Electrajet is among a growing number of players taking on ME Group with external laundry machines, with operators able to purchase its Spinbox outright.
In a diversification for the forecourt equipment supplier into washer/drier machines, Electrajet is also offering a revenue share option.
So far, several forecourt operators have ordered a total of 14 units. And Electrajet is offering a loyalty app for retailers wanting to run a customer membership programme, using a white label version of Air Wallet.
Customers include Krisco Services Group, a self-service valeting centre due to open in June, and Crossburn Service Station in Douglas, Scotland.
Currently, the external laundry market is dominated by ME Group, but Michael Franks owner of Electrajet says that Spinbox is a serious contender with its more compact units taking up a footprint of just 2m by 3m. They include an 18kg and 12kg washer and 18kg drier with touchscreen controls and contactless payment.
The driers have the option to include a sensor that adapts the heating capacity to the amount of moisture in the drum, saving energy costs, says Franks.
Franks believes that most operators will purchase the Spanish-made machines outright, at a cost of around £40k depending on the site survey. Maintenance plans are available with this option.
Meanwhile, with the revenue share agreement, Electrajet offers a 60-month contract to handle maintenance. Chemicals can be supplied as well.
But Franks expects most customers will want to purchase the units rather than lease them, a trend he says he has been seeing with other types of forecourt equipment.
“We are seeing this with jet washes and towers. Independents want to own the machines outright to earn more in the long-term from the machines which makes more sense,” says Franks.
Owning equipment gives operators greater control and a higher income at a time that electricity and water costs are high, he adds.
Prices charged to the customer will be down to the forecourt operator, but recommended at the industry standard of £11 for an 18 kilo wash, £6 for a 12 kilo wash and various drying retails starting from £3.50 for 15 minutes.
A second contender also offering to sell laundry machines to forecourt operators has emerged. Mach 1 Engineering was promoting its Laundry 2 Go units at the Forecourt Show in the NEC last week.
It says that at the event it sold 40 units – which have a 10kg and 18kg washer and an 18kg drier and retail at around £35k. While it has been supplying machines for laundrettes, dry cleaners and care homes for the past 17 years, forecourts are an untapped sector for the business. However, it has installed machines at nine petrol stations in the UK over the past couple of years.
The Timpson Group has also ventured in the forecourt laundry sector with its Johnsons Specialist Cleaning-branded machines, which are pre-filled with detergents and available on a revenue share model.
