On-demand laundry and dry-cleaning service, Laundryheap, has 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.
Laundryheap enables customers to have their laundry collected, washed and returned in a guaranteed 24 hours, a turnaround they say no competitor offers. The app allows customers to opt for: contactless collection and deliver; a virus-targeting high-temperature wash; and a green travel route.
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.
During the lockdown, the start-up 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.
CEO Deyan Dimitrov commented: “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 an 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.”
