European Market for Textile Rental Services Increased by 10.9% to €13.2 Billion

The textile rental market in Western Europe recorded impressive growth in 2023, which will continue in 2024. Thanks to a strong recovery in the hotel and gastronomy sector, the total market volume increased from 11.9 billion euros to 13.2 billion euros, an increase of 10.9%. Robust growth of 4.3% is expected for 2024, as a study by Interconnection Consulting shows.

Hospitality Services as Main Driver

The demand for textile rental services, particularly in the areas of bed linen, table linen and work clothing, has increased sharply. This development is largely due to the recovery of the tourism industry and the revival of hotels and restaurants after the pandemic-related restrictions. In 2023, the hotel and gastronomy market segment recorded strong growth of 18.2% compared to 2022, increasing the market volume to 3.5 billion euros. Further growth to almost 3.7 billion euros is forecast for 2024. What is particularly noteworthy is that countries such as France, Spain, Portugal and Great Britain, which were hardest hit by the pandemic, are contributing significantly to the growth in the hotel and gastronomy segment. Compared to Germany (21.5%), the share of the hotel & gastronomy segment in Spain is 55.5% and in France it is around 30%. The study examined the markets for textile rental services in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Great Britain.

Workwear Dominates, Cleanroom Textiles as an Emerging Niche

Workwear dominates the Western European market as the largest product group with an impressive market share of 36.5%, followed by linen services which account for 27.2% of the market. This versatile category is indispensable not only in the hotel & gastronomy segment, but also in industry, handcraft and trade and the healthcare sector. Separately, two other products can be distinguished: protective clothing and cleanroom textiles. While protective clothing – which protects workers from extreme temperatures and other hazards – saw an impressive growth rate of 10.2% in 2023, cleanroom textiles – designed specifically for controlled environments – showed an even stronger growth of 11.6%. Despite this rapid growth, the market share of cleanroom textiles in Western Europe remains comparatively small at just 4.8%.

Top 5 Cover Half of the Market

The positive development is reflected not only in sales growth, but also in the expansion of the service offering and the geographical reach of the providers. “Many companies are investing more in modern laundry technologies and environmentally friendly processes in order to meet increasing demands,” explains Laszlo Barla, author of the study. Elis from France is the market leader in Western Europe and offers a comprehensive range for all products and customer segments. Important competitors in the industry are Bardusch, CWS, DBL, Johnson Service Group, Mewa and Rentokil-Initial. CWS, based in Duisburg, plays a significant role in hygiene with a focus on mats and washroom solutions. Overall, the top 5 companies have a market share of around 48%.