SOUTH GATE, Calif. — Fresh off opening its 3,000th Laundromat, commercial laundry distributor and broker PWS – The Laundry Company considers itself the “most prolific developer of new Laundromats in the country.”
The ultra-modern SpinCycle Laundry Lounge, located next to the company’s newly renovated headquarters here south of Los Angeles, represents 48 years and three generations of commercial laundry expertise, PWS says. The new store pairs the industry’s latest equipment technologies with upscale furnishings and amenities.
Besides providing a superior laundry experience to members of the local community, PWS will gather data intended to enhance the user experience for existing and future Laundromats, the company says.
The interior more closely resembles a coffee shop than a traditional laundry, and includes couches, large TVs, countertop space for laptop usage, 25-foot-high exposed wood ceilings, and free Wi-Fi.
The 3,400-square-foot store is equipped with the latest Speed Queen washers and tumble dryers and offers more than 1,400 pounds of wash capacity to its customers. Machine controls feature large graphical displays and options to modify and customize wash cycles based on personal preferences.
PWS says it has taken a number of measures to ensure that this laundry serves as a learning platform. Smart technology will gather market intelligence, and two-way mirrors will enable PWS personnel to observe how customers use the space and interact with equipment and store staff.
Lastly, all employees of PWS’ South Gate office will spend time working in the Laundromat and interacting with its customers. A deeper comprehension of customer behaviors and expectations will help PWS differentiate itself by providing an exceptional customer experience, the distributor says.
“Today’s laundry customer is much more selective than in years past,” says Brad Steinberg, co-president of PWS. “It is a competitive retail environment and the stores that will flourish are the ones that provide the best experience for the customer. Being able to observe consumers in the Laundromat and gauge their response to new services and amenities will help us provide our PWS customers, who own and operate coin laundries, market insights that will help them be more successful.”
PWS was established in 1968 by three influential entrepreneurs: Morton Pollack, a pioneer of coin laundry resale; John Wickham, the exclusive distributor of Speed Queen commercial laundry equipment in Southern California and Southern Nevada; and Bernie Steinberg, who originated Launderland “turnkey” coin laundries.
Now under the leadership of Brad Pollack and Brad Steinberg, and following the opening of store number 3,000, PWS says it has grown to become the “largest distributor of commercial laundry equipment and parts and the largest broker of existing Laundromats in the United States.”
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