Doughtys

What Doughtys does

Doughty's, trading as Doughty Brothers Limited, is a UK-based private retailer specialising in quilting fabrics and complementary sewing/craft supplies. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Hereford, the company operates a multi-channel distribution model comprising an e-commerce storefront (doughtysonline.co.uk), three physical retail shops in the Hereford area (anchored by a warehouse claimed to be the largest quilting fabric stockist in the UK), and a touring mobile retail operation branded Doughty's Roadshow that attends markets and events nationwide. The product portfolio centres on 100% cotton quilting fabrics from over 50 designer brands (Tilda, Liberty, Lewis & Irene, Makower, Dashwood Studio, V&A, John Louden, Fabric Freedom, Benartex, Kingfisher, Nutex, Craft Cotton Co., and others), with adjacent categories including dressmaking and craft fabrics, wadding, haberdashery (threads, needles, tools), Stylecraft knitting yarn, furnishing fabrics, and Janome sewing machines.

Revenue is generated through direct one-time unit sales: fabrics are sold per metre at price points ranging from approximately £3.49 (budget "Purse Friendly Prints" range capped at £5/metre) to £15.99 (premium wide-backings such as Kingfisher Tonal Vineyard), with notions, threads, yarn and machines sold at fixed unit prices. Free UK delivery is offered above a £100 order threshold, and the company provides a free sample service (up to 6 swatches) to support colour-matching decisions prior to purchase. Marketing is conducted through the e-commerce site (organic/SEO), an email newsletter, a Facebook community page, and the touring roadshow. The target customers are primarily individual quilting and patchwork enthusiasts (both hobbyists and professionals), with a secondary segment of dressmaking and general craft consumers. No disclosed revenue, headcount, external funding, M&A activity, partnerships, awards, patents, or AI capabilities are indicated in the available information.

The underlying technology is a standard multi-category e-commerce platform (no proprietary features, no mobile app, no API, no disclosed integrations, no AI modalities), suggesting an off-the-shelf storefront rather than a custom-built marketplace. The company is a privately held UK limited company with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, or external investors, and is presumed founder-owned and operated.

Name

Doughtys

Legal name

Doughty Brothers Limited

Website

https://doughtysonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Doughty's is a UK-based private fabric retailer founded in 2004, operating an e-commerce store, three Hereford shops, and a touring roadshow, specialising in quilting fabrics from 50+ designer brands for hobbyist and professional quilters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hereford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Online Fabric Sales: Direct online sales of quilting fabrics, dressmaking fabrics, haberdashery, wadding, knitting yarn, and sewing machines through their e-commerce website. The company offers per-unit pricing (per metre) for fabrics and various unit pricing for notions and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Doughty's is a UK-based fabric and craft retailer that sells patchwork and quilting fabrics from over 50 designer brands, alongside dressmaking and craft fabrics, quilting wadding, haberdashery, Stylecraft knitting yarn, furnishing fabrics and Janome sewing machines. The business operates three physical shops around Hereford (with its main warehouse billed as the UK's largest quilting fabric stockist), a touring Doughty's Roadshow attending markets across the UK, and an online store at doughtysonline.co.uk that ships to the UK, Europe and internationally.

Product overview

Doughty's Online is an e-commerce fabric retailer operated by Doughty Brothers Limited, offering one of the UK's largest selections of patchwork and quilting fabrics alongside complementary craft categories. The product portfolio centers on Quilting Fabric as the primary category (featuring over 50 designer brands including Tilda, Liberty, Lewis & Irene, Dashwood Studio, John Louden, and Fabric Freedom), supported by Dressmaking & Craft Fabrics, Wadding for Quilting, Haberdashery (threads, needles, tools), Stylecraft Knitting Yarn, Furnishing Fabric, and Janome Sewing Machines. The offering is structured as a traditional multi-category e-commerce platform rather than a modular software product, with add-on services including Gift Cards and a Fabric Sample service. The company operates three physical shops in Hereford including a main warehouse (claimed as the UK's largest quilting fabric stockist) and tours nationally via the Doughty's Roadshow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quilting Fabric Primary product category featuring patchwork and quilting fabrics from over 50 designer brands including Tilda, Liberty, Lewis & Irene, Makower, Dashwood Studio, John Louden, and Fabric Freedom. All quilting fabrics are 100% cotton, available in various cuts including fat quarters, half metres, and full metres.
• Dressmaking & Craft Fabrics Comprehensive range of dress and craft fabrics including cotton percale, linen, viscose jersey, denim, velvet, silk, lace, chiffon, sequined fabric, faux fur, and tartan. Features branded collections from Crafty by Chatham Glyn, Lady McElroy, and Dutch Heritage.
• Wadding for Quilting Quilting wadding/batting products including Super Soft Wadding, insulated wadding, and craft wadding, available in various pack sizes and whole bolt deals.
• Haberdashery Full haberdashery range including Groves & Banks quilting tools, Gutermann and Mettler threads, needles, pins, bobbins, rulers, templates, interfacing, stabilisers, rotary cutters, scissors, embroidery hoops, and sewing machine accessories.
• Stylecraft Knitting Yarn Stylecraft brand knitting yarn available in DK, Aran, Chunky, Super Chunky, and 2ply/3ply/4ply weights, with a dedicated knitting accessories subcategory.
• Furnishing Fabric Home furnishing fabrics including polyester velvet, linen look fabrics, blackout curtain fabrics, tapestry, Hessian/Jute, and Disney-branded cotton fabrics from Chatham Glyn.
• Janome Sewing Machines Range of Janome sewing machines including Standard, Computerised, Embroidery, Overlocker, and Embellisher machines, sold alongside sewing machine accessories.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available in selectable amounts, with options for custom messages and direct delivery to recipients.
• Fabric Samples Free sample service allowing customers to request up to 6 fabric samples by post to verify colour matching and material weight before purchasing.
• Purse Friendly Prints Budget-friendly quilting fabric range priced at no more than £5 per metre, offering affordable designer prints for cost-conscious quilters.
• Batiks Specialised hand-dyed batik fabrics in rich, variegated colours popular for quilting projects.
• Extra Wide Backing Fabric Wide-format quilting backing fabrics (108 inches wide) eliminating the need to join fabric for quilt backing, including Kingfisher Fabrics Tonal Vineyard range.
• Blender Fabrics Tonal and textured blender fabrics designed to complement patterned quilting fabrics and provide visual balance in patchwork projects.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Village Haberdashery: UK online fabric and sewing supplies retailer focused on dressmaking and quilting fabrics with a curated designer assortment. Comparable to Doughty's in serving UK home-sewing customers with a similar product mix of premium and everyday fabrics.
• Minerva Crafts: UK-based direct-to-consumer fabric and craft retailer offering a broad range of quilting, dressmaking, and haberdashery products online. Closely comparable to Doughty's in product category, customer base (UK sewists and quilters), and e-commerce-first distribution model.
• Cotton Patch: UK online fabric retailer specialising in patchwork and quilting cotton fabrics with a focus on designer brands and fat quarter packs. Closely comparable to Doughty's in assortment depth, customer segment, and UK DTC positioning.
• Plush Addict: UK online retailer of dress fabrics, knit fabrics, and sewing supplies serving home dressmakers and crafters. Similar DTC e-commerce motion to Doughty's with overlapping product categories (dressmaking fabrics, haberdashery).

Broad incumbents

• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist arts, crafts, and hobbies retail chain with nationwide physical stores and an online channel. Overlaps with Doughty's on quilting fabrics, sewing machines, and haberdashery but serves a much broader craft portfolio and customer base.
• LoveCrafts: Larger UK-headquartered online marketplace and retailer for crafting, sewing, knitting, and quilting supplies with international reach. Comparable to Doughty's in product categories and customer base but operates at significantly broader scale and geography.

Regional players

• Connecting Threads: US online retailer of quilting fabrics, threads, and sewing supplies with its own in-house designer brand lines. Similar product mix and customer segment to Doughty's but operates primarily in the North American market.
• Fat Quarter Shop: US-based online quilting fabric retailer specialising in fat-quarter bundles and designer precuts from leading brands. Comparable in category specialism and DTC e-commerce model, but serves a North American customer base rather than the UK market.

Others

• Janome (UK): Manufacturer and supplier of Janome sewing machines and accessories sold through authorised retailers like Doughty's. Connected as a key brand Doughty's distributes rather than a direct competitor; relevant as a partnership and category peer.
• Etsy: Global online marketplace that aggregates independent fabric and craft sellers, including handmade and vintage quilting fabrics. Adjacent comparator as a channel where individual fabric sellers compete with Doughty's specialist assortment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/doughtysonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doughtys

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 Doughtys