Dry Cleaners and their changing landscape
Never has there been a time where so much change has been sweeping through the Dry Cleaning industry. From start-up smartphone apps that promise same day pickup to the emergence of clean and green dry cleaning alternatives. All these newcomers are creating challenges for some traditional dry cleaners who may not have changed their business model for 30+ years.
The start-up apps have their challenges too with the following hurdles to overcome. For starters, Logistics- trying to uberise an industry is never easy, the logistical nightmare of trying to collect, deliver to a dry cleaner, collect again and then finally drop off to your end customer while always trying to keep the minimum order down is the main reason why apps like Washio and Prim have failed. Someone will inevitably get it right however this will take time to perfect the model. The second challenge these apps face is that consumers (especially those with expensive garments) like to meet their local Dry Cleaner, know their name, know where they are located and discuss concerns such as stains, care of delicate items and essentially have someone to talk to if there is an issue. Most of the apps outsource the dry cleaning work they collect to whoever is willing to partner up with them.
Another change charging through the industry is the emergence of genuine green alternatives and general updates to dry cleaning plant technology that are challenging traditional dry cleaners to reinvest in their businesses or potentially lose market share. Developments in the areas of pressing equipment that reduce manual labour hours while improving quality have been significant including shirt machines that can allow dry cleaners to offer Business Shirt services. A robotic Business Shirt machine can press a damp shirt into a finished ready to wear product in 35-45 seconds. In the cleaning section of the plant advancements in dry to dry cleaning technologies has reduced the industry’s reliance on toxic chemical based cleaning. Consumers in the United States, U.K. and Australia are becoming more informed and aware about the public safety concerns with traditional chemical solvents like PERC (tetrachloroethene, or perchloroethylene) which is used by 90+% of traditional dry cleaners.
The team at Laundry Box at 319 Bay Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia are pleased to offer customers a natural (no-toxic chemicals) dry cleaner service, utilising the latest pressing and dry to dry cleaning technologies. You can visit them at: www.laundrybox.com.au or give them a call on 03-9077-5682. Detailed information about Laundry Box’s Chemical Free Dry Cleaner Services can be found by visiting: www.laundrybox.com.au/organic-dry-cleaning/
