Originally Posted by quiltedrunner

I'm looking for some help from my fellow quilters... those that know best! :-D

I am hoping to purchase a LQS, which will be pretty much turn-key, but not probably til closer to fall. However, would you share with me your personal likes and dislikes about any LQS? What draws you there? What turns you away?

Children's play area? - Not a necessity but could be a nice diversion for the younger set, at the very least a good chair for the husbands
Coffee? - No, I would think that there would be too much risk to the merchandise, and then you risk turning people off because you only serve a certain type, or it is stale, or you don't have tea... though one solution to that is a Keurig or other pod type machine. My favorite LQS is located next door to a local coffee/tea/wine shop so they don't have to worry about supplying beverages.
Rude sales people? Yikes! (One of my personal turnoffs) - I think you know the answer to this already. Carefully training your staff to read people is helpful as well as helping them know when to back off and when to engage.
Smells? - Definitely a huge turn off for me. I'm allergic to many scents, so a heavily scented store drives me out pretty quickly, I also don't want my purchases coming home perfumed. It goes without saying that smoking shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the fabric or the stock.
Kits? - Potentially a great sales tool, however, many of the ones I see are not to my taste in terms of colors. I think an option to help a customer build a kit with their preferred color scheme would drive more sales.
Samples? - Absolutely essential
Music? - If any, keep it low and unobtrusive.
Sewing area? - Very important if you are going to be offering classes or expanding to sewing machine sales. The area must be appropriately lit.

Just some ideas... please share your thoughts with me! Thanks!!!