owning three businesses, small and continually loosing money, gotta laugh, but is true, these are all home based businesses, silk scarves for a farmers market, soap for my small wholesale accounts and boat upholstery, JulieR is correct, in a small shop one must look at the replacement cost, in a large store they can absorb the price when they sell less than what they may pay wholesale. also in a large store, it is a come on, so that you will buy the sale fabric then remember you need "something" or some cool thing you just think you need, and may never use. i only write this because i know how it works, or at least the way i have seen it work. when i go to joann's i never leave without something i think i need, and do not---same reason wal mart only has buggies and not baskets to carry. i do believe that supporting your local quilt store is the best thing anyone can do, if they can afford it. which may be the reason i have millions of fat quarters without a clue what to do with them. someday tho.
sorry, as new to this forum i should not write so much, but it is important to understand why small shops are more expensive, they do not have the ability to have corporate backing, insurance and whatnot, nor the ability to buy, say 10,000 bolts of the newest fabric, wearhouse them and send them on their private trucks to their stores. small shops have to pay more, in shipping, in product, in insurance,
again sorry
jan in palatka