I was having a chinwag today with the owner at Andy's Dry Cleaners today, bemoaning the increase in unemployment locally and how it was hitting the dry cleaning business. Of course, dry cleaners are a bit like farmers as they never have things as they would like them. Such is the way with all small business of course. It is however clearly a fact that unemployed people, even if they have the money, are not wearing their suits as much and therefore having them cleaned as a result, especially if there are not even job interviews to go to in prospect. People without so much cash in their pockets might not feel like getting their other best schmutter on either.
Andy's now finds itself in an otherwise fairly good location but between Star Hairdressers and Hamdi Internet Cafe, businesses which flank him but have been shut for the past four or five months. He tries his best to drum up trade, and provided me with a leaflet offering to dry clean any garment for £1.99 (excluding suede leather, wedding dresses etc.) and clean 5 shirts for £6.50 or any size of duvet for £7.50. He also takes in alterations and will collect and deliver orders over £12.00 for free. His window has various other deals in it from time to time to attract attention. In this respect I have to commend this business.
There are a fair few rivals locally, such as M&S Dry Cleaners in St James's Street, Clothing Care and Forest Dry Cleaners in the High Street, though despite this there are still too many dry cleaning firms around which do not come clean with their customers about the cost of their services up-front and in writing. (Press2Impress on Blackhorse Road and Apollo on St James's Street spring to mind).
Andy's Dry Cleaners, at 277 Forest Road is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Saturday.
Tel 0208 527 2050