If you’re thinking about opening a quilt store, you’re likely picturing a charming brick-and-mortar shop — one offering a hands-on experience that e-commerce struggles to match.
But with today’s technology, e-commerce promises unlimited possibilities to reach quilters far beyond your local community. In just a few clicks, your quilt store can share its unique patterns and fabrics with a broader audience.
Choosing between a physical or online store involves creating an experience that resonates with what customers want. Each approach has its pros and cons, and knowing these can help you build a successful business strategy that aligns with your creative vision and business goals.
By leveraging the right technology, you can have the best of both worlds.
Let’s look at each side.
The Pros and Cons of Brick-and-Mortar Quilt Stores
While every business model has its advantages and disadvantages, here’s what you need to know about the pros and cons of a brick-and-mortar quilt store.
Pros:
- Tactile experiences: Quilters value the ability to touch and feel fabrics. A physical store allows customers to experience the texture and color of materials firsthand — an important factor in making informed purchasing decisions.
- Community building: Brick-and-mortar quilt stores can become community hubs, giving you the opportunity to host quilting classes, workshops, and events in your space. This builds a sense of belonging and loyalty among customers and brings together a passionate group of quilting enthusiasts.
- Immediate purchases: Not only can customers take home their purchased products right away, but in-store shopping also increases the chances of impulse buys. Maybe they throw an extra fat quarter into their basket before checkout. In instances like this, you benefit from a better sale, and they can start or continue their projects without delay.
Related Read: Turning Your Hobby Into a Business: 8 Tips for Quilters
Cons:
- Higher overhead costs: Operating a physical store involves significant expenses, including rent, utilities, and staffing — costs that can strain financial resources.
- Limited reach: Because your store has a specific location, the customer base is geographically restricted, which makes it harder to reach shoppers beyond the local area.
- Manual inventory management: Managing inventory at a brick-and-mortar store requires careful planning to avoid overstocking or stockouts. For example, if a popular dog food brand is running low, you’re responsible for restocking it at the right time. Having the right items when customers need them directly impacts customer satisfaction.
The Pros and Cons of E-Commerce for Quilt Stores
You may dream of your cozy quilt store, but the possibility of a larger market opens up new opportunities.
Pros:
- Wider audience: Unlike brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce platforms allow quilt stores to reach a broader audience, expanding the potential customer base outside the limits of local boundaries.
- Lower fixed costs: Without the need for a physical storefront, e-commerce reduces many operational costs. This gives you room for more competitive pricing and higher profit margins. What you save on rent and utilities can positively impact your bottom line.
- Convenience: Online shopping offers unmatched convenience, allowing customers to browse and purchase at any time — ideal for those with busy schedules. Plus, shoppers can easily compare products and find what they need without navigating crowds or feeling limited by store hours.
Cons:
- Lack of physical interaction: Customers can’t physically interact with products, which can be a significant drawback for those who prefer to feel fabrics before buying to assess their texture, weight, and drape.
- Shipping costs and logistics: Because of the extra costs and wait times that come with shipping — and returning — items, some customers may opt to visit a store in person.
- Increased competition: The online marketplace is highly competitive, making it challenging for stores to stand out and attract customers. To get your online quilt store noticed, you have to be willing to invest in advertising and actively market your brand.
Bridge the Gap With Your Quilt Store POS System
For quilt store owners, the ideal solution often involves combining brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce models. This integration can be seamlessly managed through a comprehensive point of sale (POS) system, which allows you to leverage the advantages of each approach.
Here are a few important features to look for in a POS system:
- Integrated inventory management: Modern POS software can sync inventory across physical and online stores, ensuring accurate stock levels and reducing the risk of overselling.
- Customer insights: By collecting data from both sales channels, a POS system can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and buying patterns. This way, you can tailor your offerings to meet each customers’ needs.
- E-commerce integration: With a POS system that has seamless e-commerce integration, you can easily manage your online store, sales, and inventory from any web-enabled device.
- Marketing tools: Use features like class management to create, promote, and coordinate sign-ups for quilting classes and events to build your community and attract customers.
Related Read: Fabric Store Point of Sale Systems: A Quick Guide
The choice of brick-and-mortar retail versus e-commerce depends on your specific goals and resources. Using a robust POS system with quilt-specific features lets you blend the strengths of both models — maximizing your reach and organizing inventory while minimizing the challenges of each approach.
Like Sew: The POS System Built for Brick-and-Mortar Retail and E-Commerce Quilt Stores
Deciding between a physical shop and an online store for your quilt business hinges on what you want to get out of it and what you have to work with. That said, you don’t have to choose just one. Like Sew can help you combine brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce models.
Our all-in-one, cloud-based POS system is designed with quilt store owners in mind. Like Sew offers e-commerce integration, which makes it easy to manage your online store. In addition to running your digital storefront, marketing tools allow you to promote classes, announce sales, and share updates — helping you stay connected to your local community.
With features like integrated inventory management, you can track stock across all channels, whether in your physical store or online. Plus, vendor catalogs keep your product listings up to date without the hassle of manual updates.
Schedule a demo today to see how Like Sew can transform your business — no matter which quilt store model you choose.
