What Merchant & Mills does

Merchant & Mills is a UK-based textile company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Rye, East Sussex. The company sells curated fabrics, sewing patterns, notions, and home goods directly to consumers through owned e-commerce storefronts with separate US and UK sites, a physical retail shop on Tower Street in Rye, and a wholesale portal serving small clothing brands. Its product portfolio spans proprietary fabric collections (Homestead Handlooms, Zephyr Linen, Passeggiata Linen, The Indigo Edit, Boro, Dead Stock, plus traditional UK-produced waxed cotton oilskin), a catalogue of paper and PDF sewing patterns for womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and home items, a tools/notions range, the HOUSE home-goods sub-brand (bed linen, curtains, cushions, tableware, glass and ceramics), and a service line of online classes plus residential retreats at The Grove in Rye.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer model with revenue streams across physical goods (fabrics sold by the metre, one-time paper and PDF pattern licences, notions and hardware, thread), the HOUSE home collection, and services (online and residential classes, studio rental). Pricing is per-unit for fabrics (minimum 0.5m orders in 10cm increments), one-time/perpetual for patterns (PDFs $4.25-$27.25), and transactional for shipping ($27.75 international, free US delivery over $300), with a 10% student discount. Customer segments include home sewists as the primary buyer, plus secondary segments of small clothing brands, stockists/wholesale accounts, and sewing students. Merchant & Mills engages customers through a content-led growth model built on a 100+ post blog (including 26+ pattern hacks), seasonal lookbooks, Maker Interviews, video tutorials, and active social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), with sewing retreats and classes deepening community engagement.

The company appears independently and privately owned, with no disclosed institutional funding, no subsidiaries, and no acquisitions. Core strategic relationships include a co-development partnership with a UK mill producing its proprietary oilskin range, authorised distribution of legally protected Harris Tweed (under the Harris Tweed Act of 1993), and a recommended relationship with The Fold Line for A0 pattern printing. Sustainability credentials include GOTS-certified organic cotton, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 fabrics, and FSC- and PEFC-certified pattern papers.

Name

Merchant & Mills

Legal name

Merchant & Mills

Website

https://merchantandmills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Merchant & Mills is a UK-based textile company founded in 2010 that sells curated fabrics, sewing patterns, notions and home goods to home sewists, small clothing brands and stockists via DTC e-commerce, a Rye retail shop and a wholesale channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sewing & Textile Supplies Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130), Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

akta.pro primary industry

General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Upholstery & Decorative Fabrics Retail (Fabric by the Yard, Slipcovers) (CRAIALAF), Bedding Retail (Sheets, Comforters, Duvets, Pillows, Mattress Toppers) (CRAIALAA), Table Linens Retail (Tablecloths, Napkins, Runners, Placemats) (CRAIALAE)

Keywords

• Sewing patterns
• Fabric retail
• Textile notions
• Home sewing supplies
• Sewing classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Rye

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fabric Sales: Sale of curated fabrics including linen, cotton, wool, oilskin, Japanese cloth, Indian cotton, hemp, Tencel, organic fabrics, dead stock fabrics. Sold by the metre with minimum 0.5M orders in 10cm increments. Revenue generated through per-unit pricing.
2. Sewing Patterns: Sale of paper and PDF sewing patterns for womenswear, menswear, unisex, childrenswear, and home items. Patterns available at various skill levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Revenue from one-time purchase of patterns.
3. Tools, Notions & Hardware: Sale of sewing tools (scissors, needles, pins, measuring tools), trims (webbing, elastic, drawstring, leather, ribbing), hardware (zips, buttons), bag making supplies, and thread.
4. HOUSE Home Collection: Sale of home goods including bed linen, curtains, cushions, napkins, quilts, stationery, tableware, tea towels, glass, ceramics, and accessories.
5. Sewing Classes & Retreats: Revenue from online sewing classes, residential sewing retreats at The Grove, and non-residential sewing classes. Also studio rental income.
6. Gift Vouchers: Sale of both e-vouchers (delivered via email) and physical gift vouchers.
7. Wholesale: Separate wholesale website for small clothing brands and stockists to purchase products at wholesale rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merchant & Mills sells curated fabrics (linen, cotton, wool, oilskin, denim, Harris Tweed, Japanese and Indian textiles, organic and dead-stock options), paper and PDF sewing patterns for womenswear, menswear, unisex, childrenswear, and home items, plus sewing tools, notions, thread, trims and hardware. The HOUSE sub-brand extends into home goods (bed linen, curtains, cushions, napkins, quilts, tableware, glass and ceramics). Educational services include online classes, residential retreats at The Grove in Rye, non-residential workshops, and studio rental.

Product overview

Merchant & Mills operates as a unified textile and craft product portfolio centered around fabrics, sewing patterns, and notions. The core offering comprises an extensive fabric range (linen, cotton, wool, oilskin, denim, and specialty textiles like Harris Tweed and Japanese cloth), complemented by a comprehensive sewing pattern line available in both PDF and paper formats spanning womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, and home items organized by skill level. Supporting products include tools and notions, thread, trims, and hardware. The HOUSE sub-brand extends the portfolio into home goods including bed linen, curtains, and tableware. Educational offerings include online classes and residential retreats at The Grove in Rye. The company emphasizes sustainable and ethically sourced materials including GOTS-certified and Oeko-Tex certified fabrics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HOUSE: Home goods collection including bed linen, curtains, cushions, napkins, quilts, stationery, tableware, tea towels, glass & ceramics, and accessories.

Products and services

• Fabrics

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Fold LineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended UK printing service for copying A0 pattern files. Customers can send copy shop files to The Fold Line for full-size printing.
• Oilskin Supplier (UK Mill)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership with UK-based mill producing Merchant & Mills' range of traditional waxed cotton oilskin fabrics. The best oilskin is still made in the UK. They work closely with the supplier to offer the best quality in a range of colours and finishes.
• Harris Tweed AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarris Tweed is the only cloth in the world protected by an Act of Parliament (Harris Tweed Act of 1993). Defined as cloth 'made with 100% pure virgin wool handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebridean islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra.' Merchant & Mills stocks authentic Harris Tweed fabrics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tessuti Fabrics: UK online fabric retailer stocking designer and contemporary fashion fabrics. Comparable DTC fabric-first proposition targeting home sewists and small designers.
• Sew Over London: UK sewing pattern brand and sewing school offering patterns, fabric bundles and in-person classes — directly overlaps M&M's pattern + classes + fabric bundle model.
• Cloth House: London Soho fabric retailer specialising in curated fashion and furnishing fabrics including linens, silks and cottons. Comparable to M&M's curation-led, design-forward fabric assortment.
• Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics: Berkeley-based independent fabric store with a deep curated assortment and in-store classes. Closely comparable to M&M's independent, education-anchored DTC fabric retail model.
• Tilly and the Buttons: UK sewing pattern brand with an active online community, books and classes. Mirrors M&M's PDF/paper pattern business plus community and education GTM.
• Ray Stitch: London-based independent fabric, pattern and sewing haberdashery retailer with a strong in-house class programme. Closely overlaps with M&M's combination of curated fabrics, own-brand patterns and education-led retail.
• Britex Fabrics: San Francisco-based multi-floor independent fabric retailer carrying fashion and craft textiles. Comparable independent, brick-and-mortar-plus-online fabric retailer competing for the same US maker demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Mood Fabrics: US fabric retailer famous from Project Runway, operating a large NYC flagship and global e-commerce. Broader and higher-volume than M&M but competes for the same home-sewer and small-brand customer.
• Liberty London: Heritage UK department store with a globally recognised in-house Liberty Fabrics range. Competes with M&M on premium fabrics and design-led positioning, but at much larger scale across multiple product categories.

Regional players

• The Fabric Store: New Zealand/Australia-based fabric retailer focused on quality dressmaking and home fabrics. Operates the same curated-fabric DTC model as M&M but is geographically concentrated in Australasia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/merchantandmills
• Facebookfacebook.com/merchantandmills
• Instagraminstagram.com/merchantandmills/?hl=en

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Merchant & Mills