osewme

I never feel guilty leaving any store with nothing. We don't have a LQS here anymore but many, many times I just went in to "look around" & never felt the need to buy if I couldn't find anything I liked or needed.

popover

I have to ask; if you go in the corner grocery for eggs and they are out of them, do you feel guilted into buying a bag of chips?

WMUTeach

Yes, I feel a level of guilt because I know how important it is for the LQS to be supported by shoppers. Too often they are undercut by the large chain stores. On the other hand, if the LQS doesn't have what I need, I will not purchase what is not needed. Just yesterday, I purchased fat quarters at a LQS, paying more than what I wanted but the colors fit the final choices I needed for a quilt and the FQs were buy 4 get one free. Left guilt free...... this time.

lindaschipper

I always find a fat quarter or two to add to my stash so I never leave empty handed.

paoberle

Of course not! I leave any store empty handed if it does not have what I want or if the price is too high. I rarely shop my LQS's. I just cannot afford them and frankly, I have found them to be less than friendly unless you are a regular.

Alice Woodhull

I am not a browser. When I go shopping I have a mission. When they don't have it I don't feel guilty for leaving empty handed.

romanojg

More disappointed than anything, either because they didn't have what I wanted or it was too expensive. I might feel guilty leaving any store if I spent way more than I should have but not because I didn't spend anything. Then I feel blessed and that I resisted temptation.

tessagin

that is one thing about some of the LQS I don't understand. The sewing center down the road from me sells quite a few brands of sewing machines and thread but little inventory for fabric. I asked why and the owner stated she didn't want to compete with the fabric shops so she sells more notions and equipment. They also have an onsite machine repair person whose father was also a machine repair person. Their embroidery thread is more for machine embroidery.

romanojg

[QUOTE=ArtsyOne;7815954]I always buy something

Sometimes shops go out of business not because of low sales but because they haven't lived up to what is expected. I love local stores, small shops and go there first. I bought my first Viking Ruby from one that is an hour away. I was promised classes. They only ones I got was when we didn't the emb club and I'd have to rush there after work to catch the last hour. A year later I traded that one in and got the top of line that was on special. again, promised classes, got none. In between these two machines I also bought their digitizing software, I was promised classes, this whole time the shop knew I had Thur thru Sat off to do this. I still got no classes. I spent over 15, 000 there and they made a profit on me but I got a lot of frustration at not getting the addiotional learning promised. I used to go there even if I needed some fabric or thread even though I have stores closer but no independent shops. After a few years of being a loyal paying customer and getting empty promises which showed they could care less about me once the sale was made, I quit going. This past year the store closed down and I wasn't sad at all. I was sad when hancock's went under but this store. True to form, in the couple of weeks before the store closed, the owner kept on selling classes, not honoring the gift cards telling the people to wait a week or two for a sale, that never happened. It was all over FB how sad it was. I feel bad for a few of the employees who were nice and had no control over anything. No sadness for the owner. I put up on FB that this is what happens when you don't treat your customers with the respect they deserve and live up to their promises. I said there are a couple of sayings, one is Karma is a B and what goes around comes around, and this time it did.

I'm lucky because we have a fabric store here that is pretty big but locally owned to go to. When Hancock's went out of business and the other big chain fabric raised their prices this store lowered his and got more stock in. I also shop at the sew n vacs who are doing great getting more things like fabric in, even though I have to drive there but I will support them because they honor their customers and stand by their promises.

Sorry for going on but while I feel we should support our small businesses they need to value us as well. Its a two way street. If they do it right and still go under, then yes, I feel badly for them but at least they tried honestly to make it work. The economy was just against them right now.

citruscountyquilter

I try to find something when I'm on a organized shop hop or Row by Row. I usually have a project in mind and am looking for something specific so if they don't have it I don't feel guilty. I do think that shoppers should at least look around the store and spend some time if they are on an organized shop hop or Row by Row rather than just picking up a free pattern or getting your passport stamped. The purpose of these events is to get you to come to the store and it's nicer if you at least look and see what they have to offer.