Scuffs to open 200 UK drive-in car repair sites

Drive-in car repair centre Scuffs is planning to open 200 UK sites in the next five years, following a successful three-month pilot in Bristol.

Scuffs claims to be the only UK centre which offers a full car repair and maintenance service and undertakes to complete any task while the customer waits. The company has appointed through-the-line agency Byron to create a campaign, worth about &£1m.

It is on the verge of signing Radio 1 DJs Emma B and Ed Saunders to appear in its advertising and at venue launches. The deal is expected to be worth &£600,000 over the five-year roll-out programme.

Trevor Merrett, founder and managing director of Scuffs, says: “I perceive a definite gap in the market. No other operator in this field offers the breadth we do and none does it while you wait. The roll-out will be as quick, as possible, as we expect many to copy the concept.”

Merrett set up a car-cleaning operator Trevor Merrett Valeting Service when he left the Royal Air Force seven years ago.

Revenue from this operation will fund Merrett’s plan, starting with a second site in Bristol then a further six outlets later this year.

Total roll-out is expected to take five years and cost &£25m.

Merrett says he is on the verge of signing a number of deals with venture capitalists.