Professional Textile Care

Services for a profitable future

31 March 2011



A report from Cinet suggests ways that professional textile care businesses can ensure a profitable future


Europe’s professional textile care (PTC) industry faces tough challenges.

Traditional solvent cleaning is seen as being on the downward slope of its life cycle but a recent report has suggested that the industry could enjoy a profitable future by adopting a fresh approach to the services that businesses could provide.

European PTC businesses should consider these areas:

• Services that help customers to use PTC businesses, such as valet services and online support:

• Broadening the customer base by approaching different market sectors – nursing homes, hotels and banks;

• Adopting “green” cleaning techniques in production and processes;

• Publicly committing to quality by training staff and obtaining certification from recognised organisations,

• Using digital marketing both on an individual basis and by supporting joint marketing campaigns with other PTC operators.

The study by consultant Geert Böttger: “ Textile Care in Five Years – Chances and Challenges” – was commissioned by Cinet, the European textile care association. Cinet CEO Peter Wennekes says that the services suggested are customer centred and will raise the industry’s profile. They include pick-up and drop off internet-based services, “green” cleaning and services for business customers. He adds that it is essential to find ways of making professional textile care more attractive.

A mature market

The report says that although traditional PTC is now a mature market “there are numerous opportunities, which will not only compensate for vanishing demand but also revitalise the life cycle of PTC services”.

Böttger urges businesses to help customers by making their life easier. Collecting items to be cleaned from their home and bringing them back after cleaning is one recommendation. The study gives examples of how valet services work in different countries.

Pick up, drop off and offering cleaning services via the internet are proven techniques in the industrial laundry sector and the report recommends PTC companies to adapt this approach to suit their own market. If a business offers its service on the internet a customer can place an order, plan collection and delivery times and review the details before paying online.

A wider range of services will also appeal to groups that may not have been considered as potential customers – banks, hotels and nursing homes.

On the environment, the report says that while recent research indicates that domestic washers and dryers are less eco- efficient than those in modern PTC production, the sector has failed to get this message across to shop managers and their customers.

PTC businesses need to focus on modern technologies and on the professional organisation of processes and logistics in laundering and on the “cradle to cradle” approach in drycleaning, which minimises emissions and energy costs.

Consumer research shows that the quality of service is the most important factor in the PTC business. This can be addressed with certificates that testify that the business has been monitored to ensure good quality. However, the certification process needs to be adapted to suit small- and medium-sized enterprises with only a few employees.

Effective marketing remains a severe challenge for small- and medium-sized PTC businesses, which may be less informed about this area and this has led to problems in branding businesses clearly. Research shows that over 45% of customers are unclear about the offering of local PTC providers.

Most PTC shops are too small to run traditional media campaigns on their own. However, direct marketing is easier for firms that use an electronic cash system and joint marketing is seen as a way to promote quality awareness, brands and joint business solutions.

The average European PTC firm is too small to adapt the measures required for a secure and profitable future. So trade associations, partners in the supply chain and government must help them to adapt by supplying initial resources to allow small businesses to share information and co-operate.




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