The right place

With eleven branches, Trend drycleaners is well known in the commuter belts of Surrey and SW London. The most recent addition to the chain is at Weybridge Station in Surrey. Owner Mr H S Habib says the five steps to success are quality, service, location, location and location. Out of his 11 unit drycleaners he has nine station sites. The others are near to supermarkets.

Trend was established in 1964 when the first shop was opened in Ewell Surrey.

“We were the pioneers of convenience drycleaning, bringing the business out of the industrial estate and into customer-convenient locations” says Mr Habib HNC C.Eng.

After completing a Higher Nationals Diploma in civil engineering at Loughborough College he worked on a number of major engineering contracts in the Middle East. In 1964 he returned to England and with his wife, who he met when at Loughborough, opened their first drycleaning shop. Today, his two sons work in the business, one based in Guildford, the other in Surbiton.

“We are a team. That is one of our strengths, the other is choice of location” says Mr Habib. “Station sites are the best. Commuters drop off their cleaning in the morning and pick it up on their way home. It could not be more convenient and parking is never a problem.

“When the supermarkets opened up their drycleaning services I was worried but it has not affected my business one iota. I suppose people only do their shopping once a week.” Mr Habib prefers station sites for the following reasons; one, they are cheaper, than the high street: two, people come to you, and three: it is convenient for the customers.

The new branch at Weybridge station was built on to an existing mini-cab business. It is similar in design and materials so that the shop blends in with the existing styles.

“We drove in nine piles and put down a substantial concrete slab for the shop floor. I loved all that” said the ex-civil engineer. “Whenever I can. I get involved in the building or alteration of the sites.” All the equipment in the Weybridge shop is brand new. Mr Habib never buys secondhand machines. There’s a 25lb Böwe drycleaning machine and a Hoffman press. “I like the Hoffman” he says. “They go on year after year. I have seen machines improve and become automated but you can’t beat a manual presser. They know by the feel of the material how to finish a garment.” Front counter-staff are the also important to the Trend operation.

“They decide whether it can be cleaned properly. The customers bring in their favourite dress or suit and say can you do this or that and you have to have an expert to represent the company.

“You need to choose people with the right personality and temperament, who are happy all the time and can remember the name of the customers.

“The average age of our counter staff is 50, some are 60, and we would not change that. They are reliable and knowledgeable and have respect for the customer. Today there are too many shops where you walk in and people do not want to serve you. It is essential to have to get the right person behind the counter.” Some garments will never dryclean properly even though it says ‘Dryclean only’ on the label.

“I think somebody just sticks these things on the garments without thinking. It says don’t wash and it washes beautifully but dryclean it and its ruined.” Pre publicity for the March opening of the new location at Weybridge station was pretty thorough. Heavy advertising in local papers, half-price opening offers, such as two suits for the price of one and pamphlets distributed into the area.

“The pricing is kept very competitive in all our shops. Price depends on our own costs, the expensive sites have to charge a little more, with average rent and rates about £30, 000 a year we charge £8. 99 for a suit, £2 for a shirt, hand finished if the customers requests it.” There are no negative notices up in any of the shops. Certainly none that warn “Any uncollected garments will be sold to defray storage expenses.” “What does it cost to store a suit? A lot of drycleaners are on the offensive. Their notices say, ‘we dispose of everything in three months’. If our our customers have been with us a long time and forget to pick up their drycleaning, what is wrong with giving them a call?” “I do not belong to a trade association. The first question they ask is not what can we do for you but how much is your turnover.

“I can get a written report on a garment much cheaper from an independent consultant. They are not so busy and give a better opinion than the bigger laboratories.

“The trade associations could help with the legislation that is coming out. The laws that are being made are not practical and it is difficult to abide by half of them.” says Mr Habib.

Even so, Trend has a policy of environmental control, which includes: recycling of all cleaning fluid, hangers, safety pins and plastics. n Trend website is www.trend.org.uk