Hey there…
I just wanted to let you know about the horrible thing my local Walmart did…
They removed the sewing section.
The Yarn section still stands…for now…but I can’t make a quick stop for zippers, buttons, etc…
:nails:
Just thought I would share…I hate Walmart…
That’s ridiculous! It’s one of the few reasons to even go in there!
Stupid stupid stupid! You should write someone if you care enough, don’t know if it’d help (probably not) but maybe if there were enough complaints? I just bought a bunch of patterns at such a great price at my Walmart.
Wal Mart has been gradually doing away with their crafts section for over a year now.
I have three Wal-mart stores close to me. One has completely done away with the crafts section. The other two still have the crafts section but I’ve noticed the selection seems to be going down. There aren’t as many yarns and it looks like some things are not being restocked.
Wal-mart is the only place I can get Peaches & Cream in my area, and the selection has gone down considerably. This is so sad.
There is an online petition regarding this topic. I signed it.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/walmartcraftfabric/index.html
that is SO wierd because our local wal-fart (ooops…I meant walmart) just ADDED a brand new craft section to my surprise!
I wonder why we got one and you all had it taken away?? hmmmm
They began “updating” our local Walmarts about a year ago and in so doing took away a THRIVING craft section. For a while I could still get the zippers, buttons and threads I needed. Now all I can get is cheap yarn and a very small selection of knitting needles.
Really stinks!
Our Wal-mart did the same thing and then Hancock went into bankruptcy and doesn’t carry as much stuff. Jo-ann’s closed so we have almost nowhere to buy stuff like that.
I wish Target would start a crafts section, wouldn’t that be totally awesome!!! Can you imagine the cool stuff they would carry???!!!
I don’t get to Wal-Mart often, but when I did a couple months ago I checked out their yarn. It was pathetic… they had shelf space for maybe 3 dozen kinds of yarn, and half of those were empty! I was surprised they didn’t just get rid of it completely, which I’m sure is the next step. (I’m assuming it used to be bigger.)
This decision may well be driven on strictly a profit per square foot basis. They forget how many crafters/sewers/knitters come to the store for the craft section and then leave with a basket full of other items. If it were not for the craft section they would not have come to the store.
As an accountant I am ashamed of the number crunchers that do not understand what is behind their numbers.
It is my understanding (as of about18 months ago) that Walmart made the corporate decision to remove the fabric/notions department from all stores. This will happen gradually over the next three to four years.
The last I heard, the craft department would remain at stores that already had one, but would vary in content depending on what was most popular.
I’ve bought mainly baby yarn at Walmart over the years for gift blankets, and recently noticed our yarn section looking pitiful. Guess I know why now.
Yeah…it is not right…I mean…I am not sure how good or bad our was doing…but I almost always saw women in there buying fabric. I almost always had to line up when I needed some cut…I don’t get it…really!
The problem is…there really isn’t a good crafting chain around me. LYS are far an few between…and Michaels is evil…Walmart is evil…I miss Lewiscraft (a Canadian craft chain) Fabriclands are far and few between as well…and even still…they don’t have yarn.
The really strange thing is…it seems that knitting is a reimerging trend…why are the stores shrinking away…?
Do you have a Len’s Mill Store around you? It’s nothing fancy, but there’s a pretty decent selection of crafts, yarn & fabric.
I have a super walmart minutes from me. They have a large sewing,yarn,scrapbooking etc sections.
I wonder if it’s just in the regular walmarts instead of the super walmarts.
Is this happening in the regular walmarts or the super walmarts?
Heather
Nope-- Ours is a “Super” Walmart. And it is GONE!
And Cryket–I totally get your pain! The nearest LYS is over 2 hours away. Hobby Lobby is about an hour away. Michael’s is 2 hours. We have NOTHING around us now. If I am going to sew, I have to know in advance, or spend hours getting ready, driving, herding children, and then driving back – to get a yard or two of fabric.
The one by my house still has some craft stuff and a little fabric, but the super one by my mom did away with all of the fabric and made the electronics department HUGE. They have some knitting things but not a lot. Most of them around here are doing away with fabric at least.
The super Wal-mart near me closed the sewing section but left the crafts section. I understand there is one Wal-Mart all the way on the other side of town that still has a sewing section.
Go figure.
The way I understood it, Wal-Mart was removing their sewing sections because it required that someone be available to staff it. Makes sense, since you have to have someone cut fabric for you, as opposed to just going up to the shelf and picking out your yarn yourself.
I don’t really go into my local Wally’s craft/sewing section because every other place has a bigger variety and selection of stuff. I guess I wouldn’t miss it if my local Wally’s craft/sewing section disappeared, but I can understand how frustrating it must be for people who live a good distance from LYS’s/craft stores.
I heard the same, that it was a corp. idea. In an attempt to reduce man hours. They do not want to pay someone to be there to cut fabric. They say they are not making money on the fabric. The last time I was in one near me there was a girl from the one hour photo that cut my fabric.