Talk of the Trade

Survey: 70% of Dry Cleaners Believe Marketing Efforts are Paying Off

CHICAGO — Many cleaners have multiple goals for self-promotion ...
The Numbers: Most Economic Indicators Remain Flat

CHICAGO — Optimism reigns even though indicators relatively unchanged ...
Survey: South Dominates in July Sales; Operating Costs Up in Most Regions

CHICAGO — Sales up nearly 6% in South; Northeast only region to report lower costs ...
Survey: Unreliability Most Undesirable Employee Trait, Majority of Dry Cleaners Say

CHICAGO — More than 50% of cleaners say they have formal personnel management training ...
The Numbers: Unemployment Rate Drops Slightly

CHICAGO — Housing market sees growth spurt; consumer confidence shade higher ...
Survey: Midwest, West Vie for Top Sales Boost in June

CHICAGO — All regions post year-over-year gains for month, second quarter ...
Survey: Investments in Cooling Equipment Boost Employee Morale During Summer

CHICAGO — Portable fans, swamp coolers are popular choices ...
Survey: May Drycleaning Sales Sprout in Three of Four Regions

CHICAGO — South sees strongest sales gain: 7.4%; West raises prices by 4% ...
Survey: Dry Cleaners Go Commercial for Hotel/Motel Accounts

CHICAGO — More than three-quarters of respondents say they provide guest service ...
The Numbers: Upswing in Jobs Numbers Boosts Economic Picture

CHICAGO — Most Federal Reserve Districts report better economic growth in April ...
Survey: Drycleaners Report Downpour of Sales Gains in April

CHICAGO — West leads in sales gains, up nearly 7% ...
Survey: Majority of Dry Cleaners Immersed in Wet Cleaning Process

CHICAGO — Roughly 75% use technique on casual clothing, sportswear ...
The Numbers: Unemployment Rate Slightly Lower in February; Consumer Sales Up

CHICAGO — Unemployment rate was 7% in February; consumer sales up 3.6% in March ...
Survey: West Leads in March, First-Quarter Drycleaning Sales; Midwest Sees Little Improvement

CHICAGO — March sales up for all regions; Midwest faces 2.8% decline in first quarter ...
Survey: Equipment Breakdowns, Employee Absenteeism Add Stress for Dry Cleaners

CHICAGO — New competition raises blood pressure in 46% of respondents ...
The Numbers: Economy Remains Steady Despite Static Levels of Consumer Confidence

CHICAGO — U.S. exports rose to $192.5 billion in January; chain-store sales up 2.7% in February ...
StatShot: Northeast Suffers with February Sales; Service Prices Up Slightly in All Regions

CHICAGO — February year-over-year sales dip nearly 10% in Northeast ...
Survey: Majority of Dry Cleaners Hands-On with ‘Most’ Maintenance

CHICAGO — Close to 40% report having formal maintenance schedule ...
The Numbers: U.S. Exports Hit New High Amid Weakening Consumer Confidence

CHICAGO — Exports totaled $2.3 trillion in 2013; consumer spending projected to slow ...
StatShot: 2013 Annual Sales Up in All Regions; Frosty January Mixed Bag

CHICAGO — West posts strongest 2013 sales increase in country ...

Latest Podcast

When dry cleaners want to expand, they can either open new stores or buy out competition looking to get out of the business. We explore this topic with Gary Glover of Puritan Cleaners and Arthur C. Anton, Jr. of Anton's Cleaners.

Want more? Visit the archive »