Yes, when I went into our local WalMart last week that is what I found and it was not impressive so I have been writing to the home office and local store. Doubt that it will do any good. I could not even find a spool of black thread. The thread display only had a few spools like they were getting rid of that too. What a disappointment as we have to drive over 50 miles one way to the closest fabric center. Guess online will get my business.

When Mr Walton (Mr Walmart) died and the "kids" took over, customer service went out the door. American made went with Mr Walton. Employees say it is a "sweat shop" envirement to work in. Anything you pick up says "made in china". Our local store does not have fabrics and we have to drive 1 1/2 hours to the closest LQS. I rarely go into Walnart anymore. If I have to pay a few cents more for something it is worth it to me to make a statement.

When I came home yesterday there was a phone message from someone at my local Walmart, no doubt in response to my email. Sorry that I missed that call but the caller said she would try again. I hope so.

I can understand what Claire Voyant Quilter is saying but, it goes beyond the LQS. From the last time this subject was brought up by the board we have found many,many people rely on Wal-Mart because of the prices and also many areas of the country where our board members live only have or had Wal-Mart to shop for material. They have no local quilt stores in their area or can not afford the local quilt store prices. So, in that sense it is quite a shame. I too like to patronize when posible our local stores. But, sometimes it is not that cut and dry.

Small town that I live in has only a Wally Mart..no other stores...we still have fabric bolts..but it keeps shrinking..I was so upset when they took away the DMC embroidery threads..now I have to order on line to get them. Such a shame. But the on line stores should profit from Wally's decision.

The new supercenter is NOT going to have an automotive service center either.

...and I'm thrilled that WalMart is encouraging the massacre of even more trees, filling streams and rivers with even more pollution (have you seen the colors of some of those paper and plastic goods? The dye residue must be horrendous) and clogging landfills for the next 800 years or so with plastic cups.

Shame on us for wanting to make something which is beautiful, will be functional for many years, and ultimately, for the most part, biodegradable.

Hmmm, did you consider answering them saying something like 'oh that's too bad cuz now I'll have to buy my notions and crafts where I buy my fabric'?

Why make trips to more than one store when we want to economize cuz of gas prices etc.?

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me. Did they poll all of the quilters? I bet not. Because from where I sit I see a lot of disappointed people who sew and quilt. Wonder where they got their numbers. Hum, think about it.

that's the one I got too. LOL

Well, they didn't ask me!

Do you have a email addy for Walmart? I think I would like to send them the message that I will buying my notions and crafts from the store that I buy my fabrics from.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

I got the same e-mail. Don't think anyone even read mine.:(

If you read further in this thread or check it online, you will find that this is not true. JoAnn is an independent company (at least for now!)

you can buy most of that stuff at dollar tree

You can get the CELEBRATION stuff at any Dollar Tree and theres a better slection...and cheaper...need I say more...I would go to one WalMart that is 5 miles further than the one closest to me because of the fabic...and then get grocerys...well they have lost me on that now...I go to Food Lion or the base commersery.....no more walmart for me...I will go to Joann's, Hancock Fabric and my LQS...

Maybe a boycott of the new crafts and celebration center is in order.

that is the same letter they sent me, too

Seems were all alike here. I also received the same email from them.

I got the same exact reply.
Thank you for posting the reply.
Don't give up the more e-mails they get the better. Maybe if they get enough they will change their minds.
If we don't do anything, nothing will happen.
Just a thought
Pat

We got that replacement at our local Walmarts also and it stinks!!!

I got the same letter. I also called 1-800-walmart and spoke with a very nice young man who blew the same smoke.

I wrote them a letter telling them how grateful I am to them for the remodel because it has encouraged me to seek other sources for the items I usually bought there. I got another form letter promising to look into my comments. The last report I had from Wall Street was that WalMart profits are down--they are certainly down in women's clothing, where, according to the Internet, inventories jumped over 10 percent as a result of the attempt to "upgrade" by carrying designer names most of us never heard of and didn't care about. Wonder who the genius was who thought that up? In any case, they couldn't sell it!

Last night, my daughter learned that WalMart will no longer handle the George brand of clothing that we have enjoyed so much over the years. That's another good reason to go to a store that keeps a reliable supply of the things we use.

froggyintexas

Ya, like the Dollar Store! I think we need to have every quilter send them an email letting them know we are out here. But the fabric probably would come from China and be cheap stuff, that I probably would not want to use in my quilts.

We have a new WalMart about to open in two weeks, and we have a large population of Hispanic's, & older people who are excited about it. Me, I am not going in there at all. I will support my local stores. They built this in a very small town with one street going one way and the other going the other way.East and West! There are no side streets to speak of so that town is going to be gridlocks forever till the newness wears down. I hate it. Also they are known to keep their prices low for 6 months to a year and then they start going up so you will be paying the same prices as the stores around you. Grrr!

I love the LQS shops that I frequent, but all of them are at least an hour away. Our closest JoAnns are also an hour away. The JoAnns and LQS stores closed before Wal-Mart came to town, and if ours stops carrying fabric, I will really miss it. I don't purchase much fabric for my "good" quilts there, but purchase fabric for other things often because, well, it's the closest place around. The less time on the road, the more time to sew with all the "good" fabric I buy elsewhere :)

I have worked for WalMart for 10 years. The last three years were in Fabrics and Crafts. Now, our fabric is gone. Although I can see Clair's point, I have to mention that not all of us can afford $8.99 to $12.99 a yard for material. I have purchased fabric at LQS that was not as good as some fabric at WalMart. I knew a lady that owned the LQS in the next town to us and was told by her that she purchased fabric at WalMart (by the bolt) and sold it in her store for $7.99 per yard. I also agree that "Celebration Center" is not going to last. I guess everything has its good points and bad ones.

They did one better in the Province of Quebec, their employees got their accreditation to syndicate. They close the store. Lots of people boycott Walmart here and I' proud of being one of them. By the their is a 5 minutes walk from my house! The only thing that they understand is the net profit they make for every square foot of every store.

What they are actually going to do is package material. Can't imagine how that is going to work insofar as colors etc. This I got from an employee this morning. I am going to start going to Walmart just for food and the heck with the rest of it. They took all the fun out of going into their store.........

Dollar Tree has all that stuff for $1.00. Go figure why WalMart would try to compete with that.

Dollar Tree has fabric?

It's all about the dollar for them, not concern about the customer...don't misunderstand I have bought my fair share of WM materials, they have done me and the LQS a huge favor! I buy lots nicer fabric and dont buy fabric on every trip to WM! Though I do think there are alot of people who were dependant on WM to provide affordable material in rural areas.

Got the same letter, I told them i have tons of places to buy fabric .But i usually spent $100 more when i went into WalMart buying other stuff. but now with no fabric . I very rarely go to walmart.yep they didn't really care send them all a form letter get them off or backs. :(

I have a Walmart 5 miles south of me who has discontinued fabric. There is another Walmart 16 miles north that still has fabric (yes, it's in another town). Even when I don't plan to buy fabric or crafts material, maybe just buying pet items, dogfood, a few foodstuffs, I will go to the Walmart that has the fabric. I usually spend anywhere from $60 to $100, but the store that has fabric is the store that gets my money.

Here's the one I got yesterday, and my reply to it: --


---- My original msg to WM ----

(I wrote) I want quilting fabrics, both yardage and pre-cuts, back in the Wal-Mart stores. You-All need to do some kind of community study and find out how much business you are missing by cutting out this very lucrative hobby/craft that SO MANY OF US do to the tune of several thousands dollars a month.


----- Walmart Reply to my first email -----
From: Walmart Customer Service

Thank you for your message.

Dear Mary,

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the fabric department in your local store. As with any merchandise decision that we make, we have based our decision to reduce the stitching and fabric departments on customer demand, which does not appear to be as high today for a full stitching and fabric offering in some markets as it may have been at Walmart in the past.

In keeping with our emphasis on being a store of the community, Walmart is converting the fabrics and crafts department in some stores to a newly expanded assortment of merchandise that focuses on life's celebrations. We are thrilled to offer our customers this exciting new crafts and celebrations center that makes available craft and party planning needs along with information on current trends and new ideas in the area of life's celebrations, such as holidays, weddings and birthdays.

In those stores where the new crafts and celebrations center is placed, merchandise commonly referred to as 'notions' will be included in the product offerings - such as sewing machines, yarn, needles, thread, etc. As a part of this conversion, most of our new and remodeled stores that opened earlier this year, as well as a small number of existing stores, will feature the new crafts and celebrations center in place of bolt fabrics. Walmart will continue to carry cut fabric in most of our stores. Due to the continued evaluation of our stores, we are unable to share a list of existing stores scheduled to receive the new crafts and celebrations center at this time.

Sincerely,
Walmart Customer Care


-----(My reply to WM's response)-----

It is evident that you do not have the pulse of the quilting public. Online groups are very active, and very vocal, and and spend a lot of money.

Sincerely,
Inquiring Customer

Not based on any type of "scientific" fact, but my own personal opinion is they are doing away with the fabric department because it requires an employee to assist each customer who wants fabric cut. The new department, with precut fabrics and notions on the wall are "help yourself", thereby saving WalMart the cost of personnel.

I went to one of the WM's close by that just remodeled and they have one aisle with precut fabric in 1 and 2 yard lengths. They also had some fabrics cut and put together with a pattern. The select was somewhat limited but not too bad. They also had fat quarters and some jellyrolls.
I don't know how they choose which stores to have this aisle though. Our other 2 don't have it.

I agree absolutely, that's what some of our local WM employees told us about it too.

the reason Walmarts ended the fabric department is because they had a hard time finding workers that could actually cut the fabric. It takes intelligence and math skills to cut fabric, and just take a look at some of those that are hired at Walmart., that's the answer. Have you ever tried to actually get help from a Walmart worker. Standard answer, "That's not my department area., i will send someone to you." and then you wait, wait, wait. Enough said abt. Walmart.

This is not the truth.
I live in a rurally isolated area the closest big town is over forty miles away and there was always a large demand for fabric and notions in the walmart here.
It has nothing to do with customer demand.
People in this small town, less than 5.000 people, walmart came in and ran the other two fabric stores in town out of business now we have to drive the forty plus miles for fabric. I myself have boycotted the local walmart.

This HOT topic should be sent to WalMart...or maybe some kind of mail program......After all, we are the folks who keep WalMart in business. I dont believe I have ever left WM with less than $100 in purchases, sometimes fabric and sometimes not, however, always many other items. With no fabric to choose from, and maybe purchase, I will probably shop locally and make my fabric purchases otherwise.