Lincraft
Australian homewares store chain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lincraft is a retail chain in Australia that specialises in the sale of homewares, including crafts, material, and patterns. As of February 2026, it has 27 locations in Australia [1] and 4 locations in New Zealand. [2]
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | John Maguire and Brian Swersky |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria |
Number of locations | 31 stores (2026) |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
Key people | Brian Swersky and John Maguire Joint Managing Directors |
| Products | Fabrics, Crafts, Homewares |
| Owner | John Maguire and Brian Swersky |
Number of employees | 800 |
| Website | http://www.lincraft.com.au/ |
Lincraft (formerly Suzanne Silks) was nurtured by three generations of the Ross family before current owners John Maguire and Brian Swersky established Lincraft Australia in 2005. Lincraft was founded in 1938 by Leo Ross as a stall shop in Melbourne.[3] In 2005, Lincraft fell into receivership, with ANZ Bank appointing KordaMentha, due to a slump in Christmas sales.[3][4]
In 2010, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that Lincraft had sold imported bathrobes which failed to meet safety and labelling standards, but that they accepted Lincraft's efforts to prevent similar occurrences in the future.[5]
In 2016, the company cut down and adjusted its range as it adjusted to changing tastes and a hostile market. It did not disclose any financial information which may have resulted in its decision. [6] It also closed down some stores at the same time.[7][8][9]
Around 2024, it began to close down several more regional stores.[10][11][12] This drew some confusion and ire from consumers as the inflamatory "Stock Liquidation Sale" used on the surviving stores gave the impression that Lincraft was again going out of business as with similar businesses at the time, and may have breached New Zealand consumer law by misrepresenting the manner it is clearing the stock.[13] However Lincraft has closed 17 stores since 2022[citation needed] in Australia and New Zealand, leaving only 31 stores remaining as of February 2026.