View Full Version : Grand Openings and Marketing....
jglover
02-08-2003, 04:58 PM
We are in the process of opening a laundromat. We have already had a "soft opening", but are in desperate need of some marketing. I am doing all the graphic design myself, so as to cut down on costs. Are there any promotions for grand opening that have worked better than others? We were thinking of offering a raffle, so with every wash from now until our grand opening, people would receive a raffle ticket that would be good to win prizes on the day of our grand opening. What sources of marketing have worked for people that are relatively inexpensive? Is direct mail effective... is it worth it? How do you convince people to try your laundromat when they are already established with one? Any advice would be wonderful! THank you so much. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
SecretarytoBraveDave
02-08-2003, 08:15 PM
No offense, but this should have been first and foremost in your thoughts prior to opening your biz. The pie is only so big and if you are tapping into an area that already has good, efficient mats then you are going to have to find their weaknesses and capitalize on them. You must be better, and consistently deliver better.
jglover
02-08-2003, 08:20 PM
I understand that, and maybe should have worded my question a little differently. Opening has been a lot more work than I had initially anticipated... there are so many things to think about. What I am mainly concerned with is whether or not a direct mailing is effective enough to use... does an effective direct mail campaign generally generate a response worth the cost?
SecretarytoBraveDave
02-08-2003, 09:19 PM
Not knowing where you are or who your market area is, I cannot answer that. We have found that direct mail has done nothing, nor much other types of advertising, other than the yellow pages. However, if you want to let people know you are there, offer a reason to visit your store, in big big letters, in a large portion of the local newspaper. When we have done grand openings we have done unlimited free wash for a weekend. Gangbusters......
RWSmith
02-09-2003, 02:12 PM
I agree with StBD you need to lure as many customers as possible. The best way to do that is offer somthing FREE. I would take it a step further and offer free washes for one or two weeks.
Good Luck
petefritz
02-11-2003, 03:03 AM
From what I have seen on other websites most traditional forms of marketing, ie, flyers, direct mail, newspaper ads, etc are a waste of money. If you have a truley great location and a laundromat was needed, then all you need is a sign out front. Failing that, the local distrib around here talks his newbie mat owners who just plunked down thier life savings on a mat that was not really needed is to give away free wash for a couple weeks in hopes of stealing customers. Good luck and keep your bank account stocked with cash.
JG, I hope you had the foresight to install electronic fully programable washers and dryers.
What I did when I remodeled one of my mats was to window advertise the full price and then a "Introductory Price" for the new style washers for one month. Then when I raised the price the customers were not shocked, but also I used variable prices for hot, warm and cold. Customers thanked me for the lower price for cold water when they did not need hot.
This mat has proved to be my most sucessful mat with a 50% margin even though my prices are not the lowest in the area, but there are also a lot of other energy saving investments I made at the time of remodeling.
Good Luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif