2021 Archives - American Quilt Retailer

Posted on December 22, 2021December 22, 2021 by AQR Piece by Piece

Happy Holidays and New Year from AQR!

A year ago, everyone was eager to put a close to 2020 and move on to 2021. As many of the business changes we made in 2020 still remain today, it’s clear that our idea of “normal” has changed. Yet, you all remained resilient!

Thank You From AQR

As we reflect on the past year, we would like to take the time to thank everyone for being with us every step of the way. You are all strong, successful business owners and we hope we can continue adding value as things seem to change by the day.

We were all eager to get back to in-person quilting events, including Quilt Market, but Covid had other plans. That being said, we’ve enjoyed hosting and learning alongside each and every one of you during our AQR Academy events, and look forward to continuing them in 2022.

What a Year It’s Been

Speaking of 2022, nobody knows what’s in store! What sort of business practices are you prioritizing (that you haven’t previously)? Your website? Social media? Are you using some of the holiday time to familiarize yourself with video? Whatever it may be, we have full confidence you’ll become an expert in no time.

Happy Holidays from AQR and we wish you all a happy, healthy, safe, and prosperous year to come.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you. And don’t forget, you can always purchase single issues if you prefer that instead.

Posted on September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 by AQR Piece by Piece

2021 Autumn Trends

This week marks the first official week of autumn. With Quilt Market being postponed, we thought we’d help you get ahead of this fall’s trends.

What’s Trending

True to the autumn season, velvet is hot. More specifically, stock your selection with crushed velvets. The variegated tones are a nice change from the typically solid-toned texture.

Knitting is also back! Get people prepped to spend a winter indoors with patterns for sweaters and other applications for the chunky knit design. While stocking your yarn, keep in mind cream is this season’s favorite color.

Speaking of yarn, Western styles (with fringe included of course) is going to be everywhere. Fringe will especially be seen on scarves, coats, and other layering accessories.

Autumn Favorites

Earth tones have always been a staple to mark the transition to winter. This year’s top color is a warm brown-orange (think clay) or more specifically the color Adobe by Pantone.

On top of this, greens are back. Any green from the range of a true tone to a loud and bright one, verging on the brink of neon. This might be due to the hints of the 80s we keep seeing around. A lot of these hints include mixed prints also.

What are you waiting for? Add the above themes to your store (that I’m sure is already decked with pumpkins, gourds, and cinnamon-like smells).

Posted on June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 by AQR Piece by Piece

Summer 2021 Quilting Trends

Summer is officially here. To celebrate, we’ll be covering some of the hottest trends to keep your new quilters inspired. Did your business see a boom of new quilters this past year? You’re not alone, and you won’t be surprised to discover they aren’t going anywhere!

Picnic blankets – perfect for summer

People are making their own quilt staple these days—the picnic blanket. Try to keep fabrics around that encourage a summer theme (think fruits, the beach, and even astrology are hot topics right now). New quilters love to brag about their DIY projects. Now they can show off their skills over an outdoor lunch.

Framed quilts

Another way new quilters like to show their skills off are with framed quilts or wall hangings. These are more design oriented, with a focus on colors and shapes that bring rooms together. Color contrasts are hot right now (yes, even blacks) and hexagons are a popular modern shape.

Table placement

Functionality is important to new quilters too (hasn’t it always?). Think any sort of table decor including placemats, potato cookers, hot pads, push pins, table runners, etc. They’re great beginner and easy projects that keep quilters coming back for more.

Patchwork

Nothing screams quilter like patchwork patterns. You’ve likely noticed the trend already. Patchwork is appearing on all articles of clothing including jackets, purses, hats, and even socks.

Be sure to make yourself available as a resource to new quilters. Think about your preferred machines, tools, fabrics, and more. As they expand their horizons, they’ll be looking to someone with experience to guide them in the right direction.

Posted on December 30, 2020December 30, 2020 by AQR Piece by Piece

Happy New Year from AQR

Happy New Year from your friends at American Quilt Retailer! Even though we’re all ready to say good riddance to 2020, now is a perfect time to reflect on some of the lessons we should take with us into 2021.

Lessons to take into the New Year

On a business level, 2020 showed the importance of digital media. Every aspect of your brick-and-mortar should have an online equivalent. Hopefully this year saw you try new mediums (anybody new to video? social media campaigns?) and expanded your horizons into trying more.

This year also highlighted how quilt retailers provide a source for community. Even though online content is important, it by no means replaces the real thing. Online options provide convenience, but brick-and-mortar stores are here to stay.

2020 has taken a lot, but it’s given as well. It’s given us time, even time to slow down. It highlighted priorities we have long been neglecting, and showed us our resilience with every punch we took. These may not be things we wanted, but they were given to us none the less.

And finally, as we say good bye to 2021, we would like thank you for sticking with American Quilt Retailer. Happy New Year and we wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

Posted on November 5, 2020November 6, 2020 by AQR Piece by Piece — 1 Comment

Store Preparation for the New Year

It’s never too early for preparation (especially after the year we’ve had). Consider adding these tasks to your to-do list so you can begin 2021 ahead of schedule.

Event Preparation

If you aren’t already hosting one large event and two smaller events per month, you should. Start 2021 with all three events hosted the first week, then you can alternate weeks the remainder of the year. Some ideas include make-it and take-its, demonstrations, seminars, and vendor days. And remember, an event doesn’t always have to correspond with a sale.

Team Training

Speaking of year long events, if you don’t already have a weekly team training scheduled, put one on the calendar. It may seem difficult to think of topics at first, but eventually your team will have requests of their own.

Some places to start include making a list of “never out” items. These are items that should always be in stock as they can make or break sales. And they should be in extra stock during the busy season.

Another idea includes coming up with bag stuffer ideas. Train your employees to give a 30 second pitch of the bag stuffer as they hand the flyer to the customer. This will prove much more effective than not mentioning the bag stuffer at all.

Finally, review your return policy. Try to be flexible on returns (as other competitors in the market are) but train your staff to ask about an in-store credit or gift card option first.

Gift Cards

If your store uses paper gift certificates instead of plastic gift cards, you’re going to want to switch stat. Retailers that switch from paper to plastic see an increase of sales from 35% to 50%. On top of that, 55% of customers have to go to a store twice to spend the full gift card amount, which is great news for your business.

Inspiration for this post came from 2020 Prep by Georgeanne Bender and Rich Kizer of Kizer and Bender. For more preparation ideas, visit their business expert page.