I travel alot around our state. And I noticed in Williston & Dickinson, both smaller towns, they had beautiful nice fabric. In Minot it was not as pretty a selection. And where I live in Bismarck it was rather ugly for most of it.
Then they shut down our little WM at opened two super stores both had fabric, then they shut down one fabric and kept the other. They shut down the store closest to JoAnns, Hancock & 3 fabric shops. But I think the choice in the remaining WM got a lot nicer. And I haven't seen "cheep" fabric there in a couple years now. I've seen the same fabric I have found at Hancock & JoAnns. I've also seen JoAnns go lower grade on fabric. We have 4 local fabric shops, and one in my little town that closed over a year ago..she had really cheep thin fabric for a fabric shop, and not cheep prices. The other owners carry pretty good fabric, but the prices are very high. You just have to look & feel fabric, no matter where it is, what chain or private fabric shop. Decide if what your buying is worth the price. I just spent a few hundred dollars on a very special fabric my mom picked out for a king quilt for her.
Not what I'd normally do. If your working on something very special, or quilt show/contest quality, then I think I'd be looking at the high end fabric's. If I'm making gifts, charity, childrens & baby(get washed lots), wall hangings, lap quilts for holidays, then I tend to go for the lower prices and just "feel" for quality. I like to quilt, and if I could afford it or not, why waste money on higher prices for no reason? I can buy name brand & kits online cheeper than local quilt shops, including shipping.
Now, I have nothing against quilt shops, hoped to open my own, but realized this economy is hurting too much now for the risk. One local owner said unless your also selling machines & service, he wouldn't make it today on fabric alone either. Our only shop with fabric only, is for sale now. He also told me, banks (at least here) are not loaning for quilt/fabric shops, and only current businesses, they'll only loan .05cents on the dollar for fabric. Example to extend their line, or rotate, businesses usually do a revolving loan, not any more, not for fabric anyway.
It's not the shop owners fault, cotton crop failed, fabric prices go up, they have overhead. But those who do online business also, have a chance, and seem to keep prices down.
I think it's better to have a lower profit margin and rotate your inventory, then keep prices too high and lose customers when economy is not doing well.
ALL business has to respond this way, in order to continue...including WM, JoAnns, etc.