Looking Ahead to 2023

摘要

A new year often means a fresh start, but for dry cleaners who have faced challenge after challenge for years, and especially since 2019, many may feel apprehensive as we open 2023. Their simple question: What's next? While experts believe we still face some of the effects brought on by the pandemic and evolving customer habits and demands, there are reasons to feel optimistic that the new year will shine brighter than the old. As we enter January, one thing is certain: There are a lot of unknowns in the coming months. "While there are going to be different challenges, the big question is what's going to happen with the economy," says Mary Scalco, CEO of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute (DLI). "Dry cleaning, in some respects, is dependent upon disposable income. What happens with that?" While an unsteady economy is a headache cleaners would rather avoid, Scalco says at least it's a familiar one. "It's certainly a much different challenge than what we faced coming out of the pandemic," she says. "The eco- nomics are something we're a little more used to - we've faced this before. I think, in 2023, the loss in the industry will have stabilized. I think we'll be done with the shake-out. Those plants that are left are stronger, so they'll be able to weather that. And, again, it's a familiar situation -it's not a drop off the cliff as with the pandemic." The biggest difference between the start of 2023 and where we were in the beginning of 2022 is inflation, says Holly Wade, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center. "Over the last 12 months, inflation has become an enormous challenge for small-business owners," she says, "with one-third of owners reporting that it's their single most important problem right now compared to 18 12 months ago." And, while the recovery from economic depths of 2020 was welcome, it also added a few twists and turns to the roller coaster many business owners were on during 2022, says economist Chris Kuehl, managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence.