quiltingb1

Lots of fabric choices (as well as a sale area)along with friendly staff is a must. Also, lots of samples hanging with patterns/kits available for purchase. And the one thing I really wish my LQS had more of is classes. All kinds of classes from beginner to advanced. A loyalty card is nice too.

gzuslivz

customer loyalty perks (punch card for $$ amount spent, not yardage only. I spend tons on things other than yardage and would like to be rewarded)
seating for stitching or looking through books
lots of charm packs
good lighting

Furza Flyin

OH OH OH, I would love to see a sign on the front door that said. NO QUILT POLICE ADMITTED! snicker

QuicklyQuilting

I know that lots and lots of samples, with patterns available, is inspirational for me. Have a wide variety of projects on display with classes available. Even if they seem simple to do, it's fun to have a dedicated time to sit down with friends and actually complete something.
Have a knowledgeable staff so that you can offer a class for customers who are having difficulty with a project or pattern and just need a little help for a small charge. If it lasts an hour or two you could accommodate more than one person.
Be open every day. If my LQS was only open for a few hours on a Sunday or Monday, I would make time to be there during those hours. Be open late one or two days a week. Have consistent hours, so that I know that you will be open if I make a special trip.
Offer customer involved exchanges.. charm squares, 9 patches, half square triangles, strips, etc.

suern3

My main wish for my LQS would be more classes using some of the popular patterns. They have a few classes but nothing really fun. I took my fisrt basic quilting classes there and it was really good, but nothing since. Otherwise they are helpful and friendly. I recently went to a quilt shop in the town where my daughter lives and she and DGD went with me to look. Found nothing and after we left my daughter said, She must have thought we were going to steal something, the way she watched us. She said hello when we came in and not another word. I felt the same way and I said I wouldn't have given her my money had I seen anything I wanted.

Gennynut

What I like: Good service, help finding the right fabric for border etc, willing to cut FQ's. mix of fabric : batiks, Asian, 30's to modern. some collections so things co-ordinate.Having backing material.
Don't like: snotty sales clerks. Only a few very expensive lines of fabric.

SueSew

I've read the other posts and chime in, specifically with
1. Great fabric choices, different than the things readily available from Joann or similar and not just cutesy groups of pre-matched fabrics. Color and beauty.
2. Genuinely friendly helpful sales staff who don't lecture.
3. Evening hours at least one night a week.
4. Cool classes - not some dreary ugly pattern and fabric you wouldn't want in your home and couldn't give away.
5. Nice work space for classes/workshops. Elbow room.
6. On-line presence to showcase NEW fabrics coming in, sales, etc. and fabric inventory.
7. A place to stage fabric choices, without knocking over some cutesy decorations or worse a lineup of bolts.

All that said, I think that to succeed in today's flat economy, you really have to know your market - who will visit, who will buy, how much will they buy, what is max size of market and what share will you get (Walmart or Joann's nearby?) what is per capita income in area, how many women don't work outside the home, distance to travel, how appeal to demographic (quilt hops, shows, guilds, girls-night-outs, sew-together evenings, tea and cookies, guest quilters, fabric designer visit, organize trip to mfgr., etc), hobby or passion quilters or pros, long or short armers (rent out the LA?) special orders of quilt hi-tech specialty stuff ... huge marketing effort, charm and cachet. Sound like a lot of fun!!!

SewMomma66

Kits. Classes. Great staff. One of my LQS are all about the sale. Really turns me off. I only go when I really really really need something for my machine that they only carry.

Lorae Radunz

Definitely small shopping carts. I don't do well trying to carry 4-5 bolts of fabric. Our LQS has carts that are perfect. They remind me of the carts people would take to the grocery store to carry all there bags home in. They're probably 18" square, low to the ground, and bolts of fabric stand up in there just perfect. I also like the LQS that has the punch cards. I agree with someone earlier,punch cards for $$$ spent, not for yardage.Spools of thread,rulers,etc can add up fast to add to your punches. One more thing, a restroom [handicap assessable]

LAQUITA

WOW you ladies have had some wonderful ideas! THANK YOU all! Funny though, I'd say over 1/2 of you mentioned hve friendly staff. I can't imagine having a store (craft of any kind) and not being friendly to your customers!!! I have not run into that any where around here, thank goodness.

I will paoss these and any others that are added to my friend. Keep them ideas a coming!!!! :)