I'm noticing more and more that fabric pricing is going from "yard" to "units." Sites are now advertising ?$4.85/unit - which currently means "1/2 yard." I hate this change trend. Remember when all of us could shop for a pound of coffee - and now the one pound can is 11 ounces? This is happening in everything from cereal boxes to canned goods. It's the genius marketing to make inflation seem not so painful. Either way, we're taking it in the budget - and I don't like it.

What do you think?

I don't like it one bit! I've been complaining for months about this. They keep the price the same but give less for our buck.

I don't like it either. I want to know the price per yard.

I find myself looking all over the pages anymore just to double check if the prices are by the yd or 1/2 yd... I don't like this trend at all :(

I'm thinking to tell the manufacturers to belly up to the bar, and keep the one yard standard - everything including patterns are based on yardage. I'm too old (or maybe stubborn) for this crap. Before you can bat an eyelash, a "unit" will mean 1/3 yard. It will get to the point, we're buying in inches, then who's going to perfect cutting a true 5 inches at purchase? Some things just can't be regulated that closely - unless the consumer loses, again. At some point, I'll just tell them to forget it. Market to somebody that cares.

I know at least one that prices by the Quarter yard! Really annoying,

I've only seen it done on a few web sites so far. I don't buy from them.

Thanks for the info! I didn't know they did that at all! I'll pay attention to that when I do go fabric shopping (or is it only online?) Guess I don't do enough shopping! :lol: LOL! ... and I know I don't ... right now my budget can't handle it no matter how it's priced. :(

It is hard on us as food doesn't go as far as it used to. Fabric is pricey. I am keeping my stash and not reselling. It is frustrating especially when I like to do donation quilts for the millitary. Between the cost of materials and shipping I am definitely limited.

I almost found this out the hard way. I was shopping on line for what I thought was a great sale until I checked my final balance. Everything was priced by the half yard. I just clicked off the site. If they dont want to show real price I dont want their fabric.
Food is another story. I remember when a can of tuna made lunch for all of us.

This is terrible. These companies only care about their bottom line. Well, if they keep pricing themselves out of the market with deception, they will end up with nothing and in the same budget boat we are!

I hate that. I rarely buy just a 1\2yrd of fabric. I want to know the price per yard.

This has been going on for awhile. Everything has gotten smaller but prices have gone up. Bags of chips are smaller. I saw some bottled sodas the other day that weren't 16 oz....I think they were 12. My shavings guy kept his prices the same but the loads are way smaller. Heck our newspaper is narrower and smaller....

I had NO idea they were doing this. Our LQS still does it by the yard.

I dont know either, but thanks for the warning. I will sure be careful now!

And, our TP roll isn't quite as wide as it used to be!

Thanks for the info...would rather know by the yard than by the unit.

Hancock's of Paducah has priced like that for years and years with no complaints that I've ever read about. Who besides HoP is doing it now?

Stinks!

There is a way to beat this trend. Go to Thrift stores and buy sheets (white, colored or printed), little girl dresses (some never worn), Men's shirts (white like new percale, etc.) Women's dresses, skirts, etc. Sometimes bundles ofbrand new fabric. I once bought a tiny little bag, about the size of a gallon freezer bag of fabric, and got over 25 yards for $2.50. What a buy. This is a way to Boycott the fabric stores. Good luck to all!

I have noticed the ,by half yard price, thinking it was a great deal at 4.25 and then notice it's only 1/2 yard. Nope. And if their shipping is way out of line I move on too. No use saving money on fabric if you are spending it on shipping. 8+$ for shipping for 2yards fabric. nope.

I have noticed about the Toilet tissue too. I thought it was just me.

I sure don't like it either! what are seamstresses, quilters/etc to do? and with limited income, our old clothes may do it for awhile, but goodness gracious, how about some fabric I can afford!!

I don't like this trend either. It is annoying enough that a "45 inch" fabric is now more like 42 inches or less, especially if you prewash. So you are already loosing 5-6% fabric per yard. Really annoying when the fabric is too narrow to fit the specs of the manufactures pattern. I can't do much about the width issue, but will try to avoid sites that sell by the half or quarter yard

Ditto!!!!!

I've only noticed it for online shops. But it's really aggravating. I think I'm getting a great price then double check and realize it's a half yard! :(

I don't like it! It seems sneaky to me!!!

Old Sturbridge Village prices it by the inch. The price is the same per yd but hard to calculate. What is it about the squeeking wheel gets the grease. Remember the Smithsonian reproduction of quilts in China. Quilters have a voice. Lets use it.

I do this too. It's getting quite common on Ebay. I check and read and double check and double read before I buy anything. I almost wish they keep it at a yard and increase the cost, rather than trying to make sure I get what I think I'm getting.

Hadn't seen it, but I can tell you I'll hate it and make a stink or walk away when I encounter it. I could understand going to meters and I even understand 1/4 yd minimum cuts in store and 1/2-1 yd min online but pricing by the 1/2 yard us just insulting.

I noticed this a while back on an online site. I was looking for fabric that has been out for a couple of yrs so my 1st reaction was that it was marked down on clearance. Then just as I was going to buy it, I noticed it had not been marked down at all. While it is technically not false advertising, it sure is awfully close to crossing a line.

I noticed that the cereal boxes were a little slimmer lately. Do they think we're idiots? I guess $4.85 sounds a little easier to swollow than $9.70 but at the end of the day, we still need the yardage that we need. You have to keep a calculator with you at all times to know what it will really cost... I hate it.

I've noticed that flooring is being priced by the square foot and not the square yard - I guess it's to keep people from going into "sticker shock"!!!

Exactly! My bag of dog food went up $3 and down 2 lbs.

Don't like it one bit. They change the name of the quantity and then charge more because they're giving you more of the new name which is actually smaller than the original item. Hope that made sense, it did when I started to write it.

I noticed that the TP is very loosely wound so it looks like a bigger roll.

Ok you all went to food stuff, I like yogurt, was 8 oz for 60 cents or so, now lucky to get 4 oz for the same price, really not a good thing, almost wanted to stop eating yogurt,but didn't.

Thank you. I hadn't noticed this pricing trend yet in fabric. I sure have noticed it in groceries! Smaller packages, lower weight and higher price. My household has gotten smaller, but the grocery bill has gotten higher. And I haven't had a pay raise in 3 years.

I don't like it, was on one web site and fabric was sold in fat quarters or 1/2 yard. So now i have to be more observant.

When I go to a website that makes me search how their pricing runs, by the yard or half yard, I click off the website and shop elsewhere!