When I last posted under this title I laid out the issue; brick and mortar quilt shops are disappearing from our hometown landscape being replaced by online mass merchants, and purposeful small time undercutters with little need to make a true profit. Let’s not even get into the group-buy sites leveraging heavy dollars for buys often near or below cost available to your local quilt shop who is still hanging on.
I think of all these things as I watch my quilt store owning friends head off to Houston Quilt Market. QM- is the be-all, end-all of industry trade shows for the quilt industry. A wonderland of what can be bought and sold for quilters of all styles and tastes.
Each shop going has mustered the time, the dollars and hopefully a solid plan since going to Market is not for the faint hearted or those who have a slim store wallet.
While wildly fun QM is also wildly expensive and yet shops go so they can bring you the best and the newest of fabrics, notions, patterns and classes in hopes that you will bring your business to their store leaving your dollars with them as opposed to shopping online with discounters that abound in today’s landscape.
A Quilter’s Conundrum
You ask, what could be wrong… isn’t cheaper fabric good for quilters you ask? Well actually no it isn’t. Past being the death knell of the LQS on the corner the further reaching implications of our ~buy it now and buy it cheap~ mentality might actually be lessening our experience of being quilters.
Oh Quilter Where Art Thou?
A great deal of being quilters is the connections we make by just calling ourselves quilters. By taking the moniker on as our own we join and sister/brotherhood of those who have come before us in the quilting arts and we pave the path from those who come after us. And yet with the death of each LQS we each create/sew/quilt in a bit more anonymity that sends us further into our computers looking for like-minded companionship with which to share our craft.
The Quilt Connection in Your Computer
Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some Facebook time as much as the next girl. And Pinterest… oh yeah baby.. come visit me there sometime! But when this screen time is our total connection to our quilt world I fear we are missing something essential and that is one of the things quilt shops provide. I know on our part we put together social events with the idea that bringing together people is an important part of mission as a quilt shop.
Of course not everyone has a LQS and I understand that but for those who do this is important.
Houston We Have a Problem
When local quilt shops lose sales to large online undercutters like Massdrop who prey on what one friend unflatteringly called ” our instinct to hoard and die with the most fabric” rather than to carefully curate, experience and explore our hobby with others then possibly we are heading down the wrong path. Are we giving up community for a discount and free shipping?
The fact is that this is a battle and it comes down to the little guy -vs- $8+ million dollar online market places like Massdrop and Fabric.com. It will take authentic change of the part of consumer to acknowledge their part in this equation and switch their habits and perhaps buy a bit less in order to support small business if they want to see it around in as little as 10 years.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
Be Not Afraid Quilt Shop Owners
The news is not all doom and gloom and times of great challenge are historically the time of our greatest inventions and paradigm shifts. Now is the time for some quilt shops to cast off their dusty bits and fully move into the 21st century welcoming ALL quilters in their doors.
Embracing authentic brand marketing to connect with customers so they know who you are and what you stand for.
Creating innovative shop programs that feed not only the fabric love but also the hunger of connection.
For shops to encourage local quilters to meet each other and find greater connection locally. I am committed to growing quilting locally as most shops are but the truth is that most shop owners are one man/woman shows and that they are dreadfully busy.
Cue A Customer Solution
If you want to help your LQS think about volunteering to spearhead something communal at your local store and see what happens!
Thoughtful Alternatives for those without an LQS
Don’t have a LQS that spins your spurs? Well then shop on-line, but shop with some heart. Learn about who you are buying from. Do they reflect your values, your purpose and your style as a quilter? Do they pay living wages to those who work for them? Do you know the person behind the site and all the work they put into making sure your order is just right?
How close to home CAN you shop even if you are doing it from the comfort of your sofa with a cup of coffee and your ipad at the ready. Can’t find a shop in your town?, how about your state?
Consider that parting with a just a bit more cash by purchasing from a small and ethically run independent means putting dinner on the table in someone’s home not just a few more bucks into the year-end dividend check of a large cut-rate company and its investors.
Most of all shop with your heart, this simple step is actually the one that best assures the health of your Local Quilt Store and that is something we are all vested in.
Time to Talk Back
So tell me about something you think your local quilt shop is doing well. A fresh idea that other shops might learn from and why you choose to spend your greater dollars there as opposed to other places.
So blessed to have several LQS’s within comfortable driving distance in the Cleveland area. JEllen’s, Quilts & Sew Forth, Abigayle’s Quiltery, Polka Dot Pincushion, Mara’s, Anna’s Sewing Center, Quilter’s Source, Sew Deja Vu, Pins & Needles. And even more when driving a few miles more. (A shout out to Quilt Trends and Quilt Beginnings in Columbus by the way.)
Every single store is unique with wonderful owners and staff. If they don’t have a particular fabric they will refer you to other stores who might or search online to help. They work so hard and clearly have a love of what they do.
I value their knowledge which they so willingly share, the classes they offer, and most of all the camaraderie with the hundreds of other quilters you get to meet every time you enter a store.
Hopefully folks can appreciate your insight and facts you’ve given.
“Houston we have a problem” lol “spins ur spurs.” U r fun:) I’ll shop your LQS online. No worries, I live so far in the middle of nowhere, no other LQS nearby.
When I first started quilting, cofftwentyyearsagocoff, l found a shop that had brilliant customer service. At the time, I was on a super tight budget, so sometimes all I could afford was a fq. It never made any difference to the owner. She made each visit a wonderful experience. That shop was in a city. I lived in a small country town…..three hours away. There was a quilt shop in another town about a 30 minute drive away. Their customer service left a lot to be desired, so I would squirrel away my quilting money and save it for the city store. The lady who owned it retired and sold the store. It was closed in a few months. I have fond memories of my visits there.
OMG! I am SOOO excited to read this even if I’m a bit late!! I have decided to START a monthly shop hop (on the Second Saturday) in my local city of HOUSTON because we’re so darn spread out that if we hop between different shops each month we can all find new fabric, support a local shop and meet with like minded friends! Also, I want the local shops in Houston to KNOW that we are here and most of the folks who are going to attend this meet up only really know each other from Instagram. I’m definitely going to share this post (when I get to a non work computer – ahem). Thanks for writing this! I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one to feels this way. I love your quote about a group of like minded people too!! YAY! (that’s the coffee talking)
I would like to see more LQS to be welcoming of moms who come in with kids. One local shop owner used to follow me around when I would bring in my toddler as if she was going to destroy the place. I don’t bring in food or drink and my kid was well behaved. It was offensive and put me off her shop. She later sold to another woman who was fantastic and welcoming but recently went out of business. 🙁
Becky, I agree! As a mother of many there was not really an option to go places without my kids in tow. And while my kids could be little demons at home, out in public they were amazing ( so much so that when they were being little ass-hats I would often just go places to get them to calm the f*ck down.) I get it that not all kids are great in public but given the chance I think kids and quilt stores can be a great combination. At SPOOL we have a place that is just for kids. Full of trains and vintage Fisher Price toys to keep them happy.
My local quilt shop is terrible in nearly every respect, and fabric in the country where I live is very expensive because the fabric manufacturers will only sell it through a specific distributor, whose wholesale prices are so high that quilt shops can’t sell it at an affordable price, so I’m left with very few choices when I buy fabric. Given those circumstances, I’ll go with what I can afford.
What gets to me in all of these discussions is that the onus is placed on the shopper. I’m sorry, I see *no* issue with fabric-buying groups. Fabric-buying groups aren’t in it for profit–they’re in it to buy affordable fabric. They don’t have to mark up costs because they don’t have much if any infrastructure to pay for. If there are enough people interested in sewing and fabric that they can band together and buy directly from the manufacturer instead of paying the retail mark-up, power to them. I don’t see anyone up in arms about me buying directly from a local farmer at the expense of grocery stores, so why should it be any different when I buy fabric?
I’m kind of sick of being blamed for choosing to buy less expensive fabric so I can actually afford to make something bigger than a coaster. Why isn’t the onus placed on fabric manufacturers, who sell to big-box or other medium-to-large businesses at deep discounts to maybe not do that, or to set a minimum price at which their fabric is sold so as not to disadvantage smaller retailers? Or to not make exclusive arrangements with distributors who fleece quilt shops?
Carmit, I am sorry your local stores are lacking. I have taken some time to think about your comment and what I can say is that we all have a piece to play in this scenario. People who fraudulently obtain a business license or borrow the use of it from another to buy at wholesale prices for the intent for selling to their friends at cost are disrupting and destroying a path of commerce and therefore putting many business owners (who have taken a great financial risk) at jeopardy for their unethical choices. That said, the companies selling to these individuals need to put tighter regulations into place to ensure who they are selling to. Those of us who own brick and mortar stores as well as ethically run online merchants need to band together to stop buying from distributors who sell to those who are not actually in the business. It is not my job to make anyone’s hobby affordable by taking a loss just to compete with those who are being unethical or who are just undercutting middle men in for the quick buck. The shopper’s part in this puzzle just as in the case of organic goods, or Fair Trade items plays their part by shopping in line with their ethics. This by no means means not sewing, since there is no end of sale fabric available in ethically run small shops and even large. One just needs to take the time to make the choices that support those who are also making choices to better the system not tear it apart.
My LQS is closing after at least 15 years in the business. It makes me sad because I’ve been there so many times and brought my mom there (she lives out of state but likes to shop there whenever she’s in town). Once I wandered in when my oldest – now nearly 10 years old – was only a couple weeks old and an informal knitting group was sitting around a table and cooed at the baby, then invited me to stay and chat and knit with them (the store sells knitting supplies as well, though not as much as quilting). Two of those people are still very close friends of mine.
I talked with the owner last weekend and she said they couldn’t keep up enough of a social media presence and too many people buy online and at big box craft stores.
I wonder if it would behoove quilt shops to stock some garment fabrics as well as quilting and offer classes in garment sewing. That could potentially attract people interested in different kinds of sewing and broaden the customer base. Many sewists bemoan the lack of good quality garment fabrics (even basics like knits, denim, twill, lawn — and what the big box places carry is usually not very good quality) available locally to them. I don’t know…maybe that’s too much for one shop to manage? I live in a midsize city in the Midwest with a thriving maker community and we are SORELY lacking in good fabric shops here.
Susan, it is always hard to see a good store close! There are so many factors that play into what was most likely a very difficult choice on the part of the owner. I think each store finds the right way to stay relevant in a changing market and each part has a roll to play. I know that I would love to carry more garment fabric but still don’t have the critical mass of that type of sewist to make it happen.
Great article and thanks for writing it….and even thinking about this issue! We run a small, on-line fabric shop. We would love to – someday – open up a brick and mortar shop. But, for now, we are online.
We answer questions pretty much 24 hours/day, help people with choices, send free samples to undecided folks, give our opinions on patterns….we feel like all we can do to set ourselves apart in this market is provide good – great – customer service. We are not a Facebook group undercutting MSRP to mass buy for our fans – we are a tax-paying, legit business. Who knows if we will be successful, but we sure are trying to do things the “right” way….
Thanks for the comments Janice! You are right that online commerce done right is a valuable part of the quilting equation!!
I stopped going to local quilt shops when the price got up to $13.00 plus tax that’s about $14.00. Then all the stores went to all bold and bright modern prints, it makes my head spin. I figure it cheaper to by on-line, low shipping or no shipping charge.
And I don’t spend as much because I am looking for a specific fabric. I don’t know how some LQS stay in business. Some have classes, but they are so expensive compared to what you can get on Craftsy. The YouTube has demonstration on all the tools. So if you fit in which is my case , as usual many quilters are so clickish they only talk to their friends and unfriendly to any one new. I see why the younger women started their own movement. #all quilters stashes matter
Our LQS has “free sit & sew” days twice a month. Come at opening (10 AM) stay as long as you like. That plus the twice monthly Saturday classes and classes offered by quilters & creative people who are not a part of the shop staff are offered on occasion make it a nice place to visit. The owner is is very open to suggestions and likes nothing better than to kick around ideas with the rest of us.
As a long time quilter and a LQS owner all of the above comments hit home. We are struggling not only with the online shopping and the big box stores but also with local economy issues (unemployment) an aging population of quilters, young women who don’t have time to quilt or do any other fun things because they are single moms, working one or two jobs and trying to keep up with their kids, their school and extra curricular activities.
Kudos to them! One of the most rewarding things I have done in my shop is during summer months introduce interested kids, usually girls, to sewing with a week of quick daily projects. I find the moms want to learn how to use that machine too but don’t have the time. It is usually the grandmas who sign their grand kids up, bring them to class and stay afterward to chat. At least there is hope for future quilters and sewists!
One last challenge I face in the Midwest is the big shows. Quilters spend all their money they have saved for these shows once or twice a year and have nothing left for the LQS except to purchase a spool of thread or a new rotary blade.
We face many challenges–I just hope that some of us can survive because I for one do not want to be forced to do my shopping on the internet when I retire! Yes, I do plan to retire and quilt all those projects I’ve put on hold to run my business!
My LQS is great! They know they have to adhere to what the locals need and want. They invite us to even sit in when fabric reps come. Very customer oriented. They also sell online through a web site.
I do try to shop locally, but I confess the the quilting society in my area is tricky. I am a grey haired white lady, so I look like I belong, but as a gay woman from a diverse community, I overhear so many hints of racism, so much sexism that I shudder to get into more conversation.
I cheerfully ask for help, refrain from noticing the triple takes around me when I mention my wife, and buy from the closest LQS once per month.
But I like the diversity of staff and customers at my local Jo. They may not be as knowledgeable, but they do not make me feel like a freak.
Laura, My goal with BAQS is that every last one of us who wants to pick up a needle is welcome to do so. Since who we love has no bearing on how we quilt. Who we have sex with does not interfere with stitching since unless you are WAY more talented than myself as a rule I don’t sew and fool around at the same time. I am ADD but can’t even work that one out 🙂 #sewtherainbow
Quilting seems to have two types. Persons who are from super traditional backgrounds (this art flourishes in trad cultures like LDS in Utah and Quakers etc) and bohemian types not so traditional. Once we get to know each other everybody is OK with everybody! The friendships I have formed in the LQS kind of give me hope for this nation that we can all get along when we find common ground then built on that. Besides haters don’t make good quilters! Sadly one of my LQS has almost no fabric I like so I make a point to shop there for anything I need (and I go through a lot of batting , thread etc) I love them and would cry if they went out of business. My other LQS is nearly perfect, the owner works her butt off innovating motivating and training. I took me a while to fit in there but like there fabrics have gotten machines there and LOVE their staff. So I am about 70% local 30% online.
Several years ago, our area was hit hard with an ice storm and then 3-4 feet of snow. All trees and power lines were down and all roads were closed for days. As roads were opening but before most of the power was restored, cold and smelly quilters (no power = no water when you have a well) made their way to the Quilt Basket where she had coffee waiting and let everyone sit and visit. Every new quilter through the door was greeted and given time to share their storm story. I was working as a longarm quilter at the time and discovered that my generator could run my machines. My first trip out of my house after my road was closed for 6 days was to deliver quilts and sit with my quilter friends at the shop!
I’m fortunate to live in a large metro area with a number of great quilt shops. Typically, I spend all of my money there although I’ve been known to purchase specialty items (such as longarm templates) from an online retailer.
Here’s what I’m looking for:
1) friendliness! Seems obvious, but a few places have folded here due to lack thereof. I come in enough and will get to know who works there, and I hope you’ll know me too. Bonus when you ask me to bring back something I’m working on when it’s done – I will as I only have one or two quilting friends.
2) variety – unless you have a specific theme – such as modern, Thinbleberries, etc. and speaking of which, please make sure you recycle through your stock for new stuff even if it means you need to mark it down. Ditto for books and patterns.
3) good notions, especially if it’s unusual. The one and only time I went to Houston, I spent a fortune on marking tools, for example.
4) classes for all levels. I get that it’s nice to have a new kit made up, but I could also use a few good technique classes on things like binding, different ways to machine appliqué, foundation piecing, etc.
I shop mostly online or at Joanns. Most of your online fabric retailers aren’t the big mega stores. Just try looking up http://www.quiltshops.com and you will see the little retailers selling fabric. My local quilt shop is expensive, their hours make it hard when you worked 9-5. And the prices. If I had to shop at my local quilt shop on a full time basis I wouldn’t be able to afford to quilt. So as much as I would like to support my local shop I can’t. And it’s almost like belonging to a club. I’ve been ignored there when I got in cos I’m not there often, therefore not in the “club”. They are also a Bernina dealership so if you even glance at a machine then they are all over you.
I appreciate Laurie’s comments. Although I am not a new quilter, I am still pretty much at beginner level. I have a LOT of fabric…some I inherited from my Mother. It is not cheap to make a quilt, unless you use all scraps, and often I am disappointed in my final result. So I hesitate to buy at the small quilt stores. They are high end and more for the advanced quilter, I think. That said, I spent a lot of money when I visited many shops around my state during Row by Row 2015. I especially like ideas for small projects and those that require little quilting, since I don’t quilt well and can’t afford to pay someone. I do appreciate the quality of their fabric.
As a small business owner both attending Market and selling product to MassDrop, I find you making some valid points.
However, the internet is here to stay. Instead of asking your consumers to change their shopping habits, maybe shop owners need to change their selling habits.
Yes, the community of Quilters is a beautiful thing, it should be celebrated and not lost. From what I have seen on MassDrop, Quilters are joining Discussions, sharing projects and inspiration. That’s community at it’s finest, even if it is virtual.
A great deal is a great deal. Every store has Sales (or at least should!) It moves product, makes room for new product, and it makes the consumer happy to save money.
According to the 2014 Quilting in America survey presented last at Market, the average quilter ‘[spent] 3 hours per week browsing, visiting, or interacting with quilting
related sites.” This is golden information to a shop owner. There are so many things a shop owner can do to make their quilters spend much of that time on THEIR website.
I’m not saying knock down your brick walls and get comfy in your computer chair, shop owners, but when your shop IS empty, you can spend this time enhancing your quilting community online. Instead of bitching about the competition, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Give your customers a reason to come in to YOUR shop in stead of Hobby Lobby, or go to YOUR website instead of MassDrop.
“Easier said then done,” right? No. MAKE time for it. Be the change you want to see in your Quilt Shop!
I 100% support small businesses, but let us not forget that “the big dogs” have employees, who have families, who have mouths to feed, who need jobs too.
With 12.62 million households supporting at least 1 quilter, in a 3.76 billion dollar industry, I’d say there is room for everyone.
Great piece – loved your insights! I would love to buy more at my LQS but I find the selection of fabric is geared for very traditional quilters. I love the wild stuff and the new and edgy fabrics and designs and they don’t show up locally. Even Aurifil which is pretty standard – LQS will not sell as it costs too much to set up a display. I would love it if traditional shops would walk on the wild side!!!
I have to say that while I do a some LQS here, I personally haven’t found any of them to be places I want to frequent. In fact, that one that has the fabrics I DO want, is owned by someone who has been so rude to me that I won’t spend another cent in that store. I admit that I do shop in Joann’s, but for specific items. As you said, it can help to look at your stash as a curating opportunity, and I do. I buy my generic backing fabrics at Joann’s because I would rather save money in that aspect so I can buy the better (costlier) fabrics from a SQS (small quilt store), and lately that shop has been Spool online (I know you, and you guys have the BEST personal customer service I have come across both in real life and online!) While I am not supporting local, I am supporting independent (hey, I am IndieQuilter after all.) The other issue I would like to touch on here – is the fact that the responsibility shouldn’t be solely on the shoppers, should it? You have large companies that are contributing to the issue by selling in mass at cheaper rates to the mass drop services. What I would like to start seeing is more companies that take a stand and stop selling to those companies. Wow, Maddie. This one topic is bringing up so many more issues and topics in my brain. I think I need to go sit down now!
So right you are… everyone has a part in this equation. Much like the public school debacle I think without some serious revisioning I am not sure there is going to be much serious change. and As a note I do think it worth telling your LQS just WHY you will not step a foot in their door. Sadly this is a story a hear way too often .. and I am sorry your local is a dud but happy that SPOOL can be the quilt store in your mailbox!
I love my local quilt shop, Quiltrends in Columbus, OH. Sue and her staff are always helpful when I go in with a problem or need advice on what fabric to use in a particular quilt. They also offer Friday sew -ins and in store quilt retreats. My favorite place to shop for the batiks I love
Thank you for this discussion (for all of your discussions, really). As a LQS owner as well, I want to know what our customers want!! I love when they ask, request , suggest. And while I can’t always meet the requests the feedback and information is really important to us! A good LQS needs to grow and evolve not only with the industry but with their customers. Looking forward to reading the comments (while I get ready to leave for market, too.)
Buying local is extremely important to me, especially when it comes to curating my fabric collection. There is one shop that is very local that I have tried several times to shop at, but I continue to be disappointed in the very generic fabric selection that rarely changes. I attempted to suggest a couple of interesting (and extremely popular) fabric lines several months ago, but the owners hadn’t heard of any of the designers and had no interest in considering them. I now do virtually all of my fabric shopping at other semi-local shops (all well over an hour away) that genuinely want to know what their customers want to buy.
I have bombed repeatedly at my 2 local quilt stores. They didn’t have the fabric I was seeking. They didn’t know the prices to the fabric they did have and the owner was setting up at a quilt show in another town and unavailable for consultation. The other store has a booming business doing long arm quilting. So booming that it is hard to find someone to ask questions. I did buy fabric there and the lady was nice but the racket of the machines kept our conversation very brief. I felt like an intruder or outsider at both. I will keep trying.
I was looking for “the Fabric” that was in one of my quilting magazines. I visited 4 shops, 2 very local and 2 about 100 miles away, in the bigger town. Non had the fabric I was looking for. I then ordered it on-line. I only ordered the main fabric, because I know I can find something that goes with it local.
I don’t buy at Wilily world, The Lobby, or Jo’s. Why? They can’t help me pick out what goes. Take time to talk to me. Show me a thing. Teach me something. Help me grow as a quilter, or even a person. I dare say it, Be My Friend. That is what I get from my local quilt shop. A place to set down, slow down, and put my roots down, and grow.
My favourite local quilt shop used to have a Thursday evening sit & sew, but they cut their opening hours back, so it can’t happen any more.
Another LQS needed a bigger store, so they moved 30km across town to an industrial site with no public transport. They’re too hard to get to now.
The only one left is in an awkward spot, on a service road, but the staff are nice & the shop, though small, is full of interesting fabric. They hold regular, fun classes, have an email newsletter & little rewards for frequent shoppers. Guess where I shop mostly?
My shop was out of the thread color I wanted in the brand I prefer. They took the time to take my information down and called me when it came in. Even more than that, they pulled a spool and set it aside so it’d definitely be there for me.