According to market research, the laundry industry is poised for rapid expansion and change due to various causes, including shifting customer preferences, technology improvements, and environmental concerns.

In Malaysia, the Home & Laundry Care market is expected to earn $1.14 billion in revenue in 2024. There is also a growing trend towards eco-friendly home and laundry care products, as consumers become more conscious of their environmental impacts.

Local launderette, dobiQueen has successfully grown from five to 82 outlets within eight years of service since its establishment in 2015. 

“We’ve noticed various consumer patterns in Malaysian households, especially in the area of laundry. While work is a priority, many still come home to deal with dirty dishes and laundry. dobiQueen steps in as a service provider to help busy households lessen the load of household chores,” said Co-founder and Executive Director of dobiQueen, Nini Tan.

“Of this, 75% of laundromat users are women. Even in today's modern era, women still handle the majority load of household chores,” added Tan. 

According to a Khazanah Research Institute time-use survey, women spend 63.6% more time daily on unpaid work than men, preventing women from investing time in full-time careers and formal jobs.

Women who work the same hours as men in paid jobs, on the other hand, are not exempted from domestic responsibilities. After spending about 6.6 hours of paid work daily, women continue to perform an additional 3.6 to 4 hours on average for unpaid chores after office hours, leading to the "double burden" or "second shift".

With data derived from its proprietary mobile application that promotes ease of laundry experience through eWallet and online payments, dobiQueen has observed customer profiles from hundreds of thousands of downloads over the past eight years. The majority of its demographic consists of women with 50% in full-time employment, and 50% being homemakers. 

“The stakes are high for women. They are working hard to break the glass ceiling at work, but are also required to excel at home. Notwithstanding homemakers, who manage household chores, little ones in tow and more,” added Tan.

As for the monthly usage per household, most households who utilise dobiQueen services usually earn an income bracket of RM5,000 and above. They spend a minimum of RM20 a week or RM80 a month on laundry expenditures.

“We also observe that in terms of a regular wash, items comprised of daily clothes (80%), beddings (10%), towels (5%) and others (5%). 

“With larger items such as bedsheets, curtains and cushion covers, these are washed an average of once in three months or nearer festivities. Many households choose to wash these heavier items in one load, as dobiQueen has larger-sized machines that can cater up to 32kg of laundry,” Tan further added. 

In terms of time spent on laundry, one of the downsides of laundromats is the self-service options. One usually has to wait for laundry to be washed before manually transferring it to dryers, which can take close to two or three hours.

“One of the upsides about dobiQueen is our investment in headcount for outlet supervisors. We differentiate ourselves by personally assisting customers with moving laundry from washer to dryer and then finally into the bag.  Customers do not need to wait and utilise this time to eat with loved ones or run other errands.  

“Outlet supervisors help load customers' laundry which would be transferred to dryer machines and then folded. End to end, customers only spend one hour from the time they drop off and pick up their clothes,” Tan further elaborated.

dobiQueen’s drive to innovate the laundry industry has seen many advancements where they have retained customers through its Drop-off & Pickup and 6-Hour Express Delivery services where customers can leave their unwashed laundry to dobiQueen’s employees and anticipate receiving perfumed and well-fold laundry within a day. 

Innovation has also seen dobiQueen adopt pathways of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

“We have implemented environmental laundry bags instead of plastic bag usage, motion sensor switches in all outlets to ensure energy is consumed when necessary, timer controls for all exhaust fans, air coolers and lights as well as investments into solar functionality,” shared Tan.

As for dobiQueen’s upcoming plans, Tan is confident of expansion plans with 5 to 20 outlets growth per year. Apart from growing the business, Tan emphasises mental health and well-being focusing on “time to reconnect” with family and loved ones. dobiQueen also actively works with the B40 community to provide employment opportunities and support. 

“Laundry is mundane, and it is usually not spoken about much. But at dobiQueen, we salute the majority of women who keep the household going. Our goal is to reduce household chores for working adults and give them back precious time, which can be better spent with family and friends,” she added.

For more information about dobiQueen, visit its website at www.dobiqueen.my or follow them on its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram (@dobiqueen) to stay tuned to its upcoming promotions and contest giveaways for all patrons to enjoy!

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