COVID-19 Updates

— Customer Notice

All orders placed through our Online Store - thefabricstoreonline.com, are processed and dispatched from our Auckland based New Zealand HQ which is separate to our store locations.

The Fabric Store Online is operating in line with governmental protection standards. Our team are following strict hygiene protocol and maintaining contactless courier collections.

If you have any questions about shopping online with us or your order, email us on support@thefabricstoreonline.com.

— Online Dispatch FAQ's

I want to place an order online, when will it be processed?

We welcome and encourage you to continue to place orders with us online, however please expect a delay during sale periods. Rest assured any purchases automatically have stock allocated to the order, and a tracking link will be sent to your email as soon as it is been processed for dispatch.

I have an urgent order, what is the quickest option?

If you are based in either Australia or New Zealand we advise for you to instead shop directly with your nearest store if possible. All 8 of our stores have a huge range of fabrics that are not available online, and offer an affordable mail-order service for all their fabrics, leathers, patterns and haberdashery! This is by far the quickest option whilst our Online Store processes the backlog of orders. Call & Collect is available through all our store locations.

Australian Customers
Please email your nearest store directly, with your full name, phone number, postal address and the details of what you would like to purchase and a staff member will check availability of stock and then call you to confirm the order and to take payment.

New Zealand Customers
Please email your nearest store directly, with your full name, phone number, postal address and the details of what you would like to purchase and a staff member will check availability of stock and then call you to confirm the order and to take payment.

International Customers
Please email us on support@thefabricstoreonline.com quoting your order number and we will put it at the front of the queue. Please note that we have no control over delays once the parcel is dispatched.

I want to change my order, how do i do this?

Any change requests may delay the processing of your order. For order inquiries please email support@thefabricstoreonline.com quoting your order number and we will get back to you a.s.a.p.

What is your shipping policy?

All our deliveries are contact-less. Read more about our Shipping timeframes here.

For further information from our international shipping provider DHL Express, read their updates page here.

Online Collection orders to New Zealand are sent via NZ Post and you can read their updates here.

How will I know my order has been sent?

You will receive an automated Shipping Confirmation email with any associated tracking numbers as soon as your order has been processed. When your order is out for delivery you will receive an automated Shipment out for delivery email.

If you have not received any emails at all after placing your order email please email us on support@thefabricstoeronline.com 

— Archive

22nd September 2021

Auckland is currently is under Level 3 restrictions and our online order processing is currently taking longer than normal due to covid-19 restrictions, please expect a delay of at least 3 weeks for new orders. We apologize for the delays and any inconvenience caused.

A note to customer who placed an order before the 22nd September —

Our Online Store paused processing & dispatch on August 17th. If you have not already received an automated Shipping Confirmation email, your order has not been processed yet and is currently sitting in our processing queue.

As soon as your order has been processed you will receive an automated Shipping Confirmation email with any associated tracking numbers. When your order is out for delivery you will receive an automated Shipment out for delivery email.

Rest assured your purchase automatically allocated stock to your order.

If you have not received any emails at all after placing your order email please email us on support@thefabricstoreonline.com 

25th August 2021

All orders placed through our Online Store - thefabricstoreonline.com, are processed and dispatched from our Auckland based New Zealand HQ which is separate to our store locations.

Auckland is currently is under Level 4 restrictions and our online order processing is currently limited to essential items only. We apologize for the delays and any inconvenience caused.

Essential items encompass a range of winter essential fabrics and face mask-making supplies - view them here.

This decision to dispatch essential items has been primarily made on the premise of providing mask making supplies and warm sewing essentials for home sewists, as we are in the middle of our Southern Hemisphere winter. It has been made in support of a number of direct requests from the sewing community that we have received over the past few days.

To ensure a simple ordering process, you can shop from the products in our Winter Essentials collection here. This collection includes merino jersey and woollen fabrics, required for sewing warm clothing and blankets, as well as threads with which to sew. We have also included mask-making items such as Lanaco Helix Filters, Nose Wires, elastic and selected fabrics.

In adherence to social distancing protocol, we will have a reduced number of team members dispatching any essential orders placed between now and the end of NZ Level 4 lockdown, and they will be following strict hygiene protocol and maintaining contactless courier collections. Please expect that there may still be some delays in order processing.

Please note that any orders containing items outside of the Winter Essentials collection will not be dispatched until Level 4 Restrictions lift in the Auckland region, New Zealand.

If you would like to place an order online but would prefer for us to withhold dispatching your order until after NZ Level 4 lockdown, we understand. Simply make a note in the special instructions box when you place your order, stating that you would like us to dispatch post-lockdown and we will ensure this happens.

Please sign up to our newsletters to keep up to date with any news, we will let you know as soon as our Online Store is fully up and running again.

If you have any questions about shopping online with us or your order, email us on support@thefabricstoreonline.com.

28th April 2020

We're so excited to let you know that Online Collection dispatch returns to normal, from Tuesday 28th April!

This means our team will be back on board and will begin working their way through processing all online orders that have not yet been dispatched. We have a massive backlog of orders and our online team will be undertaking social distancing whilst processing, so please expect that things will be a little slower than usual for the next week or so.

Scroll down to see our FAQ's for online orders.

For information on possible delays with your local couriers services, please read the DHL updates here, and Courier Post updates here.

We wanted to take a moment to also say a very heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who have so kindly and confidently placed orders with us over the last four weeks. We have been overwhelmed with gratitude for the amount of encouraging feedback we've received, from all corners of the globe and we can't wait to get back into supplying you with amazing fabrics and inspirational makes on our blog.

Stay safe & take good care!

Arohanui
x
The Fabric Store

16th April 2020

Australian stores now taking mail orders!

We've been working on putting procedures in place to allow our stores in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to open again for mail orders. We've put measures in place to ensure the safety of our staff and our community, following workplace guidelines from the Australian Government. This means whilst our doors are still closed for physical sales, we're now able to take orders via phone!   If you are looking to place a mail-order, please email your nearest store directly, with your full name, phone number, postal address and the details of what you would like to purchase and a staff member will check availability of stock and then call you to confirm the order and to take payment.

We recommend that online customers who are based in Australia choose to shop directly with their nearest store where they can. This will ensure your order gets to you as quickly as possible!

If you require samples, please fill in the enquiry form with details of what you are looking for, and a staff member will call you back when they are available. Please also include your postal address in the Message box to help us get through this process a little faster. If requesting a sample or a purchase enquiry from our ‘New Arrivals’ or ‘In-Store Specials’ page please reference the item name in full along with the date posted.

If your enquiry is regarding setting up a wholesale account or wholesale purchase, please contact your nearest store directly.

Stay safe + take good care!

Arohanui x The Fabric Store

9th April 2020

As of Thursday 9th April we have been given approval by New Zealand MBIE to open our Online Dispatch for a selection of winter essential fabrics and accessories. Please read below for details...

This decision has been primarily made on the premise of providing warm sewing essentials for home sewists, as we in New Zealand and Australia move into a Southern Hemisphere winter. It has been made in support of a number of direct requests from the sewing community that we have received over the past few weeks.

To ensure a simple ordering process, we have created an approved category of what 'essentials' covers and it includes merino jersey and woollen fabrics, required for sewing warm clothing and blankets, as well as threads, patterns and zips with which to sew.

Please note that any orders containing fabrics outside of the essential goods category will not be dispatched until Level 4 Restrictions lift in New Zealand.

In adherence to social distancing protocol, we will have a single team member dispatching any essential orders placed between now and the end of NZ Level 4 lockdown, and they will be following strict hygiene protocol and maintain contactless courier collections. Please expect that there may still be some delays in order processing.

If you would like to place an order online but would prefer for us to withhold dispatching your order until after NZ Level 4 lockdown, we understand. Simply make a note in the special instructions box when you place your order, stating that you would like us to dispatch post-lockdown and we will ensure this happens.

Stay safe & take good care!

Arohanui x
The Fabric Store

24th March 2020

An update from our team,⁠

Yesterday we made the tough decision to close our New Zealand stores temporarily following direction from the New Zealand government. This closure is in place from today onwards. We have also temporarily paused on processing and dispatching of Online Store orders, for the safety of our HQ and Online Store teams. We do not yet have a date for resuming yet but will let you all know as soon as we are able to reopen!⁠

Australian Stores⁠

As of today Tuesday, March 24th, our Australian stores in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide will be taking mail orders via phone and email only.⁠ This means today, our doors will be closed.⁠ We apologies wholeheartedly to those who had planned a trip into the store today and we hope you can appreciate that we did not make the change lightly.⁠ We have made this decision at the request of our store staff, as continuing to open with social distancing rules is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for them.⁠

If you are in Australia, we want to encourage you to give the store nearest you a call or email today and place a mail order! We have 1-2 team members in each store for processing mail orders, and they would love to help you out with your homebound projects. Our staff are continuing to follow strict hygiene and sanitation measures when cutting and packaging orders. Mail orders processed in stores will be processed until 3pm each day, so please try to call through in the morning.⁠ Please also note that we will be reassessing this Australian mail order service daily and may need to make swift changes where required. ⁠ ⁠

We also wanted to reassert that this is a difficult time for many. We take comfort in the caring spirit and inclusive nature of the wide-reaching sewing community amidst the COVID 19 situation, both locally and internationally. Please take extra care to ensure your interactions continue to remain kind, mindful and encouraging towards one another on social media.⁠ ⁠

Stay safe and take good care!⁠

Arohanui x⁠
The Fabric Store Team

23rd March 2020

New Zealand Retail Stores

Following the announcement of the New Zealand government this afternoon, we will be closing our New Zealand stores, effective immediately. Please note that there is no set date that we will re-open as yet, but as soon as we have been advised it is safe to do so, we will let you know.

Online Collection Update

Following the closure of non-essential businesses in New Zealand, thefabricstoreonline.com has temporarily closed order processing and dispatch, effective 5pm Monday 23rd March 2020, New Zealand time. We fully appreciate your patience and understanding at this time. Orders placed through thefabricstoreonline.com will not be processed until we are able to re-open our headquarters in Auckland. As soon as we are able to re-open we will process orders but please expect that there will be further delays. Our last orders will be processed and sent on 23rd March, if your order has been processed you will receive an automated shipping confirmation email with a tracking number. If you have not received a shipping confirmation email, your order will not be processed until we re-open our Auckland headquarters.

Please sign up to our newsletters to keep up to date with any news, we will let you know as soon as our Online Collection and stores are up and running again.

20th March 2020

For those customers local to our New Zealand and Australian stores, who have travelled in the last 31 days or are unwell, we ask that you please carefully consider your health and the health of our staff before you come to visit. ⁠ Should you need to stay at home, mail orders are a popular way of ordering from your local store and we'd like to encourage you to utilize this service! ⁠ To place a mail order, simply give your nearest store a call and chat with a staff member about your project needs. ⁠ Alternatively, our Online Collection also has an extensive range of fabrics for your perusal!

19th March 2020

A message from The Fabric Store team,

In times of uncertainty, we believe that compassion and hope are essential components of collective well-being. We take comfort in the caring spirit and inclusive nature of the wide-reaching sewing community amidst the COVID 19 situation, both locally and internationally.

Over the last few days, we've had a number of enquiries as to whether our New Zealand and Australian stores will remain open. Whilst all stores remain open at this stage, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation in our local cities and will respond accordingly. Please count on frequent updates from our team, via social media and over email, as to any changes to opening hours or store closures.

The safety of our team and customers is our priority, and sewists visiting our stores over the coming days will notice that we have significantly increased sanitation measures. Please note that these measures have been put in place for everyone's benefit and we appreciate your cooperation. We have also increased sanitation and are undertaking hourly cleaning in our warehouse and online store dispatch areas to ensure no germs are transferred in the handling of fabrics.

We understand that during this time, many of you may want (or need) to lay low. Our stores continue to offer mail order services for fabric and sample requests, and we encourage you to utilise this option. All mail orders over $150, now including those with discounted fabrics, will receive free local shipping and we will work to dispatch your orders as quickly as possible.

As a team, we are familiar with the calming sense of therapy that sewing provides for many people from all walks of life. We know it can play a crucial role in increasing mindfulness and positivity as well as reducing stress and anxiety. Our team want to encourage you to keep exploring new sewing projects and to also reach out and check in with your fellow sewists via social and digital channels during this difficult time. Even the smallest positive actions can make a huge difference to someones day!

Over the coming months we're committing to encouraging your home-bound creative endeavours by providing as many new pattern reviews, creative DIY projects and staff makes as we can via our blog. Aligning with an increase in blog posts, we've also decided to offer 30% off our Exclusive Linen ranges in Heavyweight and Midweight plain weave colours. We love linen and it's a fabric that we know will fit a huge number of projects, from homewares, childrenswear to #memade garments and accessories. We hope that you continue to share your incredible creations on social media, and don't forget, we're here to help with any sewing or fabric queries you have.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with your nearest store or our HQ team if you have any questions or concerns.

Stay safe and take good care! Arohanui x The Fabric Store Team⁠