Many communities have a demographic make-up that is split between dry cleaning customers and vended laundry customers. Many dry cleaning customers have certain items in their homes that are too big and bulky to launder at home, and many vended laundry customers have at least a couple pieces of clothing that require dry cleaning. In the right area with a dedicated owner, a Combination Dry Cleaner/Laundromat can turn into a very profitable venture.
Although Combo Stores can be built in rental or leased locations, it is our opinion that, due to the square footage required to properly build-out the store, owning the property is ideal. Ultimately, population will dictate how much equipment for each side is needed. The location should be able to support either a stand-alone dry cleaner or laundromat. We expect to get cross-over business between the two sets of customers but to depend on enough dry cleaning dropped off from your laundromat customers to make that side of the business profitable is probably an unrealistic expectation. You can probably expect more carry over business from your dry cleaning customers to the laundromat side but that would most likely be in the wash-dry and fold drop off service.
A Combo Store should become a one-stop shop for all your customers laundry needs and become a destination location. Offering alteration service, wash-dry and fold service as well as selling detergents are highly recommended. Other sources of ancillary income are vending machines for snacks, video games or in some cases, a café or bistro area.
Contact Us to discuss this business opportunity in more detail. It requires a serious investment in time, energy and money, but with a proper business plan in place, there is the potential for a speedy return on investment and a cozy profit.