Low Mackay Laundromat Survival

by Rod on 16th July 2011

Mackay Coin Operated Laundromats appear to be in the decline in number. I can recall there used to be at least four other laundromats around Mackay that have now disappeared. This maybe a symptom of our economic times. I believe there are three factors that have contributed to this decline.

1. As we can appreciate the average level of the economy, especially in Mackay is quite affluent which contributes to more people being able to afford to buy their own machine rather than rely on such facilities as laundromats.

2. The cost of buying a new washing machine for yourself has actually come down relative to the average weekly wage. Twenty years ago the average large top loading washing machine cost around $700.00 and the average wage was about $200- $300. Now large top loading machine can still cost about the same $700 but the average wage is $800- $1000.

3. With lower numbers of people using laundromats and the ever increasing costs such capital expense, building rental, utility costs, maintenance and government restrictions it is not finacially viable to stay open.

Having less laundromats is good for the surviving laundromats because although their clients may have to travel a little further, the available clients are shared between fewer laundromats which increases their ecomomy of scale. There will always be a particular percentage of the population who for various reasons will need the facilities a laundromat provides so I hope for them and the owners of the laundromats they can survive in this economy.

One Laundromat doing well.

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