Mamalama: Redefining Laundry Services in Almaty with Electrolux Professional
Mamalama is a premium chain of laundries in Almaty, Kazakhstan, founded by David Papaskiri, a long-term partner of Electrolux Professional. Combining European-standard textile washing and wet cleaning with a warm, welcoming brand, Mamalama is transforming the local laundry market.
The name, suggested during a brainstorming session, resonates universally—”mama” evokes care, home, and trust in nearly every language. Paired with the llama mascot symbolizing softness and comfort, Mamalama’s identity is as unique as its service.
Strategic market research highlighted Kazakhstan as a young, growing market with significant potential. The company’s data science team mapped Almaty, pinpointing ideal locations based on population density and income. This summer, Mamalama launched 10 locations: 6 reception points in malls, 3 express laundries for same-day service, and 1 full-scale production facility.
By focusing on accessibility and quality, Mamalama ensures every customer feels at home while enjoying modern, efficient laundry solutions.
David Papaskiri explains: “Mamalama’s ambition is to be better than competitors. The first 10 locations were opened in the most visited shopping centers in the city, with the highest customer traffic. This step was a test phase that allowed us not only to become recognizable but also to analyze the current situation for future business expansion.”
Mamalama encourages outsourcing laundry as a hassle-free alternative to home washing. Popular services include “Large Items” (blankets, duvets), “Wash and Fold” (no ironing), “Down Jackets” (a winter favorite), and pet laundry using dedicated machines.
A standout service, “Bed Linen like in a Hotel,” caters to those who love crisp sheets and small hotel owners alike. Customers value Mamalama for its speed, quality, and affordability.
For garment care, 85% of items are processed with eco-friendly Lagoon wet cleaning by Electrolux Professional. Pricing is simple and transparent, based on clothing layers: 1 layer (shirts), 2 layers (jackets), and 3 layers (coats).
Mamalama attracts customers through prime locations, eye-catching signage, and positive experiences that drive word-of-mouth recommendations.
“We attract clients with the quickest and high-quality services,” says David Papaskiri. “We actively use digital methods, such as search on maps like 2GIS (the most popular digital map in Kazakhstan), Yandex, Google, where we strive to appear at the top of search results. We also actively use our website and social media (Facebook and Instagram). We create unique content, collaborate with bloggers, and use automated systems for referral programs and promo codes for influencers.”
When selecting staff for reception points, David focuses on the ideal worker profile – a middle-aged woman who will be perceived by customers as a “mother” and will evoke the desire to trust her with their belongings.
“The company has developed a special, quite long training program. We familiarize employees with the washing and cleaning technology, every step of the production process. Mentorship is an important element of our system: more experienced staff train newcomers, introduce them to the company’s internal standards, conduct exams, and later continue to monitor and advise less experienced colleagues. We also have an online customer service team, an invisible force providing advice to new customers and handling issues with existing ones,” continues David.
Mamalama is set to launch a pioneering vending service with mobile booking. Research highlights a common challenge in European self-service laundries: too few machines, often unavailable when needed.
To solve this, Mamalama has developed an app-based reservation system, allowing users to book machines in advance—much like car-sharing. This innovation ensures convenience for customers and helps laundry owners manage traffic more efficiently. Already tested in Kazakhstan, this system promises to redefine self-service laundry accessibility and efficiency.
“We plan to develop services such as cleaning of carpet, curtains, and shoe cleaning, as well as laundry pickup and drop-off via postamats and other innovative solutions,” says David Papaskiri. The company plans to expand its presence in Kazakhstan and open new locations in other cities, such as Astana. In addition, the first express laundry in Tbilisi will open soon. Tbilisi is a developed tourist city, so the first Georgian Mamalama is being set up in a beautiful building with glass walls, where all the machines will be visible.
We will share more about new Mamalama projects in future articles.
“Why Electrolux Professional?”
“It happened historically. I’ve tried many different brands and didn’t want to compromise. In the long run, when calculating the cost of a single wash, Electrolux Professional is one of the leaders you can rely on for washing quality. Moreover, with an entire network of laundries, we understand that we need versatility, a unified spare parts warehouse, and process standardization, which is also provided by Electrolux Professional.”