THE BEAD SHOP (NOTTINGHAM) LIMITED

What THE BEAD SHOP (NOTTINGHAM) LIMITED does

The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Limited is a privately held UK independent retailer of beads, jewellery-making supplies and craft materials, founded in late 1999/early 2000 by Hana and Robin. It operates a high-street showroom at 7 Market Street, Nottingham city centre, alongside a Shopify-powered e-commerce store (mailorder-beads.co.uk) that has been live since 2002 and ships globally with same-day dispatch and next-day UK delivery. The product catalogue spans Delicas, bugles and seed beads (Miyuki, Preciosa), Czech crystal and glass beads, semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, lava, wooden, polymer clay and acrylic beads, charms and findings, plus an extensive kits, patterns and gifts range covering earring, necklace, bracelet, home decoration and craft kits.

Beyond retail, the company runs a recurring programme of creative workshops (silversmithing, bead weaving, glass fusing, tiara making), hosts children's beading parties, hen parties and corporate team-building sessions, and offers a jewellery repair and restringing service plus bespoke jewellery creation. A wholesale department serves trade customers, and a small in-shop cafe (opened July 2021) supports workshop and event programming. The business is founder-led, employs approximately eight people, and holds no outside institutional investment.

Go-to-market is multi-channel and community-led: physical retail, e-commerce, bead fairs (Essex, Haydock, The Garage Market), workshops and parties, a six-platform social media presence (Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok), a blog with 69 articles, free beading patterns, and a weekly email newsletter. Revenue is generated through unit-priced product sales, workshop and event fees, repair services (priced £2.50–£22.50), bespoke commissions and wholesale transactions, with a light loyalty layer (15% off after £350 annual spend) rather than subscription contracts.

Name

THE BEAD SHOP (NOTTINGHAM) LIMITED

Legal name

The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Limited

Website

https://mailorder-beads.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Limited is a UK indie retailer selling beads, jewellery-making supplies and craft kits through a Nottingham city-centre shop and a worldwide Shopify e-commerce store, serving hobbyist beaders, jewellery makers and craft enthusiasts with workshops, repair services and a wholesale department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bead and Craft Supplies Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913), Jewelry Retailers (458310)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail (CRALACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pearl & Bead Stringing / Re-stringing (CRAKALAL), Handmade/Craft Fashion Jewelry (Beaded/Wire/Woven) (CRAKABAD), Notions & Sewing Accessories Retail (Thread, Needles, Zippers, Buttons) (CRALADAG), Cross-Stitch & Counted Thread Shops (CRALADAF)

Keywords

• Bead retail
• Jewellery making supplies
• Craft materials
• Jewellery repair services
• Creative workshops

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail and E-commerce Sales: Physical retail shop sales and mail order/online sales of beads, jewellery making supplies, craft materials, kits, and tools. Products include beads, pendants, findings, threads, tools, books, and craft kits.
2. Workshops and Classes: Regular program of creative workshops including silversmithing, bead weaving, glass fusing, tiara making, and various jewellery making techniques. Taught by qualified tutors including Hana (Art Clay tutor) and Steph (Art Clay qualified).
3. Jewellery Repair Services: Jewellery repair, restringing, quick fixes, and bespoke jewellery creation services. Services include basic repairs from £2.50, small makes from £3.50, basic re-strings from £8.50-£20.00, knotted re-strings from £22.50, and custom jewellery from £3.50 plus materials.
4. Wholesale: Wholesale department serving trade customers with bulk bead and jewellery supply purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Limited is a UK independent retailer that sells beads, jewellery findings, threads, tools, craft kits, and readymade jewellery through a Nottingham city centre shop and a Shopify-powered e-commerce mail order site. It also runs creative workshops (silversmithing, bead weaving, glass fusing, tiara making), jewellery repair services, and bespoke jewellery creation, and supplies trade customers through a wholesale department.

Product overview

The Bead Shop (Nottingham) Limited is a UK-based bead and craft retailer offering an e-commerce platform (mailorder-beads.co.uk built on Shopify) alongside a physical retail shop in Nottingham since January 2000. The product portfolio consists of a core bead and pendant range — spanning Delicas, Bugles, Seed Beads (from Miyuki and Preciosa), Preciosa Crystal components, Semi-Precious Gemstone Beads, Freshwater Pearls, Lava Beads, Glass Beads, Wooden Beads (sustainably sourced from Germany), Polymer Clay Beads, Charms, Metal Beads, Plastic/Acrylic Beads, and Limited Edition beads — complemented by findings (Sterling Silver clasps, charms, earwires, chains), stringing materials, tools and storage. The shop also retails finished Readymade Jewellery and an extensive Kits, Patterns & Gifts range covering earring kits, home decoration kits, craft kits, Christmas kits and gift vouchers. Services include Jewellery Repair (basic repairs, re-stringing, mail-order service), Custom/Bespoke Jewellery creation, and Workshops & Classes (silversmithing, bead weaving, glass fusing, tiara making, plus children's and hen parties). The business stocks branded suppliers including Miyuki, Preciosa, FIMO, Gutermann, Beadalon, Softflex and The Beadsmith, and maintains an ethical sourcing policy favouring fair-trade suppliers and recycled/reusable packaging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beads & Pendants A comprehensive retail range of beads and pendants for hobbyist beaders and jewellery makers, including Miyuki Delicas, Bugles and Seed Beads; Preciosa Crystal Beads and Pendants; Semi-Precious Beads; Freshwater Pearls; Lava Beads; Glass Beads; Wooden Beads; Polymer Clay Beads; Charms and Pendants; Metal Beads and Metal Letter Beads; Plastic and Acrylic Beads; Gutermann Beads and Sew All Thread; Limited Edition Beads; and Readymade Jewellery. Sold via the Nottingham shop and Shopify mail order site.
• Beading Kits, Patterns & Gifts Pre-packaged craft kits, beading patterns, and gift offerings including earring kits, necklace kits, bracelet kits, starter kits, home decoration kits, craft kits (cross stitch, macrame, felt sewing, embroidery, needle felting, punch needle), Christmas kits, and gift vouchers. Most kits are designed in-house by Steph.
• Jewellery Making Supplies (Findings, Tools, Threads, Storage) Full range of jewellery making supplies including Silver Art Clay, resin, polymer clay and tools, Kumihimo supplies, Macramé, shrink plastic, soutache supplies, needle felting, Sterling Silver findings and charms, clasps, earwires, chains, stringing materials, tools, and storage. Sold alongside beads to support end-to-end jewellery making projects.
• Jewellery Repair and Restringing Service In-shop and mail-order jewellery repair service including basic repairs while you wait from £2.50 (clasp replacement, magnetic clasp conversion, ear wire upgrades), small makes from £3.50, basic re-strings and mending from £8.50–£20.00, knotted necklace re-stringing from £22.50, and mail-order repair delivery via Royal Mail Special Delivery at £12.95. Performed by Angela and the team.
• Custom/Bespoke Jewellery Creation Bespoke jewellery creation from scratch starting at £3.50 plus materials, using techniques including silversmithing (Hana), wirework and Wigjig findings (Robin), and bead weaving (Steph and Angela). Available for individual customers seeking personalised pieces.
• Workshops & Classes (Silversmithing, Bead Weaving, Glass Fusing, Tiara Making) Regular programme of paid creative workshops held at the Nottingham shop and taught by qualified tutors including Hana (Art Clay qualified, silversmithing and glass), Steph (Art Clay qualified, bead weaving and kit design), and Angela (repairs and creative). Includes silversmithing, bead weaving, glass fusing, tiara making, and other jewellery making techniques.
• Children's Parties, Hen Parties, and Team Building Workshops Hosted group creative workshops and party packages for children (supervised beading activities hosted by Greta/Juno), hen parties (group craft sessions), and corporate team building workshops, all held at the Nottingham shop.
• Wholesale Trade Supply Wholesale department serving trade customers with bulk purchases of beads, jewellery findings, and supplies at trade pricing. Managed by Lucy and operated alongside the consumer retail business.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Amazon Handmade: Marketplace arm of Amazon for handcrafted jewellery and craft goods. Competes with The Bead Shop's finished Readymade Jewellery range and bead supply catalogue on convenience and price, especially for UK and international buyers.
• Etsy: Global marketplace for handmade jewellery, beads, and craft supplies. Competes for both supply (small bead artisans) and demand (jewellery-making hobbyists), and acts as an alternative discovery channel for The Bead Shop's customer base.
• TOHO Beads: Japanese precision seed-bead manufacturer (a direct competitor to Miyuki, which The Bead Shop stocks). Comparable as a category supplier and indirectly competes for end-customer demand through other retailers.

Regional players

• The London Bead Shop: Independent London-based bead and jewellery-making supplies retailer. Comparable in product category and hobbyist focus but serves a different UK geography from Nottingham.

Broad incumbents

• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist craft retailer with ~100 stores and a broad online catalogue. Overlaps with The Bead Shop across bead and jewellery-making supplies, but operates at national scale and across many craft categories rather than focusing on beading.
• John Lewis & Partners: UK department store with a haberdashery and craft supplies section. Overlaps with The Bead Shop on basic bead and craft ranges, but operates a broad-line retail model rather than a specialist beading focus.

Direct peers

• Creative Beadcraft: UK-based online retailer of beads, crystals, and jewellery-making supplies serving hobbyist and trade customers. Directly comparable in product mix, UK customer base, and DTC mail-order model.
• Fire Mountain Gems: US-based direct-to-consumer retailer of beads, findings, jewellery-making supplies and kits, with a strong content library and education programme. Directly comparable in assortment, hobbyist customer base, and DTC e-commerce-plus-content model.
• Beadaholique: US-based online bead and jewellery-making supplies retailer with extensive video tutorials and free project library. Closely comparable in product mix (seed beads, crystals, findings) and content-driven DTC model targeting hobbyist beaders.

Emerging players

• Beadalon: Specialist beading and jewellery-making supplies brand carried by The Bead Shop, with its own DTC site serving hobbyist beaders. Comparable in target customer and product category, though operating as a brand rather than multi-brand retailer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beadshop_nottm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0HkQ2BkzPHJiIdWyC1I3Dg
• Facebookfacebook.com/beadshop
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebeadshopnottingham
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/mailorderbeads
• TikToktiktok.com/@thebeadshopnotts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quick-add

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 THE BEAD SHOP (NOTTINGHAM) LIMITED