Work From Home: A Long-Term Threat For Drycleaners?

An analysis of Bloomberg NewsWire revealed that the new work-from-home era will continue to affect the US drycleaners. According to a survey conducted by Stanford University  in United States, in September 2020, about 32% of working days were spent at home — down from 42% in May. The new work-from-home economy is likely to outlast the coronavirus that spawned it. The share of working days spent at home is anticipated to rise to a quarter from 5% before the pandemic.

Even before the pandemic, the United States’ dry-cleaning industry, which employs more than 120,000 people, was already struggling with declining demand for professional services and the growing adoption of business-casual attire in the office. In order to cope with the new Corona challenges, many dry cleaners have begun to offer pickup and delivery, alterations or wash-and-fold services. Others diversified into commercial laundry for hospitals, or are now willing to launder comforters and curtains for consumer.

 

Innovative customer strategies to increase sales during Corona

In New York, drycleaners such as Nu-Way Cleaners & Tailors have a plea for corporate executives, in the work-from-home environment: institute a dress code for Zoom calls.  But adapting rapidly the customer relationship and marketing strategies to the new reality also means a direct and high focus on digital channels and encouraging clients to visit the store in its physical or online manner (or both). A recent example of addressing the clients in a personal approach is coming from Gibson’s Cleaners (Canada), a company that created an “on my way “ service, based on their laundry-on-demand app: