Rheda-Wiedenbrück, 22 January 2026. COR’s direction over the past year was shaped by efforts to establish a strong national and international presence, together with a clear focus on digitalisation. This enabled the family-run company to expand its market position, particularly through the enlargement of its sales organisation, and to lay important foundations for the future. Highlights in 2025 included projects such as Lego in Boston, Fielmann in Hamburg, Sherwin Williams in the USA and the SAP Arena in Mannheim.
Targeted growth of market presence
Successful product launches were some of the the key themes in 2025. The new Kagu wooden upholstered chair (design: Jehs+Laub) was a headliner at the Milan Design Week, flanked by a very successful and extensive marketing and social media campaign throughout the year. The extensively updated Mell Bank with new configuration options (Design: Jehs+Laub) was first showcased at Interior Days [OWL] and took centre stage at idd Cologne.
Trade fairs will continue to be a key focus in 2026, the first one being Destination Design in Eindhoven this January, where COR is exhibiting for the first time, followed by Munich Design Days in March. After Milan Design Week, COR celebrates another debut at the 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen in June. In the second half of the year, the exhibition agenda includes Interior Days [OWL] and “neue räume” in Zurich, as well as Orgatec in Cologne.
The sluggish economy in Germany and Europe and the market situation in the USA have prompted the upholstered furniture manufacturer to establish a presence in new markets. Not only is COR exhibiting at more trade fairs, it is also building its sales organisation, with new commercial agencies in France, Belgium and the UK added in 2025. From 2026 onwards, the Texere Advisors team will be targeting the Asian market for COR.
“We obviously cannot fully escape the negative developments in the industry and the wider market environment. In fact, this is the third year in a row that we’ve been feeling their effects. Buying behaviour has undergone a fundamental shift and impulse purchases are on the decline. But when furnishing projects are undertaken, they tend to involve extensive and complex planning,” emphasised Leo Lübke, Managing Partner of COR. “We are continuing to drive digitalisation across the board and to improve brand awareness in our market,” he continued.
The company is also extending its market presence by progressively advancing the COR Space shop-in-shop concept. Blennemann opened its COR Space in Bochum in 2025 and three more COR Spaces are due to open in Germany and the Netherlands in 2026.
Digitalisation as a strategic priority
The successful rollout of the new CRM system in 2025 will be followed by further digitalisation projects this year, including the new ERP system. Other strategic priorities include the digitalisation of internal production processes and the development of a master data management system. Further product configurators with AR were launched on the COR website, which can also be used on retailer websites. The “Digital Product Passport” project was also launched in 2025, with the Drop Stool set to be the first pilot when the test phase starts in mid-2026.
Sustainability remains a key focus
By becoming a member of the DGM – the German Furniture Quality Association – COR has committed to the DGM Climate Pact. The ESG Transparency Award from the independent market research and consulting company EUPD Research underscores that sustainability is not a passing trend for COR, but a fundamental element of its corporate responsibility. The ESG Transparency Award recognises organisations that have established forward-looking sustainability initiatives and communicate them transparently, for example in a sustainability report.
COR is entering the new financial year with 223 employees. The goal remains unchanged: to create seating furniture that helps customers express their individuality and stands the test of time.
