Don't allow fabrics to have a birthday in your shop!

Do you ever find that your shop is left with fabrics which simply won’t sell? We have put together a list of ideas to help drive sales for slow selling collections while helping you to reduce your stock and create space for all the lovely new fabrics that the coming months will bring.

Fat Quarters
This is one of the simplest ways to drive sales of fabrics that have proved less popular. Cut the fabrics, organise them by colour shade and display them somewhere visible. Try on top of the cutting table, by the counter at the till machine, near your new fabric selections or at the entrance of the workshop area, you can select as many locations within your shop as you think it will fit!
 
Projects & Kits
As we all know, projects are the best way to showcase your fabrics, we also understand that you probably will not always have time for creating a quilt. If you create a small project, for example a cushion cover or a table runner, you can provide your customers with readymade kits with all the materials they need and it will help you to reduce stock of certain collections.
 
Due to the nature of the fabric business, we would suggest only creating large quilts for fabrics that will be available for a longer period, basic blenders for example.
 
Free patterns are available for many of our fabric collections, check the product page on our website, select a collection and download the PDF.

Workshops
Using selected fabrics for a class or workshop is a fantastic way to engage customers with a particular collection.
 
Make sure you plan your classes as far in advance as possible and connect with your customers using social media such as Facebook, emails or with a flyer in your shop. You can create a sense of urgency with phrases like:” limited spaces available”, or “first class fully booked”
 
If you’re not sure how to set up your workshop, you can find some tips in this article.

BOM – Block of the Month
A creative program for making a quilt, where each month a new block is sewn according to the pattern, and they are all put together in the final month's instalment to build the whole quilt.
 
Make sure people subscribe for the block of the month and pay upfront this way you will know the materials you will need.
 
Get tips on organising a Block of the Month program
 
Bolt of the day
Select a bolt of fabric that has not being very successful and keep it on the cutting table at a reduced price, with a sign “Bolt of the Day” and the reduced price. Replace the bolt after it has sold with a new bolt. It could be a pattern or a coordinate. It just doesn’t matter.
 
Read more about organising a Bolt of the Day program

Sewing Clinic
Invite people to discuss their sewing issues with “the expert” and bring the projects they are working on. The expert could be yourself or someone else in your shop who has a high level of knowledge. This can be organized every other week (the quieter day of the week) to drive people to your door.
 
In House Demonstrations
Allocate dates in your calendar for demonstrations of “new products”, every month, every two months, etc. This demonstration could be done by someone external or someone from your team. Select only one product and demonstrate it for a morning, for example the June Tailor Shape Cut:
https://youtu.be/pETsJf2nNQE
 
If you prefer you can contact a supplier and ask for someone to come over to your shop and demonstrate specific brands or ranges. Advertise it with your customers during the weeks before and add some excitement like a raffle or coffee and cake.