Vicky Whiter, CEO of Peters’ Cleaners, redefines dry cleaning with her innovative 24/7 locker service in partnership with InPost.
24/7 Locker-Based Dry Cleaning Service Sets New Standard Across the UK
Peters’ Cleaners partners with InPost to launch a nationwide locker service, offering 24/7 convenience. This innovation modernises dry cleaning, meeting demand for flexibility amidst high street decline and staff shortages.
Peters’ Cleaners, a long-established, family-run dry cleaning business based in Peterborough since 1963, is setting a new benchmark for the dry-cleaning industry with the launch of a nationwide, 24/7 service in collaboration with InPost.
The innovative partnership allows customers from across the UK to drop off and collect their dry cleaning needs at their nearest InPost Locker at any time of the day or night. Through a simple online booking system, customers send their garments via the lockers where they are cleaned, pressed, and returned to the same location, eliminating the need for traditional store visits during limited opening hours.
Vicky Whiter’s innovative thinking and customer-first approach are revolutionising dry cleaning through her visionary locker-based service across the UK.
This pioneering initiative is the vision of Vicky Whiter, CEO of Peters’ Cleaners, who aimed to expand the business’s trusted services (renowned for its 4.8 Trustpilot rating) by leveraging InPost’s vast locker network. InPost boasts over 13,000 lockers across the UK, with 75% of residents in the UK’s three largest cities reportedly living just a seven-minute walk away from one of their locations.
Commenting on the partnership, Peter Blackburn, International Commercial Director at InPost, said: “This partnership shows how InPost Lockers can enable new types of services beyond parcel delivery. By combining our extensive nationwide network with specialist providers like Peters’ Cleaners, we’re helping businesses reach customers in a way that fits modern lifestyles.”
Faced with staffing shortages, high street closures, and shifting consumer demands, the UK dry-cleaning industry has struggled in recent years. Market analysts at IBISWorld report that the UK Dry-Cleaning & Other Cleaning Services sector saw an annual decline of 2.3% between 2019 and 2024. Meanwhile, a report by PwC revealed 6,945 high street outlet closures in the first half of 2024 alone, posing new challenges for traditional businesses like dry cleaners.
Recognising these industry shifts, Peters’ Cleaners identified the need to innovate for survival and growth. “The broader high street environment has made the traditional drop-off model difficult to sustain,” said Whiter. “Alongside location pressures, the industry continues to face staffing and skills gap challenges. The only solution is to evolve and innovate, creating a service that is focused on convenience and quality.”
Whiter believes their partnership with InPost is a game-changer, both for their business and the broader dry-cleaning sector, which has historically been tied to fixed opening hours and brick-and-mortar locations.
“We’re the first dry cleaner to create a nationwide locker-based partnership with InPost, combining their out-of-home locker network with specialist garment care,” explained Whiter. “It’s been a year in development and refinement to ensure that every garment is handled safely and with the highest standards of care. This is about putting control and flexibility into the hands of our customers.”
As lifestyles become increasingly hectic, flexibility and convenience have emerged as essential factors for customer satisfaction across industries. Vicky Whiter and her team are confident that this initiative will pave the way for significant transformation in the UK dry-cleaning industry.
“The aim is simple: give people a service that fits modern life without turning ‘dry cleaning’ into a rushed production line,” Whiter concluded, adding that customer-centric innovation will be critical to keeping the industry relevant and sustainable in the years to come.
With its eyes set on the future, Peters’ Cleaners may just be leading the way toward a new era of flexibility and convenience for dry-cleaning customers nationwide.
