The Original $2 Car Wash and Super Car Wash Systems are two discount chains that
Tremonti and Huggins say have had a crippling affect on the Detroit market.
The
Original $2 Car Wash charges $2 for a basic exterior wash (when they
first opened in the 1970s, they charged 99 cents), and has more than 15 locations
in the Detroit metropolitan area. Super Car Wash, which charges $2.75 for
a basic wash with a towel dry, has 12 locations.
These aren't shabby
outfits. The buildings look professional, and feature conveyors up to 150 feet
in length.
Super Car Wash has plans to grow, and the Original $2 Car
Wash has added upward of five locations in the last three years. The growth
and competitive practices of these wash chains is enough to turn them - in the
eyes of many Michigan operators - from nuisances to adversaries in a war for survival. |
