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CHICAGO — Coin laundry sales were down overall in three of the four regions in February, according to the most recent AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot unscientific survey, but drop-off sales were up in three of four.

The Midwest posted the only overall sales gain—1.1%—when compared to February 2012. Month-to-month sales were down in the South (1.9%), West (2.2%) and Northeast (5.1%).

“Bad weather really hurt, as we had some weekends that people could not get out,” says a store owner from the Midwest.

Survey takers were asked to use one word to describe the market conditions in their area. Some of the responses included “better,” “decent,” “rising,” “deplorable,” “weak” and “slow.”

Respondents were also asked about drop-off-service sales for February (compared to February 2012).

In the West, where 57.1% of respondents have offered drop-off service for two years or more, sales were up 8.4%. The remaining 42.9% haven’t offered this service in the past two years.

Northeastern operators saw their drop-off sales rise 5.0% in February from the previous year. There, 88% of the respondents have offered this extra-profit service for at least two years.

Drop-off sales were nearly flat in the Midwest (up 0.1%), where 57.1% of respondents have offered this service for two years or more. Roughly 14% offered drop-off last year but are not this year, and the remaining 28.6% haven’t offered drop-off service in the past two years.

In the South, the only region to see a dip in month-to-month drop-off sales (down 0.4% from February 2012), 80% of respondents have offered the extra service for two years or more. Ten percent didn’t offer drop-off last year but do now, and 10% haven’t offered it in the past two years.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted anonymously online via a partner website, on a regular basis. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO — Fourth-quarter 2012 self-service laundry sales rose in three of four regions despite declines across much of the nation in December, according to results of this month’s AmericanCoinOp.com anonymous, unscientific StatShot survey.

The Midwest was the big winner, with December sales up 5.3% compared to December 2011 and fourth-quarter sales up 5.6% from the prior year.

“Starting to do better,” offers one operator. Another says, “Pretty good. Apartments are full, so traffic is up!” And another: “Good, getting better.”

The West also saw sales increases for the two reporting periods, albeit smaller than the Midwest’s. Fourth-quarter sales were 3.0% better than those in fourth-quarter 2011, while December sales were up but only by 0.1%.

“Improving, (and) looking more like old times,” remarked a West store owner. But another says the area near his/her California business has suffered since the state’s prisons started releasing offenders last summer due to overcrowding.

Sales in the South were up 1.3% during the fourth quarter but down 5.7% for December. And remarks from respondents regarding current market conditions seemed to follow this dichotomy. A couple of operators called conditions there “good” or “steady,” while another says they are “dismal.”

The Northeast saw sales drops during both periods: 6.2% in December and 4.1% in the fourth quarter.

Comments such as “bad” and “slow” were fairly common, but one operator offered some hope of better things to come for the region: “For the first time in a couple of years, sales are up. A recent discussion with several other competitors seemed to indicate that sales are gradually improving in our marketplace.”

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – Every region posted sales increases in October compared to October 2011, with the South leading the charge with a 5.6% boost, according to the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey.

When comparing year-to-year business, this October’s self-service laundry sales were up 2.7% in the Midwest, 1.6% in the West and 1.5% in the Northeast, results from the unscientific survey show.

Despite the improvements, there is still plenty of pessimism out there, based on a sampling of comments from respondents:

• “Costs are similar. A new laundry just opened, our first competition in 18½ years. We’ve drawn customers from a 15- to 45-mile radius for years. Not enough business to support the new $450K laundry, even with 100% of the business.” — Midwest
• “Too many coin-ops in our area. Uneducated people driving down price to 75 cents for a wash!” — West
• “All costs of doing business are going up, as you well know. Trying to hold prices. Will see how long that will work with another four years of the same officials.” — Northeast
• “Have had several laundries close recently. High utility costs are crazy!” — South

Operators were also asked to compare current dryer prices to October 2011 prices. In cases where operators have multiple prices, they were asked to list the lowest price.

The Midwest is the only region that has seen dryer prices go up since last year, based on the survey results. The average dryer price there in October 2012 was 26.9 cents for 6.9 minutes, compared to 25.8 cents for 6.8 minutes in October 2011. Current drying times range from 5 to 10 minutes.

Dryer prices in the West have dipped since last year. October 2012 prices averaged 25.5 cents for 7.2 minutes compared to 28.0 cents for 7.7 minutes in October 2011. Current drying times range from 3 to 12 minutes.

In the Northeast, the average dryer price—26.6 cents—did not change from October 2011 to October 2012. But the average drying time for that price did fall slightly, from 8.1 minutes in 2011 to 7.7 minutes this year.

Prices in the South—25 cents for an average of 6.6 minutes in October 2012—were unchanged from October 2011. Current drying times range from 5 to 8 minutes.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website. All self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – August coin laundry sales reports were a mixed bag, with the West and the Northeast reporting increased sales from one year ago and the West and the Midwest garnering greater profits for the first half of 2012, according to the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey.

Self-service laundry operators in the West reported August sales were up 1.4% compared to August 2011, and that their first-half profits were up 0.5% compared to the first half of 2011.

“I attribute the increase in business to the remodel of one of my three locations, which was up substantially after the remodel,” says an owner from the region.

In the Northeast, August 2012 sales were up 1.9% from the previous August while first-half profits for this year were down 1.1% compared to the first six months of 2011.

“Our northeast part of western Pennsylvania is reacting to the economy like the rest of our country…scared! Help us, Lord,” offers one store owner. Another in the Northeast says sales have been consistently flat since March. “Customers are getting squeezed as their state and federal assistance is cut back or expires. Volume continues to shift from larger to smaller washers.”

Store owners in the Midwest saw first-half profits rise 3.1%, while their August sales declined 1.1% from the previous year. One operator says his/her closest competitor closed in March. Another attributes difficult market conditions to high unemployment and too many operations offering free drying.

All of the numbers were in the red for operators in the South: August sales were down 2.7% and first-half profits declined 1.6% compared to January-June 2011.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. All self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – Coin laundry operators in three of the four U.S. regions reported June sales increases compared to the prior year, led by the South’s 5.4% gain, according to the results of this month’s AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey. June-to-June sales in the Northeast were up 2.3%, while operators in the Midwest reported a collective 1.9% gain.

June sales in the West were down 7.3% compared to the same month last year. And the swoon was widely felt across the region, based on the survey results—nearly 90% of Western operators who responded say their sales declined.

“Too much pressure from corporate-owned apartment buildings adding laundry facilities!” lamented one operator. But another thinks things are looking up…for the newer generation of stores. “Old ’mats are shutting down left and right out West and it’s a great time … to build new stores and infrastructure.”

Survey respondents were also asked about their second-quarter sales. Combined sales for April, May and June were up substantially in the South (9.5%). Smaller gains were posted in the Northeast (2.4%) and Midwest (1.8%). Quarterly sales were down 4.2% in the West.

A sampling of operator comments:

• “Business has improved in the last 12 months, more of an increase in auxiliary services such as wash and fold and dry cleaning.” — South
• “The hot weather in June crushed sales.” — Northeast
• “Coin drop steady, increase in commercial work.” — South
• “I had my closest competitor close four months ago and I am reaping the benefits of that.” — Midwest
• “Sales have been consistently down every month since March.” — Northeast

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

CHICAGO — April sales were up in three of the four regions, according to the most recent AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot unscientific survey. Attendant wages are also fairly consistent across the United States, with the average pay ranging between $8.25 and $9.25.

April sales rose 3.3% in the Midwest (compared to April 2011). Only 10% of the respondents reported a decrease in sales. Despite the results, comments from several Midwest operators were only cautiously optimistic.

“Apartment rentals are increasing, causing increase in business,” reports one operator. “Competition is heavier, causing decrease in business.”

“We are in Michigan and we were hit hard,” adds another. “It has stopped getting worse, but (business is) not growing very fast, if at all.”

Southern self-service laundry sales were up 2.5% in April from the previous April.

“Lots of construction people dropping off laundry,” says one operator located in a region that suffered tornado damage last year. “Most will be here at least two years. Average wash and dry customers (are) still finding other ways of getting their laundry done without coming to the Laundromat.”

An operator attributed last month’s performance to students, while another said it was due to the area’s strong Hispanic population.

April’s numbers were virtually flat in the West, where sales increased 0.1%. A greater share of operators experienced sales increases, but those who saw their sales fall offset the pluses with more significant decreases. Many operators in the region say they are seeing a slow recovery buoyed by gas prices coming down.

Operators in the Northeast had a tough April, with sales falling nearly 5% for the month. Twice as many owners reported sales decreases as increases; several operators suffered double-digit declines. As you might expect, reports from the area were less than stellar.

“(There is) a slow erosion of Hispanic population due to economic conditions,” says one operator. “Competition fierce with everyone struggling for every last customer.”

“Too many mats are charging very low prices and not making a profit,” adds another.

But there were some positive assessments tied to the increased presence of construction workers and refinery workers.

StatShot respondents were also asked about attendant wages. Attendants in the West have the highest average hourly wage ($9.09); this region also had the highest wage this time last year ($8.87). Next highest is the Northeast ($8.94), followed by the Midwest ($8.81). The average hourly wage for attendants in the South is well behind the others, at $8.38.

In the South, the hourly wage range is $7 to $10. The low-end wage in the Midwest is $7.70, with the top-end wage being $10. Attendants in the Northeast have the largest pay range: $7 to $11 per hour. In the West, attendants are paid at least $8 per hour, the survey results show. The top-end wage there is $11, and at least one-third of attendants make at least $10 an hour.

The StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited via e-mail to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO — Self-service laundry sales were up in all four regions for a second straight month in February, according to the most recent AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot unscientific survey.

February sales in the South were up 6.8% (compared to February 2011 sales). Sixty percent of the respondents reported an increase in sales, while 20% reported a decrease. Sales were unchanged for 20% of respondents.

Sales in the Midwest rose 5.6% compared to February 2011 sales. Roughly 64% reported year-to-year sales increases, while 14.3% reported decreases. Sales were unchanged for 21.4% of respondents.

“My customer count is up 15% over last February,” a Midwest operator reported.

In the West, February sales were up 3.6%. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported a bump. “Coin sales very spotty,” reports an operator there. “Have added credit card readers to one-third of the Laundromat, which resulted in better results.”

February sales were up 2.4% in the Northeast, where 57% of respondents reported increases.

Despite the rise in sales overall, many operators offered gloomy comments. Some said their local markets are suffering because of the economy.

• West — “Not good. Nearby businesses are dropping their rate to 75 cents per top loader!”
• Midwest — “Maybe fair at best. The national media keeps reporting the economy is in the upswing, but I do not see or believe it.”
• West — “The economic slowdown did not impact our rural area as quickly as most of the nation but is affecting us now. I had the lowest income in 14 years during November-January.”
• Northeast — “Too much competition, but I am the best.”

Respondents were also asked about drop-off-service sales for February (compared to February 2011). Every region reported sales were up, but there was quite a bit of difference in two of the regions compared to the others.

In the Midwest, where 71.4% of respondents have offered drop-off service for two years or more, sales were up 7.1%. Twenty-one percent don’t offer drop-off service, and 7.1% didn’t offer drop-off service last year but they do now.

Southern operators saw their drop-off-service sales rise 6% in February from the previous year. Eighty percent of the respondents have offered this extra-profit service for at least two years.

Sales increases were much less in the Northeast (0.5%) and the West (0.4%). Fifty percent of Northeast operators have offered drop-off service for at least two years, while 58.3% of West operators have offered the service during that time.

“Coin laundry flat, but oil drilling clothes for drop-off is great income,” says a Midwest operator.

“We ran a great promo in February that really boosted drop-off,” adds another. “Drop-off is thegrowth segment for our business.”

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO — Self-service laundry sales rose in the West, Midwest and Northeast in December, while Southern operators saw sales drop for a second straight month, according to the most recent AmericanCoinOp.com unscientific StatShot survey.

The Northeast saw the biggest month-over-month sales increase (compared to December 2010) of 8.4%. The Midwest and West each posted 4.4% increases. The South was down 6.5%, after having been down 0.7% the previous month.

One Western operator raised prices 10%, with turns per day unchanged. Wash-dry-fold sales were up 26%. “I have only laundries in county of 30,000. I think WDF (is) up because of subcontractors here for restart of copper mines.”

“Construction in the area has brought in out-of-state workers with drop-off laundry” amid an improving economy, a Midwestern operator reports.

Respondents were also asked about their 2011 fourth-quarter sales (compared to 2010 fourth-quarter sales).

Fourth-quarter sales rose 7.4% in the Northeast, 4.5% in the West, and 3.7% in the Midwest. Southern operators experienced a 7.1% decrease in the final quarter of 2011.

“(We) used coupons more this year, and less snow meant less days closed to weather,” says one Midwestern operator who also reported increased theft of laundry carts, presumably for metal scrap value.

“My sales were up, I believe, because first we expanded and added another 15 washers and 20 dryers, and we got a better mechanic to fix our machines so we have way less ‘out of orders’ than before,” reports a Western operator.

A Southern operator reported having a record quarter for wash-dry-fold business, up more than 30% from the previous best quarter.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – Every region posted sales increases in October, with the South leading the charge with an impressive 10.9% boost, according to the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey. Nearly all of the Southern operators who provided data reported enjoying double-digit gains for the month compared to October 2010.

Self-service laundry sales were up 4.8% in the Northeast, 4.4% in the Midwest and 1.7% in the West.

One Southern operator reports that wildfires burned 1,500 houses in their area, which could account for increased patronage. Another says October sales were up 10% primarily due to increasing wash prices.

A Western operator says business is “a little slow, but improving,” while another beams about having had “our best month in 15 years.”

“Sales vary with gasoline prices,” a Midwestern operator says. “Higher gas prices equal lower sales, and vice versa.” Another blamed lengthy road construction projects for hurting business.

In the Northeast, one operator had already surpassed 2010 sales with two months to go. Another complained about stores being built too close together. “Competition hurts us all when they build new stores close to the existing ones. New stores should be built in new neighborhoods where there are no other Laundromats.”

Operators were also asked to compare current dryer prices to October 2010 prices. In cases where operators have multiple prices, they were to list the lowest price.

In 2010, dryer prices in the South were 36.6 cents for an average of 7.9 minutes, with times ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. The average price has increased to 38 cents but for a longer average of 9 minutes.

Midwestern dryer prices have increased slightly. October 2011 prices averaged 32.5 cents for 8.2 minutes compared to 31.2 cents for 8.5 minutes in October 2010. Drying times range from 3 to 30 minutes.

Western prices (25 cents for an average of 7.6 minutes) and Northeastern prices (26 cents for an average of 7.6 minutes) are basically unchanged from October 2010. Drying times in the Northeast range from 5 to 10 minutes; they are 6 to 10 minutes in the West.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website. All self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – The West is the only region that reported increased August sales from one year ago and greater profits for the first half of 2011, according to the latest AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey.

Self-service laundry operators in the West reported August sales were up 7.7% compared to August 2010, and that their first-half profits were up 8.1% compared to the first half of 2010.

In the Northeast, August 2011 sales were up 1.8% from the previous August while first-half profits for this year were down 5.8% compared to the first six months of 2010.

All of the numbers were in the red for operators in the South and the Midwest. Sales in the South were down 2.0% in August from the previous August, while profits were down 4.1% when comparing first-half 2011 to 2010. The Midwest’s August sales declined 5% from August 2010; the region’s first-half profits were down 4.7% compared to 2010’s first six months.

Even with things looking good, the Western operators who offered comments still leaned toward the negative. “Utilities are increasing anywhere from 3.5% in one town to more than double in another!” says one. “Only frequent, non-quarter-increment price increases will keep operators afloat long term in this market.”

“Cost is going up, and everything else is going downhill,” remarked a Northeastern operator.

In the South, “(our) second-quarter sales were down 4.5% compared to first-quarter sales due primarily to higher gasoline prices,” says one operator. Another says their municipality’s water rates “literally doubled” beginning in August.

In the struggling Midwest, which has failed to make it into positive territory in sales all year, one operator reports having taken a number of steps to turn a profit.

“We implemented many new ways (to) cut the cost of doing business. We installed a new hot water heater, added insulation, (and) dropped the landline phone and added a cell to our existing cell phone contract and kept the same number. Garbage is picked up [every other week] rather than weekly without any problem with overflow. … Income was down but because of the cost-cutting measures, our profit was up a bit.”

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website, on a regular basis. All self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

CHICAGO – Operators in three of the four U.S. regions reported June sales increases compared to the prior year, led by the Northeast’s 4.2% and West’s 2.6% gains, according to this month's unscientific AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot survey. The South saw sales rise 0.4%.

June-to-June sales in the Midwest were down 7%. Because the region’s swoon was so dramatic—nearly 73% of Midwestern operators who responded to the survey reported sales declines—sales dipped 1.4% nationally from June 2010.

Operators in the Midwest cited many different reasons for their tough times. Road construction, extreme heat/humidity, high gas prices and government regulation were among them.

But not all was negative. “Our sales are up for the year 11%,” says one Midwestern operator. “June was just a slow month.”

At the halfway mark of the year, June is the third straight month that sales have increased in three regions.

Survey respondents were also asked about their second-quarter sales. Combined sales for April, May and June were up substantially in the West (7.1%) and Northeast (6.8%) when compared to 2010 figures, while the South also posted a strong 4% gain. Quarterly sales were down 4% in the Midwest.

AmericanCoinOp.com’s StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs and other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.