You can also find fabric on Etsy, Bonanza, and yardsellr

All the shops around me have fabric two shelves high. On a shop hop, I was in a couple of shops that had fabric 3 shelves high -- way to high for me to get the heavy, squished bolts down. I had to get clerks to helg getting the fabric down. I really did not like them -- there was barely room for one person to go between the rows and it felt really close.

I've never really thought about it either, but I just realized the newest LQS in town has shelving that is about 3 inches off the ground with a toe-kick, like high-end bookshelves. Now I feel lucky!

This would be a good plan...but getting down to the stool and up from it might create difficulties for some. Still, better than not having a way to see the low shelves.

You can bet you are not the only one who has a problem with the low shelves. I would be right there with you. I think many quilters are in there 50's and older and would have this problem. I would certainly talk to the owners, they may not be aware of the difficulty is has caused you to shop there.

I totally agree. I have this problem since I have a neck injury and can't get up and down as easily as I did at age 20. LOL
Joanns has stuff packed in so tight you can't get it down and it's too high to see what it looks like anyway. And I have to practically stand on my head to see the bottom row. Wally World just redid their floor plan and its just as bad. I rarely shop WM so that doesn't bother me much, just don't go there! As for Joanns, I have a sewing buddy that is younger and taller than me. When we shop together she does the pulling out and putting back of the high or low shelves. Now thats a true buddy! LOL But I'm always rescuing her with pattern instructions she can't figure out, etc. so I think its a pretty fair trade. ;o)

And those pretty displays where the fabric is flared/draped out - I always mess it up when I want to see the information on the bolt end - I think there is some neat little trick to doing it 'right' - but I haven't figured out what it is yet.

I would guess that a shop owner/manager has to find a balance between using all available space for product display and still leaving enough room for customers to get around.

My biggest gripes are still having bolts crammed in so tightly that one causes a fabric slide when one tries to pull one bolt off the shelf

and

things so high that I can't reach them.

I would definitely speak to the owner. People who don't have physical problems just don't realize how uncomfortable it is for those of us who do!

I think since it is a LQS you may be able to get the owner or clerk to help you. Of course they may be busy with other customers, but let them know it is so hard for you to shop with the arrangement they have. I have the aggravation of shopping at Joann's and not being able to get the bolt out, or not being able to see the label on the top indicating what the fabric is because they are wedged so tightly together.

When I shop my LQS, (she moved so I've only been to her new store once) I will take the whole bolt of material I am considering to the front and leave it there till I'm done and have made my choices. I sometimes change my whole plan so the bolts will stack up before I'm done. I think she's kind of amused at my indecision. Her bolts are mostly on the lower shelf too. A cart is a wonderful idea! When I shop the big stores I will keep the bolts in my cart to audition the fabrics.

When I started reading this thread I thought it was going to be about the comfort during classes. She had folding tables and chairs, and my back was killing me trying to bend over to cut the fabric during class. The metal folding chairs were so uncomfortable, I brought a butt cushion and had to keep trying to adjust it every time I got up to iron. I think there should always be a cutting table at the proper height. This has actually prevented me from taking more classes there. Also, the ironing board cover was stained and it bled onto some fabric I pressed. She didn't think that was a big deal.... "just buy another yard". I'm thinking if you have students, take good care of them, provide the right environment and they will keep coming back, and will buy more from you! This is starting to sound like a rant, but the bathroom was dirty too, and that really bothered me. I started thinking I would just be so much more comfortable and have a clean environment at home, and quit taking classes there.

I'm sure you LQS owners are looking at this thread, there are many things to consider for your customers, and you do what you can. I can see both sides, but if I were you I would do whatever I could to make it comfortable to shop and learn and keep "me" coming back.

I also need items easily reached, a local small grocery store carries good quilt magazines but keeps them on a bottom shelf, I can't bend over enough to reach them. I did suggest that since many of quilt magazine customers are older women that they move them up to a higher shelf (where they have the teen magazines) but they never did.
A great private book store near my daughter's home stocked their quilt books up so high that I need a ladder to reach them. I did suggest that they move them down a little but they probably won't, I don't think they sell many.