# Fabric at Walmart....



## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

Last night I went in a new store that has brought fabric in. I wasn't impressed. VERY, VERY small selection and just not a lot of anything. Pack of 7 fat quarters were 10.97. Cutting table was tiny. No way could they roll out more than a yard, maybe two, on it. This store was built in the last year or so and never had fabric. Now we'll see if the one closest to me brings it in. I'll still go to Hobby Lobby or make the drive to Mary Jo's though as there just wasn't much to choose from at all. Don't know what's worse...them not having fabric or having such a poor selection.
I did try to buy something out of the remnant bin that was marked to 1.56.....cashier ket ringing it up at 15.86. On the receipt it showed as being two yards....it was maybe afat eighth. Told her to just keep it as I didn't have time to wait for them to figure it out.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I think you will find all the Walmart fabric depts. are really stripped down. Ours has a fairly decent selection of cotton quilt fabric, but not much else. It was a real disappointment to me when they took the old dept. out and replaced it with this one.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

there's another one about 5 miles down the same road as this one that has abetter fabric dept. Neither one are really close to me though. I was so hoping for a good fabric dept. I don't think the WM closest to me is even putting one in.


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## Classof66 (Jul 9, 2011)

I remember when our small town had a variety store that had beautiful cotton fabric. One problem was that if you made a garment, everyone"knew" where you got the fabric and that was a problem for some. Also, i would imagine people like coordinated fabric groups, maybe 6-8 fabric groups that "work" together, like the quilt ships carry. They had to carry enough different fabrics to make everyone happy, but also carry a common thread. They closed about 25 years ago, and I still miss them

I live near a city if 150,000 and I am astounded at the few stores that even have thread anymore. There is a Hancocks and Jo Anne, but I can't think of a store on the west half if the city, or the southern half, save a quilt shop, that has it.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I'm blessed in that there are several shops near me. I'm not blessed by their prices though! One about 10 minutes from me is $10 a yard last time I was there. Mary Jo's though is about 25 and HL is 15 minutes. There are several others I haven't even tried to go to as they would be 30-45 minutes away.


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

I posted on another thread about my problem with them bringing back fabric to our wal-mart. It looks like half of the fabric was kickbacks from other stores that couldn't sell it. Then everything is just thrown on the racks willy nilly. I ended up sending corp office and the store itself a not so nice letter about how poorly they did that department. I was not a happy camper.


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## tojo66 (Apr 9, 2011)

My Wal Mart just brought fabric back after discontinuing it several months ago. Bolts are scattered, prices are high, counter is tiny, no associates around, etc... so yesterday I sent an email through the corporate website asking why they even bothered bringing it back. I'm not sure if it went straight to the store or if corporate forwarded it. Today I received a phone call from the store manager wanting to know how to improve the section and begging me to give them a little time to fix it.:thumb:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Our Walmart just did a major re-organization. They pretty well cut out the yarn and sewing departments. Or anything to do with arts and crafts. 

Its the only one between 2 bigger cities, and those departments were usually the busiest in the store. I think they are just phasing out that part of their business.


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## Chief Cook (Apr 24, 2011)

Way to go, tojo66! Thats the way to speak up! I am sooo proud of you for getting the point across. I am still hoping that our WalMart puts in a fabric department again. I am so tired of having to drive 40 miles just for fabric or thread. There is still one tiny fabric store in our town and I have visited there a few times. The fabric is no telling how old and don't even ask about thread. I love to sew and am learning to quilt, so keep those good fabric thoughts heading this way and Wal Mart might figure it out!


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

Our walmart just brought back its fabric dept too... if that's what you'd call one aisle, half being for fleece blanket kits and the other for 2yd cuts of novelty fabric.

It's a little too little a little too late.

When they closed their dept a few years back there was a little bridal shop in town (mind you, the only other fabric shops are about an hour and a half from here... joann's across from a wm with a big fabric dept) that was forced to diversify and also become a quilting shop. Business has become so big they've purchased a new building and are a full-fledged fabric shop... Reminds me of Cloth World when I was a little girl.

Anyway, I don't see the _new_ fabric department really amounting too much. I see it more of an attempt (a poor one) at a little PR since there was such a controversy with them doing a away with fabrics.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

TenBusyBees said:


> Our walmart just brought back its fabric dept too... if that's what you'd call one aisle, half being for fleece blanket kits and the other for 2yd cuts of novelty fabric.
> 
> It's a little too little a little too late.
> 
> ...


I had totally forgotten about Cloth World. I hope they are still in AZ. when we move back. 
The JoAnns here is closing their two smaller stores and opening a super store that will be on the SE side Not exactly convenient and the attitude tonight when I went in to the one that is closest to me was a little snippy. 
I will have to go talk to the manager tomorrow. :grumble:
Sewing is being pushed to a dying art by the know it alls that think they know best. NOT!


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Our closest one cut WAY down on their fabric, only had two small shelves. They brought in a large shelf of fabric, but they have a small cutting table too.

Another Wal Mart about 25 miles away still has their large display and large cutting table. But they NEVER have anyone back there to cut fabric. The last time I bought fabric there, about a month ago I had to ask three times to call someone back. Finely a lady from automotive came to wait on me. She said they didn't have anyone to work the fabric dept. until after 11:00. That's just wrong, a lot of women who sew like to go early to buy fabric. One lady stood back there waiting on someone to help and finely put her fabric up and said she had to go to work.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

:Bawling::Bawling:::grump::grumble:After a long absence from our local WalMart that had fabric, I went in today to see if they had some wonder under fusing.
:sob::sob::sob: Evidently it has been a little more than a year since I have been in the store. And they have turned it into a Super WalMart The worst part was that the beautiful fabric department is no more and has been reduced to about three or four short isles.... It took me what seemed forever to just get some help and I had to ask a *LAZY* cashier that wanted nothing to do with the department to have someone paged. The poor gal that did come wanted this cashier to learn how to measure fabric and the cashier refused. At that point I just got a couple yards of the heat and bond and left. Needless to say I am *NOT* a happy camper.


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## tojo66 (Apr 9, 2011)

tojo66 said:


> My Wal Mart just brought fabric back after discontinuing it several months ago. Bolts are scattered, prices are high, counter is tiny, no associates around, etc... so yesterday I sent an email through the corporate website asking why they even bothered bringing it back. I'm not sure if it went straight to the store or if corporate forwarded it. Today I received a phone call from the store manager wanting to know how to improve the section and begging me to give them a little time to fix it.:thumb:


Ok, how long is a "little time?" I have been checking at least twice a week and nothing has changed. Nothing. This is what was addressed in the phone conversation-
1. Lack of attendant-was told: they don't have an employee just for fabric, that the stationary associate covered both departments. The only associate I have seen in stationary is an elderly lady who probably couldn't lift a bolt of fabric.
2. Finding someone to cut the cloth-was told: they would place a bell or a sign directing customers to the appropriate place to locate a fabric cutter. Neither one of those has taken place.
3. Price-was told: The store doesn't set the price for the fabric, that it is priced before it arrives. I informed him that I would rather pay a higher price at a different store than deal with #1 or #2 at a lower price. Manager agreed.
4. Disarray of bolts-was told "see #1"

I'm thinking a month is long enough to resolve these issues?!?


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## Colorado (Aug 19, 2005)

I bought 18 yds of lovely material at Walmart in the big city here Friday. No time to really check it out as kids had taken me. The table to measure on was small but she worked it okay. I got 4 yards of 4 kinds and about 2 of another as all there was. This type was all grouped together as I had snow time to shop. No problem finding it. I usually shop at the other one but that is way across town. I love this log cabin print but not blocks but I work it into quilt ksoem how. Applique. Lots of material I would loved to have had too. $89 + 8% tax was my limit. Once a year about. Yes, material is coming up. One table to measure on and one clerk. She was very nice. 

There is one fabric shop way out to heck in gone the other side of big city. JoAnn had closed at the mall and I have been told a new big JoAnns is going back in to the mall. Area we shop. JoAnns was a lot higher place to buy. Also did not have what I needed and had to go to the other fabric shop and I was driving them. Only other one I know could be some at Hobby Lobby. What I buy I get at Walmart.

I did find the racks highth to get the bolts pulled out not tall as use to be. . I did find how to do it and I understand they pack the rack pretty darn tight to get it all in. Far as I looked material was grouped good. I picked my material fast and she had one lady ahead on me and I think she did good job in that small space.


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