Logistics center in Coswig: Tylsch demands future-proof strategies!

Logistics center in Coswig: Tylsch demands future-proof strategies!

On Thursday, August 25, 2025, District Administrator Christian Tylsch (CDU) paid a visit to the Ernsting’s Family logistics center in Klieken. This center is an important hub for the omnichannel provider in Western European textile retail, which has been shipping goods to over 1,000 stores every two days since 1993. With 450 permanent and 200 seasonal employees, the logistics center plays an important role in the company, which employs a total of around 12,500 people in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Operations manager Thomas Mücke received the district administrator and guided him through the future-proof facility.

Ernsting’s Family’s sales will amount to around 1.6 billion euros in the 2024/25 financial year, which is impressive given the associated corporate philosophy, which focuses on quality at affordable prices and social responsibility. The company's core competencies include production processes and shop window design, which sets the brand apart from other retailers. Expansion of the location is also planned in order to promote internationalization and open up new sales channels.

Industry in transition

The German textile and clothing retail trade has undergone turbulent developments in recent years. The industry experienced a decline in sales during the corona pandemic, and even in the first year of the pandemic, revenue fell by around eight percent. Sales of 67.2 billion euros in 2019 were a record, and yet sales of around 67.5 billion euros are forecast for 2024, which exceeds the pre-pandemic level. German consumers' desire to buy is growing and is estimated to be worth around 77.7 billion euros by 2025.

The specialist retail sector in particular has repositioned itself during this time. In 2023, it increased its net sales to around 33.7 billion euros, while the number of companies in the industry fell to around 12,450. The change in the market share of the various sales channels continues to be noticeable as omnichannel trading becomes increasingly important. Large online providers such as Zalando and H&M are changing the rules of the game and forcing brick-and-mortar retailers to think creatively.

The challenges for retail

In a market where vertical players and e-commerce are becoming increasingly influential, brick-and-mortar retailers must find a new way to remain competitive. Flagship stores are not only sales spaces, but also important marketing tools that offer valuable customer feedback. Current trends show that traditional specialist retailers are under great pressure.

Ernsting’s Family has adapted to the changes and shows that a company can grow even in difficult times through adaptability and the development of new markets. District Administrator Tylsch's visit is not only an appreciation of the achievements to date, but also a signal for future developments.