From Supermarket to Car Wash: The Smart Repurposing of Retail Spaces
Amsterdam, woensdag, 2 juli 2025.
The retail sector demonstrates its resilience by transforming vacant retail premises, particularly former supermarkets, into innovative car wash locations. This adaptive reuse showcases the flexibility of commercial real estate and creates new economic opportunities. Architecture firms like A Plus Design Group successfully convert these spaces into modern, efficient car wash facilities with advanced features such as LED lighting, multiple wash lanes, and even children’s play areas. The trend illustrates how property owners creatively address changing market demands by transforming old retail locations into valuable service providers in the automotive sector.
Innovative Transformation of Retail Spaces
The trend of repurposing former supermarkets into modern car wash facilities demonstrates the dynamism of the commercial real estate sector. In Arkansas, Splash Car Wash, for example, has transformed a former Walmart Neighbourhood Market of approximately 35,000 square feet into an advanced wash location [1]. The project includes two covered wash lanes, bright LED lighting, indoor vacuum stations, and even a children’s play area [1].
Nationwide Transformation Trend
The repurposing is not limited to a single region. In Philadelphia, Valet Auto Wash has transformed a former Pathmark supermarket of 50,000 square feet into one of the largest car wash facilities in the United States, with dual wash lanes and over 70 indoor vacuum stations [1]. A similar transformation can be seen in Cleveland, where a former hhgregg electronics store of approximately 30,000 square feet has been converted into a modern car wash location [1].
Future Perspective
While such repurposings are currently still exceptional, experts point to the potential growth of this trend [1]. Covered car wash facilities are becoming increasingly popular with consumers, particularly due to the ability to clean and vacuum vehicles indoors [1].