I do not feel that WalMart is evil, and I certainly don't want to portray that. I do feel that their decision to discontinue having a fabric department in their stores was unwise, and hurt a lot of people. To my knowledge Target never carried fabric. I remember K-Mart carrying it many years ago, but at that time there were many other stores who did so it was not an issue.
The reason for this emphasis with WalMart dropping fabric departments is because of the way in which they began, which was in small town America. That is where they grew and established such a firm foundation. Their advertising has always focused on how they strive to better the community and the many ways they help their customers. When the decision was made to discontinue carrying full-size fabric departments with fabric on the bolt, it left women living in small towns with NO SOURCE in which to purchase fabrics unless they drove long distances or ordered fabric online. I do that too, but there are times when you need to see what you are buying beforehand in order to match it. Also, you incur shipping charges. I have acquired a lot of scraps which I use when making charity quilts, but we need lengths of fabric from the bolt for the backings. Also, I would sometimes purchase a pretty, colorful panel when when making quilts for children and then go to my scrap bag to find coordinating pieces. I am the primary buyer for the baby quilts our church makes for a charity, and I cannot count the many yards of fabric I purchased from WalMart for this project alone. We also made cloth books for the children, and WalMart carried a good selection of those. I don't feel that they have broken any laws here, and I don't feel that the company is bad. But I do feel that they let us down in a big way. Their actions hurt small town America that had made them great, and they do have imposed a hardship for those of us who delight in making quilts for charities. I wish the people at corporate headquarters could see the face of a child undergoing chemo treatments, when they are given a colorful quilt of their very own; or people who have lost their jobs and have been forced to live in a shelter. They literally cry when given a handmade quilt. I could go on and on. I guess I just wish that WalMart could go back to their roots, to the things that made them great. I'm not on a campaign to down them. I just wish they would hear us and recognize the repercussions of their decision. Thanks to all who have written. I appreciate your comments and it is nice that you care too!