From parcel lockers and valeting stations to laundry machines and dog washes, increasing numbers of operators with space to spare have been installing self-serve equipment as ancillary revenue opportunities. The latest trend could be purified water filling stations, with one supplier planning to roll out a national network.
Top 50 Indie Park Garage Group is considering introducing the units – which customers use for a variety of purposes from streak-free window cleaning to filling fish tanks – to another nine of its sites in the next year or so. It introduced one at its Herringthorpe, Rotherham BP forecourt around 18 months ago. Meanwhile, MFG has been trialling a unit in St Albans, Hertfordshire, since March.
Others who have installed the units – which are popular with window cleaners and mobile valeters – include Certas Energy at its The Hollies Truck Stop at Cannock, Staffordshire, and Carbana car wash company at its Honiton Road, Exeter site.
Johnny Srikrishna, who operates six family-owned petrol filling stations, is also looking to have a pure water unit installed at his Shell/Tinkerbell petrol filling station near Salisbury later this year.
Supplier Spotless Water claims that its machines give businesses a guaranteed yearly income of £3,000-plus VAT, under its most common agreement in which it rents land from the operator, similar to contracts offered by parcel locker firms. For businesses taking units for multiple sites, it offers a shared revenue scheme.
In the next five years it plans to increase its network of over 140 stations – with many at storage depots and sports facilities – to 700 to 900. “We have ambitious growth plans,” says Spotless Water’s head of commercial Lindsey Barker, “and forecourts will make up a big proportion of this”, she adds.
Many of the machines’ customers are en route to and from their work and will also need to fill up with fuel, says Barker, making forecourt operators a perfect partner for the business.
Spotless Water launched in 2017 after one of the four founders came up with the idea after being unable to get supplies of pure water for his detailing fleet cars business.
“Initially it was to fill a gap in providing pure water for window cleaners and car valeters and detailers,” says Barker. “Now it is a hugely growing market,” she adds. ”We are finding new uses all the time from cleaning solar panels, filling fish tanks, topping up the battery of golf buggies, to beer brewing, and developing prints in photography.”
Other uses include in domestic irons to avoid limescale build up, and in carpet cleaners, where it helps reduce the chemicals needed.
The machines, which are temperature regulated, need 11ft by 8ft of space, around the size of a car bay. Spotless Water requires that customers have 24-hour access to the machines, which must also be easily located, and have power, water and a mains waste connection.
The water, which is not suitable for drinking, generally costs trade account customers 4.2p per litre, plus VAT, and non-account holders, 6.2p a litre plus VAT per litre. The machines are contactless and accept Apple Pay.
Srikrishna believes that the units will help give him a point of difference.
“We have lots of room at the back of our Tinkerbell site, and once I have built two jet wash bays there I will need to see how the space works out,” he says. ”But I would hope to have a Spotless Water unit in place by the end of the year. It is another addition which will contribute to sites being a destination.”
