I work for a large retailer and we don't allow photos to be taken in our store. Many times competitors send in comparison shoppers to get an idea how we merchandise our products. I might have asked the owner before taking pictures.

I've been a customer there for many years. Back in the day, the info was not covered up and some people did take advantage of that. I have a friend in Maine who owns a small quilt shop and she told me that customers would come in with the bolt info from Keepsake and ask her if she had that fabric or could order it for her.
These days, with search engines and the internet (and the quilting board!), it is so much easier to find a fabric.

I feel for our little LQS and Yarn shops. It is so hard for many to stay in business. We lost a great yarn shop here in NH this fall. Technology can be a great tool but it can also create problems. Remember the days when you couldn't take a picture in an art museum? I read a review recently where the person was so annoyed that they couldn't use their IPhone to take a picture of a painting.

I think that discretion is the way to go, if at all possible. I use a notepad that I carry in my pocketbook to make notes when necessary.

Isn't this a shame? I think they've found the right way to handle photos for their customers.

Many people use phones now as a note pad and paper. I can see asking if it is OK to take a picture of a quilt but a bolt of fabric? I do think it is wrong to take pictures of pages out of books or patterns.

Another option is to look at the salvage edge and write down the name of the fabric and the maker. You can google it for your visual and you won't offend anyone in the store.

My LQS doesn't have anything posted about photos and they frequently post pics of events and new items on their social media sites. That said, I'd feel odd taking a photo without asking. I assume they'd think I was going to buy it elsewhere unless I stated a reason for the picture. I feel that way at most retail shops.

I was recently out of town and visited a shop that had signs up saying that pictures were only allowed to be taken if you'd purchased the kit. That seemed fair. I really liked one but not the fabric or even the whole design - more the concept really. So I went to their social media site later and found it posted. I saved that photo to my hard drive for reference but wouldn't post it elsewhere.

There are a few shops that I go into and I always buy something no matter how small while I am in there. Some shops just beg for you to buy something and not just "window shop". A quilt store is one of those for me. I may not buy the 5 yds. there but I would certainly buy a book or something before I left.

I don't take the picture without permission and 9 times out of 10 I don't get the permission. Even the craft fairs we go to around here won't let you and one day this guy had the prettiest scene in a wooden table I guess you would call it and in the glass it looked like fish swimming around. I said my that is pretty I think I will have to buy that. Well just as I got to the guy, he hollered at my daughter not to take pictures of this stuff. She looked at him kinda of funny and I told the guy that I had intended to buy that item until he hollered at my daughter out loud where everybody stopped and looked/ He said ok and told me the price and I said I wouldn't take that item of yours if you marked it down to 5.00. I try never to be rude and I don't want anyone being rude to anyone I know.

It is a huge no-no to take pictures at craft shows. Extremely rude.

I remember when college classes and other places prohibited audio recordings, but as miniaturization has advanced, the ability to record without anyone knowing has changed things. The ability to photograph without it being obvious will have the same result. Whether it is ethical to do it is another question.