A break -in in the important foreign business is very concerned about the German clothing industry. The development is “worrying,” said the chief managing director of the fashion association Germanfashion, Thomas Lange.
In 2024, the foreign sales fell by 7.5 percent – not adjusted for price changes. The otherwise stable export to EU neighboring countries such as France, Italy, Belgium and the Czech Republic is also declining. According to the association, many inpatient shops had to be closed there recently, so there were fewer buyers. Another reason is the popularity of Asian portals such as Shein and Temu, the consumers: supplied directly with goods inside, said Lange.
The export, which is about 40 percent of the total turnover, is considered the “successful engine of the industry”. The real profits would be made abroad, it is said. The largest export markets were recently unchanged Poland, Switzerland and Austria. The domestic business (-0.9 percent) was reasonably stable.
Sales plus for professional and protective clothing
The manufacturers also had a significantly increasing prices because of the increased prices: in the inside, their proceeds were able to increase significantly in the previous year. Now they record a minus. The total turnover nominal shrank by 3.7 percent to 6.6 billion euros. The most important category outer clothing has lost a little more. These include sweaters, T-shirts, shirts, blouse, pants, jackets and dresses. After all: In the event of professional and protective clothing, companies were able to increase their sales.
However, the mood in the industry is not confident, as Association President Oliver Seidensticker says. In 2024 there were more bankruptcy and business tasks than in the previous year. The best known name was Esprit.
The number of clothing manufacturers: Inside with at least 50 employees, seven percent fell to 77. In the case of smaller companies, the decline is even greater, as it is said. Germanfashion represents around 350 companies from the industry, including Hugo Boss, Adidas, Brax, and Marc O’Polo.
Fashion retailers are currently experiencing difficult times: inside in Germany. The industry is causing problems that many are announced: saving inside. In addition, the companies complain about high costs for energy, rent and salaries.