FLOWERING IN WEST ONE

The interior of White Rose’s West End shop is as clean and stylish as any designer boutique but the clothes on the rail are there for cleaning not selling. Ejaz Osmani explains how three years have seen a complete transformation of this once run-down business.

A prime London W1 location has proved fertile soil for White Rose Drycleaning and Laundry. But the success of the venture is due to much more than its site on the map for when Ejaz and Devea Osmani took over the business everything needed bringing up to date. So how have they transformed its fortunes?

They began by drawing on a wealth of experience drawn from decades in the industry. White Rose is a family drycleaning and laundering business that has been in existence for more than thirty years. There is a factory unit near Acton and two further retail shops – one in Chiltern Street near Baker Street and one in Shepherds Bush. Currently, it is headed by Ejaz and his wife, Devea.

“What you see today is the result of a total refit,” says Ejaz. “We bought the business some three years ago but it’s taken time to save the money and to ensure that we got things exactly as we wanted. We had the factory and a couple of retail outlets but more for a high street presence then because we were concentrating the retail side. When we did decide to go into retail seriously we began looking for a shop that was not doing too well, but was in the right location. It took quite a while to find the right one but this was just perfect – it was operating as a drycleaners but everything needed to be revamped.”

The shop is one of the most stylish and most relaxing a drycleaning customer is ever likely to step into. Clean blocks of colour meld with pale wooden floors and white paper lanterns. There is a built-in bench for customers to sit when waiting and a feature plant. With a corner location the unit contains two road facing walls. One face of the shop is entirely plate glass while the second is completely taken over by a huge colour photograph that would not look out of place in a travel magazine.

Speed was the defining factor of the service the Osmanis wished to offer but it is caution that has marked the transformation of the business. With a large factory already owned, the unit could have been made into a receiving shop but the opposite decision was taken to expand on the production facilities and provide a complete on-site service.

Ejaz explains the thinking behind the move:

“We wanted to offer a really fast service but not forget the quality side and the treatment needs of delicate fabrics and intricate tailoring.  So, in order to combine these we decided the best way was to have a small production unit centrally located in the area we are dealing with.

 “We could easily have made it a receiving shop but we found that we could give a far better quality by doing the work in a central location. Also, the cost of moving things in London is phenomenal and accounts for far a greater proportional percentage than labour. We decided that the main opposition was not local drycleaners who can do the same things as us but transportation. If we could crack the transportation problem we knew would be able to compete effectively.

Equipment was provided and installed by Renzacci UK Plc along with a complete service package.

“We’d used Renzacci in small cases with the factory and other units. This time, we were trying to create an A-Z of laundry and drycleaning where we could do everything in one place, and we couldn’t afford to make mistakes so it was vital that we made the right equipment choices first time. We looked at all the options and decided that Renzacci was the company best able to deliver. They did the installation as well as supplying the equipment, which as a combination, proved extremely worthwhile,” says Ejaz.

“It’s been nearly a year since the refit and we’re really pleased with the performance of the machines. Renzacci is very accessible so it’s not like they’ve completed the sale and we’ve never heard from them again. We’ve built up a relationship.”

Renzacci’s managing director Jason Alexander comments on the contract: “We are used to installing even in difficult locations so the central London site didn’t bother us, or having to deliver the equipment to the basement. Since then, it’s been very satisfying to see the business develop and to know that the machinery is being used to its best effect.”

The business is comprehensively fitted with a Renzacci Planet 35 Club drycleaning machine, Pony Cosmos-E finishing Cabinet, Pony SP/U press, Pony SP/UL hot head laundry press, Pony CCP-V collar and cuff press to compliment the existing dedicated shirt machine, Pony Jolly Cold spotting table, Hawo HP630KST bagging machine with bottom seal unit, two ADC 50lb tumble dryers, two Ipso HC165 35lb washer extractors, one hydo extractor, Fulton 30J boiler complete with water treatment, auto blowdown, feed and condensate tank. 

For the onsite business it was decided to go with perc machines but hydrocarbon and non-carbon based cleaning are available at the W12 factory should customers request either option.

“That’s one very positive thing if a customer is particular about a cleaning method we will be able to offer it. However, while alternative systems are good I still don’t think they deliver the cleaning power of perc,” says Ejaz.

The total care approach that has been the hallmark of the whole of this revamp is reflected in the company’s website. Online ordering offers simplicity of use and flexibility of packaging. There is also a section on the importance of recycling - an area that Ejaz feels very strongly about:

“I do feel that a lot of packaging is a total waste and in our industry we use a lot of it. If we can get packaging rotating around then I think it works for the customer, for the environment and in the long run for the business as well. You may be paying one or two pounds for a suit carrier, but not only does it look better but if the customer is bringing it back to you 10 times then you are actually making more money.”

He continues, “It takes a lot of work to make people buy into recycling, but it’s a good thing all around if people can take it on. If we all make a small contribution it adds up to help.”

The message is one that involves educating clients into perhaps changing a lifetime’s practice of using disposable products but it is slowly getting across. Meanwhile the customer base continues to grow even  without having yet put the planned marketing schemes into action.

“There was a business but there wasn’t a huge amount of goodwill,” says Ejaz. “There was more contract business when we took over than retail. It’s completely the other way around now. We don’t do any contract work on site. It’s quite surprising how custom has grown. We haven’t advertised at all and it’s still grown a lot faster than expectations. We are probably seven to eight months ahead of our predictions. If we get our marketing side right I would say our goal for three years should be possible in two. It would be good if that happens.”

So then there’ll be more and more White Rose shops stringing across London? Ejaz is too experienced to make too make too many future predications.

 “The immediate outlook is to revamp Chiltern Street and Shepherds Bush. Then maybe one shop more. We’ll have to wait and see,” he replies, adding, “After all, we want to have some kind of life outside of business!”