CHICAGO – Dry cleaning sales for May grew in all four regions, the fourth month there have been across-the-board gains this year, according to the latest AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey. Nationwide, sales increased 3.7%, while all regions also reported upticks in prices from May 2011.
Drycleaners in the West posted 8.3% growth when comparing May 2012 to May 2011. About 81% of respondents there reported a rise in sales, while the remainder saw their sales remain unchanged.
“May last year was very strong for us. Sales have been more consistent than last year. We are still looking at a 5-7% increase for the year,” says an operator from the West. Another reported adding 20% in tuxedo cleaning accounts.
The other regions saw smaller but still significant sales increases in May from one year ago: South, up 3.2%; Midwest, up 2.5%; and Northeast, up 2.1%.
“We’ve had our best five-month start ever,” raves a Midwest drycleaner.
But for every good report, there were as many or more bad.
