As Christmas approaches, upholstery and cleaning businesses are experiencing their annual surge, though this year’s patterns reveal some notable shifts in consumer behaviour.
For Richard Foster, owner of High Maintenance Detailing, the festive season brings a predictable wave of customers seeking carpet and upholstery cleaning, pressure washing, and general property maintenance.
“ Christmas time, busiest time of the year,” Foster said, noting that the rush began as early as October.
Foster’s business model reflects a growing trend among Bajans – choosing restoration over replacement.
“Instead of going to buy carpets and buy furniture every year, people’s vision is just to clean,” he explained.
“Clean it and bring it back to brand new . . . give your stuff more years.”
Economic sense
This shift toward maintenance rather than purchasing new items makes economic sense for consumers. While cleaning services come at a cost, Foster pointed out the savings were substantial compared to buying new furniture or carpets annually. His client loyalty speaks to the effectiveness of this approach – one customer he has served for over six years schedules her appointments like clockwork each season.
The efficiency of Foster’s operation is impressive. Carpets typically dry within an hour when he uses the sun’s natural heat, while upholstered chairs take about two hours depending on thickness and weather conditions. A complete sofa set requires roughly two to two-and-a-half hours to clean. The only real challenge? Rain, though Foster comes prepared with tarpaulins to protect freshly cleaned items.
However, at Jenny’s Upholsteries in Bank Hall, owner Jenny McCollin painted a contrasting picture of this year’s Christmas season. While Foster’s cleaning business thrives on predictable annual patterns, McCollin has noticed a significant shift in timing.
Orders
“People have been coming later this year,” she observed, noting that last year customers placed orders as early as October, but this December, many waited until it was too late.
By the time we spoke, Jenny’s Upholsteries had closed their order books, yet customers were still inquiring.
“We are getting people coming to us in December and that can’t work,” McCollin stated. She attributed the delay to late-arriving Christmas loans, suggesting financial factors drove the timing shift.
McCollin’s daughter-in-law, Trish, identified another complicating factor – supply chain issues. Some of the major retailers which supply upholstery materials experienced significant delays receiving shipments.
“A lot of the material was held at the port and not released until late,” Trish explained. When materials finally reached stores, many customers had already missed the window to have custom pieces made in time for Christmas.
The timeframe for creating upholstered furniture varies considerably – from three days for simple designs to up to a month for more complex pieces – making early planning essential.”
Despite the late rush challenges at Jenny’s Upholsteries, McCollin confirmed she still received substantial orders overall, suggesting demand remained strong even if timing shifted.
(DDS)
