walmart isn't as cheap on the food anymore either. when i shopped with my dd recently we found that the prices were the same as or more than our local supermarket. they seem to think that they can cruise on their reputation. too bad because in the meantime they are driving small businesses out. i hate to see empty stores on main street just because some greedy giant ran them off. and in this economy those stores will sty empty a long time.

MPeters is right. A mgr in a WV store told me their fabric would go when they remodel in the Spring.

One of our many stores in the Greater Cincinnati area told me they would lose fabrics once the store rebuilt so they could have a Super Center. The current store does not have enough floor space and the county health department will not allow them to bring "fresh foods" in the same dock area where everything else is brought in. So they will build - new and bigger!

I suggest you do a Google search. try "WalMart closing fabric departments" There is MUCH information there. Some 2 years old where they deny the rumor is true.

I found the petition which many of your probably signed. There are over 41,000 signatures to date. I suppose that number of customers does not mean a drop in the bucket for WalMart.

Share your thoughts

june in Cincinnati

Oh my, it's so sad to think of losing our fabric dept. at Walmart. We still have ours in Washington, but who knows for how long. I guess I had better start stocking up my stash, before they are all gone!! :(

Happy Holidays,
Cheryl

I love my walmart and I dread the loss of the fabric department! We live 25 miles away from the nearest Joanns, and I don't know WHERE the nearest quilt store it!

In terms of business practicality, it makes sense to close it. It's not just the sales but the fact that you need a worker dedicated to that department. They have to staff that one small area with people who know fabric and crafts and can cut the fabric (late at night, they sent over a guy from Automotive to cut for me once... he did his best.) So I hate to see it go, but I don't really blame them. Employees are very expensive.

They did our remodel on our Walmart this past spring and reduced the size of the fabric dept. but kept getting in new stuff. The last time I was in there, my friend who works the fabric dept said they were definitely going to phase out because its a service dept. and like you said Cathe, they feel its too expensive to man all the time. There was a manager standing around the area when she was telling me this, so I really made my point about what it would do to lose this dept. I could tell he was listening and my friend said quietly "thank you". I don't know if what I said will help, but I do not want to lose our dept there either. We do have a Joanns at the mall which is right down the road, but I like alot of options for the items that I sell at my craft shows and Walmart has those at a good price.

I talked with the Manager of our Wal-Mart, he said if everyone would call 1-800-walmart, and complaine.. it would help, he said to make sure and say, "If I drive to a mini mall to buy my Fabric at a Quilt shop, then I will be buying my groceries and laundry detergent, and getting my percriptions, at that store, I will not drive back to Wal-Mart to make my purchases", just think of how much money they will loose if they do away with all the Fabric's at every store. And now with the economy so bad, and they are putting in Party supplies !!!! We have one Walmart in a 60 mile radius, and the fabric is going.

I hope our local Walmart doesn't do away with the fabric dept....I go there to buy fabric but end up getting groceries, medicine, books, and electronics.

We have 2 Super WalMarts and 1 small Walmart in our area. The 2 Super have gotten rid of their fabric departments but the little one has TONS of fabric. Go figure.

I live in a very rural area, and hour from any other fabric stores, and our Walmart put all of their fabrics and notions by the yard on sale for 50% off earlier this month. Our Celebration station is due to be in by Jan 26th <rolling eyes> What's a poor quilter to do? Why..... buy up as much fabric on sale as possible! Guess I'll have to do my fabric shopping when I take my daughter to violin lessons. Hope I don't need to run out and grab something right quick... there won't be any of that anymore!

I wouldn't know because I have never been to a Wal-Mart in my life.