CHICAGO – Three of the four regions posted significant sales increases in September and in the third quarter, according to the results of the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey.
Self-service laundry operators in the West reported September sales were up 10.0% compared to September 2011, and that their third-quarter sales were up 7.0% compared to the same period in 2011.
In the Midwest, September sales were up 8.2% from the previous September and third-quarter sales for this year were up 8.8% compared to July-September 2011.
September sales in the Northeast were up 5.0% from September 2011, while third-quarter sales were up 8.6% when compared to the same period one year earlier.
The South was the only region to post declines, based on the unscientific StatShot results. September 2012 sales were down 1.7% from the previous September, while third-quarter sales dropped 1.2% when compared to July-September 2011.
“My small area is picking up as I continue to innovate and find new ways to attract new customers, as well as keeping my current customers excited about the store,” says an operator in the West. “Listen to the customers, as without them, we have a nice Laundromat that is not used to (the) fullest.”
An operator from the South reports that three more competing stores have opened within a three-mile radius of his/her store within the last year.
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].