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At least four dry cleaners have closed shop in my 1/4 million strong city. Now with pandemic and WFH fading, can they come back? Is this an opportunity to try

At least four dry cleaners have closed shop in my 1/4 million strong city. Now with pandemic and WFH fading, can they come back? Is this an opportunity to try something different? This is not an ‘outdated service’ ..clean clothes will never become obsolete(hopefully). So where is the upgrade?

kjs3 4y ago
If only there was another way to clean clothes. I am under the understanding that most dry cleaners (certainly every one I've used) are retail front ends that send the clothes to a central place for the actual cleaning. My dry cleaner hasn't closed, but I switched to their pick-up/drop-off service as soon as they offered it (2-3 years ago at least) and haven't been to the retail location since. So the retail front ends might be closing, but it's not like you won't be able to get things dry cleaned if you need it.
- jelliclesfarm 4y ago
  We don’t have such a service but it would be nice if a dry cleaning service will pick up once a week and drop off same day next week for another pick up. It is something similar to what I remember from India. The laundry pressers would pick up our clean washed school uniforms Saturday mornings to Sunday afternoon. And drop them off by Sunday night. Sometimes it would be really late at night but always ready by Monday morning. They had a specific schedule. School uniforms for the weekend. Shirts and pants on Tuesdays and other clothes for rest of the days. Linen, saris and whites went out once a month for dry cleaning/starching services. There was a predictable schedule that worked like clockwork. It’s one of the things I miss the most. This and mobile libraries. We got home delivery of produce now here..it’s a start. So much opportunity for other services. On a slightly diff note: I wonder if they got the shirt folding robot done yet..I heard somewhere that it’s one of the more difficult problem for the robots/automation. ETA: Hah! Turns out they cracked this one.. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1130552239/robot-folding-laundry https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1130552239/robot-folding-laun...
  - kjs3 4y ago
    We don’t have such a service but it would be nice if a dry cleaning service will pick up once a week and drop off same day next week for another pick up. That is exactly the service I have.
    - jelliclesfarm 4y ago
      I have to enquire if something like that exists in our town. Seems like the idea has been implemented and seeded elsewhere.
      - kjs3 4y ago
        If not, it sounds like you have a potential opportunity. Best of luck. :-)

kjs3 4y ago

If only there was another way to clean clothes. I am under the understanding that most dry cleaners (certainly every one I've used) are retail front ends that send the clothes to a central place for the actual cleaning. My dry cleaner hasn't closed, but I switched to their pick-up/drop-off service as soon as they offered it (2-3 years ago at least) and haven't been to the retail location since. So the retail front ends might be closing, but it's not like you won't be able to get things dry cleaned if you need it.

jelliclesfarm 4y ago
We don’t have such a service but it would be nice if a dry cleaning service will pick up once a week and drop off same day next week for another pick up. It is something similar to what I remember from India. The laundry pressers would pick up our clean washed school uniforms Saturday mornings to Sunday afternoon. And drop them off by Sunday night. Sometimes it would be really late at night but always ready by Monday morning. They had a specific schedule. School uniforms for the weekend. Shirts and pants on Tuesdays and other clothes for rest of the days. Linen, saris and whites went out once a month for dry cleaning/starching services. There was a predictable schedule that worked like clockwork. It’s one of the things I miss the most. This and mobile libraries. We got home delivery of produce now here..it’s a start. So much opportunity for other services. On a slightly diff note: I wonder if they got the shirt folding robot done yet..I heard somewhere that it’s one of the more difficult problem for the robots/automation. ETA: Hah! Turns out they cracked this one.. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1130552239/robot-folding-laundry https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1130552239/robot-folding-laun...
- kjs3 4y ago
  We don’t have such a service but it would be nice if a dry cleaning service will pick up once a week and drop off same day next week for another pick up. That is exactly the service I have.
  - jelliclesfarm 4y ago
    I have to enquire if something like that exists in our town. Seems like the idea has been implemented and seeded elsewhere.
    - kjs3 4y ago
      If not, it sounds like you have a potential opportunity. Best of luck. :-)