By: Tia Lowe, Howard University News Service
ZIPS Dry Cleaning has been functioning as a successful business since 1998. The inception of the company came about after a group of eight individuals came together to create the dry cleaning depot with several franchises.
Washington, D.C. has two ZIPS Dry Cleaning locations. One location is in Washington D.C.’s Hechinger Mall in Northeast D.C., the other site sits near the University of the District of Columbia in Ward 3, by the Van Ness metro stop. “This is one of the original locations of all the ZIPS Dry Cleaning stores,” said Derrick Johnson, manager of the Van Ness location.
ZIPS also provides a station within the store for customers that need alterations made to their clothing. “I am here every day from open to close,” said Jane Yang, the seamstress in the store. “I enjoy my job.” Yang handles all of the alterations in the store.
The business has seen a significant amount of growth in the last two decades.
“By 2005, ZIPS Dry Cleaning had 30 plus locations,” said Johnson. Before there were over 50 stores, ZIPS could only be found in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Stores are continuously opening around the nation.
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“The increase in business led to the selling of 50 percent of the corporation to another company in 2016,” said Johnson. Customers seem to be pleased with the results of their clothes and the low price of $2.49 per garment. “I trust them to always do a good job with my clothes,” said customer Peyton Reed. The sense of trust ZIPS’ customers have in the businesses is what keeps them going.
Today, ZIPS Dry Cleaning is in the process of opening four new stores in District Heights
Huntington Beach, Cincinnati (Oakley), Mechanicsburg and recently opened four new locations on the East and West Coast. At the rate of growth they are experiencing, there might be a ZIPS coming to your town in the near future.
