Author: Paul Partyka, Editor , American Coin-Op
Do you ever take your laundry for granted? Maybe an owner simply loses some perspective when it comes to the appearance of his/her store. After all, if you’re focused on many things, such as maintenance, aesthetics can often take a back seat.However, a drab appearance, even in a clean store, can turn some customers off, according to distributors. Several distributors offer tips about how to spruce up a laundry — and not empty your wallet in the process.
A LITTLE MORE IS REQUIREDHaving a good-looking store may not be good enough for some owners, says Matt Lamons, Loomis Brothers, Fenton, Mo. Some of the strip-shopping-center laundries have struggling neighbors, Lamons says. With surrounding stores closing, laundry owners need their stores to be lit more, and become more of an attraction, just to let people know that they are still in business, he explains.
“Overall, the self-service laundries in my area (near St. Louis) are worn out. A lot of them probably went up in the 1980s, and never had a makeover, even if the equipment was updated. It seems like Grandma’s wallpaper is still on the walls.”A good coat of paint would be nice, and changing some light bulbs and fixtures would go a long way toward improving appearance, he suggests. “I think painting is always underrated. Two stores we built used urban-style energetic colors, and got plenty of compliments. Doing the laundry is a drab experience; having nice, vibrant colors make the store a happier and cleaner place.” If ceramic tile is too costly, he believes epoxy paint on the floor is a good alternative. “[An epoxy-painted] floor dries hard as concrete, is nonabrasive, and looks like a showroom floor.” An epoxy kit, which covers about 100 square feet, can be purchased for $60, he adds.
The interior appearance is more important than the exterior, he adds, but bad exterior lighting and poor windows can still drive customers away.Exterior signage is also key, and needs to be lit during the evening, he says.With more nontraditional customers using laundries today, aesthetics take on a greater importance (8-9 on 1-10 scale), he believes. “Some of these new customers love to do their laundry during the week, and want to come to a store because it is nice-looking and clean. The look of the store is equally important as the equipment mix.”
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