fielded exclusively for businesses involved in the car wash industry,” said ICA CEO Eric Wulf. “We want our members to be able to make informed decisions about the growth of their businesses and be able to base those decisions on relevant and timely research.”
Stay on top of these trends, and get the full report every 90 days, by subscribing for only $120 a year at www.carwash.org/join. Or visit Pulse for more information.