Abakhan Fabrics

What Abakhan Fabrics does

Abakhan Fabrics (legal entity Michael Abakhan Limited) is a UK family-owned retailer of fabrics, haberdashery, sewing, knitting, crochet and craft supplies, founded by the Abakhan family in the late 1940s as a rug weaving business and headquartered in Mostyn, Flintshire, North Wales. The company operates 9 physical stores across North West England and North Wales (Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Bolton, Chester, Hanley, Preston, Shrewsbury and Mostyn) alongside a national e-commerce storefront (www.abakhan.co.uk) offering UK delivery, and a wholesale channel for bulk fabric buyers. Its product range spans dressmaking, curtain, soft furnishing, quilting and craft fabrics, sewing threads and accessories, patterns from major brands (Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, Vogue, Liberty), sewing/overlocker/embroidery/knitting machines, yarns from brands such as King Cole, Stylecraft and Scheepjes, and a portfolio of own-label Abakhan sub-brands (Range, Essentials, Yarns, Haberdashery, Every Day Savings).

The business monetises through one-time retail sales (physical and online) and wholesale fabric supply, with a tiered value-pricing model anchored by multi-tier clearance (fabrics under £3.99/£5.00/£10.00), free UK delivery over £35, and a loyalty programme awarding 2 points per £1 spent. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across digital and physical channels, supported by social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), email newsletters, a blog, and Eventbrite-hosted sewing and craft classes. The customer base is fragmented across hobbyist crafters, dressmakers, knitters, crocheters, home furnishing enthusiasts and class attendees, with no enterprise or large-account revenue disclosed. No external institutional investors, public listing, or material M&A activity are evidenced in the data.

Name

Abakhan Fabrics

Legal name

Michael Abakhan Limited

Website

https://abakhanfabrics.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Abakhan Fabrics is a UK family-owned retailer selling fabrics, haberdashery, sewing machines, yarns, patterns and craft supplies through 9 stores across North West England and North Wales, plus a national e-commerce site and wholesale channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fabric and Craft Retail

NAICS

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

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

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 Shops (CRALADAC), Sewing Machine & Serger Retail (CRALADAD), Pattern & Sewing Instruction Retail (Patterns, Books, Classes) (CRALADAH), Quilting & Patchwork Shops (CRALADAB)

Keywords

• Fabric retail
• Sewing supplies
• Haberdashery products
• Knitting yarn
• Craft supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Mostyn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Abakhan generates revenue through retail sales of fabrics, knitting & crochet yarns, crafts, sewing accessories, haberdashery, sewing patterns, and sewing/knitting machines through both physical stores and online platform.
2. Wholesale: The company operates a wholesale division for fabric bulk purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Abakhan Fabrics is a multi-channel retailer of fabrics, haberdashery, knitting and crochet yarns, sewing patterns, sewing/overlocker/embroidery/knitting machines, and craft supplies. The company operates 9 physical retail stores across North West England and North Wales alongside a UK e-commerce website, and also serves wholesale customers for bulk fabric purchases.

Product overview

Abakhan Fabrics operates as a multi-channel retailer specializing in fabrics, haberdashery, sewing patterns, knitting & crochet, and craft supplies. The business offers its own Abakhan Range branded products alongside third-party branded items. Core products include dressmaking and furnishing fabrics, sewing and knitting machines (including sewing, overlocker, embroidery, and knitting machines), haberdashery accessories (threads, buttons, zips, needles), knitting yarns from major brands, and sewing patterns. Additional offerings include Abakhan Essentials for value products, sewing & craft classes, gift cards, and clearance items. The company operates both physical retail stores across North West England and North Wales, and an e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abakhan Range: Store brand fabric collection
• Abakhan Essentials
• Abakhan Haberdashery Range
• Abakhan Knitting & Crochet Accessories Range
• Abakhan Yarns
• Abakhan Every Day Savings

Products and services

• Fabrics (Dressmaking, Curtain & Soft Furnishing, Quilting, Craft) Wide range of fabrics including dressmaking, curtain, soft furnishing, quilting, and craft fabrics in materials such as cotton, polyester, silk, wool, linen, velvet, and more, sold to hobbyist and home crafters.
• Haberdashery Sewing and craft accessories including threads (Gutermann, DMC), buttons, zips, pins, needles, scissors, ribbons, elastic, fastenings, and storage solutions for sewists and crafters.
• Sewing Patterns Patterns from brands including Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, Burda, New Look, Vogue, and Liberty for womenswear, childrenswear, costumes, and home decoration.
• Knitting & Crochet Yarns Yarns from brands including King Cole, Stylecraft, Scheepjes, Hayfield, Sirdar, James C. Brett, Cygnet, and West Yorkshire Spinners in various weights (DK, Aran, Chunky, 4-ply).
• Sewing Machines Mechanical and computerized sewing machines from Janome, Silver, Brother, Singer, and Necchi brands ranging from beginner to professional level.
• Overlocker Machines Overlocker/serge machines including Janome MyLock and Necchi models for professional edge finishing.
• Embroidery Machines Embroidery sewing machines including Silver CH01 and CH05 WiFi models with computerized embroidery capabilities.
• Knitting Machines Knitting machines including Silver LK150 for automated knitting projects.
• Craft Supplies

Segments5 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 highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Croft Mill: UK online and mail-order fabric retailer offering dressmaking, craft, and furnishing fabrics. Comparable to Abakhan's fabric assortment and target customer base, though primarily operating online rather than through physical retail.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist craft retailer with ~100+ stores nationwide, selling fabrics, yarn, haberdashery, and craft supplies. Directly competes with Abakhan across overlapping product categories and customer segments, but at meaningfully greater scale and geographic reach.
• Fabric Land: UK fabric retailer operating multiple store locations and an online shop, competing head-to-head with Abakhan on dressmaking and craft fabrics, with a similar value-oriented pricing approach.
• Minerva Crafts: Online specialist retailer of fabrics, haberdashery, and sewing patterns — comparable category focus and customer base as Abakhan's e-commerce channel, without the physical store footprint.
• Wool Warehouse: UK online specialist retailer of knitting yarns, patterns, and accessories from major brands like King Cole, Stylecraft, and Sirdar. Directly comparable to Abakhan's knitting and crochet yarn category.

Broad incumbents

• John Lewis & Partners: UK department store offering haberdashery, fabrics, sewing machines, and craft supplies as part of its wider home and lifestyle assortment. Overlaps with Abakhan's product range but as part of a broader general-merchandise portfolio.
• The Range: UK variety retailer with nationwide stores selling craft, fabric, and haberdashery products among a much broader home and leisure assortment. Competes on price and convenience but does not specialise in fabrics.
• Amazon UK: Mass-market online retailer carrying fabric, sewing, knitting, and craft supplies from numerous sellers. Competes directly with Abakhan's e-commerce channel on price, selection, and delivery convenience.

Emerging players

• Etsy: Online marketplace with a significant fabric, yarn, and haberdashery seller base. Competes for hobbyist and small-business sewing demand, particularly in the online channel where Abakhan operates.

Regional players

• Mandors Fabric Store: Scottish-based fabric and haberdashery retailer with both physical and online presence. Comparable product mix and customer focus to Abakhan but operating in a different UK region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abakhan.fabrics
• Instagraminstagram.com/abakhanfabrics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abakhan-fabrics

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 Abakhan Fabrics