Detailing Products.
Discussion
Competition is a sign of sector health as much as it is a prison. Entirely depends on how well you can market it and whether there's a compelling reason to pick it over something else at a given price point.
I have a single product line with just a few SKUs (3 core ones) I've been sitting on for about 3 years in that general space (well, sort of, let's call it adjacent but in automotive). It's completely fleshed out, tested, production and release ready, everything required to make it happen is done, demo products in hand etc. It's absolutely turnkey. Product works, packaging is great, branding is solid, catchy name, great margin downstream of me, tested well, you name it.
The catch? Marketing a new brand and a new product costs a ton. I'm not looking to run a small e-commerce operation shifting product from my garage, so distribution is the order of the day. That comes with a ton of expectations and costs you're expected to eat. I knew it going in, I just found better ROI with other projects and sat this one on the shelf, but I may get around to it one day, probably not for all the reasons I just stated.
It's important to separate reality from your own excitement for the product(s), and question why you think you can shift it when, as others have said, products of this type come along and disappear regularly.
Not impossible, but there are some solid headwinds from day 1 unless you have a route to market that isn't expensive and has a decent crowd that'll support you.
I have a single product line with just a few SKUs (3 core ones) I've been sitting on for about 3 years in that general space (well, sort of, let's call it adjacent but in automotive). It's completely fleshed out, tested, production and release ready, everything required to make it happen is done, demo products in hand etc. It's absolutely turnkey. Product works, packaging is great, branding is solid, catchy name, great margin downstream of me, tested well, you name it.
The catch? Marketing a new brand and a new product costs a ton. I'm not looking to run a small e-commerce operation shifting product from my garage, so distribution is the order of the day. That comes with a ton of expectations and costs you're expected to eat. I knew it going in, I just found better ROI with other projects and sat this one on the shelf, but I may get around to it one day, probably not for all the reasons I just stated.
It's important to separate reality from your own excitement for the product(s), and question why you think you can shift it when, as others have said, products of this type come along and disappear regularly.
Not impossible, but there are some solid headwinds from day 1 unless you have a route to market that isn't expensive and has a decent crowd that'll support you.
Stu R said:
Wise words.
Wise words!Justadreamer said:
I ve found an automotive chemist that makes all the products
Who owns – or will own - the IP of the product? A few years back I helped a buddy company out with some branding for a range of very high-end sun tun oils and creams and the like. Like you, they had found a specialist to develop the products but ended up making the stuff to a recipe to which they didn’t own the IP on. As a result their margins were quite a bit lower than they could have been. They ended up sourcing the base oils and creams in the far east “off the shelf” that were delivered in 50-gallon drums. They employed a perfumier to create fragrances that was added to the gunk that made the product unique. It worked just as well and they made more per unit.
Justadreamer said:
I ve decided that I want to start a side business. Selling Detailing Products. I ve been using products for the last 20 years, and I ve decided to start it myself. I ve found an automotive chemist that makes all the products. I m just wondering what people s thoughts are?
FWIW I think there's already more than enough established trusted businesses selling that sort of thing.When you consider that most of the own label stuff is apparently stuff supplied industrially then "decanted" I think the question I'd be asking is why would I buy from "Justadreamer Detailing" rather than any of the other brands?
Marketing seems to be the key.
Just look at Lanoguard, probably the worst of all the undercoating products. I seriously doubt it's any better than sticking your used engine oil in a pump sprayer and using that.
Yet if you asked 100 people I guarantee that one has the most market penetration.
Just look at Lanoguard, probably the worst of all the undercoating products. I seriously doubt it's any better than sticking your used engine oil in a pump sprayer and using that.
Yet if you asked 100 people I guarantee that one has the most market penetration.
SteBrown91 said:
OP's username checks out.
I think it's good to dream but I also think a healthy dose of realism is needed.Amazon and Halfords have a lot of good stuff these days and no disrespect to the OP but if I'm on an online detailing product shopping trip there are only a handful of companies that ever seem to have the depth of product range to mean I'm not placing multiple orders.
I also get the impression (could be wrong) that quite a few of those businesses are part of a wider detailing/valet business rather than a full time job just selling detailing products.
Could be dead wrong but I think it's worth mentioning.
_Rodders_ said:
Marketing seems to be the key
pigface1001 said:
Marketing is king
Distribution is as important. Sometimes it's more important.Selling direct to buyers from a lock-up gets you over the line in terms of starting up something.
Growth comes from placing your product at point at which a buyer is buying when they are buying, consistently.
The success of CokeCola is less to do with its marketing and everything to do with the fact that you can go into your corner-shop, a supermarket in Dubai or a shack in a third world country and buy a can.
You can have a cracking brand and a brilliant campaign but if people can't get hold of the product when they want it, time and money is wasted.
Sebring440 said:
Dog Biscuit said:
I've ran my detailing company for about 22 years now and have seen hundreds of products come and go.
It's a very faddy market with a lot of players
Yes, the market is saturated. The OP would be better thinking of another business as a start-up.It's a very faddy market with a lot of players
There is so much stuff out there that sometimes it's hard to differentiate products.
For expensive stuff, I'd like to see some reviews by YouTubers, so sending them samples is a good way of getting your product reviewed and validated. Without that validation you may as well sell it as cheap watery Demon Tweeks. I might buy it on offer once in a blue moon to clean my parents cars but never again.
For me detailing is a never-ending hole. I now have an artificial limit of around £20 on any product and there is very little point in spending more on daily driven cars.
For me, my go to are:
Shampoo/snowfoam - standard Turtle Wax Car Shampoo in a 15 litre drum that I'm trying to burn through
Sealant/polish - Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray
Tyre/alloy cleaner - Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner
Tyre Gel - Autoglym High Performance or Meguiars
Tar remover/fallout - G-Techniq
Glass - Autoglym Glass Polish
Interior - Autoglym Interior/Auto Finesse
I basically use TW Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray after every wash as it's so eqsy and quick to apply on everything - glass, trim, chrome, black, paint, alloys because it's so versatile.
And 1001 bottles of barely used stuff cluttering up my garage ranging from cheap AA/Comma stuff to Swissvax etc that it's worth it.
For expensive stuff, I'd like to see some reviews by YouTubers, so sending them samples is a good way of getting your product reviewed and validated. Without that validation you may as well sell it as cheap watery Demon Tweeks. I might buy it on offer once in a blue moon to clean my parents cars but never again.
For me detailing is a never-ending hole. I now have an artificial limit of around £20 on any product and there is very little point in spending more on daily driven cars.
For me, my go to are:
Shampoo/snowfoam - standard Turtle Wax Car Shampoo in a 15 litre drum that I'm trying to burn through
Sealant/polish - Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray
Tyre/alloy cleaner - Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner
Tyre Gel - Autoglym High Performance or Meguiars
Tar remover/fallout - G-Techniq
Glass - Autoglym Glass Polish
Interior - Autoglym Interior/Auto Finesse
I basically use TW Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray after every wash as it's so eqsy and quick to apply on everything - glass, trim, chrome, black, paint, alloys because it's so versatile.
And 1001 bottles of barely used stuff cluttering up my garage ranging from cheap AA/Comma stuff to Swissvax etc that it's worth it.
I have been into detailing since about 2000 ish.
Lost count of the number of suppliers that have come onto the scene only to be shut down 2-3 years later.
Its a niche market and CYC etal have a massive market share.
Commercials tend to use Autosmart or Autoglym depending on price point.
Most normal retail people just buy their stuff from Amazon etc.
You could do it, but I expect you are looking at huge start up costs to get anything like decent turn over. If you already had some bigger customers i.e some car washes or car dealers then maybe you could get the ball rolling but stating from a dead stop is going to be really hard.
Retail is a race to the bottom these days, IMVHO as someone who ran a retail business for 20 years. There are very few sectors outside of the niche luxury stuff that dont require huge sales volumes to actually make money.
If I was you I would look at detailing itself - its going to be much lower volume but I think is more likely to be a success. Plus if its not you are left with a van and some basic supplies not 1000s of bottles of stuff no one wants.
HTH
Lost count of the number of suppliers that have come onto the scene only to be shut down 2-3 years later.
Its a niche market and CYC etal have a massive market share.
Commercials tend to use Autosmart or Autoglym depending on price point.
Most normal retail people just buy their stuff from Amazon etc.
You could do it, but I expect you are looking at huge start up costs to get anything like decent turn over. If you already had some bigger customers i.e some car washes or car dealers then maybe you could get the ball rolling but stating from a dead stop is going to be really hard.
Retail is a race to the bottom these days, IMVHO as someone who ran a retail business for 20 years. There are very few sectors outside of the niche luxury stuff that dont require huge sales volumes to actually make money.
If I was you I would look at detailing itself - its going to be much lower volume but I think is more likely to be a success. Plus if its not you are left with a van and some basic supplies not 1000s of bottles of stuff no one wants.
HTH
StevieBee said:
Distribution is as important. Sometimes it's more important.
Selling direct to buyers from a lock-up gets you over the line in terms of starting up something.
Growth comes from placing your product at point at which a buyer is buying when they are buying, consistently.
The success of CokeCola is less to do with its marketing and everything to do with the fact that you can go into your corner-shop, a supermarket in Dubai or a shack in a third world country and buy a can.
You can have a cracking brand and a brilliant campaign but if people can't get hold of the product when they want it, time and money is wasted.
CocaCola is also the best tasting Cola.Selling direct to buyers from a lock-up gets you over the line in terms of starting up something.
Growth comes from placing your product at point at which a buyer is buying when they are buying, consistently.
The success of CokeCola is less to do with its marketing and everything to do with the fact that you can go into your corner-shop, a supermarket in Dubai or a shack in a third world country and buy a can.
You can have a cracking brand and a brilliant campaign but if people can't get hold of the product when they want it, time and money is wasted.
Fever Tree Cola is a close second
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