Craft department

I'd take a wild guess and say that the craft departments were not bringing in enough money. That is usually why there are changes made in retail. If it was making money for Walmart, I highly doubt that they would have closed it down. Craft departments in Walmarts where I live have beel nonexistant for a while now. I miss them but they never could really compete with Michaels or Hobby Lobby in terms of variety of products.

About a year ago Walmart 'changed' their craft department in my area. The old stand by type of crafts went to the major super mall where they offer larger variety. The smaller big stores now deal mostly in beads. There just plastic junk being pushed to look like nice stuff. Mostly it's geared to kids for holiday pleasures. I stopped buying there and shop the catalogs where they have a much better selection. Herrschners.com and the NeedleShop.com More abundant variety of notions too. Yarns, threads, fabrics, frames, needles, paints, quilt blocks, patterns & kits, Knitting needles and crochet hooks, cross stitch, rug hooking, the list goes on & on. Sometimes I even find what I'm looking for in thrift stores especially bags of yarn for afghans.

As far as I can see they (the bigwigs) were pretty stupid to take the fabric department away.  People miss it.  We have Joann's and Hobby Lobby but have you ever seen $1.00 material at either of those stores?  I haven't.  Although the fabric depts that are still active charge $1.50 a yard for the material they are still doing a brisk business.