Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores Revenue Benchmarks
The average sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business in the United States generates $1.5M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,691 sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores businesses in the U.S., employing 37,159 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%.
What Does a Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores Business Actually Do?
Fabric and craft supply retailers — JoAnn, Michaels (partial), specialty fabric stores.
Who buys: Quilters, home sewers, crafters, designers, teachers.
Average Revenue
$1.5M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$107K
per year
Total Businesses
2,691
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$59K
small business avg
Labor Cost
14.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.8
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores Charge?
Fabric and craft supply stores mark up 100–300%, benefit from classes and workshops.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Fabric markup | 100–200% |
Notions/thread markup | 150–300% |
Machine sales markup | 25–40% |
Class fee (per session) | $25–75 |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $61 | $912K | Wholesale cost of merchandise purchased for resale. Retail's biggest expense. |
Wages & benefits | $14 | $208K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $122K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $61K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $8 | $122K | Utilities, POS fees, shrinkage, insurance, store maintenance. |
Net profit | $4 | $59K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
8.7%
openings/year
Closure Rate
7.58%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+0.54%
annual
Businesses Closed
1,944
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores Business?
Startup Cost
$75K – $400K
Break-Even
48 months
5-Year Survival Rate
48.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business do?
- Fabric and craft supply retailers — JoAnn, Michaels (partial), specialty fabric stores. Quilters, home sewers, crafters, designers, teachers.
- How much do sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores charge?
- Fabric and craft supply stores mark up 100–300%, benefit from classes and workshops. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores make per year?
- The average sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business generates $1.5M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $59K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,691 sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 37,159 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business?
- Startup costs for a sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores business typically range from $75K to $400K, with a 5-year survival rate of 48.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of 0.5%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 8.7% and 7.6% respectively.
Approximately 67% of sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 1,944 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores industry has declined 21% since 2000 (from 29,539 to 23,199 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores revenue with other industries: