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Walmart removing yarn/fabric departments...


Mommy2Max

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This was on the news this morning and in the Houston Chronicle. Thought it might be of interest since several people have found that their Walmarts are discontinuing the fabric/yarn departments.

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4601811.html

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I'm sure going to miss the fabric and yarn section! I buy almost all of my yarn/fabric at Walmart. One of our local Walmarts only has around 5 bolts of fabric left and lots of yarn, while the one I like to shop at is still overflowing with fabric, but has very little yarn. Go figure...i need to shop in two different places to get what I need/want.

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I was at the Wal-mart that I frequent the most yesterday and was talking to the sales girl whom I have gotten to know since I am there constantly in the craft department. She said the entire department was being eliminated but to talk to the managers as well as call the 800 number. So I promptly went to speak to one of the managers who said he has also gotten a lot of complaints from other customers and the best thing to do is to call the 800 number in Arkansas and also to write voicing our opinions. Then he told me that the two newest stores to open (one only about five miles from this one and one in a neighboring county) have no craft/fabric departments at all. He thinks they shouldn't be eliminated either.

 

LI Roe

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We just had a Walmart open near me last month - they don't sell any yarn or fabric and have just a little bit of scrapbook supplies.

 

I went to the other Walmart that I use to go to (before the new one opened) and all their fabric is gone now - they used to have a HUGE craft area and now it is 2 aisles. The yarn which use to be down a full one side of an aisle has been reduced to only 1/5 of that - they only have about 10 different yarns to choose from - it makes me sad :(

 

Luckily I live in a big town with Joanne's, Hobby Lobby and Michael's, but those are usually more expensive than Walmart. I feel bad for those that live in a smaller town and Walmart was their main source of craft supplies.

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The fabric will be eliminated at my Super Walmart in Littleton, Colorado. They don't know when, since they're still receiving fabric! They expected the rest of the craft area (including yarn) to remain and even be expanded.

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I was told by a walmart associate that they are getting rid of everything measurable that way they don't have to have an associate in that department all the time! I guess that is their way of cutting back in employees! What's next the electronic department?

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The walmart here said they were doing away with rolls of fabric for prepackaged fabric and adding more yarn. They're's not much in the yarn department atm. So ill be glad when they add more. I hate it for the people that want the fabric tho. Hopefully prepackaged doesn't mean plain colors only..

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Ugh! The Michaels out by me doesnt have a big yarn selection so I go to walmart for purse lining materials, and yarn. I remember when I was little, Target & Kmart had craft sections...and there was always Franks Nursery & Crafts, which is gone too.

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The Walmart closest to me still has yarn and bolt fabric, and the SuperWalmart a bit further away has TONS of fabric, but less yarn.

 

And the salesclerk at 'my' Walmart hasn't mentioned that they are closing the department (and it's an "urban" Walmart - code for "black neighborhood", I guess). What's up with thinking that only white, rural people do crafts? Weird.

 

Anyway, thank goodness I've got a JoAnn's and a JoAnn's ETC fairly close by. And there is always the internet. JoAnn's.com has free shipping fairly often.

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Last week the manager of the fabric/yarn dept was saying they've had an email from somewhere in their walmart system saying they've had 175,000 emails saying don't close this dept,,she was hearing "they" ( whoever that is)have been rethinking it.

I've been looking here on the ville for the thread that I thought had a walmart email address ond or ph # so we could let them know. So far no luck.

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Last week the manager of the fabric/yarn dept was saying they've had an email from somewhere in their walmart system saying they've had 175,000 emails saying don't close this dept,,she was hearing "they" ( whoever that is)have been rethinking it.

I've been looking here on the ville for the thread that I thought had a walmart email address ond or ph # so we could let them know. So far no luck.

 

I think you're looking for this thread:

 

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45596&highlight=Walmart

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As of this morning my local wallyworld still has bolt fabric, and was on sale most for $2 a yard I found several I liked:cheer but oddly enough couldn't find anyone in the dept to help me so I left with nothing.:think I don't know if my local store will continue to carry yarn, they haven't gotten in any new yarn in ages, even when they run out of a specific color. I asked someone about it and the official answer was "I don't know" so there you have it clear as mud.:eek My local store has the self-serve checkouts, I refuse to use them no matter how crowed the usually 2 other checkouts are (thats usually all thats open) I feel like if I used them I would just help to contribute to the overall plan of doing away with as many paid hourly employees as they can:yes . I'm not sure who is making the decisions, but they are obviously out of touch. We crafters are large in numbers and them making the decisions they are tell me they don't care.:no It is unhandy for me to drive 45 minutes to get yarn (thats the closest place, traffic is yucky) but It looks like thats what I will have to do. I just feel sorry for some elderly, and some who live in very rural areas who depended on them for fabric. (not pre-cut stuff).

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After hearing about this I stopped and asked a manager about it. She said that they were going to close the fabric section. But she wasn't sure if the rest of it would go. She wasn't sure that it would even be our store. That we might get lucky because our store is so close to the amish community. I told her I wasn't happy about it and she said that she wasn't happy either. She said that ever since Sam died walmart has been trying to cater to the wealther shoppers. I said they seem to forget that not everyone can afford the higher priced things and that I had passed on a couple big ticket items because the layaway was gone. She said that I should call the 1-800 number and tell them my opinon and that I should get all my friends to do the same. She did also say that more changes were coming that walmart is going to start testing some new things out very soon. I asked what they were she said she couldn't say what exactly but that most people wouldn't be happy with the changes. She said that walmart and discover card had joined together to push credit cards on us and that was why the layaway was gone. The employees are supossed to "sell" people the cards. And she as a mother of 5 and working at walmart can't even get a credit card. Nore could most of the other workers there. Broke my heart to hear all of that.

It just angers me that walmart is doing this to all of us. I understand that they are in in it for the money but they seem to forget that crafters are people too.

I say we all get on the phone or internet and voice our opinions!!! Crafters Unite!!!

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I was at my Wal-Mart last night and they had received a whole new shipment of yarn. I was so thrilled!! We have two in our city. The other one has reduced RH to $1.88 so I figure they must be reducing that store's department. Thought you all would like to know.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I hope this doesn't happen at our Walmart. It's the only store within walking distance from my house (I don't drive) that sells yarn. It seems to me that it would be wise for those crafters fighting this decision to make an alliance with the local party supply stores, since it's their businesses that will fold if Walmart creates these "celebration centers." Get them and their employees to also sign petitions and lobby to keep the craft areas, and make it clear that there is no need to expand party supplies at Walmart.

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Here's the latest regarding Walmart in my area (Southeast PA):

 

The lady working in the fabric department said she was unaware of the possible demise of the fabric/yarn/craft depts. She said that in May, there will be a huge Walmart remodeling and the fabric dept will relocate to another section and they are still deciding whether or not to keep yarn and crafts together or yarn separate. For me, moving the yarn would be a plus, since it's located next to the storage area and is often blocked with tons of boxes!

 

Also noticed that all the beautiful Mainstay 'pounder' yarn have been replaced with Red Heart Pounder in black, white, and pink. There were some new colors of RH in 6/7 ounce ( a really pretty 'Spring Green'!).

 

They still had some sale yarn thrown into a box. Several months ago, this yarn was $1/$2. Now it's about $1 less than original price. Yarn looks used and abused! Some don't even have original wrapper.

 

I recently received a letter from Walmart stating that my Walmart credit card will become a Discover card (unless I decline) soon.

 

Well, that's all I have to report for now. Will keep you posted!

 

 

 

charkitty

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According to the article referenced at the beginning of this thread...

 

* It's not ALL fabric departments, just some of them, as in "...Wal-Mart's plan to unravel its fabric departments at many stores..." (from article, emphasis mine)

 

* They're not getting rid of yarn, just the fabric that needs to be measured. Quote: "[C]elebration centers will continue to sell items such as sewing machines, yarn, needles and thread."

 

Not that I'm defending Wal-Mart in any way--luckily, there isn't one near me (and we have Costco instead of Sam's, so it's easy to avoid the whole issue)--and it is a real shame to lose any fabric departments anywhere, ever, especially in small towns where WM already put the local retailers out of businses--but it doesn't look like they're losing the yarn or even the entire sewing section, just the cut-to-measure fabric section.

 

Which, and don't yell at me, makes sense from Wal-Mart's perspective. They are legendary for shaving every fraction of a penny that they can. Fabric is relatively low-profit, intense customer service section that you absolutely can not inventory by individual unit because you can't slap an RFID chip on a bolt that'll give you any idea when it's going to run out and need to be reordered. I bet that the profit from the cut-to-measure fabric doesn't even cover the sales associate's salary.

 

Just my $.02. What bugs me most in the story is the smug UT professor talking about the "opportunity" it presents for local retailers. Now that everyone is used to paying Wal-mart prices for fabric, and now that the locals have been driven out of business, I don't think it will exactly be easy for someone to start up or restart a local business.

 

--Elissa

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Well, I finally ventured into a Walmart today. I dont go often. Anyway, I asked the crafts dept manager bout them doing away with it. She said..... yes, wont be here in August. Plus........ she said.... Hancock fabrics wont be here either. Anyone hear bout that one?

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They just re-modeled the Walmart in my area and the craft department was discontinued. I was also very upset because that is where I purchased alot of my yarn. I have not been there in the last month, so I will have to go and check to see what is left.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We just had a new Super Wal*Mart open 5 minutes away. It replaced our small Wal*Mart. It opened only a couple weeks ago and has a great craft section including yarn and fabric. I've been bragging here about the nicer selection of yarn this store has.

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