CHICAGO – Three of the four regions posted sales increases in September and in the third quarter, but the results were mixed, according to the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey.
Self-service laundry operators in the Northeast reported September sales were up 7.2% compared to September 2010, and that their third-quarter sales were up 4.3% compared to the same period in 2010.
In the Midwest, September sales were up 4.8% from the previous September and third-quarter sales for this year were up 0.9% compared to July-September 2010.
September sales in the South were up 1.3% from September 2010, but third-quarter sales were down 1.1% when compared to the same period one year earlier. The West’s September sales declined 2.5% from September 2010, but its third-quarter sales rose 1.5% in comparison to July through September last year.
“People are looking for a clean Laundromat with equipment that works,” says one Northeast operator.
“In the last four weeks, sales (have been) up 5% from the previous four weeks,” adds another.
In the South, the “current market is not good … spotty at times,” says one operator. “Just hope as the colder weather moves in that business will pick up.”
“Summer sales were the worst since we’ve owned this Laundromat for the last five years,” laments another. “Our September sales were average, though.”
AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.
Audience members are invited to participate in the unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website. All self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].