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Fabric shops aren’t like other retailers.
You’re not running just any retail shop — you’re selling the tools someone will use to make artwork, family heirlooms, and treasured gifts. That emotional connection to the thread and fabric you sell can be a secret weapon for your store, but only if you know how to use it.
So, how can you create a retail customer experience that has quilters driving past three other shops to get to yours?
In this blog, we'll share eight best practices that separate thriving fabric shops from struggling ones and help you attract more customers to your store. Ready to transform your fabric shop into the kind of place customers can't wait to visit? Let's dive in.
Retail Customer Experience: The Stakes for Fabric Shops
Modern customers have more choices than ever. They can shop at big-box stores for cheaper prices or even order fabric online from their couch — why should they choose you?
Because you offer something the other options can't.
When customers walk into your shop, they're not just buying fabric. They're looking for someone who knows the difference between cotton batiks and cotton blends, can suggest the perfect backing for their quilt top, and genuinely cares about how their project turns out.
An incredible customer experience does more than make people feel warm and fuzzy (though that's nice, too). It creates loyal customers who keep coming back, tell their friends, and choose your shop over cheaper alternatives. These are the customers who drive past other stores to get to yours and don't mind spending a bit more because they know you'll take care of them.
Related Read: 6 Ways To Use Your Quilt Shop CRM To Delight Customers
In today's competitive market, product quality and fair pricing are table stakes. What separates successful fabric shops from struggling ones is creating an experience that makes customers excited to return.
Keeping this in mind, let’s explore the eight best practices you can implement today to provide the best retail customer experience in your fabric store.
Best Practice #1: Make Your Store Inviting
First and foremost, you need to make your store welcoming. Customers should feel supported and inspired the second they walk through your doors.
So, how can you make that happen?
Start with the basics. Make sure your aisles are wide enough that customers can get through them while holding a full fabric bolt. Invest in lighting that shows fabric colors accurately. Set up seating areas where customers can sit and really consider their choices, maybe chat with other quilters, or just take a moment to envision their finished project.
Related Read: The Best Quilt Shop Floor Plan: Help Customers Find What They Need
You should also encourage people to stay a while by making your space interactive. Set up cutting stations where customers can see how fabrics drape and feel their weight. Design touch-friendly displays that invite quilters to feel the material before they buy.
You can also add inspiration boards showcasing completed projects using fabrics you carry. This is a benefit because it helps people see possibilities and say “yes” to fabrics they might not otherwise consider — plus, it gives you the opportunity to showcase customer projects and create a sense of community in your store.
Best Practice #2: Become a Trusted Fabric Expert
Your expertise is what separates you from online retailers and big-box stores. Customers come to you because they need guidance, and becoming their go-to fabric expert builds the kind of loyalty that keeps independent shops in business.
You need to understand your customer base if you want to become the trusted expert in your area. Pay attention to what projects they're working on, what skill levels they're at, and what challenges they face. This knowledge helps you stock the right mix of staple fabrics alongside trending materials.
Related Read: How To Market a Quilt Shop: 7 Simple Ideas
Invest in staff training and employee management so your customers get the same experience and expertise regardless of who helps them. Your staff should have hands-on experience with the items they're recommending. When someone asks about a particular fabric, your team should be able to explain how it handles, what projects it works best for, and what to pair it with.
Best Practice #3: Offer Personalized Customer Service
Personal relationships are something no Amazon deal can compete with.
In a world of anonymous online shopping, being remembered and valued as an individual customer is incredibly powerful. This is where small businesses can crush their larger competitors.
Start by learning customer names and preferences. Use your point of sale (POS) system to track purchase history and project preferences so you can be more helpful. Tracking this data in a central location also helps give customers a consistent experience, even if they’re working with a different staff member.
Provide free fabric consultations for project planning, help with color matching for coordinating fabrics, and be available for problem-solving when projects get challenging. Another way to offer personalized service is to follow up after purchases. Check in to see how their projects are going and be ready to offer some support if they’re stuck.
Best Practice #4: Let Technology Handle the Boring Stuff
Technology should make your life easier, not more complicated. The right POS system handles the administrative tasks that bog you down, freeing you up for other tasks.
Modern fabric shop POS systems offer features specifically designed for your needs. Here are some key features to look out for:
- Fractional yardage tracking
- Customer purchase history
- Integrated loyalty programs
- Email marketing automation
- Vendor catalog updates for automated price and description updates
Use your point of sale tool to remove friction from every customer interaction. Quick checkout processes minimize wait times, mobile payment options offer additional convenience, and automated inventory updates prevent the disappointment of stockouts.
Remember: The goal is to make buying from you easy. The right tools make that possible.
Best Practice #5: Build a Community, Not Just a Customer Base
Quilters and sewers tend to be a social group. They love sharing techniques, showing off projects, and learning from each other. If you want to capitalize on that for your business, you should offer some community-building events in your store.
Here are some ideas to start:
- Block-of-the-month clubs: Bring customers back regularly while building anticipation for each new pattern and fabric combination, creating ongoing engagement and guaranteed monthly revenue.
- Structured class programming: Use class management features to offer everything from beginner classes to courses covering more advanced techniques. Make sure it’s easy to register and set up processes to follow up with students after the fact.
- Precut and kit workshops: Teach customers how to maximize these convenient products while discovering new project possibilities and techniques for working with premeasured materials.
- Vendor showcase events: Feature the latest products from your updated catalogs, and give customers early access to new materials and techniques while building excitement around fresh inventory.
- Precision cutting demonstrations: Offer workshops to show how fractional yardage capabilities mean customers get exactly what they need for their projects, reducing waste and maximizing their fabric investment,
- Seasonal project classes: Create timely reasons for customers to gather, learn new skills, and complete projects tied to current events or celebrations.
When customers see your store as their go-to place for learning, connecting, and growing their skills (and not just buying supplies), they’re more likely to become loyal customers.
Related Read: Why and How To Host In-Store Events in Your Quilt Shop
Best Practice #6: Implement Smart Loyalty and Retention Programs
Repeat customers spend more, refer friends, and stabilize your store during slow seasons. If you want to provide an incredible customer experience and boost your sales, you should implement a loyalty and retention program in your store.
A point-based loyalty program is one of the easiest to implement. You can award a point for each visit, each dollar spent, or another increment. Track points in your POS system by using one with built-in customer loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM) features, so your checkout processes don’t get bogged down with manual point tracking and redemption processes.
Here are some incentives to offer your loyalty program members:
- Discounts or coupons
- Early access to new fabric collections
- Exclusive sales or classes
You can also personalize your offerings based on customer data. Birthday discounts, project-based recommendations and coupons, or exclusive member events based on interests and purchasing patterns are all great options to make your customers feel special.
The key is to make loyalty feel like a relationship, not a transaction. When customers feel appreciated and valued, they'll stick with you through price increases, inconvenient location challenges (like construction), and competitor deals.
Best Practice #7: Consider the Whole Customer Journey
Your customer experience centers around what happens in your store — but really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Every interaction a customer has with you, from the moment your store first pops up on Google to the day they finish the last stitch on the quilt they’re making with your fabric, counts. Smart fabric shop owners keep the whole journey in mind when designing their experience.
Here are some unexpected things to keep in mind to boost your end-to-end customer experience:
- Update your e-commerce website with information about products and services.
- Share customer project galleries online for social proof.
- Make sure contact, hours, and location information are included on Google Business and your website.
Your in-store experience should flow smoothly. Do your best to welcome every customer to the store when they enter, and use clear signage to help them find what they need without having to ask. Finally, remember that pushy sales tactics work in some industries, but in creative retail, they’ll backfire.
Finally, keep post-purchase support in mind. Provide care instructions for purchased products, offer project support resources like tutorials or tips, and host events to help them knit themselves into your community (pun intended). When customers know you're invested in their success from start to finish, they're more likely to trust you with their next project.
Best Practice #8: Gather (and Act on) Customer Feedback
Last but certainly not least, be sure to gather customer feedback. Your customers can tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and what opportunities you’re missing. The shops that actively seek out and act on feedback are the ones that stay ahead of trends and customer demographic shifts.
Related Read: How To Market a Fabric Store: 7 Easy Steps
So, how can you collect feedback efficiently and effectively? Make feedback collection easy and natural. Here are some touchpoints to consider:
- In-store random surveys
- Post-purchase email surveys
- Social media monitoring and comment observation
The key to great, genuine feedback is offering multiple ways for people to share their thoughts without making it feel like homework.
But don’t stop there! Next, you need to analyze and implement what you learn. Regularly review your feedback and take steps to implement customer suggestions. When customers see you making changes, they’ll know you take their opinions seriously.
Create the Best Retail Customer Experience in Your Fabric Shop
Following these eight best practices will help you create a welcoming space, offer personalized service, and craft a fabric shopping experience customers love. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry — you don't need to implement everything at once. Pick the practice that feels most achievable right now and start there.
The key to managing all these best practices and running a profitable, incredible store is to use the right tools.
The most important tool in your arsenal? Your POS system.
A modern POS system, like LikeSew, helps you track customer preferences, manage classes, automate loyalty programs, and more. With the right technology in place, you can master these eight best practices and provide a top-tier customer experience to every customer, every time.
Ready to see how LikeSew can help? Schedule a demo today to see how the right tools can make offering an incredible retail customer experience effortless.
