AngieS

I agree with this and the fact of the affordable classes. I love the idea of the sew ins!! What a great thing to have. It would be awesome!

stitchofclass2

Our LQS offers 4 or 5 blocks of the month, which they sell for $1.00 per block. If you want to buy more quilt patterns of the BOM, they are $3.00 a block. The catch (if that is a correct term here) is, you must pick up your BOM each month. If you miss a month the block is $2.00. My DIL has made several of these quilts and they are really beautiful. They use the thangle PP method.
What this does for the shop is - it brings quilters in every month and I don't know about you but every time I go in I buy something else. They also offer "finishing" pieces. I am not sure what that means as I live in two states and have not done one of these quilts myself.
The shop is Pieceful Hearts in Naperville, Illinois. One of the best shops I have ever been to. Good luck.

Heartwarming quilts

OMG so very very true.

catrancher

Have a bargain bin. I was in a quilt shop the other day. I asked for a yard of fabric. When she came to the end of the bolt, there was about 1/8 yard over what I wanted. She asked me if I wanted it. I asked if there was a discount, and she said "no." So I asked myself silently, "I said I wanted a yard. Why would I want more just so you don't have a scrap left over? What would be in it for me? I spend more money and get more fabric than I wanted." So I said, "No." She looked disappointed.

Later I was thinking about this and realized that now her only recourse is to put that out at a reduced price. Why not offer the reduced price to me? I also realized in this same stream of thinking that most of the fabric I own is small pieces found in a bargain bin. So I say, have a bargain bin, and offer the end of the bolt at a reduced price to the customer who purchases the bit that came just before it.

cdobbert40

In my world my LQS, if I had one would offer free or low cost classes with bring your own fabric or purchase with a discount for that class. Rental time on a long arm would be fabulous. For the quilters with limited space or mobility issues a place to baste their quilts would be nice.
A nice stash of free patterns. And above all a sunny disposition with an I want to help you attitude.

lynndianne

One of my LQS has a shoebox club. We meet once a month. You fill your shoebox with fabrics and take it to the shop. We exchange the boxes and you take someone else's box home. You make a 12 1/2 inch block for that person and bring the box back next month.

QUILTHER

Inspiration. I visit other quiltshops and get inspired. Not our LQS! They mainly do business on the internet. I go to other quiltshops and get tons of ideas. I got one last month and even though I bought the main fabric at JoAnnes I always stop in my LQS and pick up a little something to add to it. Don't just educate with quilt project classes, educate on the thread you carry, the needles. Oh, my! After watching superior threads on The Quilt Show I tried their So Fine for machine quilting and I absolutely love it. Little tips to sell other items. I went to my LQS to buy a Quilt Engagement Calendar, they didn't have any. I was in a chat on New Year's Resolutions and someone said they listed their UFO's in the front and they write what they are doing on the days. A quilting diary, so to speak. Wanted to do it. Now I have decided to make my own engagement calendar. I wanted to try the Schmetz topstitch titanium needles. She doesn't carry them. I have to say in her defense she is close to retiring and does not have the marketing motivation bug any longer. diane/Wyoming

QUILTHER

I just wanted to add that little demonstrations in the shop on how to use some of those tools. There used to be a young gal at the LQS that was excited over everything. When new fabric was being put out she was, like: "Have you seen this new fabric, it is so cool, I just love the colors." all the while walking over to it. It was the same on notions. She was a quilter. Our LQS has two young girls that tried quilting once they started work there, but they are not quilters. Hence, you go in and ask questions and ???. Marketing, marketing, marketing. Diane/Wyoming

gramarraine

I agree with you about owners being snobish. I recently went in our LQS and the employees did not even one time speak to me. I will not be going back to that shop soon.

decky

My LQS has what it calls VIP every month. They talk about new products, what classes they have and then they have show and tell. It is held 2 days a month and both days have at least 25 to 30 people at it. At the end of the session the line up at the register has about 15 to 20 people buying things. What a way to boost sales!!!