Markets are reopening and consumers may be getting out of the house more, but habits formed during the pandemic are remaining at home.

At the Home Textiles Market Week in New York, licensed lines from kitchen mats to bedding and from window treatments to shower curtains demonstrated that a greater-than-ever focus on home design is likely to linger in a post-pandemic world.

For example, Town & Country Living’s licensed Clorox anti-microbial kitchen mat and kitchen towels were quite literally in the spotlight thanks to a display at Lowe’s. And doormats ceased being, well, a doormat, as licensed brands rushed in under Martha Stewart, Christian Siriano, and Lilian August, with the latter entering the licensing business for the first time.

“During the pandemic people looked at every square inch of their home and said ‘what can do here?’ and many companies moved quickly to provide something,” said Judi Alvarez, VP of Licensing and Marketing at Town & Country.

For example, Lowe’s has installed home textile-related vignettes in each of its stores. And while the DIY chain has, for the most part, focused its push into home textiles on its Origin21 and Allen + Roy private labels, Lowe’s had meetings with purveyors of licensed brand goods during Home Textiles Market Week.

“We are absolutely leaning into home textiles when it comes to sheets, towels, and throws,” Margi Vagell, SVP & general merchandise manager for home décor at Lowe’s said in an interview with Home Textiles Today. “When we think of the total home, we can supply the vanity, faucet, toilet and flooring, but we also want to provide throw rugs, towels, soap dispensers and peel-and-stick wallpaper.”

Those retail buying decisions are being moved up this year to hedge against ongoing supply chain delays. In some cases, retailers are making decisions up to a year earlier—something that pushed suppliers to show spring 2023 products during this week’s event. That, in turn, has resulted in pressure to speed up the licensor approvals required for products. And retailers that are direct-shipping product from overseas are placing orders now to lock in pricing.

These shipping concerns come as many retailers continue to work through holiday textiles inventory, much of which didn’t arrive until January due to supply chain delays. To fight against both inventory and shipping issues, some companies are expanding into new categories.

For example, Pem America is extending its line of bath textiles and is readying a Crayola-branded bedding line targeting 8- to 12-year-olds. The line includes bedding, towels and decorative pillows, and will initially be sold online through Bed, Bath & Beyond in the U.S. and Costco in Canada. At the same time, Pem will launch a textiles collection under Authentic Brands Group’s Frye brand at Macy’s that also will include pop-up displays at some locations. Blue Ridge Home, meanwhile, introduced a bedding collection under designer Marci Zatoff’s Farm to Home brand, an addition that will offset the ending of licensing agreements with Elle Magazine and Scott Living.

Amid the new product launches is a continued focus on sustainability with most suppliers showing textiles made from recycled plastic bottles, cotton, and micro-fiber. Town & Country licensed the women’s sportswear brand Sanctuary Clothing, which develops apparel with recycled materials, for a line of rugs (recycled plastic bottles) and decorative pillows (recycled micro-fiber filling) that will launch this fall.

“Consumers are actually starting to recognize these (organic cotton) accreditations and certifications as much as they recognize USDA organic for their food,” said Lexi Schladenhauffen, Chief Experience Officer at 1888 Mills, which signed a licensing agreement for bedding under the HelloBello baby brand. “They are looking for these certifications on the packaging and label, and it’s going to be something that sets products apart.”