CHICAGO — Roughly half of the distributors polled in the 2025 American Coin-Op Distributor Survey say 2024 was a year they performed at or near their prior year’s numbers. Meanwhile, 30.4% saw their 2024 total business sales — including sales of newly constructed vended laundries and replacement business — grow from the previous year.
Some 22% of distributors reported their 2024 performance was lower than their 2023 efforts.
As for how distributors expect their 2025 overall sales will compare to those of 2024’s, 40% of those polled are predicting brighter things this year.
American Coin-Op invited distributors listed in the previous edition of the magazine’s Distributors Directory to participate in this year’s unscientific survey, which charts 2024 business and makes comparisons to previous years. Participating distributors identified themselves but they will remain anonymous for purposes of this report.
Take note that in this summary, percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
In Part 1, we examined year-over-year sales, replacement business and new-store construction. Part 2 covered equipment mix and store sizing. Let’s conclude:
NEW-STORE PROFILES OVER THE YEARS
The average store that was newly constructed in 2024 has 1.1 top loaders, 28.5 front loaders and 28.7 dryer pockets, and covers 2,903 square feet. Here’’s how it compares to new-store profiles from the previous five years.
- 2023: 2.6 top loaders, 26.1 front loaders, 31.5 dryer pockets, and 2,867 square feet
- 2022: 2.5 top loaders, 29.4 front loaders, 32.6 dryer pockets, and 3,027 square feet
- 2021: 5.7 top loaders, 27.3 front loaders, 29.5 dryer pockets, and 2,855 square feet
- 2020: 2.4 top loaders, 28.5 front loaders, 33.5 dryer pockets, and 2,845 square feet
- 2019: 1.9 top loaders, 30.3 front loaders, 34.4 dryer pockets, and 2,990 square feet
OTHER BUSINESS
We asked distributors if their company brokers vended laundries today. Just 15% of respondents to this year’s survey say they do, compared to 53% in 2024, 21% in 2023, 24% in 2022, 44% in 2021, and 26% in 2020.
Just 20% of distributors polled currently operate a route laundry. This compares to 57% in 2024, 43% in 2023, 56% in 2022, 48% in 2021, and 51.6% in 2020.
The share of distributors that currently host an annual equipment show is 52.9%. That compares to 43.8% in 2024, 53.8% in 2023, 46.2% in 2022, 52.2% in 2021, and 54.8% in 2020.
AND THE 2025 FORECAST SAYS…
Forty percent of distributors polled predict their 2025 sales will be better than those of 2024, while 50% believe they will be the same or similar. The remaining 10% believe their 2025 business sales will be lower than 2024 totals.
Those predicting better sales are basing it on factors such as:
- Laundromats already in the construction phase
- Leads for new locations
- Higher equipment costs and more volume
- Higher incidents of retools in stores
- A positive economic outlook and tax incentives
- Continued interest in the laundry business
The share predicting their 2025 annual sales will turn out lower point to the trade war being waged under the current administration, and a lack of available help.
Visit our Data Department for archived Distributor Survey articles
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
