Observations From The #ScottSentMe2019 Winner (Part 3 of 3)

This is continued from last week’s blog post.…and this is the part that you don’t want to miss especially if you are a shop owner.

So… what are my observations after seeing so many quilt shops?   What did I like and what didn’t I like?  Which is my favorite store?  Would I do it again?   Who would I give special recognition to?

• There are some super nice shop owners/employees out there.  If they didn’t know about the challenge, they were interested in hearing about it.  They made me feel welcome in their shop and they seemed to genuinely care about the customer.  And then, there were the others!  There aren’t many of them, but I encountered a few.   Smiles are free… give your customers one as a welcome gift.    I would give special recognition to Cheryl at Colchester Mill Fabrics , Angie at  5 Little Monkeys Quilt and Sew,  Naomi at Miller’s Dry Goods, Sophia at The Old Country Store , Vicki at Quilting Farmstead, Nancy at Nancy J’s Fabrics , Elizabeth at Country Barn Quilt, and Rachael at Quilted Twins for being extra friendly and welcoming.  It is easy to tell that they all love what they are doing. 

• Clean matters!  Sometimes I prewash fabric and sometimes I don’t wash until after it’s quilted.  I don’t want to buy something that is covered in dust and looks like it hasn’t been touched in years.   And I certainly don’t want to buy fabric that is piled on a floor!  Again, most of the shops are lovely, but a few have so much stock that bolts are piled 5 or 6 deep in front of every shelf.  I know space can be a challenge, but dust and dirt shouldn’t be an option.

• Dare to be different.  Be unique.  Be inspiring.  Out of all the shops I visited, only a few dozen did things to set themselves apart.  Most were nice, but ordinary.  They had a good selection of fabrics, fairly standard pricing, a table of precuts, a bin of fat quarters, a few display quilts… nothing WOW.   

• The stores that stood out were the ones with incredible displays of coordinating fabrics and suggested patterns, beautiful sample quilts showcasing a fabric line, fat quarters turned into pizzas or lollipops or cupcakes, quick grab kits for simple projects or gifts.   I’m probably not the only newbie out there who needs a bit of help.  I posted a picture a few nights ago of a Mondo bag that I made from a pattern purchased at Miller’s Dry Goods.  They were the 44^th store I visited.  I know the pattern was in many other stores, but it wasn’t until I saw the final product that I had to have it.  Hands down, Hickory Stick Quilt Shop deserves a special recognition mention for their amazing and inspiring displays!  These people should give lessons!

• There is no way to pick a best shop.  I could pick the largest store or the one with the best selection or best prices or friendliest – but none of those qualities make them the best overall.  I believe I read that the tagline for #ScottSentMe2019 was ‘Find Your Quilt Shop Home’ – that store that gives you the warm sense of home feeling the minute you walk through the door.  My Canadian home shop would be Quilts by the Bay (even though I didn’t make it to that shop during the challenge!) and my US one would be The Old Country Store.

• Ask your customers for an honest review of your store. Many of the shops I visited knew about the challenge and inquired as to where I was from and how many I had visited so far.  Shop # 169, Bernina World of Sewing in Raleigh was the only one to ask me to give a quick review of their store. They wanted to know what I liked and didn’t like, things that I had seen and liked in other stores, any suggestions that I had for how they could improve!  This was already a great shop, so I didn’t have much to offer!  They are probably great because they ask these questions and are open to change.  My customer focus recognition shoutout goes to the super energetic Sonia!  It was a pleasure chatting with you.
• Yes, I will take the challenge again in 2020!  But… we won’t be traveling so it will be amazing if I get to 10 stores!  To anyone who will be taking the challenge, a few words of advice:
  • Check times before you go – and then call to double check especially if you are going out of your way to get there.  We checked times on websites and FB and still found at least 6 stores were closed with no indication of why.
  • Pace your spending.  Although purchases aren’t necessary, you are bound to make a few.  I started out way too strong and halfway through I literally ran out of things to buy.   I know that sounds wrong, but it happens.  I didn’t buy too much, I just didn’t spread it out enough.  Spread the love to all the stores you visit.  Well… all except those few cranky ones who don’t deserve it!
  • Keep an inventory list.  You may just start out looking for a simple yard of fabric that looks like a starry night sky… and by the time you unpack you realize you have 8 yards.  Oops.
  • Take lots of pictures (after you ask permission).  Not just for proof of visit, but because at some point you will want to return for that perfect fabric that you should have bought while you were there!  Also, take pictures of what you bought and some indicator of where you bought it.  We all like seeing lovely fabrics! 

My final bit of advice for next year’s participants is above all, enjoy the journey.   Whether you go to 2 stores or 200, there is always something new to see, learn and enjoy.  We visited shops that were in brand new strip malls, 200-year-old historical buildings, co-op markets, warehouses, basements, churches, barns and garages!  We saw small towns, big cities, corn fields, cotton fields, mountains and oceans… and met so many wonderful people.  We traveled 9500 miles through 23 states and stayed in 36 hotels!   I still can’t believe I won, but even if I hadn’t, this challenge made our trip!   Without it, we probably would have stayed on the interstates and missed making so many wonderful memories.  Thank you, Scott!   And thank you to all the other participants who were always so generous with their kind words and encouragement.  I hope each of you enjoyed this as much as I did. 

I hope you enjoyed this. I know that I did. Thanks again Catherine for taking the time to put this all down on paper. Until September! Make sure to put #ScottSentMe2020 in your calendar and keep in mind that this year’s event is going to be tied in with Jaftex turning 90 years old. #Jaftex 90!

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