[Great Hall of Rockwall] Walmart fabrics

[Kelli Quinn]

There's a rumor going around that Walmart is planning to phase out its 
fabric department. The reports conflict on what exactly is gong to happen. 
Either they are going to get rid of the full-service departments and sell 
only pre-cut yardage, or do away with the most of the sewing section of 
their craft departments and sell no fabric, patterns or thread at all, just 
some notions.

Walmart apparently denied the rumor, but postings on sewing, costuming and 
quilting forums all over the place indicate otherwise. Posters who have 
asked about the rumor at local stores have been told that stores will indeed 
be phasing out that part of the business in 2007.

I can testify to this a little. On Sunday, I went to the new Super Walmart 
in Woodstock for the first time. I was suprised to see that the craft 
department was only 1 asle and did not have ANY fabric or patterns. I 
thought that this was just an adjustment for the local store--that the 
company did market research on the town and found that there just wasn't any 
appetite for a fabric counter in Woodstock. But this may just be the shape 
of things to come.

This kind of ticks me off because while Walmart fabric isn't always the best 
and the staff doesn't know wool from linen, sometimes the $1 bin is all my 
broke self can afford. It's also great for getting cheap fabric to make a 
trial run at a pattern, or cloth with a funky pattern if you're in the mood 
for some unusual period garb. And while the costume patterns (which Walmart 
sells for 1/2 the list price) aren't always perfectly accurate, they are a 
good and inexpensive starting point for beginning costumers. And if you 
think JoAnn's and Hancock will keep pattern prices low should Walmart get 
out of the business, I don't share your optimism.

What to do? First, call 1-800-Walmart or go online at walmart.com and 
protest. If you can take a guess at how much you've spent at Walmart on 
sewing supplies over the past year or two, let them know. And if this 
decision would take away one of your reasons for going to Walmart in the 
first place, make that clear.

Then, call up your local store(s) with fabric counters and ask the store's 
general manager or the highest ranking officer there if they plan to close 
out the fabric counter. If they say no, thank them and pledge to do more 
business with them. If they say yes, it is going, then explain why you think 
this is a mistake. Ask for them to forward your message to their bosses.

Maybe this won't change a thing in the end. But the Walmart fabric 
department was where I cut my teeth as a sewer, and I won't let it go 
quietly!

Wondering if this qualifies as her first act as DMOAS,
Edda



"I imagine I was always writing. Twaddle it was, too. But better far write 
twaddle or anything, anything, than nothing at all."

Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)

Down the Rabbit Hole: downrabbit.blogspot.com

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