Laundryheap – the UK’s largest on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service – has today announced its expansion into five new international markets: New York, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Singapore. This follows a strong performance for the start-up during 2020, as Laundryheap looks to capitalise on competitors withdrawing from the market and an increased appetite for on-demand cleaning services as a result of the pandemic.
This expansion follows a year of planning and has come to a successful fruition despite logistical challenges created by the current crisis. They are now focused on translating their successful model into a vastly augmented global presence, with plans to expand to at least 12 additional cities before the end of the year.
Since launching in 2014, the start-up has focused on building sustainable revenue models in its existing markets of the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UAE. Following 3 years of bootstrapping, Laundryheap secured £2.9m in VC investment in 2017.
Despite a decrease in demand for dry-cleaning during lockdown, the business has recorded a strong performance across its laundry services as consumers up the ante on cleanliness.
During the lockdown, the startup introduced a number of key initiatives designed to ensure their services reached those who needed it most. They included a partnership with UnderTheDoormat to service the free temporary accommodation of NHS workers, the distribution of care packages of cleaning and hygiene essentials for the elderly (with Age UK signed up to help distribute), a pay-it-forward scheme with matched gifting, and a 30% NHS workers discount across all Laundryheap services.
Speaking on the international expansion, Laundryheap’s CEO, Deyan Dimitrov, comments:
“Since launching, we’ve been focused on a steady growth. With on-demand products, you cannot blitz into new markets until you’ve perfected your operations and figured out a realistic route to revenue – your burn rate will simply be unsustainably high. While others have stumbled, we’ve been focused on perfecting the product. Now, having expanded so exponentially during such a uncertain time, it’s clear that those years of groundwork were instrumental to our growth. We’re delighted to be increasing our global footprint and I look forward to bringing Laundryheap to more communities across the world.”
Laundryheap enables customers to have their laundry collected, washed, and delivered back to them in a guaranteed 24 hours – a turnaround no competitor offers. In the wake of the pandemic and other environmental concerns, the app also allows customers to opt for: contactless collection and delivery; a virus-targeting, high temperature wash; and a green travel route for their delivery drivers.
