I don't think you can blame it on the store; i.e., Hancock's. Some manufacturers are making their fabrics less wide. Therefore, if a fabric is, say 40" inches wide, the fat quarter will be 18" x 20". However a yard is a yard, so a fat quarter should never be shorter than 18" long. Blame it on the manufacturer. I guess with the price of cotton going up, they're trying to get around it. Let them know what you think.