Editorial: Heimtextil 2025 - Is The Home And Contract Textiles Market Ready For Digital Transformation?

The global market for home and contract textiles is big business. However, 2025 is not expected to be without its problems for home and contract textiles companies, according to a spokesperson at the 2025 edition of Heimtextil—the world’s largest trade fair for home and contract textiles. Home and contract textiles companies will need to be resilient and adapt to rapid changes in the retail market—not least the migration to online purchasing. In recent years, there has been a wave of physical retail store closures in Europe while e-commerce has been booming. As well as the migration to online purchasing, the European Green Deal will add further pressures to companies operating in the home and contract textiles market. In January 2025 a ban on the landfilling or incineration of post-consumer textile waste was introduced in the EU, and an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme will force brands and manufacturers to pay for the collection and disposal of such waste. In light of the new legislation, a number of sustainable developments were highlighted at Heimtextil 2025 which demonstrated the commitment of some home and contract textiles companies to environmental sustainability. For example, Trevira CS—a leading supplier of polyester fibres to the contract textiles industry—promoted the increasing incorporation of mechanically recycled polyester fibres in its fabric ranges. Additionally, sustainable developments highlighted at Heimtextil 2025 reflected themes which were important in the Heimtextil design trends for 2025/26 and were presented under the title “Future Continuous”. The trends focused on long lasting, high quality products which meet ethical and ecological standards.