According to the Market Statsville Group (MSG), the global retail laundry services market size is expected to grow from USD 25,110.2 million in 2022 to USD 40,750.2 million by 2033, at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2023 to 2033.
The retail laundry service sector encompasses businesses that provide customers a range of laundry services. These services include laundromats and dry cleaners, which offer drop-off and pickup locations for laundry, and specialized cleaning services for items like draperies, gowns, or furs. Laundromats typically offer self-service options with coin-operated washers and dryers available on-site.
Coin-operated laundry machines are also commonly found in dormitories and apartment buildings. While laundry and dry cleaning services are the primary offerings within the industry, some companies may also provide additional services such as clothes mending, shoe repair, and off-site servicing of washing machines and dryers for group housing buildings.
Dry cleaning, a process that uses liquid solvents instead of water, is a common method employed in the industry. The most frequently used solvent is tetrachloroethylene, often referred to as "perc." Other solvents like 1-bromopropane and petroleum spirits are also utilized. Dry cleaning is typically suitable for garments and textiles that cannot be washed with water, such as certain synthetic fabrics including viscose, lyocell, modal, and cupro. On the other hand, laundry refers to the process of washing garments and other textiles using water, often with the addition of detergents or other cleaning agents.
The Industrial Revolution brought about significant advancements in laundry technology, revolutionizing the way clothes were washed, agitated, rinsed, dried, pressed (ironed), and folded. From a customer's perspective, retail laundry and dry cleaning service establishments can be categorized as either plants or drop shops. A plant refers to an on-site cleaning facility where all the processes take place. In contrast, a drop shop accepts clothing from customers, sends them to a centralized factory for cleaning, and then returns the laundered garments to the shop for customer pickup. Drop shops typically have longer turnaround times compared to nearby plants.
The growing number of covid-19 cases spread terror among people and led to a decline in dependency on non-essential retail services. This increased preference for independent laundry at home creates a restraining factor for the laundry services market. The covid-19 pandemic affected the retail laundry services market due to the virus's contagious nature and lockdown worldwide. The fear of the infection led to the decreased preference for using laundry services. Rather, people opted for home appliances to fulfill the laundry chores. High adoption of home appliances for laundry, such as automatic washing machines, clothes dryers, laundry folding machines, and more, has led to a decline in demand for laundry services during the pandemic.
However, as the lockdown started to open and restrictions loosened, the demand for laundry services rose to an extent because the people in possession of home appliances preferred washing clothing. The pandemic made people aware of hygiene and cleanliness to avoid infection. They started to avoid opting for laundry services to prevent cross-contamination. Majorly the high-income and working-class groups prefer laundry services. Hence, the market had a steep decline during the pandemic and started to rise to a level yet could not recover from the pandemic owing to smart appliances.
The increasing adoption of smart gadgets and applications such as smartphones and the increasing internet penetration in smartphones has increased the use of laundry services as people can now locate nearby service providers. In addition, the major factor that is triggering the growth of the laundry services market is the several benefits offered by the laundry services such as free pickup and drop facilities, discounts, and rewards, which will positively affect the growth of the market in forthcoming years.
The services of delivering the clothes doorstep save not only the customer's time but also the additional cost. Customers can conveniently track the progress of their laundry by accessing an app, which provides them with real-time updates and detailed information regarding the delivery time of their garments. Retail laundry services have revolutionized the market by offering exceptional services, attractive deals, and a heightened level of convenience, thus garnering significant favor among consumers.
Hence, it is a time-saving and cost-effective option for the customer availing of online laundry services. Further, it enables customers to get their clothes clean and ready to wear or store for the future, without spending much time for cleaning purposes. Thus, triggering the growth of the retail laundry services market over the forecast period globally.
Home laundry appliances are the devices that are used to wash clothes, such as a washer, iron, and dryer, among others. A combination of dryer and washer is common among the smaller urban regions as it requires less space than separate machines. It can wash and dry clothes in one go and is moveable. The laundry appliances are designed to wash different fabrics and garments. A combo of washer and dryer is less effective and efficient than a fully functional separate washer and dryer machine. Further, other alliances are also gaining traction and hampering the growth of the retail laundry services market in forthcoming years across the globe.
For instance, gadgets such as Samsung AirDresser, LG Styler, SmartDry, Whirlpool Smart Front Load Washer, Maytag, LG Signature Large Smart Wi-Fi Washer, GE Smart Front Load Steam Washer, and others will reduce the workload, provides speedy and quality services, saves time and resources as well, thus, elevation in its demands. The aforementioned factors will promote the growth of home appliances and restrain the growth of the retail laundry service market in upcoming years.
The coin-operated laundry industry has undergone a revolution. A coin laundry refers to a commercial establishment that primarily operates as a facility where individuals can utilize washing machines and dryers for a fee to conduct their laundry. These machines are often coin-operated, from which such facilities have earned their names. This type of business may be operated simply as a laundry facility, allowing people to do their own laundry, though it may also be part of a larger business that includes dry-cleaning services as well. A coin laundry often makes a profit primarily through payments to use the laundry machines, though secondary profits through vending machines are also likely.
Some coin laundry facilities are monitored by employees who can assist customers with machine problems and make change for customers when necessary. These facilities can be connected to a larger business that deals with other laundry needs, often providing dry-cleaning services. Dry-cleaning services are not typically provided for customers to do themselves, but instead involve clothing being left by customers for dry-cleaning by employees. While the dry-cleaning can potentially be done while a customer is washing their clothes at an adjoining coin laundry facility, dry-cleaning is typically returned to customers on a subsequent day.
The study categorizes the retail laundry services market-based on type, and application area at the regional and global levels.
Based on the type, the market is divided into dry cleaning, and washing & folding. The washing & folding segment accounted for the largest market share of around 73.9% in 2022 in the global retail laundry services market. The washing and folding segment encompasses services where customers can drop off their dirty laundry at a retail laundry facility and have it professionally washed, dried, and folded before picking it up at a later time. This eliminates the hassle of doing laundry at home and appeals to individuals with busy schedules or prefer to outsource their laundry tasks. As people lead increasingly fast-paced lifestyles, they seek solutions that help them save time and simplify their daily chores. The washing and folding services cater to this need by providing a hassle-free laundry experience, allowing customers to focus on other priorities.
Based on the regions, the global retail laundry services market has been segmented across Europe, North America, the Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, and South America. Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest market share of around 40.2% in 2022. R rapid urbanization and the rise of the middle-class population in countries like China, India, and Southeast Asian nations have led to busier lifestyles and a greater need for convenient laundry solutions. As more individuals join the workforce and pursue professional careers, they have less time available for household chores, including laundry. This has created a demand for retail laundry services that offer time-saving solutions to meet the laundry needs of busy urban dwellers.
The retail laundry services market is a significant competitor and extremely cutthroat in the sector is using strategies including product launches, partnerships, acquisitions, agreements, and growth to enhance their market positions. Most sector businesses focus on increasing their operations worldwide and cultivating long-lasting partnerships.
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