Dry cleaning business Home & Dry bucks trend and opens new shop in Havant town centre

Home & Dry started as a small independent cleaning business 20 years ago, specialising in holiday lets.

As the business grew, it opened a laundry alongside the cleaning business in Chichester.

This year it expanded further, opening a laundrette in Felpham and a floristry business called Chichester Flowers.

Last week saw it open the doors on its new premises, in East Street Havant.

James Glue, operations manager, said: ‘There are not many places opening in this environment and we have opened three in a year. When we have seen a an opportunity we have not held back and gone in there.’

The firm is owned by Julia Wilkins and James joined two years ago.

After rival business Solent Cleaners went into administration last year, a gap in the market was created that Home & Dry hope to fill.

Home & Dry has hired three members of staff that were made redundant when that business closed, as well as a seamstress, to work in Havant.

James said: ‘It is tough right now for the whole world. It is covering the basics and getting through it ready for when we come out the other side.

‘The down time has allowed us to look at things and see where there are opportunities.

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‘Havant is a great place to be. The shop was already beautifully decorated so we were able to get our equipment in and get the doors open within three weeks.

‘It is proving quite successful already, especially with our click and collect customers. It has worked really well due to its location, it is close to the high street and there is a car park nearby.

‘For us it was all about having a presence in Havant.’

The shop has taken over the unit from Astares Menswear, which has moved its operations under one roof at its showroom in South Street.

Home & Dry offers a range of services, including dry clearing, ironing, laundry, linen, tailoring, dress alterations, duvet cleaning and carpet cleaning.

It also offers document shredding.

James said its collection service has proved popular during lockdown.

It hopes to open a new facility in West Wittering as the holiday let trade picks up.

For more goto https://homeanddry.biz/

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