Swafing GmbH

What Swafing GmbH does

Swafing GmbH is a family-owned B2B fabric wholesaler founded in 1960 and headquartered in Nordhorn, Germany, with a planned relocation to Wietmarschen-Lohne in mid-2026. The company distributes a comprehensive textile assortment — covering 30+ fabric categories including jersey, sweat, French Terry, softshell, cord, velour, chiffon, satin, taffeta, decorative fabrics, fleece, tulle/lace, plush/faux fur, artificial leather, and interfacing — alongside a 61-color Basics line and twice-yearly Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasonal collections. It also curates licensed and designer collaborations (e.g., Disney, Riley Blake Designs, Bienvenido Colorido, Claire's Creative Forest) and publishes the Swafing Magazin print publication.

The company sells exclusively to two B2B segments: Fachhändler (specialty fabric retailers) and Konfektionäre (garment manufacturers), requiring dealer registration before pricing is disclosed. Its go-to-market combines an in-house field sales force (Außendienst) with regional representatives across Germany, Austria, France, Benelux, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, and select international markets, a B2B e-commerce platform (swafing.de), twice-yearly Hausmesse (house fair) events, an annual presence at h+h cologne, virtual collection shows, and supporting retailer enablement services including an image library (pics.swafing.net), EAN codes, lookbooks, sewing instructions, WhatsApp Stoffparty, and Live Shopping formats. Underlying technology consists of a B2B e-commerce platform with integrated logistics for wholesale fabric distribution and a modern logistics center enabling short delivery times from in-stock inventory.

The revenue model is wholesale transaction-based, with pay-as-you-go billing on registered-dealer pricing; no public pricing, financial figures, or funding history are disclosed. The company is privately held by the Swafing family (Hans-Gerd Swafing as owner), has approximately 11 employees, operates with no external investors or parent company, and holds OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification across multiple product lines. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology are referenced.

Name

Swafing GmbH

Legal name

Swafing GmbH

Website

https://swafing.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swafing GmbH is a family-owned German B2B fabric wholesaler founded in 1960, distributing a full-range textile assortment to specialty retailers and garment manufacturers across Europe and worldwide via field sales, a registered-dealer e-commerce platform, and twice-yearly house fairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Textiles

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Textiles & Fabric / Piece Goods Wholesale (CRAOADAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale fabric supply
• Textile distribution
• B2B fabric wholesale
• Jersey fabric supply
• Cotton fabric wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Nordhorn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Fabric Sales: B2B wholesale distribution of textiles including jersey, sweat, ribbing, cotton fabrics, viscose, wool knits, polyester, linen/mixed weaves, decorative fabrics, coated/laminated fabrics, felt, fleece, French Terry, stepper, softshell, cord, Nicky, terry cloth, chiffon/voile, velvet, artificial leather, plush/faux fur, tulle/lace, satin, taffeta/lining, and interfacing/vlies fabrics to specialty retailers and garment manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swafing GmbH is a family-owned fabric wholesaler headquartered in Nordhorn, Germany, supplying a comprehensive range of textiles — including jersey, sweat, cotton, viscose, wool, polyester, linen, and decorative fabrics — to specialty fabric retailers (Fachhändler) and garment manufacturers (Konfektionäre) across Germany, Europe, and select international markets such as the USA and Canada. The company operates a B2B-only model with trade-customer registration, delivering OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified fabrics through a multi-channel distribution network that includes an online shop, field sales representatives, trade fairs, and house fairs.

Product overview

Swafing GmbH is a family-owned fabric wholesaler with over 60 years of experience, operating from Nordhorn, Germany. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of fabrics as a full-range supplier (Vollsortmenter), including individual fabric products (jersey, sweat, decorative fabrics, fashion fabrics), the Swafing Basics basic collection (61 colors), seasonal collections (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter), designer and licensed fabrics, and Swafing Magazin magazine. Supplementary services include image materials for retailers, sewing instructions (Nähanleitungen), the Kollektionsvorlage appointment service, WhatsApp Stoffparty and Live Shopping marketing tools, and the 'Swafing zeigt euch' retailer promotion campaign. Products are sold exclusively to specialist retailers and garment manufacturers (B2B only). The company operates a modern logistics center with comprehensive stock for short-term delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jersey fabrics Wholesale jersey fabric assortment supplied to specialty fabric retailers (Fachhändler) and garment manufacturers (Konfektionäre) for apparel and craft applications.
• Sweat fabrics Wholesale sweat (sweatshirt) fabric range offered to B2B trade customers for use in casualwear and garment production.
• Cotton fabrics Wholesale cotton fabric line supplied to specialty retailers and garment manufacturers across European and international markets.
• Viscose fabrics Wholesale viscose fabric assortment offered to B2B trade customers for apparel and textile-product manufacturing.
• Wool fabrics Wholesale wool fabric range supplied to specialty fabric retailers and garment manufacturers.
• Polyester fabrics Wholesale polyester fabric line offered to B2B trade customers for apparel and industrial textile applications.
• Linen fabrics Wholesale linen fabric assortment supplied to specialty retailers and garment manufacturers for apparel and home-textile use.
• Decorative fabrics Wholesale decorative fabric range offered to B2B trade customers for home décor, craft, and apparel applications.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Sales RepresentativescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of independent sales representatives covering specific territories: Simon Bartels for Austria, Gerwin Takman for Germany (field sales), Murat Meral for France and International, Matthias Brünink and Matthias Lambers for Germany (field sales), Sven Heils for Denmark and Benelux, Patrick Patzke for Germany (field sales). Plus international partners: Pau Kristensen for Denmark/Norway, Marketta Lähteenmäki for Finland, Matjaž Černezel for Slovenia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Spoonflower: Digital print-on-demand fabric platform serving independent designers, sewists, and small apparel brands across Europe and North America. Represents the digital-native emerging channel that competes with traditional B2B fabric wholesalers for designer fabric demand.
• Riley Blake Designs: US-based designer and wholesaler of quilting and craft fabrics with overlapping licensed and designer fabric lines (and existing partner relationship with Swafing). Comparable designer-driven fabric wholesale model, though focused on the North American market.

Direct peers

• Stoff & Stil: Nordic-origin European fabric retailer/wholesaler selling a comparable assortment of fashion, jersey, and decorative fabrics to retail and small-batch apparel customers. Directly comparable B2B/B2C fabric distribution model and customer base across Germany and wider Europe.
• Lillestoff: German organic jersey and knit fabric brand that sells both direct to consumers and through European specialty fabric retailers. Comparable product category (knits, jersey, designer fabrics) and shared specialty retail channel.
• Buttinette: German mail-order and online fabric plus craft supplies retailer serving hobby sewers and small apparel makers across Germany and Europe. Overlapping assortment (jersey, cotton, decorative, fleece) and comparable Fachhändler end-customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Moda Fabrics: US-based fabric distributor supplying thousands of quilting and apparel fabrics to independent retailers worldwide. Overlap with Swafing in licensed and designer fabric distribution to specialty retailers, though at significantly larger scale.
• Free Spirit Fabrics: Established US designer and wholesale fabric brand (part of the Craft Brands portfolio) supplying knit, woven, and licensed fabrics to specialty retailers. Comparable licensed/designer fabric wholesale model serving the specialty retailer channel.

Regional players

• TopTex: Swiss-headquartered textile and fabric distributor serving European specialty retailers and apparel manufacturers with comparable B2B wholesale model and assortment breadth. Comparable channel but with stronger Swiss/French-language regional emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagramwhatsapp.com/channel/0029VaMthug0lwgi7TvREw0o
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swafing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swafing GmbH