Price check in Aisle 5!

LizardGumbo said

Two, count 'em two, LNS closed this month -- one due to the owner moving out of the area and the other allegedly due to the owner's need to help with her husband's business. I say 'allegedly' because the shop was located in a very pricey shopping center and had a huge inventory of very expensive hand painted canvases and wonderful speciality threads. This leaves one shop that carries only xs patterns, a few lines of cotton threads, and an assortment of linen and even weave fabric. I rarely go there because xs'ing isn't my thing.

I love to visit two shops that are about an hour away because they both have a very diverse selection of threads, books, and patterns.

I've discovered a lovely little yarn store here in Brooklyn - that ONLY has evening hours except weekends. They open at 5:30 in the evening and are open till 10 or so (I think the owner(S?) have day jobs.) They're closed Friday (they're in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood) and open Saturday and Sunday. These hours work for me!

But I'd be happy with just one late evening - till 8 or 9 anyway - as long as it was consistent. I've worked these hours for years. My first job as a librarian, I worked 1-9 Tuesday through Friday, and 9-5 on Saturday. If we can do it in the library, why not a shop? (or a bank or a post office, though now some banks are open better hours.)

Alison

anne ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

We had a wonderful LNS about an hours drive from Halifax and I spent a great deal there. In thinking back over what made me drive that far, it was because she would open and let me in whenever it was convenient to me. She knew her colours well and could make sensible suggestions, she carried the full range of Appletons and though I really prefer to use Paterna, I could use Appletons for more projects because I was able to use more, or less, strands as needed.

She made her own kits up and I know she sold a great many of those in the summer to tourists, she had made patterns of local lighthouses, churches etc. and they sold very well. She also gave lessons, which drew more people to her store and she was responsible for bringing in a couple of designers for courses, which also served her well. Unfortunately she gave it up when she remarried and started traveling in the winter with #2.

The down side, which she chatted with me about, was that it was hard to see what the next craze in threads would be, expensive to keep a large inventory in silks etc. and the worry that if a craze was short lived for any reason, you could be left with that expensive inventory having to sell it for less than profitable prices. However, she would not have given it up, but for THAT man!!!

Mary had a great shop! It was the first needlework shop I had ever been in! Wow!...how nice it was to see the different threads and fabrics that I had only seen mentioned in magazines back then. She was such a trusting person. I remember one time I needed some fabric for a project and she wasn't going to be home when I was in the area. She had her husband let me in to cut it myself and calculate what I owed....husband #1 didn't know much about the business! She also ran a B&B so I stayed there when taking a needlepoint course near by. She told me to feel free to browse the shop during the evening and pick up anything I needed. Because she had to leave the house before I did in the morning she asked me to lock up for her! .....I must have had an honest face! LOL

She was always willing to help a novice. She taught me how to use a laying tool....and of course promptly sold me one! :) Being new to needlework at the time and not very adventurous in changing anything in patterns, she helped me realize it was OK to make substitutes as long as the outcome was pleasing...which was a good thing when living in an area with limited supplies.

Maybe you and I should try to do something about THAT man! LOL

Mavia

"Mavia Beaulieu" ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

She was like that with everyone ! Husband #3 (that was Donald) was a real lemon and he sure soaked her at divorce time.

You'll shoot yourself Mavia, they were only married just over a year when he died of prostate cancer. I had lunch with her recently and at that time she was planning on taking the train trip from Toronto to the Rockies and back with new boyfriend :) She's still in Mahone Bay, living near the daughter who moved to Canada permanently, there are two grandchildren now. Quite the person, our Mary lol

>

Early like 9:00. I hate that you can't get into stores until 10 or 11. What a waste of my time!

I don't think it's uncommon at all to have different hours. My Dentist has several different hours to accommodate all his patients . . . some very early (8 am) and some from like 11 am to 7pm (or something close, can't remember). We appreciate the early days because Tom works afternoons most days, and there's only one car in the family. Too far for me to bike (27 miles - we go there because they accept our dental insurance and payment plans through GE).

I doubt I would want to shop at 8 am, but 9 is nice. And it needn't be every day. Many stores in my area have several different hours to appease staff as much as to appease customers.

Life sure has changed, and I'm adjusting slowly. I'm just thinking about the older customers - who enjoy needlework - but really don't like traffic.

Dianne

Yes, I did mean a child! I guess that was rather vague, wasn't it? LOL.. What I meant was that since I know you have a child (how'd I miss the second one?) to tend to, it's easier for you to pick the time and place. I work Thursday evening and then graveyard on Friday and Saturday, so really, I'm available most anytime. I've just really discovered the bead shop downstairs so any chance to browse around down there suits me fine!

If you could hear me howling with laughter right now.. not that I wouldn't be honored to model stitch for you, but, oh my.. my finish ratio is almost nil. I've been in an "I don't wanna" mood for some time. Much easier to pick up a book. That's why I've been poking my nose back in here more often, cause I do tend to get motivated if I'm reading about stitching. However, I bet I know someone you could rope into it! I'll email you off list with my phone number and we can work out some details, whatcha think? Tegan

I'm sorry to hear that. Glad to know that there is another boyfriend and that she's enjoying life! Is she still involved with needlework. She was designing a lovely piece from a photo of a sunset, if I recall correctly, last time I was there. She was stitching the piece as she went along. She did a lot to promote needlework in the province.

Mavia

"Mavia Beaulieu" ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

She didn't mention anything about needlework and I expect she would have because the other person at lunch was Lyn Young. I know Lyn said she (Mary) is part of a circle that goes to each others homes to have stitchins down around that way. I'll try to remember to ask Lyn on Tuesday for a catchup.

Sheena

I can vouch for Criss Cross Row. Excellent service, and if it is shown on the website she has it in stock. I like that part, as well as her wonderful selection of goodies!

Lynn >

Having worked retail all too recently, I suggest you not open early. Yes one or two people might prefer it, but mornings are DEAD in most stores. We opened at 10 until the Xmas season when we opened at 8 a.m. Didn't matter.....no store traffic until lunchtime!

Busiest time of day for us was 5-7 p.m. People stopping in on their way home from work, wanting something new to spend their evening recreation time on.

I didn't work in a needlework shop, I worked in a video game store. But....Both are selling items that people use in their free time, stuff that helps folks unwind and relax. It's why I thought the time info I gave might be helpful!

Caryn

Interesting comment. I would think video stores are a tad different. When we avail ourselves of this service, it's usually late in the day, because that's when we think about it, planning for the evening. Or, we'll tail end it when grocery shopping (our local store also rents videos, as does a shop devoted solely to videos, games, and a pool hall )

Our local pharmacy/craft/misc store opens at 9 and is busy. And not just with prescriptions.

I don't think opening a store at 9 am is necessarily the *right* thing to do. I'm just voicing an opinion on how many "older" folks view shopping: preferring to shop when there's not a lot of traffic. Heck, I'm not older and *I* prefer to shop when there's not a lot of traffic. Opening at noon means you'd be smack dab in the middle of it.

At Xmas time, when I was working long hours, my favorite time to shop was after work (6:00) because hardly anyone was in the stores (Chicago area . . . they were probably in rush-hour traffic heading home). I could race through a mall in record time and get it all done in one or two fell swoops.

You are never going to satisfy everyone - including store owners. Many of them with families/young children. There's a knitting shop 27 or so miles from me that does a good deal of business and she's open from 10 to 7 most days, and also on Saturday for part of the day. She's closed on Mondays.

Maybe part of the problem is that we Americans shop too much and it takes up a great deal of our time. We forget to consolidate our shopping. I hate shopping, so I've learned through the years how to organize myself so that I shop maybe twice a year. There might be the rare occasion where I'll need to pick up some socks, for instance. But it is truly rare. I've really learned to say "no."

Dianne

My retail experience tells me the same thing yours does. The only reason I'd consider it is because things can still get done while it's dead--but the store is open to customers.

What I have in mind is being the Barnes & Noble of LNSs. Having gathered my thoughts somewhat, these are the things I had in mind:

1. Fantasy inventory (what we all wish we had in our stash).
2. Rolling dowel racks loaded with all the major dyers' products. Here's a picture (only I'd put them on wheels to save space, like a man-made beehive):
   formatting link
   3. All the major linens and evenweaves on the bolt.
3. Being open Monday through Saturday from noon or 2 p.m. to midnight, but to 2 a.m. (yes, in the morning) on Friday-Saturday morning. (I don't believe in banker's hours--especially for needlework supplies.) However, I'm willing to entertain opening early for the early crowd if I found help I trust.
4. Having a huge area with big stuffy sofas and tables and good light and good music and magnifiers for folks who wanted to come in to stitch with others.
5. Charts in books like at the auto parts store. You would sit down, leaf through the catalog, and then tell me what you want and I get it from the back (saves SPACE).
6. Plenty of good water (but no food or sticky drinks allowed!).
7. Lockers for individual customers who are regulars and/or who buy X amount of merchandise per month.
8. Regularly scheduled classes, designers, other special events.
9. Lots of models, and what's on the walls is in stock and pre-kitted (if that's one's preference).
10. Lots of room to move around without a stitcher's butt knocking something over (I hate it when I do that--very embarrassing).
11. On my town square, because we get a lot of Mormon tourist traffic right there.
12. Being oh! so willing to help our friends in Europe and the Pacific Rim. They get such a raw deal.
13. Being located near somewhere men would find interesting and/or providing a spouse's and kid's area. My husband said, "TV."
14. Framing. Maybe. Maybe not. I am totally trained to do that, but depends on space (possibly if it's a 2-story building, I'd frame upstairs). I don't know yet. I like to frame, but I LOVE to stitch. I got a job as a framer at Michael's a long time ago specifically to learn how to do it, and now that the materials and equipment are not so out of reach of normal people, it's a very convenient and money-saving skill.
15. ADVERTISING on RADIO. If nobody knows you're there and you only send your little flyers to people on your mailing list (which they could only do if they had been in your store), you're kinda stuck in a stagnant pool. I'm willing to bet there are more people out there who would go to a needlework store if they knew it existed, where it was, and had heard about it on the radio.

Now this is all a long time in the future. I have a 3-year-old and a

6-month-old, and we're probably going to have one more. They MUST be in school before I open a shop. However, I also think that by the time I get to where I could open a store, the market will be ripe for brick-and-mortar stores to make a raging comeback.

I really really *hate* having to buy online where I can't fondle the good stuff, and I can't imagine the rest of the stitching community won't welcome and support a kick-butt LNS by that time.

And there you go. It's been a dream I've had for most of my adult life, and since I seem to go about conquering dreams lately, I figured there was really nothing stopping me from this one, either. I've learned that patience and planning is the key to dream fulfillment.

When you get around to opening that "dream" shop, would you please, please consider putting in my area. It sounds like a needleworker's fantasy world. Lucille

Well, the idea that this could be an expandable business has crossed my mind, but I just have to take it step by step.

The only idea I've rejected outright thus far is the one some woman made about having food and coffee around. I don't think so!

But I bet you could get a great coffee/tea/sandwich shop to come in within short walking distance. You certainly would be able to generate lots of business for them.

The building I've got my eye on (which can't seem to keep a tenant) is on the town square right next door to the town's most popular restaurant. There is a gourmet chocolate shop, 2 ice cream/yogurt/custard shops within 1/2 block in either direction, a scrapbooking store, and a book store/coffee shop--not to mention a day spa and Jesse James Bank all within a 2-minute walk of each other.

My only problem with that building is no elevator, and I'd hate to see that some customers couldn't get up a flight of stairs to a second level.

If you are serious about setting aside a separate tv room for spouses and children, why not restrict the snacks to that room?

If you can use the second story for storeroom/office and maybe frame shop, customers would not need to get up there for the most part. Framing samples and catalogs could be brought downstairs for any customer who couldn't go up there.