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DeborahLee
True Blue Farmgirl
85 Posts
Deborah
Starkville
Mississippi
USA
85 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 06:02:42 AM
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A couple of years ago, our WalMart was remodelled (it was a long, frustrating process!) Once the dust settled (pun intended), it became clear that they had completely eliminated all sewing supplies. The cross stitch stuff had disappeared even before that. But with our "new" store, you could not even buy a spool of thread! Instead, they expanded the electronics section to take up half the back part of the store. They did keep some other crafting supplies---cake decorating, scrapbooking materials.
But there was a huge outcry---Starkville is a small town, with few crafting/sewing options nearby. The WalMart renovations in nearby towns (West Point, Columbus) did not result in the elimination of the sewing department. At the time, our nearest craft store of any size was an hour away. Our Starkville store eventually brought back a very small selection: a little yarn, some thread and other notions, a small selection of ribbons.
I'm a librarian---we're very good at navigating web sites and finding the customer comments section! I used it a lot on Walmart's site. The Starkville's store just did not make any sense to me. We have a strong community of folks who sew and crafters. We have a fairly strong Mennonite community who sew a lot. We have a very strong community of quilters. Granted the profit margin on a cell phone is much higher than that of a yard of fabric. But how often are you going to buy a cell phone? How many yards of fabric will you buy if you sew and craft consistently? I've pointed this out several times in my customer comments.
Now, I feel so vindicated! When I went into Walmart this weekend, I found they are bringing the sewing department back! Not as big as before but still....fabric on bolts, sewing notions, a few patterns, a whole aisle of yarn. I even found fat quarters and jelly rolls! I know I was not the only person to complain about the removal of these items from our store---and I know folks who had pretty much moved their business to neighboring towns to take advantage of the craft options there. While not a big fan of Walmart, in small towns such as ours, it's very hard to totally avoid shopping there for a few items and having crafting and sewing options available as well will be a pleasant change.
So I guess the squeaky wheel can make a difference!
Deborah
Professor, librarian, writer and farmgirl! |
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WalMart Success
