Let’s be honest, it’s a tough time to be in the dry cleaning business. But it’s also an exciting time!
As fashion and attitudes towards clothing change in America, people are now needing less dry cleaning. They are usually wearing low-maintenance clothing made from cotton and polyester blends, which require less laundering and dry cleaning than the silks, wool, and delicates that were used in the past.
While it can be tough to make it in the dry cleaning business (and it was certainly never easy), the future of dry cleaning is actually very bright!
Take a look at some of the future trends and innovations in dry cleaning and you may find the secret to your success.
While self-serve laundering has always been a part of dry cleaning, it will become almost essential for future success. Customers may no longer need dry cleaning, but many don’t have laundry machines of their own, especially in crowded urban centers.
Add self-serve washers and dryers to your facility so you can still profit from people who no longer need dry cleaning services. With these machines, you will have a chance to profit even when people are wearing garments that don’t need your specialized dry cleaning.
Future businesses across all industries are making efforts to full understand their customers. Information can include when they visit a store, what services they need, and what types of garments they have brought in during past visits. With this information, dry cleaners are able to target services and offer more specialized and (hopefully) effective discounts.
There are many ways to collect customer information. One of the best is to send an email with a survey after a customer has visited your store. The survey can help you collect information on what customers like and don’t like about your business.
Customers want convenience, and this is an inescapable fact in the dry cleaning industry. To enhance convenience, dry cleaners are adding two similar but slightly different services. One is delivery service, where the dry cleaner picks up the laundry at the customer’s home or office and returns it once it is clean. The other is drop-off laundering, where the customer can drop off their clothes and pickup a complete load of clean and folded laundry.
Start researching the potential benefits of delivery services as soon as possible. You can also do a trial run of drop-off laundering and see if this a service that your customers will appreciate.
Almost everything is being run through an app, and this trend will continue through the future. Scheduling, delivery, customer information, and many other resources will be funneled through an app, and the best dry cleaners are fully prepared to ride this wave.
While you shouldn’t chase every trend, stay informed on the latest and most common apps being used in the dry cleaning industry. Download and implement any systems that will be beneficial to your business.
As dry cleaning moves into more technology and tries to connect with every potential customer, you would think that location would matter less and less. However, it appears that location will continue to be an important factor for dry cleaning, especially in dense urban areas where people are less likely to own a personal vehicle. In these cases, being just down the road will matter more than ever.
If you are already in a location, there’s not much you can do outside of moving. However, if you are starting a new business or opening a new location, you need to place an even higher importance on the location of your store.
The best franchises will offer specialty cleaning that gives the company a chance to differentiate itself from the competition. Green and environmentally-friendly cleaning is one potential specialty, which is driven by customer demand for eco-friendly practices. This trend is conscious of chemicals and resources used in cleaning, as well as the proper disposal of waste.
While regulations will drive many of your decisions, you should understand that going above and beyond may help attract customers. Consider using the most advanced cleaning chemicals that have a smaller impact on the environment, and, if possible, invest in technology that uses less water.
You can’t stop these trends, but with these tips you can make them your ally in the future. Learn how Enlite can help your dry cleaning or laundry business be prepared for success!
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