Liberty has more than doubled the size of its fabrics department at its central London store, part of a wider push to capitalise on a growing craft and sewing trend fuelled by social media. The Oxford Circus department store, which opened in 1924, will also expand its haberdashery section and host crafting workshops this autumn, as it seeks to build on strong recent sales in an area many rival department stores have scaled back.

Fabric sales at Liberty rose 11% last year, with similar growth expected in 2026, driven by both home crafters and wealthy overseas shoppers buying luxury fabric for bespoke tailoring. The revamped department, now 4,630 sq ft and 140% larger than before, stocks more than 2,500 fabrics and is staffed by 17 specialist sales assistants. Liberty's retail managing director, Lydia King, attributed the boom partly to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram and shows like The Great British Sewing Bee, alongside growing interest in secondhand clothing and online craft marketplaces like Etsy. Research from the Crafts Council found UK adult craft participation had risen from 15% to 20% in a few years, with Liberty's growth coming even as competitors such as Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser struggle.