CHICAGO — Do you wonder how your self-service laundry business measures up to others in the industry? Did you have a “good” year or a “bad” year in 2016? Is your pricing comparable with others?
You can find the answers to questions like these and more in American Coin-Op’s annual State of the Industry survey. Its results offer store owners and operators a valuable opportunity to compare their operation to others in the industry.
This year’s survey focused on 2016-17 business conditions, pricing, equipment, common challenges, turns per day, and utilities cost.
When asked about their 2016 business results, they were given the opportunity to state whether their results were up, down or unchanged. This is a departure from surveys compiled in 2011 and earlier, when respondents were asked only if their business was up or down. Keep this in mind as you’re making comparisons to previous years’ results.
The survey was an unscientific, online poll of American Coin-Op subscribers who operate stores. Some percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding or other factors.
PURCHASED IN 2016
Sixty-three percent of respondents purchased at least one piece of equipment (washer, dryer, water heater, vending machine or other) in 2016, up from last year’s 58%.
Following is a breakdown of 2016 purchases. (Editor’s note: Percentages do not total 100% because some buyers purchased equipment in multiple equipment categories.):
- 12.3% of respondents purchased at least one top loader. The average purchase was 10.9 machines.
- 45.2% of respondents purchased at least one front loader. The average purchase was 13.3 machines.
- 24.7% of respondents purchased at least one dryer (regular or stack). The average purchase was 12.7 machines.
- 20.5% of respondents purchased a water heater.
- 17.8% of respondents purchased a vending machine (9.6%) or “other” type of equipment (8.2%), like bill changers or payment systems.
2017 SHOPPING LIST
Operators were asked if they purchased, or plan to purchase, new equipment this year.
Roughly 38% of respondents plan to add some type of equipment (washer, dryer, water heater, vending machine or other) to their mix, or have already done so, in 2017. By comparison, in last year’s survey, approximately 51% had added equipment during the year or planned to do so.
Following is a breakdown of purchases operators have already made in 2017, or plan to make by the end of the year. (Editor’s note: Percentages do not total 100% because some buyers purchased/plan to purchase equipment in multiple equipment categories.):
- 6.8% of respondents have purchased, or plan to purchase, a new top loader this year. The average purchase is (or will be) 6.5 machines. (Editor’s note: This calculation does not include a 400-machine purchase by a large chain of stores).
- 28.8% of respondents have purchased, or plan to purchase, a new front loader this year. The average purchase is (or will be) 10.3 machines.
- 15.1% of respondents have purchased, or plan to purchase, a new dryer this year. The average purchase is (or will be) 11.3 machines.
Our analysis concludes Thursday with turns per day, utilities cost, operational challenges and predictions for 2017!
Miss earlier parts of our analysis? Here you go:
Part 2: Vend prices for wash and dry
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].