CHICAGO — Like many industries, dry cleaning is undergoing a transformation, driven not just by labor challenges but by fundamental shifts in technology and consumer expectations. So, what can cleaners expect as we begin a new year?
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the effect of industry consolidation the past few years, as well as the labor issues that are expected to continue into the new year. Today, we’ll dive into the impact that consumer needs and advancing technology might have in 2025.
Customer Demands and Automating the Process
“We have become a society of convenience,” says Mary Scalco, CEO of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI). “Thanks to Amazon, we don’t even want to wait for our packages more than a day. The younger you are, the more used to that you are. They’re used to doing everything on their phone.”
This shift in consumer behavior is continuing to push the industry toward 24/7 service models.
“When you’re putting in 24-hour kiosks, when you’re putting in lockers, when you’re putting in drop boxes, when you’re making it so that the consumer is using you on their time, not your time, it will make it easier for people to use us,” Scalco says.
Christopher White, executive director of America’s Best Cleaners (ABC), agrees that successful cleaners are the ones who shape their interactions with the modern customer.
“The biggest changes where technology is going to have an effect is going to be on the client relations side,” he says, “and then how you leverage marketing and communications to your customers.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key tool, though perhaps not in the ways some might expect.
“AI is going to help owners,” Scalco says. “It will be able to assist in areas such as social media and automating marketing, especially. I don’t think it’s going to take an employee away, but it’ll allow you to free up some of your time.”
White sees AI’s greatest potential extending into the front office and business operations.
“I think you’re going to see generative AI offering an opportunity to help people who don’t have management skills,” he says. “Using AI, those employees can be trained to better understand how to read and understand data better to help the business grow.”
However, both Scalco and White agree that core cleaning operations will remain largely human-driven.
“It’s not going to do stain removal,” Scalco says about AI, “and we’ve automated as much of the pressing as we can. If every pair of pants was constructed the exact same way, for example, that could be automated. We haven’t been able to do that because of different styles and other factors.”
“At the end of the day, a washing machine is still a washing machine,” White agrees. “A drycleaning machine is still going to be a drycleaning machine.”
Changing Locations
The physical presence of dry cleaners is also evolving.
“There are not as many locations as there once were,” Scalco says. “The industry is becoming more centralized, with one plant serving more locations.”
Many storefronts are becoming more of a drop-off and pickup location as cleaners try to better serve their customers.
“Kiosks can be a huge investment,” she says, “but as customers have more and more time constraints, we’re going to look for ways to solve that. If I can drop off my garments at 10 or 11 p.m., or at 4 a.m. — whenever I want to — I can do that. That’s going to become more commonplace.”
White believes that staffed physical stores will have a place — but that place might evolve into becoming a “destination” location.
“It’s always going to be striking a balance,” he says. “There are opportunities where brick-and-mortar may have some competitive advantages for people, especially if they’re getting into some of these specialty services — alterations, or sneaker and handbag care. For services like this, people are going to want to come in physically because they are more endeared to these possessions.”
These changes in both technology and how cleaners connect with their clients reflect a fundamental shift in how customers view their relationship with them. Scalco says that flexibility is key to navigating paths to profitability.
“Nobody knows what dry cleaning does anyway,” Scalco says, “just like when I take my car in, I really don’t care what the mechanic does. I just want them to fix my car. You can make a drycleaning business into whatever you want to make it into, because the public just knows to take it there, and somebody else is going to care for it.”
Come back Thursday for our conclusion, where we’ll examine new markets and business opportunities that are reshaping the industry’s future. For Part 1 of this series, click HERE.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
