The Embroidery Wearhouse And Screen Printing Llc

What The Embroidery Wearhouse And Screen Printing Llc does

The Embroidery Warehouse And Screen Printing LLC, operating as Embroidery Warehouse, is a South African distributor of machine embroidery supplies headquartered in a single showroom and warehouse in Kelvin, Sandton, Johannesburg. The company sells the 'Colorful' brand of tri-lobal polyester machine embroidery thread manufactured to ISO 9001 and OEKO-TEX standards, available in 340 colors across multiple cone formats (1000m, 1500m, 4000m, 4600m, 9000m) plus specialty variants including metallics, neons, variegated, glitter, and glow-in-the-dark thread. Complementary categories include pre-wound bobbins, embroidery backing and stabilizers, Groz-Beckert and Schmetz needles, Fraliz Italian scissors, thread storage cabinets, and assorted accessories.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model with domestic door-to-door delivery via The Courier Guy and customer pickup from the Sandton showroom; international customers arrange their own transport from Johannesburg. Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales (cones, boxes, rolls, cabinets) priced in ZAR excluding VAT, with volume discounts on box purchases and bundle offers pairing thread with storage cabinets. The customer base is horizontal, split between industrial/factory embroiderers requiring bulk 4000m and 9000m cones and home/small embroiderers buying smaller quantities, served primarily through online ordering with phone and email support.

The company has operated for over two decades under the Colorful brand, maintains a 4.7/5 Google rating from 81 reviews, and pursues a content-led marketing strategy via an embroidery blog and free design downloads. Product activity in 2024 was substantial, including 59 new standard colors, multiple specialty thread launches, and bulk format expansions, with continued seasonal collection launches into 2026. The company is private, bootstrapped, and shows no disclosed funding, M&A, or institutional investor relationships.

Name

The Embroidery Wearhouse And Screen Printing Llc

Legal name

Embroidery Warehouse

Website

https://embroiderywarehouse.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Embroidery Warehouse is a South African e-commerce distributor selling the Colorful brand of machine embroidery thread (340 colors, ISO 9001 and OEKO-TEX certified) plus bobbins, backing, needles, scissors, and storage, serving factory/commercial embroiderers and home hobbyists across Southern Africa from a single Sandton warehouse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Machine Embroidery Supplies

NAICS

Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (313110)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Threads, Yarns & Sewing Notions (Sewing Thread/Embroidery Thread/Bobbins/Needles) (IMAOALAE)

Keywords

• Machine embroidery thread
• Embroidery supplies
• Embroidery backing stabilisers
• Embroidery bobbins needles
• Thread storage cabinets

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Thread Sales: Primary revenue from sale of machine embroidery thread in various formats (1000m, 1500m, 4000m, 9000m cones). Thread types include standard polyester, metallics, neons, variegated, glow-in-the-dark, glitter, and FineLine lettering thread. Available in bulk quantities including box sets.
2. Embroidery Supplies: Sale of embroidery accessories including bobbins, backing materials, scissors, needles, markers, adhesives, and other essentials. Products include pre-wound bobbins, various backing types (cut-away, tear-away, water-soluble), and Fraliz scissors imported from Italy.
3. Storage Solutions: Sale of thread storage cabinets and organization products. Includes 2-drawer and 6-drawer modular cabinets with special bundle offers combining thread selections with discounted storage units.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Embroidery Warehouse sells machine embroidery thread, bobbins, backing, needles, scissors, and storage cabinets to factory and home embroiderers. The core product line is the Colorful brand of premium tri-lobal polyester embroidery thread, available in 340 colours across multiple cone sizes and specialty formats. Orders are placed through an e-commerce storefront with payment prior to shipping, delivered domestically via courier or collected from the Sandton showroom.

Product overview

Embroidery Warehouse is a Southern African supplier of machine embroidery supplies offering a comprehensive product portfolio centered on the Colorful embroidery thread brand. The core product line includes Colorful polyester embroidery thread in multiple sizes (1000m, 1500m, 4000m, 4600m, 9000m cones) available in 340+ colours including standard, neon, variegated, glitter, metallic, and glow-in-the-dark specialty lines. Complementary product categories include pre-wound bobbins, embroidery backing and stabilisers (spunbond, cut-away, tear-away, water-soluble toppings), industrial and domestic machine needles (Groz-Beckert, Schmetz), Fraliz Italian scissors, thread storage cabinets, and essential accessories. Curated thread box sets (Summer, Pastels, Festive, Winter Harvest) offer themed colour collections at discounted pricing. The company also offers special bundle deals combining thread selections with discounted storage solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colorful: Premium machine embroidery thread brand manufactured from superior quality trilobal polyester yarn, featuring high lustre, high sheen, strength and washability. Available in 340 colors across various thread sizes.

Products and services

• Colorful Embroidery Thread Premium polyester machine embroidery thread manufactured from superior quality tri-lobal polyester yarn, available in 340+ colours across multiple sizes (1000m, 1500m, 4000m, 4600m, 9000m). Features high lustre, high sheen, strength and washability, with colorfast and UV-resistant properties. Certified to ISO 9001 and OEKO_TEX standards. Designed for commercial embroidery operations and home/small embroiderers.
• Colorful 1000m Thread Cones Standard cone size Colorful embroidery thread in 304 standard colours plus specialty lines including Neons, Variegated, Glitter, and Glow In The Dark. Priced at R22.50 per cone with box of 12 at R243.00 (10% discount).
• Colorful 4000m Thread Cones Larger cone size Colorful thread for high-volume commercial embroidery users. 130 popular colours available at R56.00 per cone for production environments.
• Colorful 9000m King Cones King size bulk cones for high-volume embroidery production. Available in black and white. Features fewer thread changes and cost-effective price per running metre.
• Colorful Metallics Thread Metallic embroidery thread for decorative embroidery effects. Available in 4600m cones with 6 colours including Old Gold, New Gold, Gold Leaf, Copper, Silver, and Titanium. Priced at R195.00 per cone.
• Colorful FineLine Lettering Thread Fine lettering thread designed for machine embroidering fine details and small lettering. Available in 48 colours in 1500m cones for lettering and detail work.
• Colorful Thread Box Sets Handpicked curated collections of 24 Colorful thread cones at 10% off normal price. Available sets include Sizzling Summer (24 summer colours), Perfect Pastels (24 soft pastel shades), Festive Flair (24 festive shades in 4 themes), and Winter Harvest (24 autumn/winter shades).
• Pre-wound Bobbins Superior quality pre-wound machine embroidery bobbins manufactured from 75D/2 polyester filament in 'L' style. Available in sideless, cardboard sided, and plastic sided options in black and white. Thread length 130m per bobbin.
• Embroidery Backing & Stabilisers Complete range of embroidery backing products including Spunbond Cut Away, Soft Cut Away, Tear Away, Stitch & Tear, Perforated Cut Away, Perforated Tear Away, and water-soluble options (Avalon). Available in various gsm weights and roll sizes for different fabric types.
• Groz-Beckert Embroidery Needles Industrial machine needles imported from Germany for single and multi-head high-speed embroidery. Standard embroidery needle DB X K5 with RG point available in sizes 65/9, 70/10, 75/11 and 80/12. Round shank needles for industrial machines. R320.00 per box of 100.
• Schmetz Embroidery Needles Domestic embroidery machine needles including flat-shank embroidery needles, available for various domestic machine brands.
• Fraliz Scissors Premium scissors imported from Italy, including embroidery scissors, fabric scissors, tailors shears, pinking shears, applique scissors, bent trimmers, and spring scissors. Range compiled specifically for the embroidery industry.
• Thread Storage Cabinets Premium modular thread storage solutions in 2-drawer and 6-drawer options, sturdy solid timber with light grey finish. Stackable design holding 112 x 1000m thread cones per 2-drawer unit. Dimensions: 56 x 48 x 22 cm. 2-Drawer Cabinet: R1,350.00; 6-Drawer Cabinet: R8,330.00.
• Embroidery Essentials & Accessories Range of embroidery essentials including Quick Stitch Remover (cordless stitch remover), Super 99 Spray Adhesive, Double Sided Tape (18mm x 20m), Heat Film (120 micron), 3mm EVA Foam for 3D puff embroidery, Glitterflex fusible vinyl, Fusible Interlining TM-50, White Needle Oil (100ml–2L), and garment markers (permanent and temporary).

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hobbycraft: UK's largest arts and crafts retail chain carrying sewing, embroidery, and haberdashery supplies. Comparable as a specialty craft retailer with embroidery product category, though with much broader craft assortment and larger store footprint.
• JOANN: US fabric and craft retail chain with significant embroidery thread, notions, and stabilizer assortment serving both hobbyists and small commercial customers. Comparable as a broad-based craft retailer with embroidery supplies as a key category.
• Spotlight: Major craft and fabric retail chain across Australia and New Zealand offering fabric, sewing, and embroidery supplies. Comparable as a multi-category craft retail destination carrying embroidery thread and accessories, though operating at much larger scale and broader assortment than Embroidery Warehouse.
• Coats: Global industrial thread manufacturer with a broad portfolio spanning apparel, footwear, and specialty threads including embroidery applications. Comparable as a thread manufacturer operating at massive scale across multiple end markets, though embroidery is a smaller subset of their overall business.
• Michaels: North America's largest arts and crafts retailer carrying sewing and embroidery supplies including thread, stabilizers, and notions. Comparable as a broad craft retailer where embroidery supplies are a sub-category of a much wider assortment.

Direct peers

• Hemingworth: Premium embroidery thread brand offering extensive color ranges with focus on trilobal polyester construction for high sheen. Directly comparable product positioning to Embroidery Warehouse's Colorful line, serving hobbyists and small commercial embroiderers via e-commerce.
• Robison-Anton: US-based manufacturer of embroidery thread with extensive color palettes and specialty variants (rayon, polyester, metallic). Comparable as a branded embroidery thread supplier targeting both industrial and hobbyist markets with similar product format options (cones of various lengths).
• Gunold: German manufacturer specializing in embroidery thread and stabilizers/backing for industrial embroidery. Highly comparable as a one-stop supplier of thread and embroidery consumables serving commercial embroidery operations with bulk formats and quality certifications.
• Madeira: Global manufacturer and brand of embroidery thread serving both commercial embroidery operations and home/hobbyist segments worldwide. Directly comparable as a specialty embroidery thread specialist with extensive color ranges and bulk formats serving the same core customer needs as Embroidery Warehouse's Colorful brand.
• AllBrands: US-based specialty e-commerce retailer of sewing, embroidery, and quilting supplies offering thread, bobbins, backing, needles, and scissors from multiple brands. Comparable as a focused online embroidery supplies retailer with similar product breadth and direct-to-consumer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 The Embroidery Wearhouse And Screen Printing Llc