Short answer: a vending machine for laundromat customers is one of the easier placements to justify. People sit through a full wash and dry with nothing to do and nothing to buy. In VendFynd's January 2026 count, Burnaby's 15 laundromats had a median of 89 Google reviews and Richmond's 11 had 102, and 13 of the 26 had 100 or more: the same range as clinics, gyms and auto shops. The machine that fits is a drink-and-snack unit placed where people wait, alongside whatever soap you already sell.
This guide is for laundromat owners in Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver, British Columbia. It uses our own listing counts, both cities' business-licence open data and the BC tax rules that decide who charges PST on what.
The numbers
| January 2026 run | Burnaby | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Laundromat listings kept | 15 (of 18 found) | 11 (of 12) |
| Median Google reviews | 89 | 102 |
| 100 or more reviews | 7 (47%) | 6 (55%) |
| Median rating | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Has a website | 4 of 15 | 5 of 11 |
VendFynd analysis of Google Places listings within 5 km of each city centre, January 2026. See "About this data".
In the same run, industrial sites had medians of 11 and 8 reviews and clinics 124 and 74 (full comparison). Laundromats sit in the same band as clinics, gyms and auto shops, far above offices, warehouses and apartment buildings. Reviews are only a rough proxy for visits, but a laundromat earns them the same way a clinic does: lots of customers, each staying a while.
The website row says something too. Only 9 of the 26 laundromats list a website. Most are owner-run, which is good news for a vending conversation: the person who decides is usually the person at the counter.
Licences: small staff, many customers
The City of Vancouver's 2026 licence data has 83 issued "Laundry Services" licences inside the city (a type that also covers dry cleaners). Their median reported staff is 2, and 74 of the 83 report four or fewer. The most are Downtown (13), in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (8) and the West End (7).
In Burnaby, the City's open data lists 17 "Laundry Plant/Laundromat" licences and 6 laundry or dry-cleaning offices on October 12, 2026.
Staff numbers like these would rule out an office or a warehouse. They don't rule out a laundromat, because the customers are the traffic. That's why our site-fit scorer asks about daily visitors, not just employees.
Soap vs snacks: who sells what
Many laundromats already sell detergent, softener and bags from their own dispenser. That's worth keeping: it's your product and your margin. A vending operator adds what you don't sell, which is drinks and snacks for people waiting.
The tax rules split the same way. BC's Ministry of Finance Bulletin PST 206 (revised October 2026) lists "Laundry supplies (e.g. detergent, soap, starch)" among its examples of taxable items, so PST at 7% applies to the soap you sell. Food is exempt, including candy and confections, except soda, which is taxed at 7%. The operator who owns the snack machine charges and remits PST on its sales; you do the same for your soap. Our PST and GST guide has the details, including how soda is treated.
| Product | Who usually sells it | PST in BC |
|---|---|---|
| Detergent, softener, dryer sheets | The laundromat | Taxable, 7% |
| Laundry bags | The laundromat | Taxable, 7% |
| Water, juice, iced tea | Vending operator | Exempt |
| Soda and carbonated energy drinks | Vending operator | Taxable, 7% |
| Chips, bars, candy | Vending operator | Exempt |
Coins, cards and the licence fee
Many laundromat customers still pay with coins. A machine that takes cards and coins suits both kinds of customer; our cashless vending guide covers who still pays cash. The fee side is the operator's: Burnaby's 2026 licence is $39 for a coin machine and $112 for one using a credit card, and the schedule adopted on September 22, 2026 sets $41 and $117 from January 1, 2027. Richmond charges $37.50 per machine. More in our licence fee guide.
Where to put it
- Where people wait: by the seating or the folding tables, in sight of the washers so customers don't lose track of their load.
- Clear of carts and the exit, against a wall, on a level floor.
- Near a grounded outlet. Dryers draw a lot of power, so ask your electrician which circuit the machine should use.
- Near your soap dispenser, so customers find everything in one spot.
With VendFynd, it's $0 to you: the operator covers the machine, install, stocking, service and removal, and you provide the spot and an outlet (about $15–20 a month in power for a drink machine). Your people choose the menu. It's month to month with 30 days' notice and no-cost removal, and most sites receive a commission, agreed in writing before install. We reply within 1 business day. See if your laundromat qualifies, and read the host terms.
About this data
- Listings: VendFynd Lead Finder, earlier CLI version, January 2026, within 5 km of the Burnaby and Richmond city centres. Kept listings with an address in the city and a laundry-related Google type: 15 of 18 in Burnaby, 11 of 12 in Richmond. Aggregates only: no business is named. A 5 km radius doesn't cover every laundromat in either city.
- Vancouver licences: City of Vancouver "Business licences" open data, folder year 2026, extract 2026-10-11, business type Laundry Services, status Issued, Vancouver address. Employee counts are self-reported. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
- Burnaby licences: City of Burnaby "Business Licences" open data, approved licences on 2026-10-12. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Burnaby.
- What we left out: this slot was planned around typical wash-and-dry waiting times. We couldn't find a manufacturer or government source for cycle times we were willing to quote, so the post doesn't give one.
Sources
- BC Ministry of Finance, Bulletin PST 206 (revised October 2026): https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/pst-206-grocery-drug-stores.pdf
- BC Government, Provincial sales tax (PST): https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst
- City of Vancouver, Business licences (open data): https://opendata.vancouver.ca/explore/dataset/business-licences/, extract 2026-10-11
- City of Burnaby, Business Licences (open data): https://data.burnaby.ca/datasets/burnaby::business-licences/about, extract 2026-10-12
- City of Burnaby, Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 14485: https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/14485CC.pdf
- City of Richmond, Consolidated Fees Bylaw No. 8636: https://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/BL_8636_Consolidated_with_ABLs_10699__10702_and_10720_11102578073.pdf
All accessed 2026-10-12.