I'm not a quilt store owner. Sometimes the "same" fabric isn't. I bought an all over dog print for a friend who raised and showed dogs. $10 a yd. The next year I bought the same print at Walmart. $5 a yard. The print was the same, the underlying fabric was much cheaper. My friend had a business making dog products. for her, the cheaper one was more appropriate. At your LQS, you are also paying for a much greater level of expertise and service. Also, IMHO, the JoAnn's calicos are generally much flimsier than similar looking LQS products. Of course, JoAnn's is a store that buys much more than your LQS, therefore buys and can sell more cheaply. They also have a wider selection. Unfortunately, from my perspective, they also have a large quantity of petroleum based, artificially scented products which trigger my asthma. For me, it's generally LQS or on-line shopping.