More and more forecourts are finding that offering top-notch valeting facilities really pays off – in terms of attracting new customers who often go on to fill up at the pump and spend money in the store.
Budgens Frilford near Abingdon in Oxfordshire is one such site and its car wash centre is so impressive that it recently won the valeting category at the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards. However, for operations manager, Sarah Redley, it was a case of déjà vu as Budgens Frilford had previously won the award back in 2023.
At that time, they had two rollover car washes and two jet washes. Today the site still has two car washes but has doubled the number of jet washes to four.
“We would really have liked a third car wash but that wasn’t possible so we doubled the number of jet washes,” she explains. At the same time, they opened up the site, extending the car park area as well as the queueing area for the valeting facilities.
The site had always struggled with water supplies so they also put in a borehole. “With the borehole we can get the water up more quickly but the filtration slows it down. We have three huge above-ground tanks and we fill them up overnight so we have plenty of water for the washes the next day,” says Redley.
The works and the new Washtec jet washes came to £250,000 but revenue from valeting is up 40% year-on-year and when the business had previously invested in valeting their investment was paid back within 18 months.
Business is good
Redley says the car wash is still more popular than the jet wash. “Business is good, people are travelling further to come to us, so we’re getting back to pre-covid levels.”
Over the years the site has kept its pricing consistent. “Keeping our top car wash at under £10 and our jet wash at £2 for 2 minutes has been good for business. We have continued to offer our loyalty scheme on our top wash (buy three top washes and get a fourth for free) which has been a huge success for the site.”
Redley says Budgens Frilford has also become a destination site for the local ‘car meet’ community: “They meet on site on a regular basis, use the jet washes and will, more often than not, film the wash, especially the powerfoam programme and then use this on their personal social media. This has been invaluable to us and the site. We have found that word-of-mouth promotion is far more powerful than anything we can do ourselves.”
Redley says it’s vital that the car wash area is kept clean and tidy. “We cannot bear to see the machines, wash bays or surrounding areas dirty. You cannot expect to clean a car in a dirty area and we maintain ours to as higher level as we can. We find this also helps our customers take pride and look after the equipment as they see how much care we put in.”
Enter The Paddock
The Paddock wash centre at Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage, East Stour in Dorset, was a finalist at the Forecourt Trader award, and has a lot in common with the way Budgens Frilford operates.
Riverside Garage was subject to a knockdown rebuild in 2022 and The Paddock three-bay valeting centre came out of that. Before that, the site had a single bay jet wash.
The ‘Sons’ in the Hawtree name are Tom, Paul and Seb – they’re passionate Formula 1 fans, thus the name, The Paddock.
“Motorsport has always been close to our hearts, and we wanted to bring that energy and excitement into our site by creating a themed valeting experience that’s both fun and functional,” explains Seb Hawtree.
The overall cost of the valeting project including car park works was around £250,000 – but he says it has been well worth the investment
“It’s added a really interesting dimension to the whole site. It’s made us a destination and definitely brought new customers and boosted shop sales and fuel volumes as a result.”
The site has Adriateh kit. Hawtree says he met Adriateh at The Forecourt Show and was ‘bowled away’ by their equipment. “Ours is a premium site and theirs is a premium product so it was perfect for us. We’re very, very pleased with the equipment; it’s very reliable and there is very little downtime.”
He says The Paddock offers a top-tier cleaning experience, with Adriateh’s premium features including pre-wash, foam, shampoo, wax and rinse options. The bays’ opening hours mirror the shops – 6.30am-10pm Monday to Saturday and 7.30 am–10pm on Sundays.
“Technologically, we’ve set a new standard in the area. Each wash includes a wax finish and a “spotless clean” using state-of-the-art reverse osmosis technology, which eliminates watermarks and leaves vehicles gleaming – something our customers really notice and appreciate.”
Highly competitive
Like Budgens Frilford, their pricing remains highly competitive, which Hawtree says has helped them build loyalty, attract new users and retain a consistent edge in the local market. Drivers pay £1 for 100 seconds for the jet wash which he says is considerably better value compared to the local competition.
Most of the marketing for The Paddock is done on Facebook but, like Budgens Frilford again, Hawtree says their most powerful marketing tool is word of mouth.
“Customers who use the jet washes are impressed by the quality and ease of use, and they often recommend us to friends, family and colleagues – creating a steady flow of new visitors.
“Our location also plays a key role in attracting attention. Situated directly on the main A30, our eye-catching signage draws in passing traffic, with many drivers curious to try the services for themselves. The combination of online presence, personal recommendation and high roadside visibility has proven highly effective in promoting The Paddock and growing its customer base.”
The jet washes consistently generate over £3,000 per week, making them a significant contributor to site turnover. However, Hawtree says their true value extends far beyond standalone income.
“The introduction of The Paddock has attracted a steady stream of new customers to the site, many of whom are discovering the quality of our fuel offer and the convenience of our shop for the first time. As a result, we’ve seen a clear increase in fuel volume and in shop sales.”
And his advice for anyone thinking of investing in new valeting equipment? “If you think you need two bays then go for three. We went from one bay to three and we still get queues at weekends.”
Premium pricing power
Obviously there are plenty of manufacturers to choose from when it comes to valeting but Alan Gordon, business development manager at Preen Technologies AG, says his company is deploying the world’s first AI powered, touch-free robotic wash systems. “These are intelligent platforms that combine real-time vision scanning, adaptive robotics and continuous software learning to deliver an immaculate, showroom quality finish without ever touching the car.
“Customers see the difference immediately – robotic precision, a showroom finish and zero risk to paintwork or sensors. That visible quality gives operators the confidence to charge premium rates and drivers willingly pay them. The result? Higher revenue per wash and stronger loyalty from customers who trust Preen with their most valuable vehicles.”
Gordon explains that Preen machines welcome vehicles some other systems turn away: luxury cars, wraps, EVs with delicate sensors, SUVs with roof boxes and performance vehicles with complex aerodynamics. “Fewer refusals mean access to a larger, higher-value customer base and more revenue every day. Upcoming updates will add even more intelligence – recognising convertibles with canvas roofs and pick-up trucks with loaded cargo, adjusting automatically to clean thoroughly while protecting what matters.”
Rather than a fixed asset that ages from day one, Gordon describes Preen as a wash platform. “Sites are highly and easily customisable. Most new capabilities arrive as software updates, so operators gain new programs and improvements without major hardware reinvestment. The platform therefore gets smarter over time, preserving competitiveness and reducing lifecycle risk, turning every Preen installation into a living, future-proofed asset that improves with age.”
He says the UK’s first Indexed Mini Tunnel, opening in Ipswich in early 2026, will serve as a flagship reference for the brand’s next generation technology, demonstrating to UK operators what “robotic touch free” really means in practice.
Gordon believes the UK wash market’s next growth wave will come from differentiation, not duplication. “Drivers are already willing to pay for visible quality and safety – especially owners of EVs and premium vehicles who have long avoided automated washes. Preen’s technology directly answers that gap, creating an opportunity for forecourt operators to introduce a premium wash experience that attracts high-value customers and delivers measurable operational savings.”
