Europe’s Textile Rental Market Grows by 4.9% in 2024 – Total Volume Reaches €14.4 Billion

The European textile rental market has been on an impressive growth trajectory since 2020. The market expanded from €10.1 billion in 2020 to €14.4 billion in 2024 – an increase of 41.8%. Key drivers of this growth include post-pandemic recovery, rising prices, and increased outsourcing. The outlook for 2025 remains positive, with an expected increase of 2.3%, bringing the market to €14.7 billion, according to a recent study by Interconnection Consulting.

Dynamic Development in Eastern Europe – Poland Leads the Ranking

Growth has been particularly strong in Eastern Europe. Poland recorded the highest increase in 2024 with 17.2%, followed by Czechia (+13.1%) and Hungary (+11.9%). Together, these three countries reached a total market volume of €529.9 million. Despite their dynamic development, they still represent a relatively small share compared to their overall economic size. For comparison: Germany, Europe’s largest textile rental market, grew by 3.3% in 2024 to €4.3 billion. This means Poland, Czechia, and Hungary combined represent only about 12.3% of the German market volume.

Workwear Leads the Market – Hospitality with Strongest Demand Growth

Workwear remains the leading product group, accounting for 36.5% of the total market or €5.2 billion. From 2024 to 2028, this segment is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.0% (CAGR). The share of workwear is especially high in Poland (66.2%) and Slovakia (48.7%). The second-largest product group – linen services – grew by 6.5% in 2024, with the highest growth potential on a product level, forecast at 3.5% CAGR through 2028. On the customer side, the hospitality segment (hotels & restaurants) recorded the strongest growth, increasing by 7.4% to €3.8 billion, representing 26.5% of the total market. The segment is particularly dominant in Spain, where 56.2% of the textile rental market is attributed to hospitality clients. “Spain demonstrates that the potential in this area has not yet been fully realized in all countries,” explains Laszlo Barla, Senior Consultant and author of the study.

Market Leader Elis Expands Position – Consolidation Gains Momentum

The top 10 companies in the European textile rental sector account for 61.5% of the market. At the top is Elis, a French company that has expanded its market position through both organic growth and the acquisition of Dutch competitor Moderna. Other key players include CWS, headquartered in Duisburg, which plays a major role in hygiene and mat services, and Mewa, a leader in the industrial cleaning cloth segment. A new top-tier player in 2024 is Anett, also based in France, which significantly increased its market presence through the acquisition of competitor KALHYGE.