Textile Furnishings Mills

The 1,300 textile furnishings mills in the US manufacture non-apparel textile-based products, including floor coverings, window treatments, and household linens. Household linens include bedspreads, blankets, comforters, cushions, napkins, pillowcases, pillows, placemats, quilts, sheets, slipcovers, shower curtains, tablecloths, and towels. Customers include distributors and retailers. Carpet and rug mills also sell to builders, interior decorators, and designers.

The Fashion Element In Household Textiles

Fashion trends and fads have become a critical factor in driving demand for curtains, drapes and household linens.

Competition From Imports

Imports dominate the curtain, drape, and household linen categories, and account for approximately 90% of the US market.

Jul 27, 2026 - Campus Shopping Strengthens Textile Outlook

• Back-to-college spending is expected to reach a record $103.5 billion in 2026, up 16.6% from last year, creating a strong demand opportunity for US textile furnishings mills that supply bedding, curtains, rugs, and other dorm and apartment textiles, according to a Home Textiles Today report. Spending on dorm and apartment furnishings is forecast to rise 9.4% to a record $14.0 billion, making it the second-largest back-to-college spending category. Growth is being driven by higher participation, with 67% of shoppers planning to buy furnishings, up from 65% last year, even though average spending per buyer is nearly unchanged. While online remains the largest shopping channel, more consumers plan to shop in physical stores, benefiting textile suppliers serving a broad range of retailers. The outlook points to a seasonal demand boost for textile furnishings manufacturers ahead of the fall semester.
• US new home sales fell 7.3% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000 units, down 6.8% from a year earlier, signaling softer demand for US textile furnishings mills that supply fabrics for a variety of home furnishings, according to a Floor Covering Weekly report. Builders cited elevated mortgage rates, affordability challenges, and economic uncertainty as key factors keeping buyers on the sidelines, limiting demand for furnishings used in newly built homes. Inventory rose to a 10.3-month supply, indicating a slower housing market despite builder incentives. While the median new home price edged up 2% from April to $424,900, NAHB said sustained declines in financing costs will be needed to revive housing demand. Until home sales improve, textile furnishings mills may face weaker orders from residential construction and home furnishing manufacturers, particularly in the South and West where sales declined most sharply.
• Textile mills outperformed the broader US manufacturing sector in June, ranking among the 14 industries reporting growth even as the ISM Manufacturing PMI eased to 53.3, marking a sixth consecutive month of manufacturing expansion at a slower pace. While overall manufacturing continued to expand, textile mills posted mixed underlying conditions, with growth in inventories and imports but declines in new orders, production, backlogs, and export orders. The industry also reported slower supplier deliveries and continued raw material price increases, reflecting ongoing supply chain and cost pressures. Despite these headwinds, textile mills remained in expansion territory overall, suggesting activity is holding up better than some manufacturing industries, though softer demand and rising costs could weigh on growth in the months ahead.
• Demand in the textile furnishings mills industry is increasingly shaped by generational buying patterns, with Millennials and Gen X driving 60–70% of home and housewares spending, supporting core volume demand, according to a Home Textiles Today report. Millennials alone account for 35–40% of spending, reflecting strong demand tied to homeownership and at-home lifestyles. Baby Boomers contribute 20–25% of spending but generate higher-margin purchases, supporting profitability. Meanwhile, Gen Z represents 15–20% of spending and shows long-term growth potential, particularly for refurbished and personalized products. Across all groups, purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by quality (64%), trust (49%), and promotions (39%), while 80% of consumers rely on ratings and reviews. These trends highlight the importance of targeted marketing, product durability, and value positioning for textile furnishings manufacturers.

Industry size & Structure

A typical carpet and rug mill employs 150 workers and generates about $45 million annually, while a typical curtain and linen mill employs about 18 workers and generates about $3 million annually.

• The textile furnishings mill industry includes about 1,300 companies which employ 30,400 workers and generate about $13.5 billion annually.
• While the curtain and drape mill industry is fragmented, the carpet and rug and household linen mill industries are concentrated.
• Large companies include Shaw (Berkshire Hathaway), Mohawk, WestPoint Home (Icahn Enterprises), and Springs Global US (Springs Global Participacoes).