Liberty is betting on the renewed appetite for sewing and making by more than doubling the size of its fabrics department and planning craft workshops in its haberdashery area this autumn. The central London store, which opened near Oxford Circus in 1924, said fabric sales rose 11% last year and that it expects growth at a similar pace this year.
The expanded fabrics section is now 140% larger than before, covering 4,630 sq ft and holding more than 2,500 fabrics. The department is staffed by 17 specialist sales people who can help customers choose materials for their projects. According to Liberty retail managing director Lydia King, the store is also seeing interest from overseas shoppers who buy luxury fabrics to have garments made in their home countries.
Liberty said it will also enlarge its haberdashery area and use it to host workshops for crafters. King said many department stores have moved away from such offerings, but Liberty wants to “celebrate and elevate the customer experience.” The move comes amid wider enthusiasm for quilt making, crochet and sewing, boosted by social media videos, television programmes such as The Great British Sewing Bee, and online marketplaces including Etsy and eBay. Research cited in the report found that about a fifth of Britons sew, rising to 30% among women, while craft participation among UK adults has climbed from 15% to 20% in a few years.
The retailer says the trend is helping it perform strongly at a time when some other department store names are under pressure. Liberty, founded by Arthur Lasenby in 1875, is also widening its own-label fabric range, including new versions of its Tana Lawn line in georgette, sequin and sparkly thread finishes.
Source: theguardian.com
