WalMart sewing dept CLOSING?

[kozmickreations05]

Ok, so I cant stand walmart, but where I live it is the only place to get fabric. My closest JoAnns is like 45min away, so I find myself going to Walmarts fabric dept. Anyway, the woman who lives across the street from me heads up the fabric dept and she always hooks it up! Well today she told me some very sad news!!!!!!!! Walmart is phasing out the fabric dept!!: If you start noticing ALL the fabric going on sale at your local Walmart, the your store is next! She said it will start @10%off and go all the way to 75%..so while we can bulk up on some really cheap fabric, after that goes I'll be forced to drve 45min! :

[Benji'sMom]

I hadn't heard that - wierd. They usually like to drive competing fabric stores out of business. Wierd that they would change their ways. We have one other fabric store in town and it's geared toward baby stuff, not crafts/quilting like Walmart is. But I shop a lot at http://joanns.com/ , they have coupons and specials and clearance too. And there's always ebay.

[Boobs]

Oh that's really bad news! Our JoAnn's went out of business last year and WM is the only other place within an hour drive that sells fabric.

[falcon]

WOW, it is getting very difficult to get fabric locally. I've already lost our local Hancock fabric, one of our 2 nearby Joanns, and now Walmart too

I love the selection of fabric on ebay, but it is usually much cheaper to buy fabric offline (particularly if I hit a clearance sale). I am bummed out More people need to take up sewing so the fabric stores quit closing on me!

[ColoradoMama]

Well around here we have places to buy fabric, but where we're moving it's pretty much WM - for everything including fabric. So, that sucks.

[triciarn]

Yup, its true. I was at WM today and asked manager of the fabric dept. She said the fabric at her store would be gone by March. And that the fabric dept from all stores gone within 3 years. I asked her if they would be having sales and she said she was not sure. My store had just remodeled this past summer and had decreased their fabric to 1 wall so I had pretty much stopped shoping there.

Just another reason to stop shopping at WM!!

Luckily, I have Hancocks and Hobby Lobby within short driving distance. Joanns is ~20 min away.

Tricia

[its_our_family]

Wehave plenty of options around herebtu you can't beat the $1 fabric.

That really sucks

[AprilDaisy]

There's a new super WM that opened in a town nearby. And their fabric section is like...almost...non-existant. I was kind of shocked really.... Now I know why... It's just not a good idea for them anymore...

We still have a couple of Hancocks and other stores if I do feel a need to shop for fabrics... And, of course, there's always online... I don't shop for fabrics often so it isn't as bad a thing for me...

[KatWrangler]

Oh crap. We have limited places here in Montana.

[love2bmom]

I have heard many rumblings about this. I have heard that it's true and that it's not....it will be interesting to find out the truth.

[sabrinat]

I'm lucky to live in a major city with several JA's and Hancocks, plus several independents and one children's clothing designer that sells her surpluses to the public, but I will still miss WM's fabric dept. There thread is the cheapest, sewing machine neddles and $1-3 yd/fabric. I've gotten alova suedecloth, cordouroy and jersey knit for super cheap. I'll be scouring the stores to add to my "in memoriam of WM fabric dept" stash

[Wyattsmommie04]

When this topic came up on another message board, they were originally saying that not all the walmarts were closing the fabric department. Just some of them. Now I'm wondering if I should call the walmart my us?

I don't really shop at walmart but they are the only ones that have been carrying the Go Diego Go fabric that my DS loves.

[kozmickreations05]

Well the woman that lives across fromm me works at walmart IN the crafts/fabric and she was told all of them within the next 3yrs too.

[quirkylayne]

Hm. I overheard the lady working the fabric counter talking about how the new stores are not going to have the dept but not that they were getting rid of the old ones. Bummer!

[twouglyducks]

Figures. Now that they put all of our other local fabric stores out of biz. Go WalMart.

[Rach]

Originally Posted by twouglyducks

Figures. Now that they put all of our other local fabric stores out of biz. Go WalMart.

:
My aunt works at Wal-Mart and she said they are doing away with their layaway plans as well. I thought it was maybe just the store she works at, but she says it's going to happen with all of them over time.
I feel bad for the poorer towns where Wal-Mart is the only place to shop.

[FillingMyQuiver]

DH is a dept mgr at our WM and their layaway ended in mid-Dec. As far as the sewing dept, he asked his asst mgr and she said probably when they renovate the store is when they'll change the sewing dept at their store (renos start in 6mo).

On a funnier note, DH was talking w/ a customer service mgr (who is about the same age as us) about the sewing dept closing and this was their convo:

CSM: Well, how many people *our* age do you know who sew??
DH: My wife sews
CSM: Sews sews?? She probably just stitches her and there right?
DH: No, she sews.
CSM: Like clothes?? *blank stare*
DH: Yeah. She made us all pj pants for Christmas and she makes quite a bit of our kids' clothes.
CSM: *still starely blankly at DH* Well, your wife is, um,... special. Most people our age just buy their's.

So I guess I'm special cuz I sew clothes.

[A&A]

Generally WM only decides to close depts when those workers have gotten organized and joined a union. So it wouldn't surprise me if that is what has happened here. (That way they get around the NLRA that prohibits them from outright firing union workers.)

[rainbowmoon]

I am sad it's closing. you can't beat the $1 table! ours is HUGE! I will have to drive 2+ hours roundtrip now to get fabric (most likely will order online/ebay!)

[gothnurse3]

We're lossing ours too!!!!!

You know, everytime I find something good it either changes or leaves. Our fabric CSM said they are enlarging the craft section but lossing the fabric on bolts. You will be able to buy fabric prepackage in a pastic bag. Go figure. We have a few fabric stores here so I won't really be affected. I feel really bad that some people are going to have to go on a trip to get fabric. GOOOOO walmart!!!!!!!