The traditional customer-to-car-wash relationship could face new competition.
I recently found myself at a presentation about, of all things, the truck stop business. Listening to the speaker, I was surprised to learn just how significantly fleet accounts and payment systems influence where a driver fuels—often more than convenience, food options, or even price.
I began wondering whether a similar dynamic could someday emerge in car washing. What happens when the person using a service isn’t the one deciding where to buy it? Could the familiar transaction between a driver and a wash face new competition from forces neither can see?
Consumer Demand: Still Dominant
For most car washes, the primary path to purchase remains unchanged: a driver decides to get a wash, sees a site, pulls in, and pays. Operators compete for that decision through location, service, branding, and subscriptions.
Business Demand: Familiar B2B
This channel is already utilized by many car washes. Local fleets (police departments, service companies, etc.) purchase washes through agreements typically sourced and signed locally. Operators influence these accounts through price, performance, and relationship.
The defining feature of today's consumer and business demand is simple: you can go out and win it.
But what if, as the truck stop example suggests, new influencers of demand were to emerge—ones you never meet, never sell to, and may not even know exist?
Algorithmic Demand: Software Shaping Decisions
Digital assistants and in-vehicle systems already influence visibility and discovery. To be successful today, a wash must be easy to find on digital maps (“Siri, find me a car wash”) and maintain a strong online reputation (“Is that car wash any good?”).
But soon, two rapidly advancing technologies—agentic AI and autonomous driving—could converge to move the car wash decision even further away from the driver—and further away from the operator’s ability to influence it.
A vehicle may eventually choose, book, pay for, and even evaluate a wash based on its sensors and learned preferences. In that world, algorithms may prioritize measurable outcomes—uptime, wash speed, and sensor-readable wash quality—more than convenience or curb appeal.
Directed Demand: Decisions Made Upstream
Directed demand emerges when decision-making shifts upstream—away from the driver and toward third parties who package, route, or resell washes. This could happen if washes become bundled into larger products or subscriptions, if automobile manufacturers were to create criteria for preferred car washes, or if intermediaries were to begin purchasing and reselling washes (to consumers or to auto brands as on-vehicle wash credits).
The unifying feature of these last two channels is that the operator has no direct relationship with the entity making the decision.
Consumer and business demand are channels you can win. Algorithmic and directed demand are channels that can move—sometimes without you involved.
What This Means for Operators
These ideas aren't reshaping the industry today, but they might be worth considering as you think about your business's future. Two ideas:
1. Become an “Out-of-Network” Destination
In many industries, consumers override network steering when they trust a provider (e.g., medical care). Car washing could behave the same way. Exceptional consistency, speed, experience, and perceived value may inspire customers to choose you even when other systems point elsewhere.
2. Perform for Algorithmic Relevance
Algorithms reward what can be measured. Uptime, wash quality, and speed already matter to customers; they may matter even more if software begins making decisions, not just supporting them.
Closing Thought
The traditional customer-to-car-wash relationship remains foundational, but it may not stay that way forever. Keep delivering excellence today, but keep an eye on how demand may evolve. Operators who can maintain both focus and foresight will be best positioned for whatever comes next.
Eric Wulf is the CEO of International Carwash Association. His newsletter series, The Next Move, aims to highlight the shifts, challenges, and opportunities that matter most in the car wash industry. Subscribe to The Next Move on LinkedIn to be notified when new editions are published.