Craft lovers delight at new fabric and craft store in Shrewsbury
Fabrics, hobby and home retailer Abakhan has opened its first Shropshire store in Shrewsbury, creating more than 17 jobs.
The store on the city’s Market Street is the family-run company’s tenth store and it’s furthest one south. They plan to run an exciting programme of free weekly craft workshops.
Free weekly craft classes and workshops
Featuring a wide range of dressmaking fabrics, home furnishings, haberdashery and knitting yarns, the Shrewsbury store will have a specialist workshop area, with a programme of sewing and craft classes, taster sessions and free demonstrations.
Sales and marketing director William Abakhan, explained that the company had been interested in opening a shop in Shrewsbury for a number of years.
He said: “We initially looked at Shrewsbury in 2013, but couldn’t find the right base. However, this location – the former Maplin store – on Market Street is perfect for us.
Shrewsbury is an amazing market town and we have a lot of visitors to our other stores from this area.
It also has a flourishing arts and crafts scene, which we plan to contribute to by holding a regular programme of workshops and demonstrations.”
Made to measure fabrics
The Shrewsbury store offers a made-to-measure curtain and blind service, where customers can select fabrics from the store and have them handmade by Abakhan. There are also plans for free weekly knitting & craft groups, as well as offering a space for parties and events.
The 17 new posts created with the opening of the Shrewsbury store range from managers through to shop assistants, there are also freelance positions for experienced sewing and craft tutors.
The family firm, which was founded in the 1940s by William’s grandfather Russian rug maker, Michael Abakhan, acquired its first site in Mostyn in North Wales in 1973, which is now the company’s flagship store.
It has since opened shops across the North West, including Liverpool, Manchester, Hanley, Chester and most recently Altrincham as well as further afield in the Baltic states, and now employs 280 people.
There will also be a special launch of the new store in September, that will include a weekend of craft and sewing demonstrations, taster workshops and opening offers.
Karlie Simmonds Karlie has worked in Digital Media for over 10 years, she is passionate about health and wellbeing and lives in Edinburgh with her partner, children, and Pug, Poppy.
