Exploring the European Car Wash Market: Customer Behaviour, Sector Value and Channel Success

Introduction

The European car wash sector is one which is dominated by service station retailers, however, other players are active in the market and in certain countries commercial hand car washing operations are increasing in importance. This report provides insight into key sector trends as well as data on motorist's wash behaviour, market value and installation numbers by type of car wash and channels.

Scope

*Insight into the key trends impacting the car wash retail sector including forecasts of new vehicle registrations and motorists' car washing behaviour

*Up-to-date car wash value, wash volume and installation data for the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Spain and Italy

*Consumer data on the effectiveness of different wash types based on criteria including wash quality, wash speed, care for vehicle and value for money

*Overviews of the key car wash manufacturers and operators including service station providers as well as standalone players such as Elephant Bleu

Highlights

In 2009 the combined total value of the commercial car wash market in the region was EUR4,423m. There were 916 million commercial car washes in 2009, and on average each vehicle in the eight markets is cleaned at a commercial wash 4.8 times each year. Service stations are the largest commercial car wash channel in the region.

Germany has the largest commercial car wash market in Europe. In comparison with the rest of the region, Spanish vehicles are cleaned at a commercial car wash most frequently. The UK's commercial hand wash market is the largest wash channel in the country.

The car wash industry has been affected by the economic downturn, with some of the major manufacturers reporting a decline in installation sales. They are now focusing on improving dealer sales. Shell has the largest number of service stations with a car wash in Europe, while IMO has the largest network of standalone wash sites.

Reasons to Purchase

*Make informed investment decisions by understanding the size of the car wash retail market and the nature of the competition within it.

*Formulate market share objectives for your company and assess performance using our value data segmented by channel and installation type.

*Develop superior strategies to those of your competitors by accessing information on their site numbers and marketing activities.


Report Highlights
In 2009 the combined total value of the commercial car wash market in the region was EUR4,423m. There were 916 million commercial car washes in 2009, and on average each vehicle in the eight markets is cleaned at a commercial wash 4.8 times eac
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OVERVIEW 1
Summary 1
Table of Contents 1
Table of figures 2
Table of tables 3
DEFINING THE CAR WASH MARKET 4
There are three main types of car wash installation 4
Automatic washes are still perceived negatively by consumers 4
A reduction in service stations has reduced the number of roll over installations 5
Tunnel washes are suitable for sites with a high throughput 5
Jet washes are the most commonly used installation 6
Across Europe, there are three commercial wash channels used by private motorists 7
Service stations are the largest car wash channel in Europe 7
Standalone operators typically feature well-maintained equipment and high wash throughputs 8
Hand car washes have varying penetration across Europe due to differing environmental legislation 9
EUROPEAN OVERVIEW 10
Each registered vehicle is washed at a commercial car wash an average of 4.8 times each year 10
The commercial car wash market was worth €4,423m in 2009 12
Germany has the highest average commercial car wash spend per vehicle 12
Service stations are most commonly used for car washing 13
Roll over machines are the largest wash type in the region by value 14
MARKET DRIVERS 16
The current economic environment has created new challenges for car wash retail 16
The crisis-struck European new car market is unlikely to recover properly until 2015 16
Car usage and fuel demand have been less resilient than usual 17
Some European motorists have sacrificed paid car washing services in order to reduce motoring spend 18
Although car wash installation investment is suffering, there are opportunities to improve wash numbers 19
Site consolidation and occasional supermarket new builds still provide growth opportunities 19
When selecting a car wash, wash quality and vehicle care are most important to motorists 20
Environmental issues are increasingly impacting the car wash market 21
Germany has the strictest car wash regulations in the region examined 21
More biodegradable chemicals are being developed 22
The emergence of commercial hand car washing operations is fuelling the environmental debate 22
Commercial wash operators must appeal to the growing number of environmentally aware consumers 22
MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE EUROPEAN CAR WASH MARKET 23
Manufacturers often sell their equipment through specialist car wash dealers 23
WashTec is one of the leading European car wash manufacturers 23
Ryko sells its automatic installations in Europe both directly and through distributors 23
Istobal installations have a strong presence across the Iberian Peninsula 24
Christ exports just under half of its products to countries outside of Germany 24
Ceccato has a strong presence at Agip branded sites in Italy 24
Tammermatic's key markets are Scandinavia and the Baltic states 25
Kärcher offers a car wash equipment cash back scheme in the UK 25
Large standalone operators are typically arranged in a franchise-based model 25
Europe's largest standalone operator, IMO, went into administration in 2009 25
Standalone player Elephant Bleu has introduced roll over machines at a number of its sites 26
Mr Wash sites feature conveyor and self-service jet washes 27
ProntoWash sites are predominantly located at commercial car parks 27
Service stations are the main car wash operators in Europe 28
Shell has the largest number of branded service stations with a car wash in Europe 28
TOTAL offers a pre-loaded car wash card in a number of European markets 28
Repsol Sprint Wash centres are located throughout Spain and Portugal 28
Agip accounts for 24% of all service stations with a car wash in Italy 29
PKN Orlen has begun to invest in car washes 29
Two-thirds of car wash installations at Statoil sites in Sweden feature water recycling equipment 30
CAR WASH COUNTRY PROFILES 31
France 31
On average each vehicle in France is cleaned over 6 times each year 31
Jet washes are most prevalent installation type in France 32
Service stations are the biggest car wash channel in France 33
Standalone sites have the highest number of jet wash installations 35
The paid hand wash segment is the smallest commercial car wash channel in France 35
Each of the major wash types exceed French consumers' expectations 36
Germany 37
Germany has the largest car wash market in Europe by both installation type and value 37
Most wash installations in Germany are roll over machines 38
Service stations are the largest car wash channel in Germany 39
Around a third of all wash installations in Germany are located at standalone sites 41
Stringent regulations mean that the commercial hand car wash segment in Germany is small 41
Automatic washes are the highest rated and most frequently used wash type in Germany 42
UK 44
On average, each vehicle in the UK is washed eight times per year 44
The majority of wash machines in the UK are jet installations 45
Many service stations in the UK feature a car wash installation 46
The standalone segment is the smallest car wash channel in the UK 48
Paid hand car washes are the largest channel by market value in the UK 48
Washing at home is the most popular car wash type in the UK 49
Belgium 50
Each vehicle in Belgium is washed over 7 times per year 50
Jet wash machines are the most commonly found installation type in Belgium 51
The Belgian service station channel was worth in excess of €40m in 2009 52
The standalone wash segment is the largest commercial channel by market value 54
The paid hand wash channel in Belgium is growing in importance 54
Each of the four wash types in Belgium exceeds consumers' expectations 54
Netherlands 56
On average each vehicle in the Netherlands is washed over 6 times each year 56
Jet installations are the most commonly found wash installation in the country 57
Service stations are the largest channel by market value in the Netherlands 58
A major standalone operator in the market is IMO 60
Paid hand wash sites exist in the Netherlands 60
Each of the four wash types in the Netherlands exceeds customers' expectations 60
Sweden 62
Vehicles in Sweden are washed less frequently than in any other country in the region 62
Roll over machines are the most commonly found wash type in Sweden due to the cold climate 63
Service stations are the biggest wash channel in Sweden 64
The Swedish standalone channel is the smallest in the region 66
Water recycling legislation has limited the number of commercial hand wash sites in Sweden 66
Washing at home and jet washing score the highest consumer wash rating in Sweden 66
Spain 68
Registered vehicles in Spain are washed more than in any other market in the region 68
Jet wash machines are the most commonly found installation type in Spain 69
Service stations are the biggest car wash channel in Spain 70
Jet installations are the most frequently used wash type at standalone sites in Spain 72
In 2009, the commercial hand wash channel in Spain was worth €20m 72
Automatic machines and washing at home are both rated the highest by Spanish consumers 72
Italy 74
Italy is the third largest market by value 74
Jet installations account for over half of installations in the country 75
The majority of car wash installations in Italy are located at service stations 76
Each registered vehicle in Italy is cleaned more than once a year at a standalone site 78
Commercial hand washes are the smallest wash channel in Italy 78
All major wash types in Italy tend to exceed customers' expectations 78
APPENDIX 80
Secondary Research 80
Further reading 80
Ask the analyst 80
Datamonitor consulting 81
Disclaimer 81
List of Tables
Table 1: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in France 31
Table 2: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in France 35
Table 3: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in Germany 37
Table 4: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in Germany 42
Table 5: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in the UK 44
Table 6: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in the UK 48
Table 7: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in Belgium 50
Table 8: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in Belgium 54
Table 9: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in the Netherlands 56
Table 10: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in the Netherlands 60
Table 11: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in Sweden 62
Table 12: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in Sweden 66
Table 13: Service station and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in Spain 68
Table 14: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in Spain 72
Table 15: Service stations and standalone installations, wash occasions and market value in Italy 74
Table 16: Hand car wash sites, occasions and market value in Italy 78
List of Figures
Figure 1: A roll over installation in the UK 5
Figure 2: Inside a tunnel installation 6
Figure 3: A jet wash installation in the UK 7
Figure 4: An IMO standalone site 8
Figure 5: An American Hand Car Wash site in London, UK 9
Figure 6: Average annual wash occasions per registered vehicle 11
Figure 7: Total commercial car wash value by country (€m), 2009 12
Figure 8: Average annual commercial car wash spend per registered vehicle (€), 2009 13
Figure 9: Car wash value by channel (€m), 2009 14
Figure 10: Total value by wash type and country (€m), 2009 15
Figure 11: New car registrations in selected European markets, 2007-15 17
Figure 12: Motorists that had reduced car usage in the six months to November 2009 18
Figure 13: Motorists that had reduced commercial car washing services in the six months to November 2009 19
Figure 14: Customer satisfaction by car wash method, Euro 8 21
Figure 15: A WashTec roll over installation and company logo 23
Figure 16: An Istobal roll over machine and company logo 24
Figure 17: An Elephant Bleu standalone site, France 27
Figure 18: A Repsol Sprint Wash site, Spain 29
Figure 19: Service station and standalone car wash market values in France, 2009 32
Figure 20: Car wash installations by channel in France, 2010 33
Figure 21: Wash occasions by installation and channel in France, 2009 34
Figure 22: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in France, 2009 36
Figure 23: Service station and standalone car wash market values in Germany, 2009 38
Figure 24: Car wash installations by channel in Germany, 2010 39
Figure 25: Wash occasions by installation and channel in Germany, 2009 40
Figure 26: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in Germany, 2009 43
Figure 27: Service station and standalone car wash market values in the UK, 2009 45
Figure 28: Car wash installations by channel in the UK, 2010 46
Figure 29: Wash occasions by installation and channel in UK, 2009 47
Figure 30: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in the UK, 2009 49
Figure 31: Service station and standalone car wash market values in Belgium, 2009 51
Figure 32: Car wash installations by channel in Belgium, 2010 52
Figure 33: Wash occasions by installation and channel in Belgium, 2009 53
Figure 34: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in Belgium, 2009 55
Figure 35: Service station and standalone car wash market values in the Netherlands, 2009 57
Figure 36: Car wash installations by channel in the Netherlands, 2010 58
Figure 37: Wash occasions by installation and channel in the Netherlands, 2009 59
Figure 38: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in the Netherlands, 2009 61
Figure 39: Service station and standalone car wash market values in Sweden, 2009 63
Figure 40: Car wash installations by channel in Sweden, 2010 64
Figure 41: Wash occasions by installation and channel in Sweden, 2009 65
Figure 42: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in Sweden, 2009 67
Figure 43: Service station and standalone car wash market values in Spain, 2009 69
Figure 44: Car wash installations by channel in Spain, 2010 70
Figure 45: Wash occasions by installation and channel in Spain, 2009 71
Figure 46: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in Spain, 2009 73
Figure 47: Service station and standalone car wash market values in Italy, 2009 75
Figure 48: Car wash installations by channel in Italy, 2010 76
Figure 49: Wash occasions by installation and channel in Italy, 2009 77
Figure 50: Wash rating and occasions by car wash type in Italy, 2009 79

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