Mr. Clean goes from kitchen to car wash
Mr. Clean is getting a second job. Procter & Gamble is planning to expand its Mr. Clean Car Wash franchise nationwide. But is it that a good idea in this recession? Mitchell Hartman reports.
Mr. Clean Car Wash logo (www.mrcleancarwash.com/)
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TEXT OF STORY
BOB MOON: The name behind Crest, Pampers, Tide and a long list of other familiar brands is counting on another familiar name to launch itself in a whole new direction -- the franchise service business.
The Cincinnati-based company announced today it's taking applications for new carwash franchises it's rolling out all over the country, under the brand-name Mister Clean. Is this a good business idea for a bad economy?
From the Entrepreneurship Desk at Oregon Public Broadcasting, Mitchell Hartman reports.
MITCHELL HARTMAN: Carwashes tend to be scrappy, locally-owned businesses without the consistency, or even the cleanliness, of a big national chain.
Nathan Estruth heads up new business development for Procter & Gamble. He says Mr. Clean carwashes will offer a high-end experience, starting with . . .
NATHAN ESTRUTH: A greeter that greets you when you come on the lot, that looks you in the eye, makes clear what offerings you can receive. It includes a sparkling-clean environment inside.
Plus, your kids can spray colored soap foam on the car while it's being washed.
Aside from the muscle-bound Mr. Clean pitch man, Estruth says P&G has another advantage: There are a lot of laid-off businesspeople looking to buy franchises nationwide.
But Don Sniegowski, who edits a news website for franchise owners, thinks P&G is overly optimistic.
DON SNIEGOWSKI: Franchisees or potential francisees are very hard-pressed. The price of their real estate is down, the available cash is down. It's going to be a real hard slog to get franchise buyers.
It may also be hard to get customers.
Gary Anderson is an attendant at Washman Carwash in Portland. It's attached to a Shell station.
GARY ANDERSON: The economy's definitely taking its toll. People aren't willing to spend the money, even though the car that just came through here needed a car wash bad.
Procter & Gamble believes people will still spend money for a new kind of carwash experience. And the company's also test-marketing another branded franchise concept -- it's got three Tide dry-cleaning stores in Kansas City.
I'm Mitchell Hartman for Marketplace.
Comments
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From marietta, GA, 04/16/2009
I was very excited when I heard the carwash I have been going for the past 10 years is becoming a Mr.Clean carwash.Carnetts carwash is the best people they could've have picked.This is going to be great invesment.
From Phoenix, AZ, 02/05/2009
Mr Clean need only copy the very successful business model of Phoenix area local favorite, Danny's Family Car Wash. Same concept, and here in the Valley of the Sun, this sort of carwash is a BOOMING success. Thanks for the story!
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