So far not in the St. Louis area.

three of my favorite shops closed within the past year. SAD

Yes, my favorite has closed. The auction is today. I was not only disappointed for myself, but what are the wonderful ladies employed there going to do now? Work is hard to find so my hearts just go out to them!!!

yes, one of my local quilt shop just announced that they are closing due to high costs.

No local closings here but I've seen several on-line shops close in the last few months.

Not recently, no. Two closed a couple years ago to move to online only sales, one closed due to the death of her husband, and the others say they are doing very well actually.

Many are expanding their offerings, both fabrics and classes, and all are finding new ways to draw and keep customers...lectures on what judges look for, contests and challenges, surprise sales on holidays, neat little things that show a lot of thought and not a lot of cost.

Not here thank goodness! One of ours just expanded, its beautiful....I hope they can all stay in business!

Several have closed once Walmart started to sell fabric; THEN once they got all the business, they started to down-size, or quit selling fabric and I started to scream - "Yeah, first you run our fabric shops out of business by underselling our local fabric shops, and now you want to stop selling fabric???? When I see the last piece of fabric go out the door here at Walmart, will be when you see me the last time ever!" and I ususally make a haul at Walmart, whether it be our vitamins, fabric, or groceries; I'm not much into their cheaper varieties of foreign goods otherwise, but I'd say this everytime I'd go in and they said they'd appreciate any feedback from anyone, as they turn in those remarks to the main office! I think they heard me and the rest of us there, as they began getting more fabric in now and it is staying, although a couple Walmarts don't handle fabric anymore, or just fat quarters and I am not one to buy fat quarters - plus not much variety.

Here in Aiken area we have 3 wal-marts only one carries material. one LQS but there prices are to the extream plus the dont have alot, theres a Hobby Lobby with in 20 min

Yes they are. It is sad. The one that closed just recently was owned by a wonderful, very talent lady and it was sad. I think most people are being very careful with their money right now, and are cutting corners wherever they can. But we do have to remember that if we want an LQS we had better support them so they can stay around.