• Meet Shore local Emilie at Regal Drycleaners.

Keep dry (cleaning) this summer

We love to see new businesses popping up on the Shore. This month we profile one that has just landed at Shore City in Takapuna. Channel chatted to the good people at Regal Drycleaners to find out more about their move into the mall...

These are exciting times for Regal Drycleaners, can you tell us why you have chosen to move into Shore City?

We have had our eye on the Shore for a long time. We are lucky enough to have customers who cross the bridge regularly to visit us, but we wanted to make drycleaning a convenient and pain free-experience for all our North Shore customers so we decided to bring the service to them! 

We have heard our customers voice the need for our expertise and knowledge on the Shore and finally have found a place where we will fit in perfectly. 

Last year we introduced our online pickup and delivery service Regal Direct, but we know that our customers come to us for all kinds of help and advice, so as soon as the right space came up, we had to grab it.

 

How does Regal set itself apart from other similar businesses?

Our whole Regal brand is based on trust and care. It’s important to us that when our customers leave their garments with us, they have peace of mind that they are in experienced capable hands. We care about looking after delicate and complex designerwear. We care about our customers and the service they receive. We also care about the environment, sustainable fashion, and how we can help. 

We’ve been caring for New Zealand’s garments for upwards of 20 years and have specialists who have been with us just as long! We strive to be the place people bring their valuable garments for our expertise, knowing we care about their garments as much as they do.

 

How does the business take into account sustainability and chemicals in this eco-conscious age?

There is a perception when it comes to drycleaners of an association with harsh chemicals and wastage. We have spent a lot of time trying to create a sustainable solution and challenging the status quo of most New Zealand drycleaners. We choose to use eco-friendly products, which are gentler on clothes and the environment. We care about being at the forefront of this technology so that our customers can feel comfortable knowing the service is kind to their clothes, and kind to our planet. We use biodegradable film and encourage customers to recycle all of their coat hangers, garment bags and even safety pins!

We also recently started the initiative “The Care Label That Cares” alongside Dove Hospice. We love the idea of our customers being able to drop off garments they don’t need or wear anymore, knowing they can be given a whole new life while also giving to a great cause. Apparently a woman, on average, will wear a garment just seven times before it’s forgotten about. Garments brought into us are restored at no charge and donated to Dove Hospice to find their new home, rather than living in your closet indefinitely, or ending up in a landfill.

 

Which services are you offering, and what do you expect to be your most popular?

We offer a long list of services, and we are constantly researching alongside our partner drycleaners in the USA to stay at the forefront of service and drycleaning technology. Some of the most popular are our restorative services, which are great for taking old favourites and restoring them to a better condition or making them last that bit longer. These include our whitening service for garments that have dulled or yellowed with age, colour enrichment for silks that have faded over time, or softening treatments for garments that might have been washed at home by accident, because it does happen! Our hand-finished Couture Care service for delicate garments, our museum quality bridal preservation service, and specialist leather cleaning are also favourites with our customers.

 

Channel readers should come and visit you in Shore City because…

We’re ready to be their local. We have our lovely Emilie (pictured) who is a North Shore native and can’t wait to meet all our new customers. We are relentless about providing top quality, service and convenience, and can’t wait to get to know our Shore regulars!


Issue 94 December 2018