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Miele grows a little
Premium giant cuts costs, invests – and hopes for better times
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€5.16 billion in revenue. Up 2.3 percent. Sounds solid. And it is. But a look at the home appliance market quickly makes one thing clear: in Gütersloh they are currently mainly relieved that the business is growing at all. Premium manufacturer Miele managed to post a modest increase in 2025 – showing that even long-established brands with very high price positioning are not entirely immune to the current consumer caution. Growth, yes – but moderate.
What is interesting is where the momentum comes from. On the one hand from the kitchen segment – hardly surprising. On the other hand increasingly from the commercial business. The Professional division, meaning technology for laundries, laboratories, or hospitals, now generates more than €1 billion in revenue. At the same time, the company has just completed a major efficiency program. The so-called Miele Performance Program, launched in 2024, was designed to improve the company’s cost structure. According to Miele, savings of around €500 million were achieved – through more than 3,000 individual measures across the group.
Reinhard Zinkann, executive partner and one of the key figures at Miele, naturally puts it a bit more elegantly: “We faced numerous challenges in 2025. Nevertheless, we were able to maintain our market position while pushing forward key future topics.” Translated into plain industry language, that means: the market is difficult, but Miele is holding up.
That said, the adjustments did not come without changes. The workforce declined slightly to around 23,000 employees worldwide. At the same time, the company continues to invest heavily – €468 million in 2024 and 2025 alone. By 2028, around €500 million of that is set to be invested in Germany, for example in production sites, development centers, and training facilities.
Strategically, Miele is sticking to its classic formula: premium products, technological innovation, and a strong brand promise. One example: since 2025, the company offers a 25-year warranty on the motors of certain washing machines. Or as Miele partner Markus Miele puts it: “We give guarantees in a time without guarantees.”
That statement fits well with the company’s self-image. While many manufacturers in the home appliance market compete increasingly on price, Miele continues to focus on premium positioning, durability, and technical differentiation. Whether that will be enough remains to be seen. Even the premium segment is becoming tougher. The appliance market is mature, innovations are copied faster, and consumers are weighing major purchases more carefully.
For now, the conclusion is simple: Miele is growing – just not quite as effortlessly as it once did.
Ad
€5.16 billion in revenue. Up 2.3 percent. Sounds solid. And it is. But a look at the home appliance market quickly makes one thing clear: in Gütersloh they are currently mainly relieved that the business is growing at all. Premium manufacturer Miele managed to post a modest increase in 2025 – showing that even long-established brands with very high price positioning are not entirely immune to the current consumer caution. Growth, yes – but moderate.
What is interesting is where the momentum comes from. On the one hand from the kitchen segment – hardly surprising. On the other hand increasingly from the commercial business. The Professional division, meaning technology for laundries, laboratories, or hospitals, now generates more than €1 billion in revenue. At the same time, the company has just completed a major efficiency program. The so-called Miele Performance Program, launched in 2024, was designed to improve the company’s cost structure. According to Miele, savings of around €500 million were achieved – through more than 3,000 individual measures across the group.
Reinhard Zinkann, executive partner and one of the key figures at Miele, naturally puts it a bit more elegantly: “We faced numerous challenges in 2025. Nevertheless, we were able to maintain our market position while pushing forward key future topics.” Translated into plain industry language, that means: the market is difficult, but Miele is holding up.
That said, the adjustments did not come without changes. The workforce declined slightly to around 23,000 employees worldwide. At the same time, the company continues to invest heavily – €468 million in 2024 and 2025 alone. By 2028, around €500 million of that is set to be invested in Germany, for example in production sites, development centers, and training facilities.
Strategically, Miele is sticking to its classic formula: premium products, technological innovation, and a strong brand promise. One example: since 2025, the company offers a 25-year warranty on the motors of certain washing machines. Or as Miele partner Markus Miele puts it: “We give guarantees in a time without guarantees.”
That statement fits well with the company’s self-image. While many manufacturers in the home appliance market compete increasingly on price, Miele continues to focus on premium positioning, durability, and technical differentiation. Whether that will be enough remains to be seen. Even the premium segment is becoming tougher. The appliance market is mature, innovations are copied faster, and consumers are weighing major purchases more carefully.
For now, the conclusion is simple: Miele is growing – just not quite as effortlessly as it once did.