Shop layout
Mermaid Fabrics has huge premises with fabric easily accessible on shelves in the main part of the shop (curtain fabric is in a separate room at the back). Some fabric is arranged according to colour, which is nice : ). It also has a basement dedicated to suiting.
Stock
The range at Mermaid Fabrics is wide and wonderful. It has unusual fabrics that are a step apart from some of the more ‘supermarket’ type fabric shops, whose range is fairly predictable and standardised. If you ask, staff can also find the more standard, basic fabrics that you may have missed amongst all the variety.
Customer service
Mermaid Fabrics is like a raggedy pirate ship full of surprising treasure and a motley crew of staff, all knowledgeable, helpful, dedicated to the task at hand, and with unique character. They are forthright and boisterous – forthcoming to assist you but never pressuring you to buy. You will never feel abandoned at Mermaid. Maths is done mentally or by long multiplication on bits of cardboard.
Staff knowledge
Staff tend to know the stock well, and there are always a few people to hand, so if one of them doesn’t know the answer to your questions they will call up someone who does. Key to the team is Mr (John??) – an old Japanese man who worked at a Kimono shop in Japan for 15 years and in one of the Soho fabric shops for 10 before moving to Mermaid. If asked he has extensive knowledge of textiles.