earthwalker

I agree the salesperson should have been more polite. However, before taking photo's in places that are not public, permission should be asked. In my job (disability support), as part of my reporting process, I often take pictures of our clients doing their activities, this can be in gyms, libraries, workplaces, shops etc. I always seek permission when not in a public place, not just out of politeness but for legal reasons. I also ensure, no other people are in the picture (unless I have asked their permission). Sounds extreme to some I guess, but who knows who is in a witness protection scheme or whatever

citruscountyquilter

I was in a quilt shop yesterday where there was a sign on the front door that photographs were not permitted without approval of staff.

IrishNY

I would have probably asked before I took a picture just to make my intentions clear. But any shop owner who thinks they are going to be successful by trying to "protect" their shop from the realities of the marketplace isn't going to be in business long. People can shop online now, they can usually get a cheaper price and the shop owners can't stop that phenomenon. The only thing they can do is to differentiate themselves by offering something the online shops can't.

It called the free market - you have to offer something that customers value and trying to build boundaries around your business to create artificial value won't work anymore.

Yooper32

I'm with auntnana and Rennie. I don't have a picture taking phone, nor do I scan barcodes, but I do know how to run for the door when treated rudely.

mom-6

I've worked in a variety of retail situations, and helping the customer find what will meet their needs has been the key to the overall business doing well or not doing well. Price is certainly a factor, but good service will trump price more often than not.

Rudeness will kill a business more surely than almost anything else.

SueSew

Most shops today have their website which shows the setup and content of the store and advertises not only the # bolts of fabric but colorful images of all the quilts they are doing in BOM's and classes and stuff on the walls. And when it comes to trade shows, vendors have been advertising their prices, goods, and even photos of their booths on-line and through the show's advertising. They certainly want you to whip out your phone to scan the QR codes they have plastered all over everything, so you can get instant discounts and coupons.

There is nothing proprietary about the looking at the fabric, arrangements, designs, sales, products, or anything else in a quilt shop except copying the actual instructions in the books (try the library for that). Hellooo??? Maybe before you go into a store you need to sign a non-disclosure agreement? Hand your cell phone to the clerk? Remove all paper and writing implements from your purse so you can't jot down pattern numbers or fabric styles? Possibly quilt store owners and employees should be banned from visiting competitors' stores? All visitors should be searched? LOL I think these retailers are way off the mark.

SewHooked

I've read your story and the comments. When a store is "healthy," they're not concerned about picture-taking. There are stores that won't let you take pix of their sample quilts unless you buy something. I don't go to those stores. Oftentimes you take the picture and go home to see what you have in your stash, and then return! to the store to fill in what you haven't. They cut off their nose to spite their face! I can't take pictures? I'll shop somewhere else.

I do not take pictures of bolt ends in an effort to find it online cheaper. I do shop online on occasion, but it's only because I see the fabric, and I buy it; nothing more, nothing less.

I love my local stores. It gives me the chance tofreely fell the hand of the fabric, the quality; and the actual color of the fabric. I have on occasion seen fabric in a store, and then a sale comes across my email of the same fabric. What's cool is it gives me the opportunity to check my laptop screen to see if the color is true. It is, and I'm happy!

ScrappyAZ

Wow, isn't that considered stealing?

Sewnoma

It's funny, I'd forgotten about this until last night - I made a Bargello a couple years ago when I was a newish quilter and I took a TON of photos of fabric while at a local shop and nobody said anything or gave me weird looks (that I noticed). I was stacking up bolts and shooting them in black & white to check values. So either they could tell what I was doing and knew I wasn't trying anything "funny" or they just didn't care at all. And that's good - if I'd been hassled about it I wouldn't have spent nearly $150 on fabrics there that day or become the regular customer that I am now! NOW they all know me, LOL, but at that point I was a stranger.

I know small shops in particular are wary of thieves, so I make sure to always meet the staff's eyes and say a friendly hello when I walk in. I think that goes a long way to putting people at ease if you appear open and friendly. It's not really my job to make them comfortable with me, but it doesn't cost me anything to be friendly. And I expect the same in return....and if I don't get it, I don't usually feel the urge to go back.

ArtsyOne

I'm sure that some people abuse the photo-taking, but you were approached unnecessarily rudely and I would never go back to that shop either.

As an aside - I don't go back to a shop where I bought a lot of wonderful fabric, made what I thought was a beautiful quilt from the fabrics and then sent a photo of the finished quilt to the shop owner. She never responded in any way. Alrighty, then . . .

I shop both online and at my LQS. My LQS will help me find fabrics for projects that are underway where I'm not sure what would coordinate. I'm appreciative and post my appreciation on their website. I've also taken photos of completed quilts at the shop, mostly for color combination inspiration because I'm really bad at colors. Like most of the above posters have said, online shopping doesn't allow you to feel the fabric and see the true color so I shop online only when I need more of a fabric that my LQS has run out of.