Needing Help With Walmart...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
April 4, 2008 8:40am CST
Yesterday while I was at Wal-Mart’s shopping, I went to buy some fabric for some quilts only to find out that they are planning to discontinue the sewing section…yup, fabrics-sewing supplies-machines-you name it. They want to use the space for a party supplies section! Ours is a Supercenter so they have more than enough room though if they really needed space I would suggest doing away with the alcolhol aisle (since we have no shortage of them in town) or cutting down the toy section since there’s ONLY 12 aisles of those. We have one other fabric store in town and it is very small and the prices are very high. The next nearest store is 30 miles away. This isn’t just our Wal-Mart’s either it’s all Wal-Mart’s. As Hubby pointed out yesterday, they move into a town, drive out all the competition and then quit carrying the products making it harder on the ppl to find what they need.
If you’d like to contact Wal-Mart’s and complain you can either go to the link below and send an email to the corporate office or call 1-800-walmart (it’s automated but it still gets to them). I know some of you won’t care about this b/c you don’t have anything to do with the fabric section at Wal-Mart’s but I also know that there are a lot of quilters, crafters and ppl that sew in general out there.
http://walmartstores.com/7663.aspx (click on Wal-Mart Customer Service & Feedback)
So, will you call or email? Do you care one way or another? Do you think it’s right that they take over and then quit providing that service? Do you think they should give a poll to let ppl speak up about what they want?
Thanks for taking time to read/respond and have a nice day!
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
13 people like this
44 responses
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I would be glad to complain to Walmarts for you, I like that dept. in the store and shop in that dept. I just was telling my mom the other day that Walmart had a nice size craft/fabric/etc. dept. Do you know if they are planning on closing down that dept. in all the stores or is it just in your towns store. After I hear from you I would be glad to complain, I just want to know what I am complaining about.
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I've been hearing about this for over a year. I've also noted that it does seem to affect the small towns that don't have multipul craft places the hardest.
I've told walmart before that its a bad idea - I doubt they are going to listen.
I heard about one person getting affected this way started her own store - but its not really an option for most people.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I haven't bought fabric in a few years from Walmart. Having stocked up on it and then losing interest in sewing is the reason for this. I do understand that others are needing the fabric and other supplies. I still buy other items from this department too. It is a necessary department.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
4 Apr 08
yup we found this out a few weeks ago when we needed some felt for a church project for the little ones and no cloth what so ever have sort of a hobby isle but no cloth that makes me mad for I might want to make curtains again I liked theeir sulection now nothing grrrrrrrrrrrr
3 people like this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
4 Apr 08
WalMart has been the elephant in the room for many years now. They, like you said, have run smaller hometown operations away. I often wonder why they do things. Something as simple as moving things around the stor. They constantly change things so you cant find what you want. I can still remember when I bought a name brand coffee pot only to discover that when I accidently broke the caraffe that they did not carry the replacement. While I dont do much in the fabric section, it is distressing. Just how many parties do we need? Of course party supplies are cheap and so is WalMart...
3 people like this
@libertarianfreedom21 (3198)
• United States
4 Apr 08
We arent really crafters but we still need that section from time to time. They are for sure getting rid of all of it? There not keeping the essentials liek needle and thread? Its not a section I use to often, and is probally the littlest used section, but i think it has a lot of purpose to it and they need to keep it. they can put a little party section by the birthday cards and stuff. Its not like walmarts not big enough that they can situate things and still carry all they have plus more. I dont know i will go and send them an email or something.
3 people like this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
4 Apr 08
We have plenty of fabric stores in minnesota so walmarts section gets ignored here. The prices are resonable too. Walmarts fabric quality here is very low so i dont think it will be misssed. But I agree nabey it should be different at each location as soom im sure are widly popular like yours.
3 people like this
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I don't think they'll remove it completely. They downsized the one in my town a lot but they still carried many of the supplies in the craft section & a little fabric ( not much ). That area just wasn't seeing enough business for the amount of space it took up.
2 people like this
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
4 Apr 08
Hey twoey, there was a picture of winnie the pooh in my email notification about your discssion! weird! anyways, That sucks.. i wonder if they are discontinuing that section in canada as well.. I dont do a lot of sewing, but i know a lot of people that do, and i wouldnt mind learning to quilt when i get some free time. I think you can make a lot of money doing it, as well as its something enjoyable and makes a great gift too!!
1 person likes this
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
4 Apr 08
If Walmart does this they are making a mistake...I love material,you can make so many things..When i go to Walmart here in town there are always a bunch of ladies shopping in the material section...I hope they do not do this..I am going to wrote them a letter.....Man i hate that....They do have reasonable material where as other stores are so expensive...
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Thank you, twoey, I contacted Walmart and hope that enough people do so and they will reconsider..I also will have to drive further and pay higher prices if they get rid of this section..
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I don't buy a lot of fabric, but there have been occasions where I've needed a few yards and WalMart was the place to go.
I've always been able to find what I needed in the cheapo section, and have even made good use of the small remnants.
I'm going to send a note right now (and also complain about another issue I had with them last week).
1 person likes this
@desertdarlene (8910)
• United States
4 Apr 08
It's funny, I was going to go over to Wal Mart today, or in the next few days, to pick up fabric to line a purse that I made. I was also going to pick up other supplies. I don't sew and don't have a sewing machine, but I still like to pick up some things for hand sewing and fixing my clothes. But, I also can go to Michaels which has a much larger choice in things than my Wal Mart.
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
21 Apr 08
That is horrible. There is few places left to get fabric. I dont really like walmart all that much but I do go there for fabric beacuse that is the one area I love them for. It seems like sewing is a dieing art and you cant get the supplys anymore. I will definately send them an email. Thanks for the heads up.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
18 Apr 08
I heard that about our walmart two years agoa and they still have the section in tact! So maybe it's just certain ones they are doing. My friend in Wisconsin have a new walmart in their area and they built it with a fabric section too....so must be just in certain areas of the US.
@simplyshawn (650)
• United States
21 Apr 08
They do this to individual products all the time. In this instance they are getting rid of an entire section. I don't really think it's in their best interest, but apparently they think it is.
I try to only shop there very minimally and this is one of the main reasons. They drive out competition, like you said, and then they have a cheaper version in their store and maybe stop carrying it altogether.
Walmart may do a lot of good things, but in the long run, I don't like they way they do business. I think they are hurting more than helping.
@above31rubies (1863)
• United States
4 Apr 08
GGrrr...I haven't bought fabric at Walmart because I feel the quality is poor for clothing- mostly what I made. BUT our really good fabric store closed last year leaving Walmart and a small multi-craft store that has a small fabric section of quality fabrics but very high priced.
*sigh*
@chazsgirl (256)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I tried to make clothing before, a pair of pants and a dress, well needless to say they were a little cheesy but it was fun to do, I still to this day cannot figure out my sewing machine! Good for you, you have a talent I would love to have!
