For the past 18 years, International Carwash Association has conducted a national car wash consumer research project. In its first year, 1996, the research revealed that less than one-half of motorists washed their vehicle most frequently at a professional car wash. In 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2011 that figure increased, showing that consumers are increasingly preferring professional car wash establishments — and that trend continued in 2014.

The 2014 Consumer Study was conducted in May with a national pool of respondents, balanced against U.S. Census data to ensure that the output data was sufficiently representative of the general population. The study set out to study four key factors: incidence, value, barriers and differentiation.

Incidence: Where do consumers prefer to wash their vehicle — at home or at a professional car wash?

Finding: 71.6 percent of consumers who wash their car most frequently do so at a professional car wash. This is an increase of 24 percentage points since 1996, when only 47.6 percent of consumers preferred professional car washes.

Value: What car wash products or services do consumer value, and which will they pay a higher price to obtain?

Finding: Interior vacuuming and waxes or paint protectants are the most important ancillary services that consumers are also willing to pay more to receive.

Barriers: Why do motorists not visit a car wash, or not visit a car wash more frequently?

Finding: Cost is single biggest reason for someone washing their vehicle at home versus using a professional car wash, and lower costs is the leading motivation for most consumers to have their car washed more frequently.

Differentiation: Why do consumers choose one car wash over another?

Finding: Convenience, value and a car looks great when finished are the top three reasons why professional car wash customers choose one car wash location over another.

Different from previous studies, the 2014 Consumer Study also evaluated the habits and attitudes of non-washers and “do it yourself” (DIY) customers. While the data around these segments largely confirmed the difficulty in converting them to professional car wash customers (in fact, it would suggest that non-washers are nearly impossible to convert), the segmentation did help in uncovering new insights about consumers who vacillate between DIY and professional car washing. These “switchers,” which accounted for nearly one-third of survey respondents, represent a significant opportunity for car wash owners and operators. These are customers who are presumably already aware of professional car wash options in their area and are not adverse to using professional car washes — yet are devoting some of their washing volume to their driveway.

According to the data, these consumers who visited professional car washes and washed their cars themselves were nearly twice as likely to visit a self-service car wash than the entire sample (47 percent versus 25 percent). They were also significantly more apt to agree with the statement “A clean vehicle makes me feel good” and “A clean vehicle is a good reflection on me.” And, perhaps not surprisingly, they were also significantly more likely to respond that cleanliness is their most important attribute for a car wash.

The 2014 Consumer Study was presented as part of the E3 Series this year, to vendor members at the Supplier CEO Summit and operator members at the Wash Different Workshop. An executive summary of the study’s complete findings will be available to members later this year, and future editions of CAR WASH Magazine will continue to explore different aspects of the research.