fuel station profitability

‘Fuel sellers overlook carwash as profit maker’

Lars Hecht van The Car Wash Doctor besprak hoe tankstationhouders hun inkomsten uit andere producten dan brandstof kunnen verhogen door een beter beheer van hun autowasinstallaties. Foto: ProMedia

Many fuel vendors still underestimate one of their strongest profit sources: the car wash. That was the main message from consultant Lars Hecht of The Car Wash Doctor during his presentation at the Car Wash Show Europe 2025.

While most petrol stations and convenience stores focus mainly on retail and coffee sales, Hecht argued that the car wash remains one of the most profitable, but often underdeveloped parts of the business.

Untapped potential

Hecht, who has more than twenty-five years of experience in the petrol station industry, pointed out that car washes can significantly increase the average transaction value per location. Through The Car Wash Doctor, he advises retailers on how to analyse and optimise their wash performance using a structured, data-driven approach.

According to Hecht, carwashes deliver higher margins and stronger customer loyalty than most non-fuel products. “Car washes are the most profitable category with the highest average spend within the convenience environment,” he said during his presentation. In practice, however, decision-making is often fragmented and based on habit rather than insight.

Learning from best practices

Using examples from European petrol station chains, Hecht showed how operators can increase both revenue and customer satisfaction by treating the carwash as an independent business unit. Improvements in menu structure, maintenance routines and on-site promotion can already make a noticeable difference.

For example, one retailer managed to increase wash volume by more than 50 per cent through targeted mid-week promotions and a more dynamic pricing policy. Other operators reported higher uptime and ticket value after reviewing equipment and site layout.

The message to the industry was clear: with fuel margins under pressure, the car wash deserves a more prominent place within the petrol station strategy. For many retailers, it remains the most overlooked profit engine.

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This article was automatically translated from the Dutch language original to English (British).

Author: Mirjam Mos

Source: MobilityEnergy.com

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