Persil partners ‘Uber for laundry’ service ZipJet

Persil has teamed up with mobile dry cleaning service ZipJet, as its owner Unilever continues to expand into mobile commerce.

ZipJet was founded in 2014 in Germany, and currently operates in three European cities- Berlin, London and Dublin.

The company forges alliances with local launderettes and offers jobs for drivers to deliver freshly laundered and pressed clothes to customes, in a similar way to Uber.

The new three month trial will see persil add ZipJet users a new ‘Wash & Fold’ service that means customers can opt to have their clothes washed with Persil washing powder.
Customers can book through a Persil branded website, as well as the ZipJet app.

ZipJet’s main HQ in Berlin employs 40 people and the company has an operational centre in London where 15 more people are employed.

Users can book a pickup on their smartphone or online, select their preferred time and be met by one of the companies drivers to take the clothes to their designated laundry.

Speaking to Marketing Week, ZipJet’s co-founder and managing director Lorenzo Franzi said his company was approached by the FMCG giant as it is looking to explore “the next business models of the future”. Through the partnership, Unilever is hoping to gain access to consumer trends.

“We are extremely close to customers and data driven. This is a key opportunity for Unilever to better understand how customers are changing.”

For Unilever, the move marks a another step towards ecommerce subscription services, floowing its acquisition of Dollar Shave Club last month for a reported $1bn.

Dollar Shave Club has grown into a full male grooming business that has transformed the shaving category with its lifestyle brand with 3.2 million members.