Stocking the merchandise for a quilt shop can be fun and yet difficult. Have a plan and get organized in your task of picking the quilt shop merchandise. Use the following as a guide to learning what areas of merchandise should be included when picking for the quilt shop.
Instructions
1. Start with the basics of any quilt, the fabric or material. Most traditional quilts will be made from richly colored cotton fabric with an endless array of selections. Your quilt store should be stocked with a large inventory of quilting materials on fabric bolts. Strive to furnish an entire color spectrum of colors, patterns, prints and styles. Be sure to have sections of fabric that is seasonal as well as themed fabric.
2. Sell cut fabric in your quilt shop. These are quite helpful to quilters who are unable to cut their own fabric for whatever reason. Sell these in small packages or in blocked "fat quarters." Also, include a variety of luxury fabrics for your customers that are making a quilted wall hanging, Christmas tree skirt or church banner. Velvets, velour, micro-fibers, satins and taffetas are used often for specialty quilting projects.
3. Offer a variety of quilt battings for the inside of the finished quilts. Stock the traditional thick cotton batting, the thinner polyfill types and even the easier iron-in batting types. This merchandise will sell as fast as the quilting fabrics, so plan to keep your store well stocked on these items.
4. Keep quilting cutting and measuring supplies in large quantities. Quilters love to use high quality scissors and many cut all their quilting materials with rotary cutters. The rotary cutters are used along with a cutting board or pad and measuring slides. Large cutting boards for quilters to lay out their quilting project are a staple item in all quilting stores, so have a good supply and variety of these. Some will be of basic fold out cardboard, while others will be of a sturdier light wood or plastic material.
5. Get the basics of quilting in your store and keep well stocked at all times. These items will include quilting needles, both straight and curved, needle threaders, magnifying glasses, quilting pins, safety pins and an endless color range of high quality quilting threads. Also, include a variety of interfacing or fusible materials in the event some quilters are making quilts from T-shirts or just need the extra weight to their quilting project.
6. Display your quilting equipment such as sewing machines with a range of price offerings. Some quilters stick to the basics in a sewing machine, while others go for the high tech computerized and programmable sewing machines. Those who quilt a lot will end up buying a quilting stand or loom, if they quilt by hand or do any detailed trim work.
7. Stay on top of what's going on in the quilting world by having a section of your quilting store stocked with quilting books and resources including the "quilt" books, quilting pattern books and a variety of DVD on quilting.
8. Have a finishing area for the quilting store that spurs your customers to purchase trims and finishing edges for their quilt projects. The shop should include a hardware section with decorative dowels and curtain rods for those hanging a quilted banner or wall hanging. Display your quilt racks that free stand on the floor or attach to the wall.
