The Fabric Store
The Fabric Store is a New Zealand-based omnichannel specialty retailer selling fashion fabrics, deadstock textiles, sewing patterns (including its own Make by TFS brand), and sewing supplies to home sewists and independent fashion designers via four NZ retail stores and e-commerce storefronts serving NZ, Australia, and international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Fabric Store does
The Fabric Store (legally "The Fabric Store NZ") is a privately held, omnichannel specialty retailer of fashion fabrics, sewing patterns, and sewing supplies, domiciled in New Zealand. The company serves primarily DIY home sewists and independent fashion designers, with a secondary segment of sewing students and educators. Its assortment spans more than a dozen fabric categories, anchored by deadstock textiles sourced from brands and manufacturers and supplemented by exclusive in-house milled fabrics, premium third-party lines (Liberty Fabrics, ZQ Premium Merino), and full coverage of mainstream categories including cotton, linen, merino, silk, rayon/viscose, knits, woollens, specialty fabrics, and synthetics. The product portfolio also includes the company's own sewing pattern brand "Make by TFS" alongside multi-vendor pattern reselling (Elbe Textiles, Birgitta Helmersson, Papercut, Papercute Kids, Veronica Tucker), sewing notions, and digital gift cards.
The Fabric Store operates a Shopify-based e-commerce platform with separate storefronts for New Zealand (wearethefabricstore.co.nz) and Australia/rest-of-world (wearethefabricstore.com), integrated with wishlist functionality, live chat, and high-resolution product photography for online fabric selection. This is complemented by four physical retail showrooms in New Zealand's principal cities: Auckland (139 Newton Road), Wellington (14 College Street), Christchurch (Shop 46, The Tannery), and Dunedin (86 Lower Stuart Street). Online orders ship from TFS HQ with in-store pickup available at physical locations.
Revenue is generated on a transactional per-metre fabric model (typical price NZD $30/m, with premium items at NZD $34/m) supplemented by per-unit pricing on patterns (NZD $33 per PDF or paper pattern), sewing supplies, and configurable gift cards. Go-to-market is product-led and direct-to-consumer, leveraging Instagram community engagement, email newsletter capture with a 10% first-order incentive, a content/blog funnel, a loyalty points program, and a student discount channel. The company has no disclosed funding, parent company, or ownership structure, and maintains no disclosed patents, certifications, or AI capabilities.
The Fabric Store firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Fabric Store
- Legal name
- The Fabric Store NZ
- Website
- https://thefabricstoreonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Fabric Store is a New Zealand-based omnichannel specialty retailer selling fashion fabrics, deadstock textiles, sewing patterns (including its own Make by TFS brand), and sewing supplies to home sewists and independent fashion designers via four NZ retail stores and e-commerce storefronts serving NZ, Australia, and international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Fabric Store industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fashion Fabric Retail
- NAICS
- Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)
- SIC
- 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), Pattern & Sewing Instruction Retail (Patterns, Books, Classes) (CRALADAH)
Keywords
The Fabric Store business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fabric Sales: Per-metre fabric sales across multiple categories including deadstock, exclusive milled fabrics, cotton, linen, merino, silk, rayon/viscose, Liberty fabrics, knits, woollens, specialty fabrics, and synthetics. Revenue generated through per-unit (per metre) pricing.
- Sewing Patterns: Sale of PDF and paper sewing patterns including own brand Make by TFS, Elbe Textiles, Birgitta Helmersson, Veronica Tucker, and Papercut patterns. One-time purchase model for pattern downloads or physical pattern books.
- Sewing Supplies: Sale of sewing notions and supplies including buttons, zips, thread, elastic, bias binding, sewing tools, labels, fusible interfacing, lining options, and sewing books.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift voucher sales allowing customers to purchase gift cards for use on future fabric and product purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Fabric Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PDF Patterns |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Vouchers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Fabric Store product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Fabric Store retails fashion fabrics by the metre — primarily deadstock textiles sourced from brands and manufacturers and exclusive in-house milled fabrics — alongside sewing patterns (own brand Make by TFS and third-party designers) and sewing supplies. It operates four physical showrooms across New Zealand and two e-commerce domains serving domestic and overseas customers, with online orders fulfilled from TFS HQ.
Product overview
The Fabric Store is an omnichannel fabric and sewing retailer operating as a single unified offering—a curated fabric and pattern marketplace with physical retail locations in New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) and online store. The core product consists of deadstock fabrics sourced from brands and manufacturers to prevent waste, supplemented by exclusive milled fabrics designed in-house. The portfolio spans multiple fabric categories including cotton, linen, merino wool, silk, rayon/viscose, Liberty fabrics, knits, woollens, specialty fabrics, and synthetics. Add-on offerings include Make by TFS—the company's own branded sewing pattern line—and third-party sewing patterns from designers like Elbe Textiles and Birgitta Helmersson, along with sewing supplies, tools, and gift vouchers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Make by TFS: The company's own range of home sewing patterns, developed as an extension of their sustainable and ethical business values.
Products and services
- Deadstock Fabrics
Quantifiable outcome
- Most fabrics sourced as deadstock, preventing materials from becoming waste
Companies that use The Fabric Store
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Fabric Store technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Fabric Store partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LibertycoreOfficial stockist of Liberty Fabrics, including Tana Lawn, silk, knits/swim, and cotton collections. Liberty is a prestigious British design house known for floral prints, providing The Fabric Store with access to exclusive designer fabrics.
- ZQ MerinocoreStockist of ZQ Premium Merino fabrics, a certification program ensuring ethical wool production from New Zealand farms with high standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
- Elbe TextilesminorStockist of Elbe Textiles paper sewing patterns. Australian independent pattern company producing modern, wearable designs.
- Birgitta HelmerssonminorStockist of Birgitta Helmersson zero-waste PDF sewing patterns. Swedish designer known for sustainable, geometric zero-waste pattern designs.
- Papercut PatternsminorStockist of Papercut Patterns and Papercute Kids paper sewing patterns. Singapore-based pattern company offering contemporary, fashion-forward designs.
- Kylie and the MachineminorStockist of Kylie and the Machine sewing labels. Australian company producing high-quality woven labels for handmade garments.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
The Fabric Store competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Spoonflower: US-based print-on-demand fabric platform serving home sewists and indie designers globally. Adjacent competitor in the custom-fabric and indie-designer segment TFS serves.
- Boise Stitch: Australian online fabric retailer specializing in deadstock and designer fabrics for dressmakers. Closely comparable deadstock-led model to TFS in a neighbouring geography.
Broad incumbents
- Mood Fabrics: Iconic US-based fabric retailer (famed via Project Runway) with broad fashion fabric assortment online and at NYC flagship. Comparable in product category though materially larger scale.
- Fabric.com: Large US online fabric retailer (owned by Amazon) offering broad assortments at competitive prices. Represents scaled competition TFS faces in cross-border e-commerce.
Direct peers
- Spotlight: Largest specialty fabric and craft retailer in Australia and New Zealand, with extensive physical and online presence. Closest direct competitor to TFS in the AU/NZ home-sewing market.
- Minerva Crafts: UK-based online fabric and haberdashery retailer with deep sewing-pattern and notions offering. Comparable omnichannel craft-retail business model to TFS.
- Lincraft: Australian fabric, craft, and haberdashery retailer with both physical stores and online channel. Competes directly with TFS for home-sewist customers across AU/NZ.
- Drapers Fabrics: UK online fabric retailer offering cotton, linen, wool, and silk dressmaking fabrics with detailed photography. Similar DTC e-commerce fabric-store model to TFS.
- Tessuti Fabrics: UK-based online fabric retailer specializing in dressmaking and fashion fabrics, including designer deadstock. Comparable to TFS in product mix and target sewist audience.
Regional players
- The Cloth House: UK-based specialty fabric retailer focused on dressmaking and fashion fabrics, primarily serving British and European customers. Comparable curated boutique positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Fabric Store social profiles
Digital presenceThe Fabric Store financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Fabric Store leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Fabric Store funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Fabric Store M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Fabric Store
What does The Fabric Store do?
The Fabric Store retails fashion fabrics by the metre — primarily deadstock textiles sourced from brands and manufacturers and exclusive in-house milled fabrics — alongside sewing patterns (own brand Make by TFS and third-party designers) and sewing supplies. It operates four physical showrooms across New Zealand and two e-commerce domains serving domestic and overseas customers, with online orders fulfilled from TFS HQ.
Is The Fabric Store a public or private company?
The Fabric Store is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Fabric Store founded?
The Fabric Store was founded in -1.
How does The Fabric Store make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fabric Sales are the primary driver. The others are sewing Patterns, sewing Supplies and gift Cards.
Who are The Fabric Store's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Spoonflower and Boise Stitch. Broad incumbents are Mood Fabrics and Fabric.com. Direct peers are Spotlight, Minerva Crafts, Lincraft, Drapers Fabrics and Tessuti Fabrics. The Cloth House is listed as a regional player.
Does The Fabric Store have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Fabric Store.
What industry is The Fabric Store in?
The Fabric Store's product category is Fashion Fabric Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALADAA, General Fabric & Textile Stores, with a secondary code of CRALADAG, Notions & Sewing Accessories Retail (Thread, Needles, Zippers, Buttons). Its NAICS code is 45913 and its SIC code is 5600.