What MacCulloch & Wallis does

MacCulloch & Wallis is a privately held, century-old draper and haberdasher operating from a single retail store at 25-26 Poland Street in London's West End (Soho), with a complementary e-commerce site at macculloch-wallis.co.uk that ships globally. Established during the Edwardian era (1901-1910), the company sells dress fabrics, haberdashery, trimmings, millinery supplies, tailoring equipment, threads, and knitting/crochet yarns. Its assortment spans seven primary product categories — trimmings, haberdashery, fabrics, equipment, millinery, knitting & crochet, and threads/yarns — and aggregates hard-to-source specialty brands from Italy, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, including Gutermann threads, Lampo zips, Prym hardware, Kai shears, Mokuba ribbons, and Scheepjes yarns.

The core technology underpinning operations is an integrated EPoS and e-commerce platform supplied by Sparkstone Technology, supporting in-store point-of-sale, online catalog browsing, account login, wishlists, and worldwide order fulfilment. Pricing is unit-based (per metre, reel, or item), denominated in GBP ex-VAT, with volume discounts available at 10+, 50+, and 100+ quantities. Customer segments are horizontal and primarily comprise professional tailors and dressmakers (primary), plus milliners and knitting/crochet hobbyists (secondary); there are no named enterprise customers and no B2B contract revenue disclosed.

The business model is a standard retail (one-time sale) revenue model split between in-store sales (Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10.30am-5pm) and online sales, supplemented by phone ordering. There is no parent company, no institutional investment, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity disclosed. The company is VAT-registered in the UK (VAT No. 238 4603 59, Company No. 452913) and operates with 11-50 employees. The most recent material strategic move was the 2019 launch of the Knitting & Crochet category, which subsequently expanded materially during the COVID-19 craft boom.

Name

MacCulloch & Wallis

Legal name

MacCulloch & Wallis

Website

https://macculloch-wallis.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MacCulloch & Wallis is a century-old, privately held London West End draper and haberdasher selling dress fabrics, trimmings, haberdashery, millinery, tailoring equipment, and knitting/crochet yarns to professional tailors, dressmakers, milliners, and craft hobbyists via a single Poland Street store and a global e-commerce site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Haberdashery & Dress Fabrics Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

akta.pro primary industry

General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Notions & Sewing Accessories Retail (Thread, Needles, Zippers, Buttons) (CRALADAG), Yarn, Knitting & Crochet Supplies Retail (CRALACAF), Costume & Cosplay Sewing Supplies Retail (CRALADAJ)

Keywords

• Dress fabrics retail
• Haberdashery supplies
• Tailoring materials
• Millinery supplies
• Sewing trimmings

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - E-commerce: Online sales through their e-commerce website selling fabrics, trimmings, haberdashery, equipment, millinery, knitting & crochet, and threads to tailors, dressmakers, and craft enthusiasts. Operates on a standard retail model with products sold at listed prices with VAT applied.
2. Retail Sales - Physical Store: In-store retail sales at their London West End location. Open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10.30am-5pm. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

MacCulloch & Wallis is a century-old London draper and haberdasher selling dress fabrics, haberdashery, trimmings, millinery supplies, threads, yarns, and tailoring/dressmaking equipment through a single West End retail store and a worldwide e-commerce site. Customers can browse seven product categories (Trimmings, Haberdashery, Fabrics, Equipment, Millinery, Knitting & Crochet, Threads & Yarns), purchase items by unit/metre/roll/reel with volume discounts, and arrange in-store, telephone, or online ordering with global delivery.

Product overview

MacCulloch & Wallis is a century-old traditional draper and haberdashery based in London's West End, operating since the Edwardian era. The business operates as a single retail/e-commerce platform selling fabric and sewing supplies to tailors and dressmakers. Their product portfolio centers on seven main categories: Trimmings (laces, ribbons, beads, metal findings), Haberdashery (threads, needles, buttons, elastics), Fabrics (silk, wool, cotton, tailoring canvases), Equipment (scissors, pressing tools, pattern paper), Millinery, Knitting & Crochet (yarns added in 2019), and Threads & Yarns (Gutermann, Coats, Mettler brands). They also stock zippers under Lampo, Rubi, and KB brands, along with various ribbon types. The company sources products globally and emphasizes both imported materials from Italy and Denmark alongside UK-sourced offerings. They ship worldwide from their Central London premises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trimmings A retail category of decorative trimmings — including laces, ribbons, decorative elastics, motifs, cords, beads, flowers, feathers, metal findings, and garment hardware — sourced globally for tailors, dressmakers, milliners, and craft buyers.
• Haberdashery A retail category of hard and soft haberdashery — threads, elastics, pins, needles, hooks & bars, bindings, buttons, shoulder pads, and bias binding — for sewing, tailoring, and craft projects.
• Fabrics A retail category of dress and tailoring fabrics — silk, wool, cotton, linen, and specialty textiles including Italian deadstock — sold by the metre for tailoring and dressmaking.
• Equipment A retail category of sewing and pattern-making equipment — pattern paper, scissors, professional tailoring shears, punch pliers, and pressing tools — for tailors, dressmakers, and pattern makers.
• Millinery A retail category of millinery supplies — hat trimmings, hat crin, and specialised millinery materials including millinery Petersham — for hat makers and milliners.
• Knitting & Crochet A retail category of yarns and knitting supplies — including imported yarns from Italy and Denmark and UK-sourced materials such as Scheepjes and Urth Yarns — for knitters and crocheters.
• Threads & Yarns A retail category of threads in various fibres — Gutermann, Mez, Coats, Mettler, Scanfil, hand embroidery threads, Sashiko yarns, and specialty threads — for sewing, embroidery, and leatherwork.
• Horse Hair Canvas A European-made horse hair canvas interlining priced at £12.50 (ex VAT, volume discount for 25+ units) used as a traditional tailoring interlining for lightweight tailored suit jacket fronts.
• Kai N7205 Tailors Shears 20cm Extra-sharp 20cm professional tailoring shears made in Japan from hardened stainless steel, part of the Kai 7000 Series, priced at £98.58 per pair (£783.45 for 10 pairs).
• Prym Vario Punch Pliers Prym-compatible punch pliers used to create eyelets and holes in leather, fabric, and other materials, priced at £15.21.
• Millward Point Presser and Clapper Solid beechwood point presser and clapper sized 10x28x10cm used in tailoring and pressing work, priced at £19.00.
• Gift Vouchers MacCulloch & Wallis gift vouchers redeemable in the Poland Street store and online across the full product range.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GutermanncoreOthersKey thread brand supplier offering extensive range including Sew-All, Cotton, Extra Fine Polyester, Mara, Top Stitch, Glowy embroidery, Outdoors, and rPET recycled threads.
• LampocoreOthersPremium zip manufacturer supplying brass, aluminium, and recycled polyester zips including open-end, closed-end, concealed, and 2-way slider options.
• PrymcoreOthersHardware and fastening supplier providing Vario Punch Pliers, eyelets, anorak press fasteners, and various zip pullers.
• KaiminorOthersJapanese manufacturer of professional tailoring shears and scissors, including the 7000 Series professional tools.
• CoatscoreOthersThread and yarn manufacturer supplying Moon polyester spun thread, Epic recycled polyester corespun thread, and overlocking threads.
• MettlerminorOthersThread manufacturer providing Poly Sheen embroidery thread, Seracor polyester thread, and Seralene specialty threads.
• MokubaminorOthersJapanese ribbon manufacturer supplying satin moire, velvet, and specialty ribbons.
• ShindominorOthersJapanese ribbon and tape manufacturer supplying SIC series satin, grosgrain, and specialty ribbons including recycled polyester options.
• ScheepjesminorOthersDutch yarn manufacturer supplying Maxi Sweet Treat cotton crochet yarn and various mercerized cotton products.
• TulipminorOthersJapanese needle manufacturer supplying Tapestry Sewing Needles and hand sewing needles.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Etsy: Global online marketplace where many small fabric and haberdashery merchants (including UK-based) sell specialty materials. Represents the fragmented online competitive set M&W faces for hobbyist and bespoke supply purchases.

Broad incumbents

• John Lewis: UK department store with haberdashery, fabric, and sewing departments online and in-store. Broad incumbent serving overlapping hobbyist and home-sewing customers at varied price points.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist craft retailer with broad haberdashery, fabric, and yarn ranges across 100+ stores. Wider assortment and lower price points overlap with M&W's hobbyist and dressmaker segments.

Direct peers

• Liberty London: Iconic London department store with a renowned fabric and haberdashery department. Most direct geographic and category competitor to M&W in the UK luxury fabric retail space.
• Mood Fabrics: Iconic US-based fabric retailer (made famous by Project Runway) operating online and in-person. Directly comparable fabric and notions assortment serving dressmakers, designers, and hobbyists globally.
• Croft Mill: UK online fabric retailer specializing in dress and craft fabrics with worldwide shipping. Direct peer in online fabric retail with overlapping customer base of dressmakers and craft hobbyists.
• Higgs & Higgs: UK online fabric retailer offering dress, craft, and quilting fabrics. Competes for the same dressmaker and home-sewer segment that forms M&W's primary customer base.
• Ray Stitch: London-based haberdashery and fabric retailer (also in Soho-adjacent) selling fabrics, threads, and sewing supplies online and in-store. Highly comparable niche positioning and customer profile to M&W.
• Tissura: Online retailer of luxury fabrics from European mills, shipping worldwide. Competes with M&W for the high-end bespoke tailoring and dressmaking customer with globally sourced premium textiles.
• Minerva Crafts: UK-based fabric, haberdashery, and sewing supplies retailer with strong e-commerce presence. Directly comparable product categories and tailors/dressmakers/hobbyist customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maccullochw
• Facebookfacebook.com/MacCulloch.Wallis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MacCulloch & Wallis