European Textile Services Association

FIRST E.T.S.A. PAN-EUROPEAN SURVEY ON THE SIZE OF THE TEXTILE RENTAL MARKET

In July 2002 E.T.S.A. (European Textile Services Association) published for the first time product-specific figures on the European textile rental market.

The market survey, conducted among all E.T.S.A. textile rental members, estimates the total European textile rental market in 2000. The survey distinguishes between workwear, hotels and restaurants, healthcare and nursing homes, washroom services and dust control and wipers. It also distinguishes between 4 geographical areas (1. Germany and Austria, 2. France, Italy and Spain, 3. United Kingdom and Ireland, 4. Scandinavia, Finland, Belgium and Netherlands).

According to the survey, total textile rental turnover in Europe in 2000 is estimated at €6.7 billion. Workwear represents 33% (€2.2 billion) of the total market turnover, and the hotels and restaurants sector amounts to 27% (€1.8 billion). 16% of turnover (€1.1 billion) is in the healthcare and nursing homes sector, with 15% being washroom services (€1.0 billion). Mats, mops and wipers account for 9% (€620 million) of total turnover.

In terms of geographical areas, Germany and Austria account for approximately €2 billion (29% of total turnover) while France, Italy and Spain have a turnover of €1.9 billion (28% of total turnover). Together the UK and Ireland account for 21% (€1.4 billion), while Scandinavia, Finland and Benelux have a turnover of €1.5 billion (22% of the total).

E.T.S.A. (European Textile Services Association) represents the textile rental sector to the European institutions, strives to raise awareness of the benefits of textile rental as a business-
to-business support service and acts as a platform for communication among textile service companies. Textile rental firms provide, clean and maintain reusable textile products such as workwear, sheets, table linen, mats, mops and washroom services for tens of thousands of businesses in a wide variety of industries.

Click here to read the study.