Generate Additional Income Through Greater Market Penetration
By Tod Sorensen
The most successful vended laundries work to offer services and amenities designed to benefit people from all walks of life. In doing so, they better penetrate their unique demographic – appealing to renters, homeowners, professionals, small businesses, stay-at-home parents, retirees, vacationers, and students alike. At the end of the day, through better demographic penetration, vended laundries maximize revenue while more efficiently utilizing equipment, square footage, and staff. Read on for ways to strengthen demographic reach and sales.
Hybrid Washers
If you’re looking into new equipment, investigate the market’s new hybrid washers, which can switch from a self-service, customer-facing vended control and programming to a full-service, attendant-facing commercial control and programming. These machines allow you to harness advanced programming and chemical injection for processing full-service work for commercial customers. Many commercial customers need the advanced programming in order to remove oils, grease, and food stains. It’s essential for processing food and beverage and hospitality laundry. At the end of the day, these hybrid washers allow you to tap into a new commercial segment.
Large-Capacity Washers
Washers in 90- to 130-pound capacities are essential for processing big, bulky loads – like comforters, sleeping bags, pillows, and huge clothing loads – and, as such, appeal to homeowners and renters who don’t have access to large machines at home. By offering nine- to 13-load washers, you’ll also appeal to small commercial businesses, including salons, moving companies, and vacation rentals looking to clean towels, blankets, and sheets. If you don’t have a large-capacity washer in your laundromat, consider removing up to four smaller machines to make room. Not only are large machines among a laundry’s greatest revenue generators, they also set your store apart from the competition and bring in new business.
LaundryCares’ Family Read, Play & Learn Spaces
A Family Read, Play & Learn Space – developed by the LaundryCares Foundation – not only benefits families by occupying kids and working to improve their literacy, it also distinguishes a laundromat from its competitors. Parents with kids in tow appreciate a dedicated children’s area, especially when it supports learning and reading. An RPL comes as a “kit” with literacy-rich materials. For more information, visit www.laundrycares.org.
Ozone Sanitization
Ozone sanitization, which works with a washer’s automatic chemical injection system, eliminates nearly all viruses, bacteria, and molds in laundry. It also cuts natural gas costs, because it works best in cool water. By adding ozone to a few washers or your entire laundry, you’ll likely draw new customers and businesses concerned with maximizing safety and hygiene. You also might qualify for significant incentives or rebates through your utility company. Remember to consult with your distributor, as not all washers are compatible with ozone.
Wash-Dry-Fold Service
Harness attendant labor and idle equipment by offering a drop-off WDF service. In doing so, your laundromat will appeal to small businesses needing clean towels and linens, as well as higher income residents who don’t have the desire or time to do laundry themselves. WDF supports the full-service customer type, creates a new revenue stream, and makes use of your current equipment and staff. It’s a win-win.
Commercial Laundry Service
If your laundry business offers wash-dry-fold services and does it well, perhaps you also should consider actively pursuing commercial accounts by investing in a flatwork ironer. By installing a flatwork ironer, you can go after larger commercial accounts that require high-quality linen finishing – such as spas, vacation rentals, small hotels, catering companies, restaurants, and more. To install an ironer – either at your laundry or off-site – you’ll need about 200 square feet of space and one or two operators. This is a great way to maximize the potential of your marketplace’s demographics.
Pickup-and-Delivery Service
By adding a commercial and residential laundry pickup-and-delivery service, you will extend your demographic reach into new neighborhoods and business districts that you couldn’t otherwise serve. Moreover, a pickup-and-delivery service makes it extremely convenient for customers to do business with you.
Tod Sorensen is a regional business manager at Girbau North America and vice president of Continental Girbau West, a full-service distributorship serving the Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico markets. He has more than 20 years of experience in vended laundry development and market analysis. You can reach him at tsorensen@gnalaundry.com, or call (866) 950-2449.
