Consumers Love Large-Capacity Washers, Survey Shows

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Can self-service laundry operators improve their business by analyzing consumer laundry trends? If you believe so, you definitely need to take a look at a recent national survey of American consumers’ laundry habits commissioned by LG Electronics USA.

Nearly nine out of 10 consumers believe a larger load capacity is one of the most important features in washers and dryers, and 80% say that bigger is always better when it comes to load capacity.

Fueling this sentiment is the consumers’ desire for appliances that reduce the amount of time they have to spend doing laundry, freeing up more time to focus on activities they enjoy. Shouldn’t self-service laundry operators be able to take advantage of this desire? Would better marketing tap into this sentiment and attract new customers?

Other key findings from this independent poll of 1,000 U.S. consumers include:

• Two-thirds of consumers believe that doing laundry is one of the most time-consuming household chores.
• Ninety-two percent agree that being able to wash more clothes in fewer loads would allow them more time to focus on other activities.
• Sixty-two percent say they would be able to do more chores around the house if they cut down on washing-and-drying time.
• Fifty percent say they would spend any extra time gained from reducing their washing/drying chores browsing the Internet or spending more time with family/friends (49%). (Based on this information, would Internet kiosks be a good extra-profit center?)
• More than half (53%) of respondents rate energy/ water efficiency as a top feature when looking to purchase a washer or dryer.

Self-service laundry operators have long touted the benefits of larger equipment in various American Coin-Op surveys. While various surveys also have shown that the operators know people are craving more free time, many haven’t been able to find a way to convert those people who wash at home into Laundromat customers.