Ballwin's Tide Dry Cleaners Reportedly Turning The Tide on Local Businesses

As previously reported by Patch, real estate developer Brian Bruce and his father, Bill Bruce, opened their first dry cleaning shop at 14434 Clayton Road in Ballwin on Dec. 8.  The store, Tide Dry Cleaning, is reportedly a franchise of Procter & Gamble.

(For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.)

As reported by the St. Louis Business Journal, Brian Bruce is set to spend $5 million to launch a total of eight dry cleaning stores in the St. Louis area. The Ballwin location, on Clayton Road, just west of Woods Mill Road, is the first.

Now, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Procter & Gamble's push into the St. Louis area dry cleaning market has mom-and-pop operators worried they may be forced out of business.

According to the Post's article, Procter & Gamble hopes to leverage the "Tide" name as it moves into the dry cleaning business.

(Read the complete St. Louis Post-Dispatch article here.)

The Cincinnati-based company is reportedly offering services, including a valet who will pick up and deliver clothes to cars and late-night dry cleaning pick-up for customers.

The company is also focusing on the store's environmentally friendly approach to dry cleaning which is part of its plan to break into the competitive industry populated by dozens of family operators in the St. Louis area, the Post-Dispatch reports.

The article states that currently there are 26 dry cleaners within six miles of the new Tide store.