CHICAGO — The New York Mercantile Exchange reported record low prices for natural gas earlier this month (click here for the story), and drycleaners across the country reported decreases in natural gas bills to reflect that, but the trend of declining sales continues, according to a recent AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.
The Northeast saw the biggest drop in natural gas for November 2009 compared to November 2008, with a reported average 13% drop. The Midwest came next, with operators reporting a 12.4% decrease, followed by the West and South with 10% and 8.5% decreases, respectively.
When comparing November 2009 to the same month last year, drycleaners in the West took the biggest hit in sales with an average 11.1% drop, the survey shows. The South followed, with an average 7.1% decrease. In the Northeast, drycleaners reported an average 6.7% decrease, and in the Midwest, they reported an average 6.3% decrease.
“First half of November was up,” said one drycleaner in the Midwest. “It fell quickly starting on Black Friday — RED Friday for us.”
“After a better October, only down 4%, we were very discouraged with November,” added another in the South. “Its 11% drop is one of the worst year-to-year results we have seen.”AmericanDrycleaner.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry operators. Subscribers to American Drycleaner’s Wire e-mails are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.
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Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].