Hancock Fabrics was founded in 1957 in Tupelo, Mississippi by Elaine (1922-2015) and Lawrence Doyce (L.D.)

Hancock (1913-1998), started out as a cost-efficient retail store and offered a greater selection of merchandise to its customers at lower prices.

[3] By 1992, the company was one of seven major retail piece-goods chains operating 482 stores in the United States.

[1] On March 21, 2007, Hancock Fabrics announced it would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

[9] In August 2016, Michaels Stores, Inc. announced its intent to acquire Hancock Fabrics' intellectual property and customer database.