One would think that the question of what to charge for washer and dryer loads at your laundromat would be an easy one to answer. But, when you start to take into consideration a whole slew of variables that are in play, the answer is not always crystal clear.
The good news (actually GREAT news) is that when you have a payment system like ShinePay installed on all of your machines, changing prices is a snap. No more reconfiguring or replacing coin boxes!
It’s not unusual for people who use laundromats to be watching their pennies. So, consistent and affordable pricing is important when it comes to attracting and retaining customers. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer specials, right?
Let’s look at a few ways the flexibility of a cashless ShinePay payment system can help your business and your customers:
• Discounts for less busy times – Encourage customers to come and do their wash when business is slow. They benefit from no wait times, and less expensive wash and dry cycles.
• Loyalty programs – For example, “Buy 9 wash cycles and the 10th is on us!” Really, the sky’s the limit on what you can offer good customers.
• New Customer Offer – Need to attract new customers? How about offering 25% off your first visit?
These are just a few ideas of how you can drive business to your laundromat. Setting prices is easy when you have ShinePay cashless payment system installed on all of your machines.
But, we still haven’t answered the big question….
What Do I Charge for a Load of Laundry?
As we touched upon above, there are a lot of variables that need to be considered when setting your pricing. You want to be competitive with other laundromats in the area–your immediate, local competition. On the other hand, you also want to turn a profit.
You spent a lot of money to open your laundromat, so you likely have plenty of start-up expenses to cover, including the machines themselves! And, you have your monthly recurring expenses, including rent, utility fees and any employees.
Washer and dryer cycle prices will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city, state to state, region to region. So, it’s best to focus on what’s happening in the area where you’re doing business.
Do some detective work. Where are the closest few competitors to your store? What are their hours, prices and amenities? Do they have newer machines that run through cycles faster? No one likes laundry day! Convenience and efficiency can be more important than price for some customers.
The real question is: Do you provide an environment that can demand a higher price per load?
Next, using the information you gathered from your competitors, figure out how many wash and dry cycles you will need to “sell” each month to pay the bills and turn a profit. That’s the equation that will help you set pricing.
Don’t price yourself out of the market by getting greedy. However, if your new laundromat truly offers a value-added experience for your customers, it may be worth the extra money for them to patronize your business. Value-added amenities might include a TV to watch, comfortable seating, folding service or maybe even coffee. If you are offering a better experience, you may want to consider charging for it.
Investing in the installation of the ShinePay cashless payment system on each of your machines is a great way to add value to your customers’ laundromat experience. And, it also affords you the flexibility to modify your pricing on demand.
Now that you’ve considered all of the variables that go into deciding on pricing for your laundromat’s washers and dryers, you’ll see that it’s not a one-size-fits-all dollar figure that works for everyone. Stay competitive, but stay profitable. Provide an inviting environment for your customers to do their wash at a fair price, and they’ll come back.
Repeat business and loyal customers means success.