In honor of the upcoming AQR Academy workshop on April 7 – “Jazz Up Your Fabric Displays!” – we’re covering how to display one of the best parts of owning a quilt store: the fabric!
Fabric Focal Point
When you walk into any fabric store what is the first thing you notice? The fabric bolt of course! They’re the most prominent fixture in any quilt shop. One way to get shoppers through your store is to stock a bolt on the rear wall.
And speaking of stock – how exactly should you fill said fabric bolt? You can create the illusion that you have more selection in your store if you group similar merchandise together – compared to scattering it throughout the store. Customers not only are more likely to notice these groups, but they’ll also be attracted to the color schemes they like.
Take advantage of the vertical shelves on your bolt by hanging sample projects, fat quarter bundles, or patterns (think of what grocery stores do). Quality over quantity is important as you want to create inspiration the shopper wouldn’t have seen if they were shopping online.
The Display
Outside of the fabric bolt, what else increases sales? The reality is, customers love to touch fabric. Folded merchandise on a table turns faster than merchandise that is hung. Merchandise that is hung however is typically better maintained, so consider that when you’re setting up your display.
Inspiration for this post came from “Strike the Right Note,” by Anna Woodward published in the February 2022 issue of American Quilt Retailer.
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