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Running a fabric store is a labor of love, but it’s also a lot of work.
You’re helping a beginner choose their first sewing machine. You’re cutting fat quarters for a quilter’s next masterpiece. You’re receiving new fabric lines while juggling custom orders, class sign-ups, returns, and inventory counts.
With so many moving parts, a simple cash register doesn’t cut it.
This is why more fabric store owners are turning to modern point of sale (POS) systems designed to do a whole lot more than just process payments.
Let’s walk through how to use a POS system in a fabric store and how it can save you time, reduce mistakes, and make your shop easier to run.
How To Use Your Fabric Store POS System in 7 Simple Steps
1. Use Your POS System To Ring Up Every Sale
Of course, any POS system needs to handle basic sales transactions flawlessly.
This includes ringing up sales quickly and accepting multiple payment types (cash, credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments). A good system also applies discounts and promotional codes, prints or emails receipts based on customer preferences, and calculates sales tax automatically.
But that’s just the start. Fabric stores have unique checkout needs that generic retail systems often can’t handle — like fractional yardage, specialty items, and complex pricing structures that require specialized functionality.
A fabric store POS system can:
- Let you sell fabric by the partial yard.
- Track SKUs for small items like buttons, zippers, and threads.
- Process returns and exchanges easily.
- Handle split payments or store credit.
- Support gift cards or store loyalty programs.
Related Read: What Is the Best Fabric Store POS? 4 Top Providers
2. Track Fabric Inventory by the Yard
Once you’ve gotten the hang of the checkout process, the next important step is inventory management — which can be notoriously tricky in fabric shops.
There are fabric bolts in various widths, remnants, and precuts like jelly rolls and charm packs. You also carry notions, sewing patterns, books, machines, accessories, and class kits with supplies — all organized by size, color or brand.
Without a smart inventory system, it’s easy to oversell, order too much, or lose track of what’s actually in stock.
A solid POS system helps you:
- Track fabric by the yard, half-yard, quarter-yard, or custom measurement.
- Adjust inventory automatically when you sell, return, or cut fabric.
- Set low-stock alerts so you know when to reorder.
- Organize items by category, brand, project type, or theme.
- Scan items easily during receiving or at checkout.
3. Set Up and Manage Classes From Your POS System
Aside from managing products and sales, many fabric stores rely on classes as both a revenue stream and a way to build community.
Sewing basics, quilting workshops, embroidery classes, and machine training sessions all help create loyal customers and generate consistent income. But managing the registrations by hand or through a separate system can be frustrating and time-consuming.
A POS system with built-in class management lets you:
- Set up classes right in your system (with dates, times, and capacity).
- Offer in-store or online sign-ups for customers.
- Bundle class kits or supply lists at checkout.
- Limit class size automatically.
- Track attendance and handle cancellations easily.
4. Use Customer Profiles & Marketing Tools To Build Loyalty
While organizing classes helps build community, understanding your customers is just as important for long-term success.
Every customer who enters your fabric store has different needs, preferences, and skill levels.
Some are experienced quilters who know exactly what they want, while others are beginners who appreciate a little guidance. Some visit weekly for new projects, but others shop seasonally for specific needs.
Your POS system can help you treat them all like regulars by storing:
- Purchase history (so you can see what fabric lines they love)
- Contact information and preferences
- Notes like “prefers flannel” or “comes in for machine service”
This is the kind of information that helps you build relationships and offer more personalized service.
Taking customer relationships a step further, many POS systems also include marketing tools like:
- Automatic emails for new arrivals, classes, or sales
- Birthday or “we miss you” messages
- Loyalty rewards or points tracking
- Review requests (to boost your Google or Facebook rating)
5. Access Sales & Inventory Reports To Spot Trends
All of this customer and sales data becomes even more powerful when you can analyze it to make informed business decisions.
Without the right reporting, most business decisions are based on gut feelings and incomplete information. Which fabrics are selling well? What’s been sitting in your inventory too long? Should popular classes be offered more frequently? Which days require more staff coverage?
Look for a POS system that shows you:
- Best- and worst-selling items by category or brand
- Seasonal trends and year-over-year comparisons
- Sales by staff member, class, or channel
- Inventory value and shrinkage (missing or damaged stock)
- Customer frequency and average purchase value
When you can see what’s working, you can double down on it and stop wasting time on what’s not.
Related Read: 24 Key Retail KPIs To Track in Your Fabric Shop
6. Streamline Your Workflow With One Integrated POS System
With so many moving parts, it’s easy to see why integration matters. The last thing you need is to juggle five different tools just to run your store.
When your POS integrates inventory, sales, class management, marketing, and customer information into one clean system, daily operations become much more efficient.
You can:
- Add or update products once (and sync them everywhere).
- Manage online and in-store orders from one dashboard.
- Handle returns, refunds, or special orders easily.
- Pull reports or restock alerts without digging through spreadsheets.
- Train new employees faster with one clear system.
7. Operate Your Store Remotely With a Cloud-Based POS System
You can’t always be at the register. Sometimes you’re at a trade show, home with a sick kid, or just catching up on bookkeeping from your back office.
A cloud-based POS system means you can:
- Check sales from your phone or laptop.
- Update product information or pricing remotely.
- See who’s working and what they’ve sold.
- Process orders, issue refunds, or manage online pickups.
In other words, you stay in control even when you’re not on the shop floor.
How To Use Like Sew To Manage Your Fabric Store
If you’re still relying on an old register or a generic POS system, you might be spending more time than you realize on tasks that could be automated or streamlined.
Like Sew is an all-in-one, cloud-based POS system built exclusively for fabric and quilt shops, so you get the tools you really need:
- Fabric-by-the-yard checkout
- Powerful inventory control
- Easy class and event management
- Marketing and loyalty in one platform
Most importantly, you get more time for what you love most — helping customers, being creative, and growing your store.
Curious how Like Sew can streamline your business? Check out our pricing page today to find a solution tailored perfectly to your fabric store.
