Shortly after we wrote about the rise of Uber for professional cleaners in Singapore, a new app has caught our attention: Fipin.
Started earlier this year and officially launched a couple of weeks back, Fipin is the Uber for laundry services in Singapore. Basically, at a tap of a button on the mobile app, you can request for someone to pick up your laundry, have it cleaned, and returned in hours. Here’s a look at their website and the mobile app:
Its benefits are clear cut and straightforward: while you explore the city, you get to have someone pick up and do your laundry. You can even pay via credit card in a currency of your choice. With the mobile app, you can also check your laundry’s progress and delivery time — a similar feature to the one provided by Uber. How much does it cost? Fipin currently charges a flat rate of US$29 per wash load, and US$2 per piece of clothing if you need ironing services.
The Uber for Laundry Services
Compared to on-demand services for professional cleaners, I personally like the idea behind Fipin and the convenience it brings. Dirty laundry is a frustrating issue, especially for those who are on the go for prolonged periods. With more individuals becoming digital nomads, and backpacking and travel on the rise, Fipin can definitely be the much needed solution for laundry issues, just as how Uber has become the transportation solution for those who travel around the world.
Fipin also reminds us of My Laundry Box in Singapore, a startup we covered extensively last year. Unlike Fipin, though, My Laundry Box targets working adults. To refresh your memory, My Laundry Box is a smartphone-enabled laundry locker service: users download the app (iOS and Android), place their clothes in physical lockers installed in various locations around Singapore, and send their laundry orders through the app. The clothes will then be picked up and sent for washing, and users can pick them up again in two to five days after they’re washed, ironed and returned to the same locker. As compared to My Laundry Box, Fipin is much more convenient because there’s no need to transport your laundry at all: someone will be sent to pick up and drop off your laundry.
My Laundry Box has also introduced an on-demand model, where customers can request for a pick up service. However, there is a minimum order of SGD40 for advance bookings — any amount below that will be subjected to additional delivery fees.
While My Laundry Box targets residents and working adults, Fipin is positioned to target tourists — a more fragmented but interesting demographic. We will definitely be keeping a lookout for this startup in Singapore.
