I am not drawn to most of the LQS's around here, because this is an expensive area and so I shop online. It's significantly cheaper, it's easier, and I have a much wider selection to choose from. And since I'm an insomniac, it's nice that I can shop at 2AM.
The shop I go into the most often, I'm usually only there because they are affiliated with my guild and many of my guild classes are held there. I do shop around on breaks and try to find *something* to buy while I'm there for a class to help support the store (and everything except machines are 10% off if you take a class, even if the item isn't FOR the class) but their fabric selection is pretty small and mostly styles that don't appeal to me so I'll end up buying something like a bottle of fray check or a spool of thread...incidental purchases that probably don't do much for their bottom line but I can't find anything else there I need or want! And even with the 10% off, that thread or fray check could be purchased cheaper online.
There's a pretty big & nice LQS about 25 miles away that carries fabrics I really like, but again...cheaper & easier to shop online. Their shop SHOULD draw me in more often - it's very pleasant inside with friendly & knowledgeable staff, fabric lines I like, interesting classes and free parking. BUT...it's 25 miles away and even though their prices are entirely reasonable for a brick & mortar shop....it's still cheaper online and I can shop at 2AM in my pajamas. I really only go once a year - they give 20% off on my birthday and that is some SMART marketing because who doesn't feel like spoiling themselves on their birthday? So I go once a year and blow a couple hundred bucks....but that's not going to keep their doors open.
I'm not sure what a local shop could do to drag me away from my 2AM insomnia-fueled pajama-clad shopping habits to make me into a regular customer. I like the idea of reselling used gizmos and fabrics; I adore thrift shops and the "thrill of the hunt" and with a resale shop you never know what kind of cool treasures you might find so that would draw me to check out the store often. Classes, I think, would be invaluable to get people in the door. Right now I'm hugely obsessed with vintage sewing machines and would go crazy over a shop that bought & sold vintage machines & accessories for them - I would love to hunt for manuals and cams and feet; and would possibly even consider selling my machines through a local shop on commission. (Not sure how that'd work out for warranty issues; I suppose you'd have to sell them as-is unless the actual seller wanted to offer a separate warranty....)
I love the idea of a new shop opening and would definitely check a new shop in my area out...but I am fickle and cheap; unless there was something unique & special about that store or some really killer deals, I would likely not stick around as a regular customer.