Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain

Sustainability when buying home textiles

21 Nov 2024

Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain are important markets for home and household textiles. Together, these five countries account for total sales (including wallpapers) of EUR 33.5 billion. Nevertheless, significant differences can be seen between the individual countries.

Internationally, Germans are not the only people with a high affinity for creating a comfortable home. Although the German market is the largest in absolute terms (€ 9.9 billion), Spain (€ 118.5), France (€ 123.1) and, above all, the Netherlands (€ 203.8) outstrip German spending (€ 119.4) in per capita terms.

Thus, there is clearly a particular affinity for household and home textiles in the Netherlands. However, sustainable aspects are less important there than in the other countries. Only 24 percent of respondents in the Netherlands consider sustainability to be highly or extremely important for their purchasing decision, compared to 35 percent in Italy and Spain, 40 percent in Germany and no less than 45 percent in France.

Specific National Characteristics Factors Affecting Purchasing Decisions Significance of Sustainability Additional Spending on Sustainability Environmental Criteria Textile Seals Online vs. Offline

Overview of Specific National Characteristics

Per capita expenditure on home textiles graphic

Consumers who find sustainable criteria very important when buying home textiles graphic

Source: IFH Köln GmbH, Nachhaltigkeit bei Heimtextilien, December 2023

Online vs. Offline

Online sales of house, table & bed linen graphic

Online sales of textile floor coverings graphic

Local shops are the first port of call for private households across all product groups (63-70 percent of purchases). More and more purchases are also being made online in Germany and the Netherlands.