CAR WASH Pulse™ Q4 2025: Industry Braces for Slower Growth in 2026 as Consumers Stay Resilient and Outlooks Diverge

Consumer behavior holds steady as retailers and suppliers recalibrate growth expectations for 2026.

The International Carwash Association (ICA) has released the Q4 2025 edition of CAR WASH Pulse™, its quarterly industry intelligence report, offering a forward-looking view into early 2026. The latest data shows an industry entering the new year with tempered growth expectations, steady consumer behavior and a widening gap between retailer and supplier outlooks.

Across consumers, retailers and suppliers, the story heading into 2026 is not one of contraction—but recalibration. While economic pressure continues to shape sentiment, actual behavior and near-term expectations point to resilience, particularly among core customers and suppliers planning for moderate expansion.

Q4 Highlights: Looking Ahead to 2026

• Consumers remain resilient. Overall satisfaction strengthened in Q4 and membership renewal intent stayed exceptionally high. Economic pressure is more likely to reduce wash frequency among non-members than push customers toward cheaper wash options.
• Membership continues to anchor demand. Churn indicators improved slightly and most members plan to renew, reinforcing subscriptions as the industry’s primary stabilizer heading into 2026.
• Retailers brace for slower growth. Retailers expect revenue growth to decelerate in 2026 versus 2025 as subscription growth flattens, competition intensifies and cost pressures persist.
• Suppliers see a stronger runway. Suppliers remain more optimistic than retailers, projecting faster top-line growth in 2026 despite ongoing concerns about tariffs, input costs and capital access.
• A recalibration, not a pullback. Across consumers, retailers and suppliers, expectations for 2026 point to modest single-digit growth with success increasingly tied to efficiency, differentiation and disciplined investment.

“Looking toward 2026, the data suggests an industry that’s adjusting expectations, not retreating,” said James Risley, research manager at the International Carwash Association. “Consumers are still showing up, memberships remain a powerful anchor, and while growth is slowing, it’s doing so in a measured way. The challenge for operators and suppliers alike will be navigating tighter margins while continuing to deliver the value that’s keeping customers engaged.”

Beyond industry-specific findings, CAR WASH Pulse™ 2025 Q4 places these results within the broader economic context, including consumer confidence, labor market trends, and spending behavior. The combined picture points to modest, single-digit growth as the most realistic baseline for 2026—favoring businesses that prioritize efficiency, differentiation, and disciplined investment.

Consumers are more satisfied than ever with their car washes. (page 6)

Retailers and suppliers diverge on 2026 revenue expectations. (page 6)

About CAR WASH Pulse™
CAR WASH Pulse™ is the International Carwash Association’s proprietary research brand, delivering timely consumer and industry data, benchmarks, and insights to help car wash professionals make informed decisions. The report is released quarterly to ICA subscribers and draws on surveys of U.S. consumers, retailers, and suppliers.

To access the full CAR WASH Pulse™ report and receive every quarterly release, visit carwash.org/join.