Behind the Scenes at One of the Best Fabric Shops in London
As many of you know, Fabrics Galore is a beloved bricks and mortar fabric shop in London, located at 52-54 Lavender Hill, Battersea, SW11 4RH. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at our bustling shop? Here’s your chance to take a peek into a day in the life of the Fabrics Galore Headquarters.
The Early Start: Preparing the Shop
Every day starts early at Fabrics Galore, but who arrives first depends on the day. Most mornings, Paul, the owner, is the first to arrive and kicks off the day with a quick hoover around the shop, ensuring everything looks perfect for our customers. However, on Mondays, Claire arrives first, followed by Annabelle, our shop and website manager, while on Fridays, Annabelle is the first one in.
By 9am, the whole team is in, but the shop doesn’t open until 10am. This gives us time to work on our growing number of online orders. While we cut fabric orders daily (except Sundays—we need a break too!), we post them out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Mondays, Claire and Annabelle start as early as 7am to get as many weekend orders packed and ready for dispatch.
Packing and Shipping Your Fabric Orders
Once the orders are cut and prepared, Annabelle or Gemma usually packs them up, ready for collection by Royal Mail in the afternoon. Every order is shipped First Class, so our customers can receive their beautiful fabrics as soon as possible.
While we’re busy with online orders, we’re also preparing for the in-store customers who start arriving at 10am We are always multitasking, ensuring that both our online and in-store shoppers get the best possible service.
Keeping Fabrics Looking their Best
When we aren’t packing orders or assisting customers, we are organising and displaying our fabric collection. Most of the time fabric arrives on a roll, but it’s a lot easier to handle when it’s folded onto boards.
One of the biggest tasks in the shop is folding fabrics, and Michael, who works on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, is the King of Folding! Whether it's tricky jersey fabric or cotton prints, Michael ensures everything looks neat and tidy for our customers.
Not to be left out, in between stocking-taking and doing Boss type things, Paul is busy on the rolling machine, cutting down large fabric rolls into more manageable sizes . Many fabrics arrive on rolls of over 20 metres, so this process makes it easier for both customers and Team FG to handle.
New Fabric Arrivals – Fresh Stock Every Day
One of the most exciting parts of running one of the best fabric shops in London is receiving new fabric deliveries. We receive new stock daily, which means our New In Collection is constantly being updated. When fabric arrives, everyone gets involved in unpacking, labelling, and later uploading it to our website, ready for you to browse online or see in-store.
Wrapping Up the Day at Fabrics Galore
By 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the Royal Mail van arrives, and we load it up with all the day’s orders, ensuring they are on their way to you. After that, we tidy up the shop, wash up, take notes for the next day, and get ready to do it all over again.
So, next time you visit Fabrics Galore, whether online or in person, you’ll know just how much hard work goes into keeping one of the busiest and best fabric shops in London running smoothly!
Visit Fabrics Galore – Your Go-To Fabric Shop in London
Looking for high-quality fabrics, expert advice, and a friendly shopping experience? Visit Fabrics Galore London at 52-54 Lavender Hill, Battersea, SW11 4RH, or shop online for a wide range of fabrics, including dressmaking, patchwork and quilting, furnishing and upholstery fabrics.
We can't wait to welcome you!
Author: Annabelle Rigg, Online and Store Manager at Fabrics Galore
