2023 Coin Laundry Business Trends
With the new year underway, now is a great time to take stock of business trends emerging in the coin laundry industry for 2023 and beyond. Data shows coin laundry businesses continuing to thrive, even as other small businesses struggle through a potential recession; according to MarketWatch, the industry is “estimated to grow by $12.62 billion from 2021–2025.” However, with increasing competition, laundromat owners must stay on top of the trends and address customer demand in order to continue to succeed.
7 Trends Impacting Coin Laundry Businesses in 2023
Today’s culture is defined by an ongoing focus on technology, cleanliness, “green” businesses, and aesthetics. Learn how these trends will impact the coin laundry industry in 2023, and how laundromat owners can adapt to exceed customer demands.
1. Hands-Off Laundry Services
Perhaps one of the most lucrative trends involves the increasing demand for upscale services that extend beyond the traditional laundromat DIY model, including fluff and fold services, laundry pick-up and delivery, dry cleaning, alterations, and more. Studies show that people nowadays are busier than ever, with demanding jobs, family lives, and social commitments, so it makes sense that we want to identify ways to streamline and simplify processes whenever possible. Even those with in-home laundry equipment are outsourcing this time-consuming task to full-service laundromats in the interest of time-savings—a trend that is contributing to the ever-growing demand for coin laundry businesses.
2. Faster Laundry Cycles
Adding to the aforementioned trend of increasing customer busyness, laundromat patrons favor businesses that enable them to clean loads as quickly as possible. Coin laundry equipment manufacturers are addressing this demand, with modern coin washers and dryers processing loads much more quickly than their predecessors. As such, customers will continue to favor laundromat businesses that offer modern laundry equipment and large-capacity machines that can wash and dry large loads, fast.
3. Ongoing Focus on Cleanliness
As with many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed the coin laundry industry. With a heightened focus on sanitization, laundromat owners turned to Ozone Wash Systems that integrate with their existing laundry equipment to boost cleaning power. While these systems have been around for decades, mostly in healthcare laundry, they suddenly gained mass appeal for their ability to eradicate bacteria and viruses in laundry without the use of harsh chemicals and detergents.
In late 2019, WSD client client The Laundry Room contacted us about retooling with new Dexter coin washers and dryers, and adding an ArtiClean Ozone Laundry System, which uses oxygen and electricity—not toxic chemicals—to sanitize laundry, killing viruses, mold, and bacteria. A few months later, when COVID fears swept the nation, The Laundry Room was ready. Their state-of-the-art equipment with virus-killing capabilities attracted new customers; even after life began returning to normal, customers continued to flock to The Laundry Room to take advantage of this advanced technology.
To this day, countless WSD clients report similar success with Ozone Wash Systems, proving that a focus on enhanced cleanliness and sanitization is a trend that won’t be fading anytime soon.
4. Inviting Designs
While many people still think of laundromats as dark, cramped places, today’s laundromat owners are quickly upending that stigma. Instead, thanks to the prevalence of DIY renovation shows and online inspiration platforms, modern laundromats feature bright lights, cohesive decor, and inviting elements for catalog-worthy interior designs. With coin laundry equipment occupying so much real estate, ensuring that the machines look clean and modern, like the stainless steel Dexter Coin Laundry equipment, is a major contributor to creating attractive interiors. From the basics, like comfortable seating and dedicated spaces to sort and fold laundry, to value-added features like a vending machine and free wi-fi, a dedicated children’s area, or a study lounge, laundromat owners are putting customer comfort at the forefront of design. Some owners have even thought outside-the-box to expand into hybrid business models, incorporating a cafe, indoor playground, community gathering space, or event space into their laundromats.
5. Eco-friendly and Energy Efficient Equipment
With an ever-increasing focus on “going green”, today’s laundromat customers demand businesses that take responsibility for their environmental impact. Fortunately, efficient laundry equipment is both good for business and good for the bottom line. For decades, laundromat owners have struggled with astronomical utility bills as a result of inefficient equipment that used too much water or energy. Modern laundry equipment, like our Dexter High Efficiency Express Washers and Dryers, use less water per load and cut dry times by as much as 50%, reducing utility bills while appealing to eco-conscious customers.
6. Smartphone Compatibility
In today’s highly technological landscape, customers rely on their smartphones for everything from socialization and transportation to banking, work, and more. It makes sense that these customers also prefer smartphone-compatible vended laundry systems. Fortunately, many manufacturers now offer smart washers and dryers, controlled with a convenient app interface. For instance, with the DexterPay system, laundromat customers can select cycles and cycle upgrades, pay via credit card, monitor each load and track remaining cycle time (allowing them to step out for a coffee or quick errand while they wait), access special promotions, and earn loyalty points for their business.
At Western State Design, all of our C-Series Dexter commercial washers and dryers include DexterPay—a built-in app—no upfront costs, annual fees, or machine modifications necessary. These machines also feature smart technology and advanced sensors to efficiently wash and dry loads for faster turnaround times.
7. Strong Web Presence
Today’s customers turn to the internet for just about every need, including deciding which local laundromat to visit. That’s why developing a professional website and/or social media presence is a must for laundromat owners.
Brian Wallace, the president of the Coin Laundry Association, noted that laundromat business owners need to “make sure the people who are looking for you—and they’re looking for you on their smartphones—can find you.” After all, when anyone types “laundromat near me” or “best laundromat in” whatever city you happen to be in, you want your business to land at the top of the list.
Looking Ahead: Laundromats in 2023 and Beyond
These seven trends reveal the ultimate pattern: laundromat customers want choices. They want alternatives to laundry to accommodate their lifestyles, and they want quick, easy access to your business and its services. These trends all create an improved customer experience with your business, which can create an improved profit growth for you.
If you’d like to talk more about installing efficient machines with an Ozone Laundry System, contactless payment options, or other trending features, contact a WSD Laundry Equipment Expert to talk about our Dexter C-series commercial washers and dryers today.
