Miranda, I admire you for sticking to your guns. I, too have cut down on Wal Mart purchases. You are right. They won't notice. But the people we shop with instead, they will notice. We can tell them why we are shopping there and ask them to carry what we can't find. Most businesses are more than willing to try to please their customers because they are not as big as WM and they appreciate new customers.
I have been shopping for fabric at the Ben Franklin store. It is only 50 miles instead of 100 miles from here, but there is only one grocery store there. Found out the fabric department manager is a quilter. She has been getting in alot of good quilt cotton at 5.99, which is HIGH for me, but saves me gas.... a tossup. Since the fabric has improved, so has their sales volume, and so has their selection. And they also have a $2 or $3 bin, and fat quarters for 1.50 or less. I'm happy. I also found a great quilt club while shopping there.