Tales Of A Fourth Generation Textile Executive: Controversy Is My Middle Name

Uh, how I love to stir the controversy! Who is kidding who…controversy sells….just like you know what (fabric). With the lack of enthusiasm from my readers lately (excluding my most loyal reader Joanne….xxoo), I sure could use some controversy to fire up some insightful comments. I mean seriously, last week I thought I came up with this great blog idea about bathroom fabric displays and even went as far as offering a generous fabric prize to the best fabric in the bathroom shot posted on the Studioe Facebook page. All I got was a donut. Yes a donut a.k.a zero, nada & nyet.

So what is the controversy? No, it is not quilt market…although that is on my list to hit on before going to market as that continues to be a total debacle to say the least. The latest controversy is about fabric convertors or fabric vendor selling directly to consumers at shows. As if quilt shops and other fabric resellers are not struggling enough….now they have to contend with competing with their own suppliers. WTF! F is for fabric of course. Nice touch guys!

Here’s the story. My spies, of which I have many so be careful, have informed me that at some recent fabric events there were competitors of ours selling directly to consumers. Not only were they selling to consumers, but they were selling right up against their own customers. OMG is that so not right? If I was a quilt shop owner who put together loads of precuts and kits for this show only to find out that I was going up against my supplier of same, I would be absolutely furious and sad. Ironically, my spies tell me that the people were furious and truly quite disgusted and shocked to see their suppliers there and I don’t blame them.

If I really wanted to stir the controversy, I could totally reveal who the vendor is and sit back while everyone got pissed off at them and boycotted them, but that is not really my goal here. My goal in this blog is to suggest that people stick to their regular jobs and not blur the lines by getting in to other people’s business. From my perspective, I can’t believe that in such a fragile fabric environment the fabric vendor would take the risk to make a couple bucks to the detriment of their entire customer base. Doesn’t sound like a good business decision to me nor a good risk/reward play. What do you think?

Shocked Scott

3 Comments

Quiltlady

September 27, 2016 at 6:30 pm

Scott! You are my hero!! Had I been a shop owner , even just visiting, at that show, I would have called that vendor out!!
Unfortunately, there is a LOT of greed in the world….practiced by people who do not understand the far bigger reward of treating people right!
P.S. I just discovered your blog or I would have responded last week, too!!!:)))

Horseygirl26

September 26, 2016 at 7:56 pm

What goes around comes around. Quilt shops also have spies and should know what is going on with their vendors. Vendors should not be selling direct to customers. And perhaps vendors should consider implementing a required MSRP to be followed for the first 60 day of collection release. Let the good quilt shops win customer loyalty based on excellent customer service instead of being beat up by low pricing and over saturation in the market.
While I do not comment often, I read your blog every week. And each week, I ask, what is Scott up to this time? LOL!

Joanne Hubbard

September 26, 2016 at 9:57 am

First of all, if I had been anywhere around you last week, I would have made sure that no donut made it’s way to your desk. That’s just the type of sacrifice I am will to make for such a nice guy. 🙂

Now, in regards to the fabric vendor selling directly to customers, that is bad news! I sure hope that they were not selling at a discount, as that would have been a double whammy to the quilt shops. I understand that we all want to make a buck, but at what cost?

If I was a shop owner and that happened to me, I wouldn’t waste much time in contacting other fabric vendors and begin working closely with them to up my purchases from them. I would certainly tell them what happened and that they will receive more business from me because of it. I would also be sure to let the offending vendor know why I am making changes in my buying habits from them. (My gut reaction would be to stop buying from them all together, but I realize that may not be an option. I realize that as a shop owner, one must get the fabrics the customers want or there is no point in keeping the doors open.)

As a consumer, had I been at a show and recognized what was happening, I would hope that I would have the courage to say something to the vendor. (A little bit of liquid courage – or a couple of sugar laden donuts – may have been needed, but I hope not.) Unfortunately, I think that most consumers would not have realized what was happening and would have been excited to buy from whoever was offering the lowest price.

Not one to always see the negative and to simply complain, I’ve been trying to figure out a way that this could be an ok situation. I know this “solution” would only be possible in my dream world, but perhaps if the vendor and shops had communicated prior to the event, the vendor may not have stepped on toes and brought the same items for sale. Again, I know it is really not a realistic option, but things like that can happen.

A number of years ago, I was invited to help a local shop man their show booth at the largest show in the area. Because I taught at the shop, I was also asked to help figure out how to set up the booth. A couple of weeks before the event, we were discussing what to take and I asked if they knew what shops were going to have booths around them. They said no, so I asked if I could call the organizers and find out. I told them that I wanted to contact those shops and try to work together on our booths so were weren’t duplicating efforts. They thought I was crazy, but said that I could do it. (I did this because as a consumer, I hate going to shows and seeing the same things booth after booth.)

Two of the six shops I contacted were not very receptive to my call and; understandably, I think they were feeling like I was fishing for ideas for our booth. But, the remaining four shops were great and actually excited about this. Even though there were a few items that were duplicates (we all have to offer the newest and greatest items), it worked out well that each shop could feel like they were not pushing the exact same items as the next guy. It worked out so well that the following year these five shops asked to be close to each other so they could work together. We had coordinating projects and fabrics and even created our own mini show shop hop. It was a blast and so much easier than fighting for each sale because everyone was selling the exact same thing!

Ok, I’m back to the present world. It is just plain wrong for the vendor to have done this, and I sure hope it does not become a trend. If it does, I fear that even more shops will be faced with tough decisions on how to compete and stay in business.

Quiltlady

September 27, 2016 at 6:30 pm

Scott! You are my hero!! Had I been a shop owner , even just visiting, at that show, I would have called that vendor out!!
Unfortunately, there is a LOT of greed in the world….practiced by people who do not understand the far bigger reward of treating people right!
P.S. I just discovered your blog or I would have responded last week, too!!!:)))
Horseygirl26

September 26, 2016 at 7:56 pm

What goes around comes around. Quilt shops also have spies and should know what is going on with their vendors. Vendors should not be selling direct to customers. And perhaps vendors should consider implementing a required MSRP to be followed for the first 60 day of collection release. Let the good quilt shops win customer loyalty based on excellent customer service instead of being beat up by low pricing and over saturation in the market.
While I do not comment often, I read your blog every week. And each week, I ask, what is Scott up to this time? LOL!
Joanne Hubbard

September 26, 2016 at 9:57 am

First of all, if I had been anywhere around you last week, I would have made sure that no donut made it’s way to your desk. That’s just the type of sacrifice I am will to make for such a nice guy. 🙂

Now, in regards to the fabric vendor selling directly to customers, that is bad news! I sure hope that they were not selling at a discount, as that would have been a double whammy to the quilt shops. I understand that we all want to make a buck, but at what cost?

If I was a shop owner and that happened to me, I wouldn’t waste much time in contacting other fabric vendors and begin working closely with them to up my purchases from them. I would certainly tell them what happened and that they will receive more business from me because of it. I would also be sure to let the offending vendor know why I am making changes in my buying habits from them. (My gut reaction would be to stop buying from them all together, but I realize that may not be an option. I realize that as a shop owner, one must get the fabrics the customers want or there is no point in keeping the doors open.)

As a consumer, had I been at a show and recognized what was happening, I would hope that I would have the courage to say something to the vendor. (A little bit of liquid courage – or a couple of sugar laden donuts – may have been needed, but I hope not.) Unfortunately, I think that most consumers would not have realized what was happening and would have been excited to buy from whoever was offering the lowest price.

Not one to always see the negative and to simply complain, I’ve been trying to figure out a way that this could be an ok situation. I know this “solution” would only be possible in my dream world, but perhaps if the vendor and shops had communicated prior to the event, the vendor may not have stepped on toes and brought the same items for sale. Again, I know it is really not a realistic option, but things like that can happen.

A number of years ago, I was invited to help a local shop man their show booth at the largest show in the area. Because I taught at the shop, I was also asked to help figure out how to set up the booth. A couple of weeks before the event, we were discussing what to take and I asked if they knew what shops were going to have booths around them. They said no, so I asked if I could call the organizers and find out. I told them that I wanted to contact those shops and try to work together on our booths so were weren’t duplicating efforts. They thought I was crazy, but said that I could do it. (I did this because as a consumer, I hate going to shows and seeing the same things booth after booth.)

Two of the six shops I contacted were not very receptive to my call and; understandably, I think they were feeling like I was fishing for ideas for our booth. But, the remaining four shops were great and actually excited about this. Even though there were a few items that were duplicates (we all have to offer the newest and greatest items), it worked out well that each shop could feel like they were not pushing the exact same items as the next guy. It worked out so well that the following year these five shops asked to be close to each other so they could work together. We had coordinating projects and fabrics and even created our own mini show shop hop. It was a blast and so much easier than fighting for each sale because everyone was selling the exact same thing!

Ok, I’m back to the present world. It is just plain wrong for the vendor to have done this, and I sure hope it does not become a trend. If it does, I fear that even more shops will be faced with tough decisions on how to compete and stay in business.