Peckish

The internet is not completely evil. I recently purchased fabric that I could not find anywhere else online from - guess what - a small quilt shop located 2100 miles away from me. A smart and organized LQS owner can and will have a successful online presence, and can beat the big box stores at their own game.

Peckish

The internet is not completely evil. I recently purchased fabric that I could not find anywhere else online from - guess what - a small quilt shop located 2100 miles away from me. A smart and organized LQS owner can and will have a successful online presence, and can beat the big box stores at their own game.

Peckish

I'm curious, what makes you so sure that she's going to burn out?

She's been open 5 years. Her policies, decisions, vision, and success have enabled her to hire 3 employees in the last two years. One is tasked to do nothing but load and operate the Gammills. The other two run the shop when the owner is not there. Her shop was featured in a national quilt magazine as one of the top 10 shops for that year. She's had a quilt she designed published in another national quilt magazine, and has won awards for her quilts in Portland's largest quilt show. Sure, at first she was spending every waking moment building her business, but she's done a very good job laying a solid foundation for a successful quilt shop that can and does run smoothly without her.

As I said, I think she's doing everything right.

Ellen 1

:-) Still shopped at a small quilt shop.....We are in agreement about that!! I’m not saying the internet is evil. I’m just saying I like my money to go to smaller shops. I know this is not possible for all people due to where they live and what is available, etc. Also saying not saying I’ve never shopped on the internet. Just not my first choice.

QuiltingNinaSue

A shop in at he region has been rated by in the top ten by Better Homes and Garden Quilt Magazine this year is up for sale; the whole building in Winterset, Iowa. She is an experienced shop owner, and I do not know why she is selling out...she has owned a shop for a good many years and has fabulous four state bus tours every year. A another quilter and I go on an All Iowa Shop Hop every year to support small/medium/large shops in Southern Iowa. Our local hometown quilt shop closed her doors at the end of December. One quilt shop I went to and loved in Chariton, Iowa, is closing out fabric and closing her store.

Times change. Change is the constant thing in business and in life. I would rather buy fabric and 'feel' it, even 'pat' it at a shop than to buy online. Those who do sell online, I may order from and feel that I know what I am getting in fabric lines. We have found new shops every June in Iowa during the shop hops. They are getting to be far, far away from us, but hope to go on our yearly trips few more years. Have a good stash, but cannot resist a quilt shop, or book store, or a good eating place. Or combine all three on a trip. LOL! Love this thread.

Jeanette Frantz

I can't speak from experience -- I've never owned or operated a quilt shop. Speaking as a quilter, and as the mother of a son who works in retail, I can tell you that operating any kind of retail establishment is extremely hard. The public frequenting retail establishments are too often (because once is too often) ill mannered, inconsiderate and not at all pleasant to be around. The community in which I live is a very rural area, and therein presents a problem because the market volume is just not present. My son works in a very good, nationally known office/computer service/sales, etc. Obviously, that's a very different area of the business world. Retail is very hard -- when I was in high school, I worked in a ladies' wear store in Wichita, Kansas. A locally-owned very nice store -- not necessarily a high-dollar establishment, but a very nice store. I helped a customer who was looking for the same dress in her size that was stocked by the J. C. Penney Store a block away. We had the dress in her size, the other store did not. This woman walked a block in a large metropolitan area because our price was five cents more than Penney's. Again, a LQS is a very different type of establishment, but the fact remains, retail business is extremely hard, and it takes a very strong person to keep a retail business afloat.

Beachbaby12

Agree. Three quilt shops closed in our area because the women retired. Sad but it happens.

RonieM

As an FYI, stores nominate themselves for this top ten shops. There are criteria, but it's not like someone from BH&G goes around searching for awesome shops.

On another note, if we want LQS to be around, then we have to support them. Take classes, bring our quilts to them to be quilted, purchase our fabrics, notions, etc. I know Joann's has coupons and we all love a coupon, but our LQS needs our support if we want them to be there for years to come.

llong0233

Jan in VA makes a point I can validate...while driving home from an errand I passed a church where their marquee usually has a witty statement relating to life. This day it said "You're never to old to dream." As I passed and read the sign I thought dream maybe; do...not so much.

llong0233

We've talked about this here before. Ask yourself how many yards of fabric do you have to sell, at, say, $13/yard, to meet your rent, never mind your utilities, payroll, etc. Yes, I know you sell and do other revenue generating things, but fabric sales is likely the biggest. Don't do the math...its scary.