Tide Services, the franchise brand behind Procter & Gamble’s Tide brand, is accelerating a two-pronged expansion strategy designed to consolidate the fragmented US laundry market. With more than 200 locations across its Tide Cleaners and Tide Laundromat brands, the company is combining large-scale multi-unit development agreements with targeted acquisitions of independent operators across a sector valued at approximately $15 billion.
Operated by Agile Pursuits Franchising Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, Tide Services runs two distinct franchise concepts launched out of Kansas City in 2008, each franchise concept reflecting a different segment of the market. Tide Cleaners focuses on dry cleaning and garment care; Tide Laundromat addresses the self-service laundry segment. Together, they position the P&G-backed platform as a full-service laundry operator in a market that remains largely dominated by independent businesses. The network surpassed 200 locations nationwide by end-2024, ranking #297 on Franchise Times’ Top 400 that year.
Acquiring Independent Operators Rather Than Building From Scratch
The most distinctive element of Tide Services‘ growth model is its focus on converting existing independent dry cleaners rather than developing new locations from the ground up. In late 2025 alone, the company acquired and converted 15 legacy drycleaning locations across Florida and Ohio. The approach addresses a structural dynamic in the industry: thousands of independent operators face rising modernization costs and limited succession options, creating a steady supply of conversion opportunities for a well-capitalized franchisor with a recognized national brand.
The model also includes proprietary technology — delivery services, app-based order tracking, and locker pickup systems — designed to give franchise units a competitive edge over the independent operators they are replacing in local markets.
“We are building an essential-service platform that works for everyone across the franchise system, from operators to employees to customers,” said Andrew Gibson, CEO of Tide Services.
Landmark Multi-Unit Deals Signal Institutional-Level Investor Confidence
The scale of recent development agreements reflects growing investor appetite for essential-service franchise concepts. In November 2024, Tide Services signed a 51-unit Tide Laundromat agreement with veteran multi-unit executive Barry Dubin through his newly formed US Laundry LLC, in partnership with laundromat industry specialists Tony Kahan, Richie Kahan, and Tim Daugherty. Combined with a separate 18-unit Tide Cleaners commitment spanning all five New York City boroughs, Dubin’s total Tide portfolio has grown to 75 locations, making him one of the largest operators in the network.
A second landmark deal — a 50-unit Tide Laundromat development agreement with CMG Companies — covers key markets across Texas and New Mexico. Multi-unit expansions are also underway in Nashville (five units), St. Paul (five units), Chicago, Miami, Orlando, and Maryland, reflecting the brand’s ambition to establish a national footprint across both coasts and major interior markets.
A Fragmented $15 Billion Market With No Dominant National Brand
The US laundry and dry cleaning services market is estimated at approximately $12.9 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $20.6 billion by 2035, according to market research from Future Market Insights. Tide Services cites a $15 billion addressable market in its own franchise materials, a figure that reflects the full scope of consumer laundry spending the platform is targeting.
Fragmentation remains the defining characteristic of the sector. No single brand currently holds dominant national market share, and independent operators represent the vast majority of the industry’s more than 7,600 franchise and non-franchise laundry locations in the US. A growing urban renter population, increasing reliance on outsourced laundry services, and the recession-resilient nature of essential household spending all contribute to the market conditions Tide Services is positioning itself to capture at scale.
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