Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre

What Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre does

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre is a privately held Canadian car wash and auto detailing operator founded in 1993, headquartered at 9330 51 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta, and operating 10 physical retail locations across Alberta — Edmonton (5), Calgary (2), Sherwood Park (1), St. Albert (1) — and Kelowna, BC (1). The company provides tiered exterior hand-wash services using lamb's wool mitts and horse hair brushes (Silver $19.95+ through Platinum $100), four levels of interior and exterior detailing ($74.95–$1,000), paint correction and exterior detailing services, GT Quartz nano ceramic coatings starting at $1,799 (for which it is the elite authorized application center in Alberta and Okanagan, BC), and boat detailing in Kelowna.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with no appointment required, supported by a proprietary native iOS/Android mobile app launched in 2022 that enables contactless check-in and management of Unlimited Wash Memberships — Silver ($79.99+GST/mo), Gold ($89.99), Platinum ($94.99), with no long-term contracts and SUV/truck/van surcharges. Revenue is split between transactional per-visit service revenue (one-time wash and detailing packages) and recurring subscription membership revenue, with gift-card sales via Formstack, e-commerce booking via Koalendar, email marketing via Mailinblue, and remarketing via Google AdSense.

The company serves primarily individual consumer vehicle owners across Western Canada, with a secondary fleet/commercial wash plan segment and a marine detail segment in the Okanagan. It is founder/family-owned, self-funded through operations with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent organization, no M&A history, no patents or trademarks recorded, and no public regulatory actions. Privacy practices are PIPEDA-aligned and built on the Canadian Standards Association's Model Code.

Name

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre

Legal name

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centres

Website

https://bubbles.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre is a privately held Western Canadian operator running 10 hand-wash, detailing, ceramic-coating, and boat-care retail locations across Edmonton, Calgary, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and Kelowna, serving individual vehicle owners via walk-in service, monthly unlimited memberships, and a native iOS/Android app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Wash and Auto Detailing Services

NAICS

Car Washes (811192)

akta.pro primary industry

Fleet/Vehicle & Equipment Exterior Washing (Residential/Light Commercial) (HSAEAMAL)

Keywords

• Car wash services
• Auto detailing
• Ceramic coating
• Vehicle detailing
• Boat detailing

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. One-time Car Wash Services: Customers pay per visit for exterior washes ranging from $19.95 to $100.00 depending on vehicle size and condition. Services include Silver Exterior, Select Gold Exterior, and Platinum Exterior packages.
2. Auto Detailing Services: Tiered auto detailing services: Preliminary-Level ($74.95-$150.00), Mid-Level ($259.95-$550.00), Comprehensive ($499.95-$1000.00), and Exterior Detail (starting at $299.95). Prices vary by vehicle condition and size.
3. Unlimited Wash Memberships: Monthly recurring subscription memberships offering unlimited washes. Three tiers: Silver ($79.99/mo), Gold ($89.99/mo), and Platinum ($94.99/mo), all plus GST. SUV, truck, van add $5/mo. Membership includes contactless app-based redemption.
4. GT Quartz Ceramic Coating: Premium ceramic coating services starting at $1799 for Select level, including paint preparation and paint correction. Professional and Titanium tiers also available with 48-hour service for Titanium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre provides hand-wash car care, multi-tier auto detailing (preliminary, mid-level, comprehensive, exterior), GT Quartz nano ceramic coating, boat detailing, and Unlimited Wash Membership subscriptions across 10 retail locations in Alberta and British Columbia. All services are offered walk-in without appointment, and customers can manage memberships through a proprietary mobile app.

Product overview

Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre operates as a full-service car wash and auto detailing business with locations across Edmonton, Calgary, and Kelowna. The company offers a tiered service portfolio spanning five levels of care: Express Exterior Washes (Silver, Gold, Platinum tiers), Preliminary-Level Detail Services (Select Package, Rain-X Shine Package), Mid-Level Detail Services (Vinyl Protection, Deluxe Interior, Rug/Seat Shampoo, Leather Care packages), Comprehensive Auto Detail Services (Ultimate Package, New Car Protection Package), and Exterior Detail Services (single/multi-stage polish & wax, decontamination, chrome polish). Specialty offerings include Boat Detail Services and GT Quartz Ceramic Coating (Select, Professional, Titanium tiers). The company supplements its walk-in services with an Unlimited Wash Membership subscription program managed through a proprietary mobile app available on iOS and Android, providing contactless transactions and plan management. Additional services include ceramic coatings for windows, vinyl, wheels, and leather.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unlimited Wash Memberships: Monthly subscription plans (Silver, Gold, Platinum tiers) providing unlimited car washes at all locations.
• GT Quartz Ceramic Coating

Products and services

• Exterior Car Wash Services Hand wash services using lamb's wool mitts and horse hair brushes, offered in three tiers: Silver Exterior (basic hand wash), Select Gold Exterior (adds Clear Coat Conditioners, Hot Wax, and Undercarriage Spray & Protection), and Platinum Exterior Package (includes all features plus Tire Dressing). Starting at $19.95 to $100.00 depending on vehicle size.
• Preliminary-Level Detail Services Entry-level interior and exterior detail services including vacuuming, dusting, glass cleaning, and mat washing. Packages include The Select Package and Rain-X Shine Package with rust inhibitor and paint protection. Starting at $74.95 to $150.00, typically 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Mid-Level Detail Services Focused interior and exterior detail services for vehicles needing more care. Includes Vinyl Protection Package, Deluxe Interior Package, Rug/Seat Shampoo Package, and Leather Care Package. Starting at $259.95 to $550.00, typically 2 hours.
• Comprehensive Auto Detail Services Complete make-over services including the Ultimate Package (full interior deep clean, shampoo, conditioning) and New Car Protection Package (fabric guard, GT Quartz leather/vinyl/paint protection). Starting at $499.95 to $1,000.00, takes 2 to 4 hours with add-ons starting at $69.99 each.
• Exterior Detail Services Paint correction and protection services including One Stage Polish & Wax, Two/Three Stage Polish & Wax (80-95% imperfection removal), Paint Decontamination, Wheel Decontamination, and Chrome Polish. Starting at $299.95, typically 2 hours.
• Boat Detail Services Marine detailing ranging from basic to complete revitalization including Ultimate Package, Interior Ultimate, and Mobile Marine Cleaning. The Kelowna location offers on-site and mobile boat detailing services.
• GT Quartz Ceramic Coating Nano ceramic coating using silicone dioxide (quartz) particles that polymerize to form an ultra-hard coating, increasing factory paint hardness from 4H to 9H on the Mohs scale. Available in Select, Professional, and Titanium (9H+) tiers. Covers paint, windows, vinyl trim, wheels, and leather. Starting at $1,799 all-in for Select level with paint preparation and correction; includes one year of free exterior washes with Titanium coating.
• Unlimited Wash Memberships Monthly subscription plans providing unlimited washes at all 10 locations. Three tiers: Silver ($79.99+GST/mo, basic hand wash), Gold ($89.99+GST/mo, adds Clear Coat Conditioners and Foam Polish), and Platinum ($94.99+GST/mo, adds Underbody Rinse, Rain X, Tire Dressing). SUV, truck, and van add $5/mo. No long-term contracts.
• Bubbles Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile application enabling members to manage their Unlimited Wash Membership, update payment information, check-in for washes, upgrade or change plans, and add multiple vehicles to one account. Supports biometric authentication (fingerprint and facial recognition) via device functionality.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GT Quartz (Gliptone)coreTechnology or IntegrationBubbles Car Wash & Detail Centres are elite authorized application centers for GT Quartz nano ceramic coatings. GT Quartz uses nano-particles of Silicone Dioxide to create ultra-hard coatings (up to 9H hardness). This is an exclusive partnership in Alberta and Okanagan, BC, with coatings backed by warranty and performed by certified technicians.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quick Quack Car Wash: Multi-state express car wash operator with aggressive membership subscription model and strong regional brand presence. Comparable multi-location operator with recurring revenue focus, though US-based and conveyor-format.
• Club Car Wash: Multi-state express car wash operator with unlimited membership plans and aggressive site expansion. Comparable subscription car wash operator with similar geographic clustering strategy, though US-based.
• Delta Sonic: Multi-service car wash and oil change operator with hand wash, detailing, and membership options in the US Midwest/Northeast. Directly comparable full-service car wash and detail business with membership programs.
• AutoBell Car Wash: Multi-location US car wash operator offering express washes, detailing, and membership programs. Comparable multi-tier service portfolio and subscription model, though US-based and express-format.
• ZIPS Car Wash: Express car wash chain with locations across the southern US offering unlimited wash memberships. Directly comparable subscription-driven car wash operator, though US-based and express-format.
• Tommy's Express Car Wash: Franchise-based express car wash concept with rapidly growing footprint across North America. Comparable subscription-driven car wash operator, though franchise/automated model differs from Bubbles' company-owned hand-wash approach.
• Splash Car Wash: Canadian regional car wash operator with multiple locations in the Greater Toronto Area and Western Canada, offering hand wash services, detailing, and membership programs. Directly comparable multi-location car wash and detail operator in the Canadian market.
• Spinx: US regional car wash and convenience operator with hand wash services and memberships. Comparable full-service car wash with hand-wash methodology and multi-location regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Take 5 Car Wash: Large North American express car wash chain with hundreds of locations offering unlimited membership programs. Comparable subscription-based wash business model, though automated/conveyor-based rather than Bubbles' hand-wash methodology.
• Canadian Tire (Auto Services): Canadian mass retailer offering vehicle maintenance and detailing services across hundreds of locations nationally. Adjacent competitor for vehicle appearance and detailing services within the Canadian market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bubblescanada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BubblesCarWashes/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bubbles.ca
• Instagraminstagram.com/bubbles_canada/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bubbles-carwash

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bubbles Car Wash & Detail Centre