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Brother Free Arm Sewing Machine on Sale at HancockFabrics.com"
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What is Hancock Fabrics?
Hancock Fabrics was founded in 1957 and currently operates brick and mortar stores in 42 states in addition to its internet store. I discovered an incredible selection of fabrics, notions, sewing machines and craft supplies when I browsed the website recently. There were items I hadn’t even realized existed, such as automotive headliner fabric; there were actually eleven different items to choose from under that category. Among the many offerings of the website are:
- Fabrics of all kinds, including decorator fabrics, fashion fabrics, fleece, cotton fabrics, and specially licensed fabrics
- Quilting supplies
- Home décor
- Books and DVDs
- Sewing accessories, such as needles, pins, buttons, zippers, and trim
- Patterns
- Sewing machines
- Sergers
- Irons
- Yarns
- Craft kits and craft supplies
- Craft and sewing organizers
Is Hancock Fabrics Worth It? – Key Features and Benefits
Here is what makes Hancock Fabrics stand out among other fashion apparel and home décor fabric stores:
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The Hancock Fabrics website has a tab that allows you to find classes that are taking place in your area. The events are color-coded to indicate “class,” “demo,” or “special event.” This allows customers who might want to expand their knowledge of a particular technique—or learn a new one—to better take advantage of the merchant’s programs.
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The website carries licensed fleece and cotton fabrics. So if you have a little one who adores superman or spiderman, a college student attending one of the major universities, or a professional sports addict, you can purchase the material to make that individual a unique gift, e.g., a pair of pajamas or a pillowcase emblazoned with their favorite logo.
- There are on-site user reviews of many of their products. You can quickly and easily see what customers have said about that serger you have your eye on before purchasing it.
My favorite four-letter word has to be “free,” so, hands down, my favorite feature is the ability to download pdf-formatted instructional files for a variety of crafts for free. The site makes it easy to browse the free project downloads, listing them by craft category, such as beading/jewelry, kids’ craft projects, or knitting projects.
Hancock Fabrics Cons – Disadvantages
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Perhaps because of the extremely large variety of products carried on the website, it is sometimes difficult to find a specific item. For example, I was under the assumption that Hancock did not carry cake decorating or macramé supplies since I saw neither listed under any of the drop downs provided. In a last ditch effort, I used the general search engine on the site to look for these items and discovered that Hancock had a decent selection of supplies for both of these crafts. I still couldn’t tell you how to locate them by using the website’s drop down menu, however.
- I think it would be great if they created a few more "How to" videos to explain how people can use the accessories they carry. They currently have only 3 videos in their Youtube channel (see one below), unlike their competitor Fabric.com which has over 60.
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I could find no return policy stipulated on the website, even after I went through the entire purchasing procedure, except for the actual payment.
- The company ships only to U.S. addresses. International shipping is not available.
What Stores Might Be Better Than Hancock Fabrics?
Key competitors of Hancock Fabrics are:
How Does Hancock Fabrics Compare To Similar Merchants?
I looked at a couple of other websites that are in direct competition with Hancock Fabrics. The first was Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores (www.joann.com), which, like Hancock Fabrics, has brick and mortar stores as well as an internet store.
Hancock Fabrics vs Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
Customers find Hancock Fabrics’ staff more helpful and knowledgeable than Jo-Ann’s staff. Leanne A. from Chicago, IL, who visited Hancock Fabrics comments: “It was refreshing to have someone actually know what she was talking about…compared to JoAnn fabrics super slow robot employees.”
The selection of products on the Jo-Ann website seemed every bit as good, if not better, than the selection offered by Hancock Fabrics. They, too, carry licensed fabrics, and I was able to find some with my husband’s beloved MLB Colorado Rockies logo, which was not offered on Hancockfabrics.com. The site makes it much easier to find what you are looking for, too, with its drop down menus and multiple sidebar search tools. I was able to find cake decorating and macramé supplies very quickly.
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores doesn’t offer the free craft instructional downloads that Hancock Fabrics does, however. It does have a teacher rewards discount card that enables teachers to save 15% on their purchases. It also has very clear statements regarding its shipping and refund policies, something that www.hancockfabrics.com lacks.
Hancock Fabrics vs Fabric.com
The second merchant I researched was Fabric.com. Unlike Hancock Fabrics and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Fabric.com is exclusively an online merchant. It offers a wide variety of textiles, including licensed fabrics (and, yes, the site carries fleece with the Colorado Rockies logo), but its craft supplies were limited. It does have some scrapbooking materials, and it carries yarns and needles for the knitter or crochet enthusiast, but I could find nothing for cake decorating or macramé.
Fabrics.com has a much more customer-friendly shipping and return policy than does Hancock or Jo-Ann, however. They offer free shipping on orders of $35 (U.S. only) or more. They will ship swatches and patterns for a flat rate of $1.50, and other purchases that amount to less than $9.99 ship for $3.95. Items can be returned within 30 days of purchase, and return shipping is free (again, U.S. only). Orders ship within 48 hours and fabric.com will ship to international addresses. Neither Hancock Fabrics nor Jo-Ann does so. Fabrics.com also has a frequent shopper program that awards points per $1 purchased and advertises that it measures 37-inch yards.
What Is the Cost?
The cost of the products offered by Hancock Fabrics varies greatly depending on the type of product and its sub-classification. For example, corduroy cotton fabrics is a subset of apparel fabrics. These are currently selling at discounted prices that range from $4.99 to $7.49 a yard. Fleece solids range from $3.99 to $9.99 a yard, reduced from $7.99 to $19.99 a yard.
Licensed fleece sells for $5.99 to $14.99 a yard; cotton solids from $1.59 to $7.99 a yard; quilted fabrics from $5.99 to $18.99 a yard; and drapery fabrics from $2.49 to $17.49 a yard (reduced from $4.99 to $34.99). Prices of some representative products are:
- Chandelier Earrings Beading Kit = $9.99
- Prym-Dritz Medium Twin Fit Dress Form = $229.99
- Red Dot 8 ½” Pinking Shears = $35.00
- Brother CS-770 Computerized Sewing Machine = $139.99 (reduced from $159.99)
- Superman Licensed Fleece = $5.99 a yard (reduced from $14.99 a yard)
- Wilton Cake Decorating Book = $17.99
The website does not provide any details regarding shipping costs or its return policy that I could find. When I went through the checkout procedure for 100 yards of macramé cord that was priced at $9.99, however, the shipping costs were shown to be $4.95. The site accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover Card.
What Are Others Saying? Testimonials – Feedback – Comments
People who shopped with Hancock Fabrics, either online or offline, appear satisfied in most of the reviews I read. They particularly like:
- the friendly staff
- the great prices
- the big selection.
Almost all reviews I read comment enthusiastically on how friendly the staff is. One lady was particularly pleased with customer service saying that: “They are always easy to help with any type of question you may haveAnd Lauren M. from Brooklyn, NY, says “The staff is awesome”.
Matthew S from Chicago praised the store for their low prices saying: “the prices are amazing for a shop in 2012.”
Many people agreed that Hancock Fabrics in not the place they would go to buy designer or dressy fabric. Vogue is a better place for this purpose. But “if I need something in a fabric, it's a great place to start”, says Michelle A. from Atlanta.
Any Promotional Coupons for Hancock Fabrics? How to Buy at a Discount
As affiliates of Hancock Fabrics, we regularly check for coupon codes and promotional deals that work so that you will get the best prices. If there are any Hancock Fabrics coupon codes or discounts available today you will find them at the top of this page.
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