All Car wash & Valeting articles
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NewsHand car wash firms fined £2.7m for employing illegal workers
A number of car wash businesses – including two operating from MFG forecourts – have been fined £2.73m for employing staff with no right to work in the UK.
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OtherCOMMENT: Treat car wash as a core retail proposition
The UK car wash market is entering a period of meaningful transformation, driven by changing customer expectations and lessons from more mature European markets, says Wash Tec’s Ryan Lenihan.
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NewsPark Garage Group plans further pure water machines for ‘streak-free’ jet washing
Top 50 Indie Park Garage Group plans to install another 10 Spotless Water dispensers at its larger sites by the end of the year: connecting the pure water machines where possible to jet washes for ”streak-free” washing.
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NewsMFG removes fuel pumps and car wash to expand food-to-go offering
The apparently unstoppable demand for food-to-go has led MFG to take drastic action, with the firm recently granted planning permission to remove two pump islands and a car wash in order to expand the shop of a forecourt in West Yorkshire.
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NewsSUMMIT: Car wash investments driving up returns for forecourts
Motorists are starting to pay a higher price for premium car washes as forecourts invest in apps and other features to improve customer experience.
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NewsSUMMIT: Making profits now
With fuel retailers constantly under fire about the margins they make on petrol and diesel, it was only natural that a ‘Making Profits Now’ panel should start its session with Fuel Finder.
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AnalysisLEGAL DOCTOR: Potential pitfalls of EV charging and valeting equipment leases
Forecourt operators are signing more leases and ‘as-a-service’ deals for EV chargers and valeting equipment. It is important not to get caught out with unfair contract terms, warns David Emery, a partner in Winckworth Sherwood’s corporate team.
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NewsPlaistow Broadway installs trio of Adriateh jet-wash bays at Taunton forecourt
Essex-based Top 50 Indie Plaistow Broadway, which operates seven filling stations, has installed three new jet-wash bays at its Wellington Road site in Taunton.
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NewsNew Istobal drier a hit with drivers at MFG Kidderminster
Istobal has launched a new vehicle drier at MFG’s Kidderminster site – its first in the UK.
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NewsRaven cleans up on valeting with car mat machine
Shell dealer Goran Raven has seen a 7% uplift in his valeting business since installing a car mat washing machine at his Raven’s Budgens Abridge forecourt in Essex.
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Equipment NewsNew WashTec rollover gains traction with major operators
A number of major forecourt operators are set to invest in a new rollover car wash system that features online connectivity, and 3D sensors for more precise cleaning.
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Equipment NewsPreen seeks operators to take premium brush-free robotic car wash
Preen’s more environmental “touch-free AI-driven robotic car wash”, which avoids scratching and can be used for soft tops, is due to be launched in the UK next year.
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NewsGovernment to target 5,000 hand car washes in £1m illegal working crackdown
The Prime Minister has announced an extra £1m of funding and a new team of investigators tasked with tackling people who do not have the right to work in the UK, with hand car washes first in the initiative’s firing line.
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NewsWorld’s first car fragrance vending machine launch can be adapted for outdoor use
A new revenue stream for forecourt firms, particularly those with valeting operations, has just been launched with the introduction of the world’s first car fragrance vending machine.
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NewsMore petrol station property investments were made in the first nine months of 2025 than all of last year
The market for filling station property purchases has ramped up this year, with more forecourts changing hands in the first three quarters of 2025 than all of last year combined.
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NewsBig Bertha car wash arrives at Sharma Garages Group site
Top 50 Indie Sharma Garages Group has invested over £255,000 in a new car wash at its Bush Service Station site in Sutton Coldfield.
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NewsShell to replace valeting hub with EV chargers
Local authorities have granted Shell planning permission to install six EV charging bays at a forecourt in Leicester, with the chargers sitting on land currently occupied by a jet wash and separate car-care bay.
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Focus On FeatureFOCUS ON VALETING: Splashing the cash
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.
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NewsShell dealer targets Gen-Z with eight-programme jet washers and loyalty scheme
Mehul Rajani expects that it won’t be uncommon for young car enthusiasts to spend 15 minutes trying out the eight programmes on his new Electrajet jet washers, so it is not surprising that he is devising a loyalty programme and a larger in-store car care section to appeal to them.
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NewsArrests for illegal working rocket… but fines for hiring illegal workers remain unpaid
Arrests for illegal working – including those employed in hand car washes – have soared to their highest levels since records began, reports the Home Office.