From car wash subscription plans to presoak technology, see what upgrades are available to convenience stores looking to up their car wash game.
A New Mobile App Technology Partnership
Liquid Barcodes, Fairfax, Virginia, a loyalty, subscription and pump activation solutions company for convenience and fuel retailers, integrated with Verifone Commander, enabling retailers to roll out app-based monthly car wash subscription plans.
Retailers using San Jose, California-based Verifone Commander POS systems can implement app-based car wash subscription programs, completely independent of the car wash equipment and pay stations at their locations. Retailers such as Circle K, Sunshine Gasoline, H&S Energy, Loop Neighborhood, Warrenton Oil and Enmarket use app-based monthly car wash plans.
With the Verifone and Liquid Barcodes software fully integrated, retailers can collaborate with Liquid Barcodes' developers to launch a personalized mobile app for subscription car wash programs. For those with existing apps, the feature is a plug-and-play API that seamlessly integrates into their platform, offering a consistent and intuitive user experience. Retailers can go live with the subscription car wash mobile app in four weeks.
With the mobile app, consumers can drive up to the car wash, enter a wash code and start their wash—no need to reach for a wallet or step inside the store.
Benefits of the partnership include integration of retailer mobile apps with Verifone Commander, project implementation within four to six weeks, Liquid Barcodes customer success team to guide retailers from start to finish, a user-friendly mobile app featuring a modern, customized design and secure transactions for consumers.
"We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Verifone, as it amplifies the synergy between our applications, creating a truly seamless experience for both Verifone customers and end-user consumers,” said Saurabh Swarup, general manager of North America for Liquid Barcodes. “I’m confident that many retailers using Verifone will want to leverage this fully integrated app solution.”
Presoak Technology
Transchem Group, Cambridge, Canada, part of OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions, launched presoak technology, which is found in Turtle Wax Pro OneShot, a presoak chemical developed using a new type of cleaning technology that has been formulated to be three times more efficient than comparable products in the market today, according to the company.
The product is cost effective due to the low amount of chemistry required per wash, which doesn’t require the use of strong acids that can be harmful to vehicle wash employees, wash equipment and the environment.
OneShot was designed to use approximately a shot’s worth of chemistry, or about 1 ounce. Comparatively, many other presoaks can use 3 ounces or more to accomplish the same result. This means that with just one 5-gallon container, in-bay automatic vehicle washes can wash up to 630 cars in touchless applications and 3,000 cars in tunnel washes.
This alkaline presoak is safe and effective for use in all cleaning environments, including soft-touch and touchless washes in self-serve, in-bay automatic and tunnel types.
Graphene Car Protection
Graphene, a newer development in the car wash industry, is a carbon-based hexagon-bonded graphite shield that’s seeing a rise in its utility in the coatings world for its durability and strength. Other areas that it’s used in include paints, rust preventatives, electrodes and more. Its discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.
When used during a wash, graphene provides cars with a glossy finish, durability and as a water and dirt repellent. It also protects against harmful ultraviolet rays and contaminants, making it a strong, carbon-based material for vehicle care, according to Soapy Joe’s Car Wash, which offers the coating to its car wash customers.
To celebrate the car wash technology, Soapy Joe's, a family-owned car wash with locations across San Diego County, launched a promotion for Wash Club members: Build a Ballpark, featuring San Diego Padres' pitcher, Joe Musgrove.
Through Sept. 30, Wash Club members can visit all 24 Soapy Joe's locations to collect exclusive Joe Musgrove air fresheners and qualify to win swag and cash prizes.
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