no yarn at wal-mart

[birdlady1]

Maybe the dissolution of the department is slowly making its way west. But I was at Walmart on Saturday, June 30th (don't tell anyone please! ) and everything was still there.

[brennae74]

I love buying my yarn at Wal-Mart but man is there selection getting smaller and smaller. I go to Joanns now.

[Wyndfire]

They just built a brand new WalMart Super Center here in Phoenix (19th Ave and Bell Rd). It has a small craft section in the middle-ish of the store. You walk right past it if you arent looking really hard for it. Its got yarn more than it has anything else, but its still not a great selection. There is NO fabric and NO sewing machines. Also, the only silk flowers and ribbon they have is wedding themed.

[CraftyShannon]

I went back to Wal-Mart with my mom yesterday, and it was painfully obvious they are closing the craft section out. More stuff is gone, most of the department is on "clearance" 50 cents off orginal price, and generally it looks like they are not stocking.

 

The last couple of times I've been there, people have been buying fabric like crazy, picking from stacks of bolts at a time. What is crazy is that the store had stopped keeping clerks at the fabric counter during all this. They have a sign telling you to have the sporting goods dept. page for help. Meanwhile, the store had not told customers what is going on, but it's clear to see most will be gone.

 

Just based on what I can tell from my store, I'm no longer sure it's only the cut stuff that will be going. They now have too many other things on "sale" too. I'm pretty sure the kiddy pom pom type crafts are safe, and maybe the regular yarn (not novelty and maybe not baby yarn) will be here. Looks like the sale tables continue to get filled as more things are selling.

[LittleJadeFrog]

I kind of stumbled upon this post by accident. I am an avid Wal-mart shopper. Please don't hold that against me! Anyway my local Walmart in Orlando, FL has changed their crafts dept also. They didn't have many bolts of fabric to begin with but they had the good stuff in the middle and alot of bolts along a back wall, and the $1-2 bolts on a table. Now all they have is the tables full of bolts with a sign $1-8. Now you have to dig for it! Also the yarn section is just SAD! I am having a hard time finding needles too. And forget about book! My moms local Wal-mart moved their craft section to the mid-ish of the store chopping it down to 3 isles!!! Unbelievable! Mom asks me to get yarn for her. I have an AC Moore here but I have never been in there. It sounds (from the comments at C'ville) it might be a good place to try out. Other than that I have JoAnns but their yarn selection is smal too.

[CraftyShannon]

Stephanie- Go to A.C. Moore! They do have the best yarn selection of all the craft stores. A.C. Moore is all the way across the next town, so I only go occassionally. I buy too much when I go.

[LittleJadeFrog]

Thanks I will check it out!

 

I was in JoAnns this weekend. I think they expanded the yarn section! I found some beautiful yarns there and a great sale on red heart. I know that red heart is becoming one of the least fav but they make good animals!

[Gingerbeary]

Ok, I would like to ask, just what does Walmart think a woman of my age and style is going to purchase from their store anymore.

#1 - Fabric and Yarn here in St Marys GA is gone lost $$$$ from me going to Hobby Lobby in Jacksonville Florida from now on and will pay less when they have a sale because Walmart raised the price on what yarn they do have left.

#2 - Clothes selection-expensive-not well made-unflattering style

#3 - Seasonal items (Christmas/Easter/Valentine decorations) have been

horrendous the last two years

#4 - Customer Service is nonexistent

#5 - If they can put in self check out why can't they put self measuring for your own fabric for crying out loud....yes I would be that desperate. The closest store for fabric is 45 minutes away.

#6 - Doesn't everyone agree their produce sucks!!! lol

 

Ok so that leaves cosmetics, cleaning supplies, toilet paper. So, now I can cut my weekly trips to once a month and spend my time at other great stores where I know I will have lots of fun spending my hard earned money. Sorry Walmart!!! Now if you really want to keep me away totally just carry "Martha Stewart"!!! lol hahahaha Oh, I am so sorry, I am not a Martha Stewart fan. sorry.

 

I am so mad at them from taking away the crafts. Our local paper and Chamber of Commerce is always running ads to shop locally and keep the money here in our county. You can't do that if they don't supply what we need.

[kamikazemommy]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Stop telling each other and start telling Lee Scott!

Send Walmart some feedback at:

http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=221

 

-shel

[Amy]

Unfortunately, from everything I've read in the trade magazines, Wal-Mart doesn't have any intention of reversing this decision.

 

And it will affect ALL their stores by the end of 2008.

[bgs]

Unfortunately, from everything I've read in the trade magazines, Wal-Mart doesn't have any intention of reversing this decision.

 

And it will affect ALL their stores by the end of 2008.

 

I do sincerely hope it does affect all their stores....in their profit margin!!!!! Self checkout has been removed from one of the Walmarts nearest me that is presently in the process of changing (eliminated fabrics, cut back on craft supplies, etc)

[CraftyShannon]

It's official.....

 

I kept holding out hope because our craft dept. kept getting bigger and bigger each time I've been in lately. However, I was in the yarn section when one of the cutting ladies walked a customer over to the notions. Told her the fabric was going out "by the first of the year". She hasn't been told yet what else would be gone, but she suspected within "a few months" the remainder of most of the craft department would be history.

 

Well people, when that happens, I will have no need to shop at Wal-mart. I hate the crowds. I'd rather just stick to the grocery store and the drugstore to get the other stuff I buy. I still for the life of me can't understand what on earth possessed the Wal-Mart higher ups to think alienating so many women from shopping with them is a good idea.

 

*sigh* I knew it was happening, but to have it confirmed was just sickening. If you need something from the craft department, you better stock up now.

[shuttlebuggy]

I too was really frustrated by this marketing decision of Walmart - I think it is a mistake!

But I also saw them with big huge carriages a while back pulling all different types of health and beauty and pharmacy items - the carriages were heaping!

So I stopped and asked an associate about it and apparently the brand name makers banded together and forced Walmart to pull many of it's Equate and Great Value products off the shelves as it was cutting severely into the brand name sales!!! Not every GV or Equate is being pulled but quite a few - especially in the soaps, hair and pharmacy sections.

I truly don't believe Walmart is the consumers answer to every need and I am in hopes for the "craft, material and yarn" end of things that a positive that will come out is that the LYS's will become more prolific and competitive for our business - and we WILL get customer service that listens that way!

[sunnywolfgar]

Our Walmart in KY still carries yarn and bolts of fabric. When I visited a Walmart in Arkansas over Easter time the associate at that store said that if there are Amish communities near a Walmart then they will continue to carry yarns and fabrics.

Hi, where in KY are you. I am in Cecilia thats near Elizabethtown by 4 miles,, and 20 miles from Ft. Knox. Our wal-mart has gotten crappy and crappier, more stuff is being taken out. When I was in thre there other day they was redoing the crochet hook depeartment on the wall.

Our Michaels used to have this long wall full of stuff for hooks needles etc.. they made it shorter.

We thank God for things that are important to us family& food & nature etc..but...

 

I know this is awful cause its just plastic and metal and electric but...

Thank--God for computers at least when we need something for our craft we can go online and get it..

[shuttlebuggy]

Oh - and a brief PS to above -

the saddest thing is that when I asked the associate "where all these perfectly good pulled products were going?"

She said - that the shameful part is that they were going to be "destroyed" -

I HATE waste and especially when we all know the need that exists - right in our OWN country!!!!

Some can't even get a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste or brush - -- I was infuriated and DID write to the company!!! I mean Walmart CLAIMS to be so on the side of working Americans and to be such a helping hand - but if the national business decision was made to pull all these perfectly good products just with the reason of benifiting other corporate conglomerates - they should at least distribute the pulled product to the needy or charitable agencies who help them!!!!

Right????

'K I am officially off my :soap 's

[Mermaiden]

I'm afraid my craft/yarn area might start downsizing now too..... last week they had started putting the red discount price stickers on the shelves. Not a huge discount, enough for me to buy stuff yet. I just presume they'll discount/sell all of it before long now.

[pineknott]

somethings definitely up at ours,as I turned the corner to crafts,hooks,books and alot of yarn was marked down.

I hope it doesn't go away,close by is a Michaels but they are up to 2.49 on RH,the other is A C Moore but thats way over in Va. beach

[Hazlecreek]

I just got back from Wal-Mart and saw that they were marking down their yarns. (only the novality yarn) I ask the woman working their if they were going to be getting anymore yarn in and she said "No":eek , so I asked her if they were getting rid of the whole department and she said "No, they were going to re-do it and make the yarn larger"!!!!!

 

She said that so many people have called complaining that they were going to keep the craft area open and expand the yarn, but that fabric IS going away. I HOPE this is true and that she really knows what she's talking about.

[Titus2woman]

We thankfully still have yarn in ours! So sorry to hear some of you don't have the same. (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

I haven't heard anything different about our Wal-Marts (we have 2 in this town) craft depts.

[Bizzyboppers]

I remember when the craft section at WalMart used to take up the entire back section of the store. I've too noticed the serious reduction in size. It's really quite sad, cuz you wait to go to wally world expecting to find what you need and half the time you can't...

 

I opened a yarn store in my area last year (it'll be a full year Oct 2) because we are an hour from the nearest WalMart in the middle of nowhere. We will soon be 45 minutes away from one due to a new one going up South of us. BUT with gas prices so terrible and no real reason to leave town I don't see the new one hurting me much. Anyway..all of that to say this: I have people time after time tell me I have the best selection around. I carry basic labels and some specialties and granted I am higher in price than WalMart, but people shop with me because I have the most colors available AND I'm always stocked. People in our area are just getting fed up with WalMarts selection or lack thereof. I have heard "You've got a better selection than WalMart" more times than I can count! Michael's and JoAnn's are an hour and a half from us and Hobby Lobby doesn't exist this far North.

 

I really don't understand the reasoning for getting rid of such a lucrative part of their store. People have come to depend on WalMart for so much. I mean really depend on it. Especially us Northwoods people that have to travel so far to get anywhere new and trendy.

 

It's frustrating.

[Mermaiden]

That's comforting news! I will have to track someone down next time to ask and find out if this could be the case here, also!

 

I just got back from Wal-Mart and saw that they were marking down their yarns. (only the novality yarn) I ask the woman working their if they were going to be getting anymore yarn in and she said "No":eek , so I asked her if they were getting rid of the whole department and she said "No, they were going to re-do it and make the yarn larger"!!!!!

 

She said that so many people have called complaining that they were going to keep the craft area open and expand the yarn, but that fabric IS going away. I HOPE this is true and that she really knows what she's talking about.

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

I remember when i lived in southern WV, Wal-mart was THEE only place you could get yarn locally. The next closest place what 1 hour and 45 minutes away, and that was a Michael's. I remember going there about once or twice a year and spending 200-300 dollars on yarns that Wal-Mart didn't carry to get enough to last awhile.

 

Granted, we have the internet now so that we can have yarn delivered to the house, but you know how it is. You want to SEE the yarn, touch it, compare lot numbers, etc.

 

I'll have to ask Dad if he could get some sort of info about the percentage of Wal-Mart's craft sales. He works at Wal-Mart, he might know who to ask

[simplycrochet]

Good news for those of us who live in or around Greenville PA. Our Wal-Mart was just getting ready to put out new colors of yarn this morning. I don't no what type of yarn since the yarn was still in boxes. I will be back tomorrow to check it out.

CL

[Amy]

Here's a post I made several months ago about this topic in this thread:

 

Wal-Mart apparently sent a notice to all of their needlework vendors that mentioned their current downsizing of craft departments. Wal-Mart told the vendors that in week 34 of this year (week of August 20) they will be deleting stitchery from 2,642 of their stores. By fall 2008, their goal is to be completely out of stitchery in all stores.