The car wash industry is evolving at an exponential rate. Since Covid, trends and changes to the business sector, small and large have swept across the nation. One trend emerging over the past 2 years is the way we think of car wash vending. Let’s talk about what’s happening and a new way to tap that income potential.

How has car wash vending changed?

I’ve had a lot of discussions with operators about car wash vending, and the same issues are presented far and wide. While vending centers unquestionably generate profit, they consume time and manpower. They take time to maintain, from keeping the inventory stocked to emptying and counting the change collected in the boxes. Tack on the possibility of theft and vandalism, plus the work and cost involved around those events, and it’s understandable why some washes, particularly larger chains, have pared back vending offerings. But why lose profits when you can make adjustments or upgrades to your vending to make even more income?

What can we do?

The industry continues to trend toward a cashless model. If you don’t already offer credit card payment as an option, now may be the time. Kleen-Rite recently acquired Laurel Metal Products, forming a partnership and using the opportunity to give customers a new vending solution. One of the first products we’ve introduced is the stanchion kit vendor with CryptoPay. This is the next generation of vendor, a cashless unit that stocks pre-packaged kits containing detailing essentials. For one price and one transaction, the customer gets items like a microfiber towel, an Armor All sponge, a Little Tree air freshener and glass towelettes, bundled together for approximately $5.

These machines benefit you in several ways:

• The CryptoPay cashless POS system eliminates the need for collecting and counting coins.
• CryptoPay analytics can trace sales to specific machines, making restock and replenishment a breeze.
• Vendors can be integrated with your existing Cryptopay coordinator
• The DigiMax display allows you to adjust pricing from $0.25 to $99.75.
• The 1 3/4″ slot is able to accommodate larger vending items and kits.
• This convenient kit vendor helps customers purchase multiple items in a single transaction instead of going to several different vendors.
• Attaching these units at your vac stations with a mounting kit (sold separately) eliminates the need for customers to walk or drive to different areas at your wash. Customer traffic flows safely and seamlessly from bay to vacs to exit!

Stanchion kit vendors are easy to install using a Laurel mounting kit which you can purchase in addition to the unit. They offer operators an opportunity to rekindle a profit center that has been slumping in recent years. If interested, don’t hesitate, give us a call today for more information.

This article originally appeared in Kleen-Scene Issue 41.