Grand Junction Residents Notice One Strange Building Trend

If you feel like every time you drive across Grand Junction, you roll past another car wash, you are not alone. If you discover another storage business, you are not alone. This phenomenon is neither a coincidence nor a local trend.

America has over 50,000 self-storage facilities and tens of thousands of car washes. In Colorado, we have nearly 1000 of each. What’s happening in Grand Junction is part of a much bigger story about how cities are growing—and what types of businesses are winning.

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You’re Not Imagining It — This Is a National Trend

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The next time you drive past one of those massive self-storage places on the Western Slope, know that those businesses serve about one out of every ten households in the state. The car wash industry grows if vehicle ownership in the market continues to rise (or so they say). What might feel like a peculiar trend in Grand Junction is happening in similar towns all over Colorado and the U.S.

Why Storage and Car Washes Are Booming

Coloradans simply have more stuff, some say more transitional life moments, than we did just a few decades ago. The demand for storage due to moving or downsizing is the main reason these types of businesses are so popular. Car washes, on the other hand, are about more than just clean cars. The American car wash has turned into a subscription-based business, often resulting in steady revenue month after month. The business requires fewer employees, which is a huge plus for investors.

What It Says About Grand Junction’s Growth

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When a new business opens in Grand Junction, it’s important. It is a sign of growth, both in population and development. While restaurants or retail are seen as riskier, builders choose predictable, scalable businesses that will turn a profit as long as we have cars and people running out of closet space. Car washes and self-storage are new businesses that signal growth following national investment trends more than local demand. Which is why we all say, “Oh, another car wash.”