Pantone Colour of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse

The Pantone Colour Institute, a subsidiary of the American colour authority X-Rite, has announced the Colour of the Year 2025: 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. This versatile shade embodies earthy elegance and provides a strong foundation, equally suited to minimalist and opulently adorned designs. The Colour of the Year is not only a trend indicator but also serves as a source of inspiration for designers and industries focused on colour. According to Pantone, Mocha Mousse reflects a longing for simple pleasures in everyday life and a mindful sense of indulgence.

Kika/Leiner: Final Closure for Austrian Furniture Retailer

Efforts to rescue the Austrian furniture retailer Kika/Leiner, which has been insolvent since November 2024, have failed. According to the Austrian Credit Protection Association (Kreditschutzverband) of 1870, the restructuring plan was withdrawn after no investor could be found. The company, Leiner & Kika Möbelhandels GmbH, is now being wound up, with its remaining 17 stores set to close following the clearance sale. A total of 1,350 employees will lose their jobs.

Victoria Group Reports Revenue Decline After Six Months

At the midpoint of its 2024/25 financial year (ending 28 September), the British Victoria Group reported revenue of £568.8 M (€682.3 M), reflecting an 8.9% decline compared to the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA dropped sharply to £50.2 M (-45.8%), while pre-tax profit fell from £51.8 M to £7.7 M.

Oriental Weavers Presents Vision 2025

Oriental Weavers, one of the leading manufacturers of woven carpets, recently hosted its Egypt Market Week. The event brought together 37 global partners and industry representatives from countries such as the USA, Germany, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. It showcased the latest collections, blending Egypt’s cultural heritage with modern manufacturing techniques, while also exploring opportunities for expansion and highlighting the importance of sustainability standards.

Ikea: Austria and Switzerland Fall Short of Last Year’s Record Sales

Similar to Germany, Ikea’s national subsidiaries in Austria and Switzerland were unable to match the record-breaking sales of the previous year in the 2023/24 financial year (ending 31 August). In Austria, the Swedish furniture retailer reported a turnover of €964.3 million, marking a decline of 5.0%. However, the share of online sales increased from 25.7% to 27.4%. In Switzerland, revenues totalled CHF 1.24 billion (€1.33 billion), a decrease of 3.4%. Here too, the online share rose, climbing from 25.7% in the previous year to 27.5%.

New Rezas Showroom Opens in Odense

Rezas Oriental & Modern Rugs, the renowned Danish carpet importer, has opened a new showroom at its location in Odense. Spanning 430 m2 and designed in a Scandinavian-modern style, the showroom showcases the company’s extensive range of modern hand-knotted rugs, flatweaves, and machine-woven carpets. The existing warehouse, featuring a diverse selection of classically patterned hand-knotted rugs and flatweaves, remains unchanged.

Kika/Leiner Files for Insolvency Again

Austrian media reports indicate that the furniture retailer Kika/Leiner has filed for insolvency once more. The company had already been declared insolvent in 2023 and underwent a restructuring process: 23 out of 40 stores were closed, and the workforce was initially reduced by 1,600 employees, with a further 500 jobs cut this year, leaving 1,400 staff members. Despite these measures, Kika/Leiner reportedly continued to post losses.

Switzerland: XXXLutz Closes Six Lipo Stores

Austrian furniture giant XXXLutz, one of the largest companies in the industry, is closing six stores of the Lipo chain, which was acquired by the Lutz Group in 2022. Previously, Lipo operated 22 locations in Switzerland; with this decision, that number will now be reduced to 16. The affected branches in Reinach, Winterthur, St. Gallen, Suhr, Interlaken, and Pratteln will be rebranded under Mömax, Conforama, and XXXLutz to strengthen the group's range and market presence.

Orgatec 2024: Office Spaces Become More Textile and Homely

The Orgatec office furniture fair, held from 22 to 25 October 2024 in Cologne, showcased forward-looking solutions for modern workspaces, which are becoming increasingly cosy, colourful, and textile-oriented. With a newly structured hall layout, themed "Focus Areas," and the Work Culture Festival, the event offered a refreshing platform for the industry. A total of 729 exhibitors from 40 countries displayed their innovations across 140,000 m², including several flooring providers featuring rugs, with companies like Object Carpet, Anker, Infloor, and Ege Carpets among them.

Austria: Kika/Leiner Still in the Red

Despite concluding its restructuring process in autumn 2023, Austrian furniture retailer Kika/Leiner continues to face financial challenges. According to Der Standard, citing the Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, the company has closed 23 of its original 40 stores and reduced its workforce by 500, leaving 1,400 employees. Nevertheless, the company remains in the red.