It’s been a weird month in the fabric industry. For a variety of reasons, there’s been a lot of turnover in quilt shops, both brick-and-mortar and online. New shops are constantly popping up, particularly on sites like Etsy, while some of the cornerstones in the world of indie fabric are closing their doors. As will come as a surprise to no one, we have some opinions about this.
The fate of fabric shops is an issue that hits close to home. Rhonda opened Tabby Fabric & Studio as a brick-and-mortar quilt shop in Beaufort, South Carolina in early 2011. There was much early resistance to a “modern” fabric shop in the town, but Tabby eventually gained a devoted following of local modern quilters and became the “home base” for the Beaufort Modern Quilt Guild. But Rhonda continually felt that a lot of the younger quilters in town were forgoing her shop in favor of online retailers, and a quick visit to Etsy and big-box fabric stores who shall not be named here confirmed why: designer fabrics that she sells at the MSRP were being sold elsewhere for several dollars less per yard. This has become even more of a pain in the badonkadonk for Rhonda since Tabby has transitioned to selling fabric online.
What’s the Problem?
As anyone who runs an independent fabric store will tell you, it is not easy work. Managing inventory, cutting and ringing up fabric, coordinating and sometimes teaching classes, assembling kits, and managing finances results in long hours, little family time, and a lot of stress. The $11 retail price per yard for quilt cottons (the industry standard) results in far less revenue after deducting the wholesale price of the fabric. From this far-less amount, all other expenses incurred in operating a small business (rent, bills, wages, etc.) must be paid. This applies to both brick-and-mortar and online shops; while online stores don’t necessarily have the costs of retail space, they have other expenses such as e-commerce costs and website maintenance fees. Either way it’s not cheap, and it’s increasingly rare for these small businesses to turn a profit, let alone pay their owners any sort of living wage.
THEN, on top of that, enter the competition. Contrary to popular wisdom, local quilt shops don’t primarily compete against each other. They’re local, meaning more or less isolated to a certain market, and each shop has its own niche. The main rivals for a local quilt shop are the huge corporate online retailers and the hobbyist fabric sellers who undercut MSRPs online. These folks contribute to bad stuff in several ways: they force other legitimate sellers online and on Etsy to lower their prices in order to compete; they violate fabric manufacturer policies, thereby punishing shops that don’t; they present a direct threat to local fabric shops; and they help contribute to a culture of devaluation in the craft industry.
But What About the Free Market?
“But Lauren and Rhonda,” you say, “what about free market capitalism? Don’t people selling on Etsy have the right to sell their fabric at whatever cost they want?” Yes and no. Many fabric manufacturers (though not all) insist on no more than 10% deviation from their MSRP to provide a level playing field for all of their retailers. It’s a good policy, as this whole kerfluffle shows. The problem? It’s not enforced. We know a lot of folks in the industry, and have not yet found a single example of people losing their accounts with manufacturers because of lowballing prices. This ends up punishing people who are trying to make a living wage by doing the right thing. So boo.
But even if there aren’t policies in place for a specific manufacturer, and even if the seller has the right to name her own prices, it doesn’t make it the right thing to do. A lot of the online sellers who undercut MSRP are not operating a small business with the intent to support themselves and their families. It’s impossible; their prices are so close to wholesale that any profit margin is completely incompatible with running a serious business. Instead, it’s a hobby. Buy fabric at wholesale, sell it at a slightly higher price to watch the Paypal balance grow a bit. And that would be fine, if that were all it was. But actions have consequences, and I’m going to go out on a limb and argue that our hobbies generally shouldn’t hurt other people. As a lot of independent fabric shops can tell you, that’s what this practice is doing.
But I Like Cheap Fabric! Why Should I Care?
In its purest form, Etsy is a good thing. So is the quilt community. We’re a friendly bunch, and we like to support makers and doers (hence the raison d’etre for RST). But the same processes that have helped to grow quilting into an industry have hurt the industry itself. There is a troubling strain running through Etsy and elsewhere where handmade work is selling for far, far less than its actual value. The culture of Etsy promotes this; it’s not uncommon to see a meticulously pieced baby quilt run for $75 or so, which is barely the cost of materials. How can I, selling a paper-pieced lap quilt that I easily spent 40 hours making and value at a conservative $600, compete with that? (Answer: it’s been a while since I’ve updated my Etsy site.)
A lot of quilters have embraced Sam Hunter’s We Are $ew Worth It campaign, which beautifully articulates the idea that those who make things should be paid what they’re worth. She is right on. A quilt takes hours and hours to make, and the cost of fabric and batting and thread and sewing machine maintenance isn’t cheap (see Mollie Sparkles’ No Value Does Not Equal Free post). How can we, as quilters, claim in good conscience to support the notion that makers should be paid what they’re worth but not support the small businesses that supply them? How can we complain that our work is being devalued when we devalue our own materials and the work of others to sell them to us? If we want to encourage a fair value for quilts as product, we need to get behind every step of the process. We need to support the industry that makes makers possible.
There’s so much emphasis these days on shopping local, which is a wise choice economically and environmentally. It’s hard to “shop local” when fabric is concerned, because if your LQS doesn’t have what you need, they just don’t. You’ll probably have to order online. But to piggyback on this movement, we are taking a stand and encouraging buyers and sellers to shop ethically. If you are a shop owner, don’t devalue your hard work and your product; stick to the industry accepted range of MSRP. If you are a buyer, accept the price of designer fabric and shop from retailers who set fair prices. If you are a manufacturer, hold your retailers accountable.
We’re taking Sam’s “$ew Worth It” pledge — for supplies and for the products made from them. We will also stop promoting any websites on our deals posts that consistently sell fabric for lots less than MSRP (excluding sales).* Shop owners work hard (and we know it); let’s give these folks some love. Fabric is fun, but only if it’s fair.
Bitches & Stitches forever,
Lauren and Rhonda
*Do you have (or know of) a fabric shop that’s doing it right? Let us promote it on our weekly deals posts! Contact us for more info.
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Melissa
October 7, 2014 at 10:03 am (5 years ago)Great article! I typically do not sell my quilts for all the reasons that you stated above, the work is not valued. Thank you for the beautifully articulate article!
Chelsea
October 7, 2014 at 12:00 pm (5 years ago)Great post, and something we all need to think about more. My personal perspective on online fabric shopping in particular is that I shop where I feel a connection, not necessarily where I can get the best price.
Brick and mortar is different though. I work in a quilt shop (partly for the staff discount I’ll admit) in Canada and I’ve got to say that it’s even worse here. We’re lucky if fabric comes in at $9 per meter wholesale (1m = 40″). I’m constantly being told by customers that they could buy the same fabric in the states for $7 per yard. Never mind that it would cost them hundreds to get to the US, the implication is that we are gouging them. Despite our prices being the norm in canadian shops. I’ve even had customers ask for a pen and paper so they can write down fabric info so they can buy it online!
Regarding pricing of handcrafted items in craft shows and on etsy I think it comes down to the fact that despite all the sloganeering, we don’t think we’re worth it. You’d never hear a man say, it took 10 hours to fix your car but I loved every minute of it, so….50 bucks? We have to put on our big girl pants, value ourselves and our work and not be afraid. The more women do that, the more it will be the norm. Then we’ll all be able to afford to pay full price. Though I’ll still take advantage of my staff discount! (Which is still higher than US retail)
admin
October 7, 2014 at 3:53 pm (5 years ago)Right on, Chelsea! I do think there is a gendered element to this (the whole notion that ‘women’s work’ isn’t as valuable, hence the historically stellar pay for admin assistants, teachers, etc.), and I do think you’re dead right that it’s a cycle of devaluation here. Stopping the cycle is the hard part, but that’s what we’re trying to do. Thanks for your support! -L
Carla
October 8, 2014 at 3:27 am (5 years ago)The women’s work cycle of devaluation is also alive and well in my industry – book editing. So many of us work in the industry because we love books, and it makes us prey to undervaluation. I can see the seamstress and editor parallels. I hear you!
Sarah
October 12, 2014 at 10:54 pm (5 years ago)I have another occupation to add to the list of undervalued product – farming. These same persuasions regarding the pricing of fabric can be applied to the food products from your small, local farms. I’m sure there are other industries where this is true also. Maybe there needs to be some big changes in how we value the work and contributions of others in the marketplace.
Andres
October 7, 2014 at 12:20 pm (5 years ago)I’ve wondered about the small Etsy fabric store business model.
Gina Pina
October 7, 2014 at 2:24 pm (5 years ago)Just a hypothetical situation where undercutting might work for someone: Let’s say I sell baby crib bumpers online that take 2 yards of fabric to make. I buy 20 x 10yd bolts at $50/ea for $1000. I sell yardage in a small destash shop online for $8. I only have to sell 125 yards for pay off my original $1000 purchase and that leaves me 75 yards for FREE to make my crib bumpers and sell for $50/each. 35 bumpers for $50 = ~$1500 after batting and thread purchases. If people take advantage of the $8/yd price and order 5 yards from me that is only 25 orders I need to pack to pay off my bolts.
You can maybe see now why it is tempting for cottage industry manufacturers to pay off their bolts this way, but I also think we need to keep in mind sometimes stores are just brand new and don’t know what else to do to bring sales to their store other than offer a low price incentive. I am not sure they should be punished as really there are plenty of people sewing to go around and if we all taught 1 person to sew think of how many more fabric addicts there would be!
As for fabric companies enforcing the MSRP, I have seen this happen although I will not disclose details. Believe me, it does happen. In my opinion fabric older than a year should be excluded from enforcement.
admin
October 7, 2014 at 4:24 pm (5 years ago)Hey Gina Pina!
Thanks for your comments. I definitely see why it’s tempting for people in studio production to pay off their bolts that way — and thanks for drawing attention to that fact. I’d still contend, though, that whatever the reason for undercutting prices (whether paying off bolts or trying to break into the industry) it’s not particularly ethical and it hurts indie fabric sellers, and I think the fabric companies would agree. I’d also guess that it’s not just a temporary entry point for the noobs; once you’ve lowered your prices, it’s terribly difficult to raise them again and maintain your market share, no?
I’m glad to hear that you have some evidence of the MSRP enforcement, and I’m with you on the older fabric exclusion. There’s definitely space for the policies to be enforced reasonably — we just think they should be enforced more. Thanks for bringing up some of the finer details/shades of gray (KONA Ash, anyone?).
Juliette Karjala
October 7, 2014 at 1:59 pm (5 years ago)I don’t buy fabric on Etsy ever, as don’t buy it on Ebay. Personal choice maybe but I just don’t. I purchase from my LQS as much as possible if they have what I want ( I am the only modern quilter in my group). I also do not buy from “Big Box” fabric stores since I have found the quality to be inferior. I am making a quality product, either for sale or gift, and I want my materials to be of good quality as well. I know that fabric is expensive, so I am careful of my choices, but would rather have less stash than a stash full of “crap” I will never use, just because it was cheap. I have spent numerous hours designing, planning, purchasing and executing a quilt, and deserve to be paid for my time and materials like any other product out there. Yes fabric is expensive, get over it or choose a new hobby, but don’t think you’re getting huge savings buying either inferior material ( your quilt will have no longevity) or that the reduced price of online vendors saves you anything, almost all have shipping costs that kind of balances that out. Great article girls.
Viv
October 7, 2014 at 4:40 pm (5 years ago)I don’t mind paying the MSRP for fabric that I’m buying from the US, at approx$11 per yard that to me is a fair price. Once I add shipping and convert it to NZD, today’s price would be $17.50 NZD per yard. My problem is buying local. New quilt fabrics, which are usually about 6 months behind the trend in local quilt shops are between $28 and $36 per metre. Those are the prices I can’t afford. Price like that make being a quilter out of my price range.
Amy Badskirt
October 7, 2014 at 5:24 pm (5 years ago)Viv, your comment resonated with me and at the risk of repeating what I just said on Sarah Fielke’s Facebook feed. The notion of pricing people out of the quilting market is worrisome for me.
I’ve noticed how singularly-classed quilting tends to be in the areas I live. As quilters, I think it’s important that we think of ways of balancing the need to fairly compensate everyone, set fair prices for our independent retailers and to still make the hobby affordable for those outside the wealthiest classes. Whether that’s to slow down the frequency of fabric line creation so retailers aren’t left with out-of-season-stock overhead or the creation of more economy ranges on cheaper substrates made available for those who can’t afford local designer prices, I’m not sure.
What is good is that we are having these discussions among the crafting community and with our manufacturers, distributors and retailers. We recognize the value in what we produce and use, but we also need to consider those who can’t afford the hobby that brings us so much joy.
admin
October 7, 2014 at 7:38 pm (5 years ago)Thanks so much for this, Amy. Really insightful critique, and you bring up some excellent points about modern sewing as a hobby of privilege. It seems like there’s a delicate balancing act going on where pricing is concerned, and hopefully that’s one that MSRP is designed to address.
Personally, I do make a distinction between designer fabric and other house-brand fabrics sold at the big-box stores, if that makes a difference. While I certainly have issues with Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby and don’t choose to shop there myself (acknowledging full well that I am privileged enough to have a choice in the matter), I do think they provide a viable alternative in their cheaper substrates for people who can’t afford designer fabric at MSRP. I’m not suggesting that this is a simple fix for the issue, but if it keeps people from being priced out of sewing, it’s an option. My beef is more with the big online shops that sell designer prints at $8.50/yd. That’s not good for anyone.
Thanks for raising the issue (and thanks also to Claire and Viv for bringing a non-“Americocentric” perspective to the conversation. Prices in Aus/NZ sound unbelievably high, and that’s a whole new kettle of fish right there.)
–L
Draq
October 7, 2014 at 10:14 pm (5 years ago)Australian here. I love shopping locally, as there is a certain pleasure in looking & thinking & looking some more that you just don’t get online. Sadly though, I have to agree somewhat with Viv, local prices average AU$22-$26/metre. Even adjusting yards to metres, allowing for the exchange rate & shipping, I can pay US$15-18/m to order online. It’s a catch22, so I have 2 favorite brick-&-mortar shops and 3 favourite online shops – 2 in the US, (1 of which is a brick-&-mortar & I hope to visit one day) & 1 in Canada. Then, what I buy depends on who has the fabric I want at the time & how quickly I need it.
Erin Young
October 10, 2014 at 3:48 pm (5 years ago)I have a small online fabric shop in NZ. This piece resonated well with me. I price slightly cheaper than a bricks and mortar store here in NZ in an effort to have customer’s final cost approximately the same as a lower end bricks and mortar store. Even with that we get an attitude that we price gouging our customers. But when the NZ distributor adds their mark up (we have to order through distributors rather than directly from the manufacturers) as well as the shipping cost to get the shipping container here, there isn’t a reasonable retailer mark up to be had. Shipping time is 6-8 weeks so we’re always going to be at least that far behind, if not longer as the shipping container will sit in the USA until it is full so we’re often 3-6 months behind… We can’t compete on price, we can’t compete on speed to market… Bricks and mortar stores are closing down all over the place here, and I’ve just taken a part time job and will be winding down my website slowly as it has made no money. With the advent of online shopping the retail landscape has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. I have no answers but the situation is dire here.
Margaret Hayter
October 7, 2014 at 5:52 pm (5 years ago)This was a very interesting article. Of additional interest would be hearing how successful shops run their businesses. I am familiar with two wonderful shops. One of them is home base for the local Modern Quilt Guild and both are very active in running classes for various skill levels. Both have carefully curated collections that just cause me to go weak in the knees.
How do other fabric stores develop devoted followers?
If I might, please let me issue a hearty “thanks” to Alewives Fabrics in Damariscotta Mills, ME and Rock, Paper Scissors in Montclair, NJ. Both are wonderful shops. It’s like pulling up a chair at “Cheers” because they learn their customers’ names and greet them when they enter the store.
Claire
October 7, 2014 at 6:52 pm (5 years ago)Very interesting topic. It’s worth noting that the rules in Australia are very different. Whilst manufacturers might be able to set a RRP, they are not able to enforce that anyone sticks to it, or within a particular % of it. That would be considered price fixing (and/or cartel behaviour) and is against our trade practices laws. The retailers in Australia are free to set whatever retail price they like, and must be able to do so in order to maintain competition. I agree with Viv above, there is the possibility that people will be priced out of the hobby altogether. The biggest issue on pricing here is the prescence of “wholesalers” or “distributors” – an additional layer of management between the fabric manufacturers and the actual clients. It adds an extra layer of cost to every metre of fabric purchased here.
Erin Young
October 10, 2014 at 3:52 pm (5 years ago)Same in NZ, the “wholesaler” or “distributor” level adds a lot to the cost, as does the shipping I think.
Daryl
October 10, 2014 at 11:07 pm (5 years ago)This is exactly the problem in Canada. The distributors don’t add any value, they just add cost and time so it’s bad for Canadian retailers, and Canadian customers. I think it’s hard enough to be a fabric retailer, but adding this extra layer of costs is a serious burden.
Jen
October 13, 2014 at 12:54 pm (5 years ago)I’m in Canada and was stunned to find out that the Canadian distributor has vastly marked up the wholesale price of the Cotton and Steel line for no reason other than that they could. It’s an immensely popular line that modern shops pretty much must carry and the distributor is cashing in. I’m curious as to why Canadian shops don’t complain/rebel.
Kate
October 7, 2014 at 8:13 pm (5 years ago)great article! It’s so hard to find a balance between making money and competing against stores that sell for such low prices. I do my best to add some great customer service which brings my customers back over and over again. So it’s *worth* them paying that extra couple of dollers to know they will be looked after.
Margaret Ryall
October 7, 2014 at 8:31 pm (5 years ago)I love Bricks and Mortar fabric shops. Where else can you pat fabric, as true fabric lovers are wont to do. Where else can you get genuine, interesting advice from a fellow quilter/sewist. Long live the LQS!
Lucinda
October 7, 2014 at 9:09 pm (5 years ago)Great article and challenging points. I love modern fabrics, modern quilting, and making handmade items of all kinds for gifts and for sale. After reading “We are Sew Worth It’s” pricing guidelines for quilts, I have been changing my pricing structure for those things I make for custom orders.
One consequence for my price changes is that I am shifting to making smaller items and limiting quilts to custom orders only. In the past when I have had lingering quilts I find local organizations to donate them to. I would prefer to do that than “give them away” by selling them super cheap. I agree, it hurts all makers when we do this.
One of the best online modern fabric shops I know of is Fresh Modern Fabric on ETSY. Alice, the owner, adheres to the MSRP. Alice is also willing to help customers coordinate fabrics and make custom orders. The fabrics listed in her ‘sale’ category are those she was able to purchase wholesale for a lower price and are not current releases. Alice is an officer in our NW Ohio MQG and is donating the background and backing fabric from her shop for our Quiltcon charity quilt.
When you think about it – for those who buy fabric and sell handmade items — if you buy 10 yards of fabric and find it for $1 to $2 less per yard – your savings is only $10-$20. When you consider the cost for a quilt of $250++ that $10 or $20 you save on fabric is not the issue. The issue is charging realistically for the amount of time it takes to make the quilt.
And the BIG BOX fabric stores — uggghhhh.
Allison
October 7, 2014 at 11:21 pm (5 years ago)Great article, you bring up some things I hadn’t thought of before. I do love a good deal but I try to shop at full price when I can, especially if it’s something I really want! I think it’s hard with all of the sales being promoted in so many different ways though for people to be willing to pay full price and not just wait for the next sale or discount.
So where should we draw the line? Is it okay to shop sales if the store sells at regular prices too? If stores price their fabric at the MSRP but they are always running a sale, isn’t that the same as just pricing it lower to start with? And while it’s great to promote sponsors and shops we love, don’t the sale posts just add to this?
Just some food for thought
admin
October 8, 2014 at 1:34 am (5 years ago)I hear you, Allison. It is hard to know where to draw the line; all the indie shops have sales too, and it is a way to stay competitive and clear out old merchandise to make room for the new. That’s part of the game, as long as they’re temporary (or offered via promo code; not to anyone who happens upon the site) and not on newly released fabric that everyone else is trying to sell at retail. Gina (above) made the argument for excluding fabric older than a year from the MSRP policy enforcement, and I think that’s a pretty legit point.
And yes, we need to be careful about which shops we are promoting. We like to use the deals posts as ways to support shops and provide our readers with good deals (we love them too!), but we’re going to be more judicious from now on.
Susan Entwustle
October 7, 2014 at 11:49 pm (5 years ago)I don’t pay full price for chicken breasts or toilet paper. Do you? I never buy clothes or shoes unless they’re on sale. do you? If I’m going to buy a car I promise you that I will not walk into a dealership and pay the MSRP on the sticker in the window. Do you do that? I didn’t pay $500 more to buy my sewing machine locally. I drove to the next town for a better deal. Do you have an extra $500 to hand to someone just for the purpose of ‘shopping local’? So forgive me if I don’t understand why I should Be made to feel guilty for buying fabric at less than MSRP online or at a shop that sells the fabric I want for a dollar or two less than you do. Reality check……Not everyone can afford to pay full retail for what they need. Shame on quilt shop owners (and their blogging friends) who feel the need to lay a guilt trip on shoppers who can’t afford to be taken advantage of or who have limited funds for hobby spending after living expenses or who are retired living on fixed incomes. What gives them the right to fault shoppers for looking for a bargain. What if the grocery stores took the same stance and quit having weekly specials? What if Macy’s just sold everything full price all the time? No Walmart. No Best Buy. The nature of business is competitive. If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Seriously, didn’t you open your business to serve MY needs? When did it become the customers responsibility to take care of your needs?
Olly
October 8, 2014 at 12:35 pm (5 years ago)Hi Susan, I hear you and agree with you. I have lost count of the number of times since moving to the US that I have been put off making a project because of the cost of fabric. It’s cheaper to buy ready made! Fabric in the UK is cheaper. We have RRP prices but like Australia, these are guidelines and to force retailers to adhere to them is breaking the competition rules. Wholesalers and manufacturers offer bulk buy discounts if retailers buy in bulk. Maybe the problem lies with US manufacturers rather than with customers who need to balance the price of a hobby with living costs. The danger of forcing retailers to stick to RRP? Less and less customers buying fabric or hand made crafts and more customers buying off the peg or mass produced quilts. The bottom line here is customers only care about having reasonably priced clothing and a nice looking quilt to keep them warm. No way would I pay $600 for a quilt! And yes I know how much goes into them – I quilt! I also eat and need to keep a roof over my head. Sorry, but, if retailers are finding times hard then they need to find ways to be more competitive. Don’t guilt trip customers.
Ms. Mellee
October 8, 2014 at 6:20 pm (5 years ago)Seriously, why would anyone open a business to serve YOUR needs? They open a business to make a living. So, they offer product that you MAY want to purchase. It is symbiotic. We need the sellers as much as they need us. Fair pricing is good for both parties. I shop wherever I can find the best product. However, I will say that I bought some lovely fabric online. I wound up with several yards of material that is completely the wrong weight for quilting. Shopping online has its own challenges and consequences.
afraid to give my name:/
October 9, 2014 at 11:00 am (5 years ago)interesting and thoughtful conversation. i think at the core of this is the understanding that how a person spends or not spends their money has an enormous amount of power and shopping can even have moral and political implications. ultimately every person must decide for themselves how they will use that ‘power’, to support small shops, local shops, large ‘box’ stores, online shops, etc. i shop at all of them, local quilt stores, online quilt stores, and big box stores (though not for fabric). and i look for the best price (including shipping) and good service.
AND
i have a shop on etsy and sell fabric and small quilts and according to this article i ‘undercut’ and seemingly undermind the entire fabric industry (the same industry that loves doing massive shows, only wants ‘designer’ fabrics (which increases the prices) and the sales rep, who i have seen once, but who gets a percentage of everything i buy whether she was involved with the transaction or not, who told me she “does very well” financially at her job). there are layers and layers of money spent in this industry which contribute to higher prices and just saying ‘only buy from shops that sell at fair/MRSP’ is fine if that fits your moral code/values and reflects how you see the problem and the solution, but it doesn’t work for everyone. there are so many reasons for the problems with prices that are less obvious than undercutting. intersting comment about the cost of cotton suddenly increasing the cost of fabric, but then no correction after the prices stabilized. i think, most of us have a “mixed” approach to buying things, we buy form a variety of sources, and this is possible bc modern business, how we do business, is changing, and changing drastically.
when i first started selling on etsy i bought current release fabric, but recently, i mostly buy the clearance fabrics from the distributors bc they are less expensive. even at wholesale the cost of fabric is about $5.50/yd plus shipping, so close to $6/yd when shipping is added (some sell for $5.25, some for $5.80 per yard from the wholesaler, plus shipping). buyers like me don’t get additional discounts for big purchases (even if i spend $5000), but i suspect larger businesses who buy hundreds or thousands of bolts of fabric do get discounts. please be careful about branding shops that sell lower cost fabric as ‘undermarket”, as some of us buy clearance and sell those at lower costs, but the average person may not know that, but jump on the bandwagon to avoid these shops. if a huge fabric store can get better prices bc they buy in bulk, i’m all for that too.
back to mixed feeling about it all-i have mixed thoughts about this, bc as commented before, ‘women’s work’ is often undervalued in societies. one part of me wants to raise prices to symolize this, but another, is fine with buying the clearance fabric and once in a while buying current ones that i really like and ‘undercutting’ a bit. i’ll have to think about it some more.
this dilema is not fabric/qult industry specific. the way business is done around the world is changing dramatically and rapidly and will probably look very differnt in 20 years. it seems like right now there is a pendulum swing where brick and mortar shops are being squeezed, but the pendulum will swing again and every type of store (online and brick) will have to adjust again. i think people have to decide for themselves what they want to do, how they spend their money (ie: how they wield their power).
i work in the medical field as well and there has been such a back lash against the drug manufacturers that for several years there were literally no companies in the united states doing research to develop new drugs (psychiatric medications). eventually this freaked out the psychiatric community and some people got together with researchers to start new research, but it took a complete wiping out of the industry before people realized this meant there would be no new american psychaitric drugs for the next 10-20 years-the length of time it takes to develop a new drug. i hope this doesn’t happen in the fabric industry, wiping out huge parts of the industry is really not good for anyone.
so i’m hopeful, at least a little, that if an industry like medicine can adapt, then the fabric industry will adapt too (eg: brick and mortar stores could look more like schools/retreats in the future and focus on classes and drawing people in that way).
i am also a holocaust history ‘student’, so to speak, and viktor frankl, who was a concentration camp survivor and psychiatrist, wrote the book ‘man’s search for meaning’ (which i think everyone should read, takes about 4 hours, or listen to it on audiobooks free on youtube) said about people held in concentration camps:
“people can adapt to anything”,
so i have hope that if people can adapt to horrific things, then we can adapt to non-horrific things as well–including the fabric industry-and this conversation is certainly part of that adaptation and i think there is room enough for everyone, customers and shops!
so lastly, to come back to the idea of money as power, tand o say something really controversial (to some people), i don’t shop at stores that use their money to change laws that reduce or restict people’s rights. i shop at stores that i may have a moral/value based disagreement with, so long as they don’t use the money to try to restrict people’s freedoms. so the main place i don’t shop is hobby lobby bc they use their money to go to the supreme court to say they don’t have to provide birth control under their health insurance plan (but they do cover viagra/cialis…). because i disagree with them on this AND they are active POLITICALLY with the money they make AND their politial action could have severe consequences on me and other people by reducing their/our rights. for people who agree with them on this, they should spend lots of money there, to support the cause. that is just how modern money works.
i love having and reading conversations like this and i hope people have lots of thoughtful things to say, including suggestions for helping the fabric and quilting industry to be more successful!
Jen
October 13, 2014 at 1:04 pm (5 years ago)I genuinely don’t understand the “buy local” argument. If the customers of the industry I work in only bought local I wouldn’t have a job. Also, why does my friend in Michigan who runs a fabulous shop with a great selection and excellent customer service deserve my money less than my local LQS who has terrible customer service and awful selection? Shouldn’t I reward the person I choose based on the values I believe in? It makes no sense that a business is more deserving of my money simply because they are local.
Jo
October 8, 2014 at 1:58 am (5 years ago)My understanding of retail, is that the more a store needs to buy from a wholesaler/supplier, the cheaper they can buy it (buying in bulk) which means the cheaper they can sell it in store. I’ve always figured if a big store is able to sell something cheaper (an example you gave of designer fabric for $8.50 yd) then they’ve most likely purchased multiple bolts of a single fabric, compared to a LQS that might only purchase one, maybe 2 bolts. I know all LQS are different, but where I’ve been I’ve also never seen a whole complete line available and only a select few prints (of newly released fabrics anyway, I have no comment on the 5 year old stuff they sell!), where as the big box stores and more specifically, online stores, are likely to have the whole line. They probably also purchase not only the whole line once, but probably multiple bolts of everything in that line where a LQS, if they did have the whole line, would only buy one bolt of each. For online stores, their customer reach is a lot more vast than that of a lone LQS in a town, so it makes sense they would buy more product to compensate for that fact.
Perhaps it works differently in the US, due to another comment above comparing the difference with Australian RRPs, however the site Massdrop which is based in the US, seems to be running on a similar principal with their products on offer, including fabrics and notions: the more people join, the more product there is to buy, the bigger the discount the supplier can offer and the more customers can save.
If a business purchases from the wholesaler at a cheaper rate due to bulk buying but then sells the fabric at the same rate as everywhere else, they’d be making more profit. I can only imagine the grumblings of customers about the “greed” for these business owners who are keeping that extra savings in their pocket rather than sharing it with the consumer.
Colleen
October 8, 2014 at 7:34 am (5 years ago)Unless its changed dramatically in the past few years, as a past LQS owner, the cost of fabric was set no matter how much you purchased. It did not change if you bought the collection. Often you would be offered less yardage on a bolt if you bought the collection. Typical bolt is 15 yards, if you bought the collection it would be 10 yards. That was the incentive to purchase the line as so many of these lines have 25 or 26 SKUs! I don’t believe the gist of the article is not to buy sale fabric but those shops that undercut others by selling fabric at a lower cost ALL the time.
Jo
October 8, 2014 at 9:12 am (5 years ago)That’s interesting about the change in the amount of fabric collection, Colleen! Thanks for the information. Are there separate bolts made with the differing yardages?
I wasn’t referring to sale fabrics in my comment though. The article also mentions “huge corporate online retailers”. There is one large site inparticular I can think of that sells fabrics (current designer fabrics) a few dollars less than the $11 quoted here. Due to the size of that store, and who it is run by, I can imagine they can get quite a discount on the fabrics that a LQS cannot.
I agree wholeheartedly with Paula’s comment below, as I also buy online due to expensive and limited options (most of the stock in my LQS is circa late 2000s). I can buy designer fabrics at a store similar to the American Joann’s. I picked up a recent Anna Maria Horner fabric for $11.99 a metre just a few days ago. To buy that same fabric at a LQS, if they had it, I’d be paying $25 per metre. So if it’s the same fabric, why exactly would I pay $25m for it when there’s also a 1/2 price option presented?
What I do find more troublesome to be honest, is the notion where fabrics are being deemed “rare” and these same hobbyist etsy sellers and random people then charge $60 a yard for it. Apart from the fabrics currently in production, all fabric is “rare” and “out of print”. LQSs might as well start putting up their prices on the old stock in their discount section as I’m sure a lot of them have these so called “rare” fabrics in them. If the prices of LQS fabric are not okay, then why are people happy to be overcharged for “rare” fabrics? And why are fellow quilters happy to rip each other off for these fabrics, when we all know what the price of fabric actually is worth, but these same people are offended when non-quilters don’t understand the true price of a fully completed quilt?
Paula
October 8, 2014 at 5:38 am (5 years ago)I will quite happily admit that I buy 95% plus of my fabric online. I shop on ebay, I shop on etsy, I shop from a variety of online stores, some of which I know also have brick and mortar stores, some of which do not. Some are large some are small. I generally don’t go from shop to shop comparing prices, I do however go from shop to shop comparing ranges and fabrics. I do all of this because I live in Switzerland, because the fabric choices here are exceptionally limited, because the not at all local quilt stores do not stock the fabric lines that I like, and because if I was to shop locally I simply could not afford to quilt. Prices here are every bit as high, if not higher than those mentioned for other places such as AUS and tbh that is to be expected. There are import costs, higher costs of living which translate to higher property rents, higher staff wages and in general much higher costs all round when it comes to running a store of any description. But if I can save money after paying for shipping and customs then I will shop abroad and nake no excuses for it. I have no idea what the MSRPs are for any of the fabrics that I buy, nor to be honest am I overly concerned about them because, like so much of the day to day shopping that I do, much of my fabric shopping is sale shopping. That for me will never change.
I am confident that the producers of the fabrics are getting the price that they have asked for the fabrics in question and I am sure that as long as they continue to do so they will continue to produce the fabrics. I may be wrong but I would guess that as long as they can continue to sell their fabrics on to retailers they will be happy regardless of who those retailers may be and what they may be charging.
Yes it is very sad that many smaller retailers cannot often compete in the fabric market any more, but that is very much the trend with everything these days especially as the vast majority of people do not have unlimited funds and therefore will always look for the best bargains and the best ways to stretch their budgets as much as possible.
Helen
October 8, 2014 at 6:51 am (5 years ago)I enjoyed your article. Very interesting, I was wondering how some could sell so cheap on eBay etc., than in the LQS. I know when I shop and make a wall hanging or lap quilt, when I put a price on it, and never anything for my time, some people think the price is outrageous and they have no concept how much the materials alone cost to produce this lovely piece of work.
It should be the same across the board. I worked in a shop before and the hours of time spent to make a living and have a good customer following is unreal. Hard work indeed!
Colleen
October 8, 2014 at 7:38 am (5 years ago)Great article! Having been a LQS owner in the past, your words ring so true! Don’t get me started on the swing machine industry! Yikes! To start out unless you can make a very large investment initially, you are almost paying full price for those machines. Very hard to compete, especially if there is a large dealer in the area who gets a significant discount because they have purchased more. I was paying almost $8000.00 for a machine that the MSRP was $10000.00. A dealer in my tristate area was selling the same machine for $7500! $500 LESS than what I paid for it! Ugh!
Crystal Smythe
October 8, 2014 at 8:21 am (5 years ago)This is a great post, and I’m going to share it. In addition to owning a digital quilting design website (www.intelligentquilting.com) I am also a long arm quilter. I always advise my customers to buy from their local quilts shops – both batting and fabric. I’m quite sure none of us want our local quilt shops to go away, so we should encourage their survival and help them thrive by shopping there.
Kristal
October 8, 2014 at 10:32 am (5 years ago)Frankly, quilt shops are not special snowflakes that should be immune to the market pressures all other retailers face. In my opinion, there needs to be pressure on the wholesalers to lower their price.
The price of quilt fabric has gone up quite a bit in a fairly short time. There was a cotton shortage a few years ago that caused fabric prices to jump, but you’ll notice they never came back down after the shortage was over. All those fancy booths at Market, all the tours to US towns, and quilt conferences overseas are very nice, but they add to the “cost” of the fabric we buy.
Hartland
October 8, 2014 at 12:02 pm (5 years ago)The free market works when it is free. That is, all things being equal. That is not the case in distribution or purchasing between manufacturers and designers and the various purveyors. Bigger purchases, negotiated freight, payment terms, and return privileges with fulfillment contracts that are generous to the online retailer will always be there. Wise up. If you really want a LQS, shop there. Tell them about your wants, desires, and all your secrets. They really do want to know. Shops, don’t get sentimental about your fabric or your customers. If it doesn’t sell, get rid of it and buy something your customer does want. And give your customer real value. Be nice. Be helpful. Give your customer something they really want to make or use. Give them a good experience when they come to your store. If you treat your customer or product like a commodity, then so they and it will become. And don’t give away you, or your service, or the really good stuff that you are, do, and your love for them and the things you want to share. Believe in yourself and the good that comes from your sharing it with others. Someone else will always be cheaper.
Amanda
October 8, 2014 at 3:03 pm (5 years ago)I have thought a lot about this since yesterday and I just don’t agree. I know a few people on IG that are either stay at home moms or work a regular job and have opened small shops so they could save on fabric for their own hobbies and then pass the savings on to me! Will their shop be around for the long haul? probably not. But for the time being, I will buy their layer cake for 25-30% off what I was paying last year.
As a business owner you have to find your ideal clients when you are not willing to lower your price.
I’m not sure why people think fabric is any different than anything else? We still get jobs in our industry being priced higher than the company with little to no overhead. You just have to find the clients that you want to work with.
Ms. Mellee
October 8, 2014 at 6:21 pm (5 years ago)Lots to think about.
Jennifer
October 9, 2014 at 11:37 am (5 years ago)You hit the nail on the head. I saw this article this morning after I woke up late today because I worked at my brick and mortar shop (fabric and sewing machines) until 10:30pm last night. To say the least, we all work hard at our shop.
I do have a website that has fabric and classes on it but it is not my main source of income. As a matter of fact, it probably doesn’t pay for itself but my customers can see what’s new and sign up for classes online.
That being said I sell fabric at retail prices or slightly above. My location is near a mall and we get quite a bit of traffic but we pay a hefty rent amount for it. We offer lots of classes and a monthly Friday Night Fever where we provide the main dish and the customers bring a dish to share. We are usually full each month. It is a community that we are building and enjoy getting to know our customers and their families. To us this is more than just a fabric shop but a place to share and build relationships through the art of sewing. There will always be another store, online or brick and mortar, that will have a cheaper price. We plan on being here for the long term and our customers know that.
All of that being said, it is important to buy local so that your brick and mortar shops can stay in business. What would happen if you could only buy fabric online? A lot would be lost – seeing, feeling, comparing in different lights, talking to a real live human being in person to learn from their knowledge and familiarity of the fabrics in the shop. I love saving money myself but I have grown to appreciate buying locally since I have opened my shop 3 years ago. I never knew it would take so much time and energy but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have some wonderful friends and customers that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I also want to address the notion that buying in bulk gets you a cheaper price as a LQS. If you buy the whole collection you may be able to get 10 yard bolts instead of 15 yard bolts; some vendors give a tiny discount per yard if you buy more bolts but it’s not worth the effort for me if I don’t like it and don’t think it will sell. Oh, and then there is freight on fabric. Fabric is heavy and freight is expensive. I’m on the east cost so vendors that ship from the west coast cost me more due to freight. It also works the opposite for those on the west coast when they buy from east coast vendors. And there is the cost of carrying the fabric in your store. If it just sits there, I have to do something to make it sell by making a sample, rearranging the store (like Target does) to get you to look at it differently, putting it in a kit, or eventually marking it down. I need to take notes on how many collections I see per quarter to have to choose what to buy – it is huge. I therefore have to make an educated guess on what my customers will like!
I’ve said way too much. I need to go in to work to plan our Grand Re-opening, Handmade for Holidays event, my market trip to Houston, 12 days of Christmas deals, pay bills, come up with fresh new ideas to use our fabric and sell sewing machines, buy toilet paper, etc. I was not ADD until I opened the shop – I promise…….
Thank you so much for the article!
Jeanette
October 9, 2014 at 1:11 pm (5 years ago)I usually purchase at my LQS. I work with a group of ladies that quilt for co-workers at our hospital that get diagnosed with cancer or other life altering moments in their life. We usually have to purchase a peice of fabric online as our focus fabric. We try to find the piece of fabric that represents something that gives them hope. We recently needed fabric that represented Africa. We live in a small town in Alaska and we have 2 shops and African fabric is not one of them. When we got that piece of fabric, we then went to our LQS to get all the coordinating fabrics. I believe there is definetely a need for the online shops when you cannot find that particular piece of fabric that is your focal point for the particular person. Our LQS workers are always happy to help us with the coordinating fabric to pull the quilt together. They have also asked us if we were open to changing the pattern to do what is best for our focal fabric to make a bigger impact. This is something that you cannot get online.
Cheryl Houston
October 12, 2014 at 3:59 pm (5 years ago)This post was passed on to me by a customer – not sure what to think. I am known for being honest so here it goes. I have a bricks and mortar shop in NZ which is probably considered successful and it is extremely hard work- not what I thought when I first went in to it, but it was my choice. I work for no or very little wage as my business can not afford one. I believe in paying my bills and staff first. People are always saying they don’t want me to close down, but the day is getting closer as I see little hope for bricks and mortar shops in NZ.
Cost of fabric in NZ – I pay more per mete wholesale than full price in the USA – this is partly because we are at the bottom of the world, small population therefore do not have the buying power to get the discounts, and then of course there is the freight plus GST (15% tax). As a bricks and mortar shop I also have overheads – e.g. rent, rates, power, phone, staff wages, tax, insurance etc. Another thing for people to remember when passing judgement on the cost of fabric down here is that the NZ minimum wage is approx NZ$14.50, and from my last visit to Market comparing wages and the cost of fabric it was comparable with NZ being a little higher but when you consider our geographical isolation that is understandable.
As for the wholesalers – they are the ones that take the risk to bring the fabric in and cover the costs of returns or faults which often happens in fabric. They have to purchase a minimum to get the distributor rate, shops have to buy a minimum to get the wholesale rate.
Cost of fabric in my shop is NZ$26 – $28 for most fabrics, Kaffe @ NZ$30 and Echino @ NZ$36. I have a loyalty club which gives members 10% off all fabrics and notions.
My shop is known for the contemporary fabric and Kaffe Fassett fabric of which I carry an extensive range. I am happy to help with customers in their colour choices as that is my skill, putting colours together. Due to this I deal with Showroomers on a regular basis and I even have ladies bring their fabrics into my shop bought on the Internet and want me to help with their projects at no cost. Or better still they have me put together fabrics for a project, claim they can not pay for it all right now but can they take a photo to remember or can I right down the codes! These customers wear you down and are a blight on the industry.
But in saying all of this – I have some wonderful customers and have made some wonderful life time friends through my shop, I have been to market in Portland once (took 7 years to save the money) and I am going to Houston this year as my swan song as I can not see a bright future for my shop.
Paul in Boston
October 12, 2014 at 7:04 pm (5 years ago)I do tend to shop local a lot. But I always ask about the sale/markdown fabrics – I buy my Christmas fabrics in the spring, my halloween in the winter, and my valentine fabric in the summer. My UFOs are years old, so I’m never making a quilt with the latest fabrics while the fabrics are still current. Many of my quilt shops will have $6 or $5 a yard bolts of their older fabrics, stuff that didn’t sell well. And occasionally they blow it out at $4 or $3 a yard because they need the room for new fabric.
The only time I’ve bought on etsy or ebay is to get fabric to finish a quilt when I run out and find the fabric line is 3 years old and no shop carries old fabrics – business says you need to turn over your inventory every 3-5 months in order to stay in business.
But with gas at $4 a gallon, and if I need to drive 40 or more miles to a shop, if they snub me when I’m there, they dont get my business. And so many of the fabrics are so scarce – Cherrywoods can only have a store carry them with a 50 or 100 mile radius. Great it you live near the store, but not if you dont even know the store, same with African or Japanese prints. where to find them but online.