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Liberty expands fabrics section as fabric sales rise
The London department store says fabric sales climbed 11% last year and it plans to grow through a larger 4,630 sq ft fabrics department and more autumn workshops.
Liberty, the central London department store near Oxford Circus, is expanding its fabrics and haberdashery offering as it looks to tap a surge in interest in sewing and other crafts. The retailer says its fabrics department is now 140% bigger, with more than 2,500 fabrics and 17 specialist sales people.
The store expects a similar pace of growth this year after reporting that fabric sales rose 11% last year. Liberty also plans to expand its haberdashery area and host autumn workshops for crafters to “celebrate and elevate the customer experience,” according to retail managing director Lydia King.
King attributed the growing popularity of crafts such as quilt making and crochet partly to social media demonstration videos on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as crafting TV programmes such as The Great British Sewing Bee. She said the customer base spans a broad age range, from 13-year-olds getting their first sewing machine to international customers making and tailoring items at home.
Liberty also pointed to wider demand channels, including online marketplaces for craft items such as Etsy and eBay, and increased craft events. The company said buying secondhand clothing that may need alteration at home is another factor supporting interest in doing more projects directly with fabric at home.