The international Oeko-Tex Association has successfully presented products at Heimtextil, a leading trade fair for home and contract textiles, which took place from 10-13 January in Frankfurt.

At the fair, the organisation highlighted that for suppliers in the furnishings market it is more important than ever to focus on consumer confidence in addition to the quality, function, and fashion statement of a product range.

This became evident not only from intensive talks at the fair stand but also from a podium discussion that the Oeko-Tex Association initiated in cooperation with the specialist journal Home & Textiles Today about the topic of sustainability and its importance for Generation Y, the organisation reports.

Generation Y

Along with Jennifer Marks, Chief Editor of Home & Textiles Today, Anna Czerwinska, Head of Marketing and Communication at Oeko-Tex, and Carola Grummt, Head of Business Development and Product Management at Oeko-Tex, discussed the specific consumer behaviour of the age group from 20 - 40, which is economically the largest and most important consumer group for the furnishings market.

Anna Czerwinska explained that the so-called Generation Y finds environmentally aware and healthy consumption extremely important in all areas of their daily lives. This is why this age group is increasingly looking for companies and brands that they can trust and that ensure a responsible approach to the environment and their health.

Testing and standards

Healthy and environmentally friendly table linens, furnishing fabrics, and curtains are just as important as towels, cushion covers, and bed linens, which come into close contact with the body, Ms Czerwinska explained.

A reliable way of marking articles as checked for harmful substances and produced in a sustainable manner is, therefore, becoming increasingly important for the furnishings product sector.

The two product labels Made In Green by Oeko-Tex and Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, which also make the end consumer aware that a product is harmless and that it was produced in an environmentally friendly manner, were increasingly in demand in the product portfolio of Oeko-Tex at Heimtextil Frankfurt.

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