Talk about shooting herself in the foot. This is SO sad, but too common in quilt shop owners who are more hobbyists than business people; they are unable/unwilling to think outside the box. A customer in the store is valuable for so many reasons, not just the money in their hands.
They can tell you what customers are looking for so you can consider adding that to your inventory.
They can let you know the time of day that is the busiest on a given day.
You can determine which of your employees make the most fabric sales/the most books sales/are good with color selection/helpful for beginners/are most asked for by customers, etc.
You can figure the age/gender/skill level/and spending patterns of your customer base.
They can help you determine which classes are most requested.
Cars out front attract other customers into the store.
And on and on......
When a shop owner behaves as the ones you all have described here, it tells me they are already stressed, scared, and probably in over their head. It's hard to turn things around at this point without a major change of attitude and professional business help, such as from FabShopNet's Laurie Harsh. (And. no, I don't have any connection with her.)
Jan in VA