MIQcamp

Good lighting is a must. Good samples displayed.

oatw13

At the LQS in my town, the employees are very condescending towards me and other "younger" patrons. I am in my 30s but look like I am in my 20s. I often go with my mom who is in her 60s. We don't always stay together while we are browsing and they treat her with much more respect. They are very rude to me and if we are together they always direct the conversation to her. If I am asking to have fabric cut they always look at her and ask her how much fabric to cut. This is after I just asked for a certain amount! Ugh! The frustrating part is that I am as old or older than several of the employees who do this. Needless to say, I don't go there often.

At another shop, there is a lady who always tells people her opinion on the fabric they are purchasing. She rarely has anything nice to say and her opinions are rarely solicited. I call her the fabric police. I have actually heard her tell people that they "can't" use this fabric for a border or with this other fabric.

At my favorite shop, the ladies who work there are pleasant and friendly to everyone - even the kids. They were tickled pink that my DS10 was choosing fabrics for himself and even helped him find some. They have tons of fabrics from almost every manufacturer - truly something for everyone. They have a semi-private classroom so you can see in but the class is not disrupted by shoppers. The store is light and airy and they have lots of finished projects down where you can really see them and feel them. If you tell them you just want to look, they are respectful and let you. But they are always nearby (without hovering). And, they offer coupons through their Facebook page!

Good luck to you!

Just the fact that you are researching and asking for ideas tells me you are on the right track and I would gladly visit your shop!

shufer1

My husband goes with me everywhere - he suffers from copd and likes to just sit and people watch. a comfortable chair or sitting area for the tag-alongs that don't fit into the children's play area.

MistyMarie

I agree about having a place to sit. Even if a store is too small to take up room for a kid's corner or spot, having a place to sit would be really nice. (My kids sit outside on the curb - by their choice - when I go to the LQS because there is no place to sit inside.)

I also like having one or two nights a week with later hours to accomodate work schedules. One of my LQS has one night that it is open until 8PM. I also cannot sign up for weekday daytime classes, so having classes in the evening and on the weekends is great!

Pat and pups

A couple more suggestions I didn't see mentioned:

Adequate staff. There are 2 LQS in my immediate area. One of them has a friendly staff who always complement me on the fabric I've chosen, even if they're just walking by the cutting area while someone else is cutting. Makes me feel good about my choices. The other LQS usually has only one person working. That person is busy cutting fabric and checking people out. There's no one available to help me find matching or contrasting fabric, and they know their stock better than I do. If the second person was returning bolts to shelves or even just circulating, they'd be around to offer help.

Music: If you played Ricky Tims and Cathy Miller (The Singing Quilter) CD's and had them for sale, you might make a few bucks, and they wouldn't even take up much room. Their CD's could be alternated with other music so you wouldn't have to listen to it all day.

marymild

I love my LQS. All the quilts on the wall are finished. It is like going to a museum. the quilts change frequently--at least every 3 or 4 months, not sure. There always seems to be something new to look at. They have a Saturday sampler. Right now more than 600 quilters come. They have SS classes on the second Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the Month. You buy the first square, and if you finish it, the next month is free. (But everytime we go we buy something, so its a win/win situation.) At the end of 12 months you have 12 sampler squares. About month 8 or 9 they offer finishing kits in whatever size you want your quilt to be. They also offer the SS in four different colorways. So there is a lot of variety.

My LQS has many classes at all different levels--beginner to experienced.They have a backroom with end of bolts. If you finish the bolt you get it at half price. Otherwise 40% off the regular price.

Another quilt shoppe I have frequented has Soup and Sew Saturdays. They provide a space to sew for the day. You pay $15 for the day and they provide lunch. This shop also has great display quilts all around the shop. You can use their machines or bring your own.

kbwoody

One thing I have noticed when I am selecting fabrics is that I have no where to place the bolts while I am matching my fabrics. The cutting table is the only place to stack things and that seems to interfere with the other customers getting their cloth cut. Set up an area called the creativity corner, then when ready, the cutting station will go quickly.

threads57

The local quilt store where I live is right beside an Muslim grocery store. They carry alot of different spices and herbs. The smells seep into the fabric and even into the books that are on the shelves for an extended time. The shop owner has hired no help. She has always been very friendly to me. I have seen and heard her being very rude to other customers. She isn't open in the evening although she does do a few bom then. When she is doing classes she tells the girls what to do and then leaves them while she goes to another room. Her taste in music has a lot to be desired. She doesn't like children in the store. The store has been open for about 4yrs and the quilts she decorated the shop with which were from her home and patterns from older book that are no longer available.

marymild

You asked about a kids corner. My quilt shop offered a quilt camp for junior high kids in the summer. Very popular. They do a simple project. They are creating the next generation of quilters.

sahm4605

have you thought about getting a "friend" to partner with you who would run a little coffie/tea/snack bar section were people can come and have quilting talk in person and maybe work on their hand work? just a suggestion. Much like the big books stores. I could go and spend a day there and not have to leave. just a suggestion. lots of yummies to eat are always good to have to help keep people there. If you are in a large area that gets lots of tourists this might be a real good idea because it would get quilters to make a destination of your shop. like a bass pro shop or cabellas for us quilters.