Hi!  I'm so glad to join this community of beaders and crafters.  I call myself an industry insider because I am in fact a direct link to a major bead company.  I love crafts and beading is of course in my top 5.  Doesn't it seem every crafter is a multi-talented artist?  I check out groups such as this one to see what's new and try to get feedback to our offices on what beaders are looking for in the stores.  I was drawn to this forum in particular because I was linked to a discussion about buying beads at Wal-mart.  Unfortunately this was an archived discussion from June 2006!  This is a hot topic at our office right now and I'm curious if many of you have bought beads from Wal-mart?  I know why I like shopping there, but it's esay to lose the big picture when you're so closely tied to something so I'd love to hear your thoughts.  I'm interested in why you might shop there, what beads and accessories are you looking for and if you could design it yourself what would you want to see in there.  This might sound like an odd entry, but I often come across comments that people wish they could talk to the "powers that be" in some stores ... I am not that power, but I can bring your comments to their attention.  I'm excited to explore some more and see what you are all up to!

Best Regards,

Ava 

Hello, Ava. Pretty broad questions that would require more time to answer than I have right now, but I'm curious, because your post seemed a bit ambiguous: Do you work for Wal-mart?

Good luck on your quest.

Ruth

 I thought it might sound like I work for Wal-mart since I mention them specifically, but no I don't work for them.  I work for a company that supplies beads and accessories to Wal-mart as well as many other craft venues.  We create major lines for stores like Wal-mart, Michael's, JoAnne's, AC Moore, etc.  Wal-mart is just a hot topic right now.  Discussions are up for changes and improvements to the bead aisle offerings and I'd love to get some perspective from real shoppers.  It's true it is a broad line of questions, but I thought I'd just put it all out there!  I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly ... I won't be offended by anything.

 Best Regards,

Ava
 

Hi,  I shop at Wal-Mart for supplies.  I do so only when I am in a pinch.  They need to have more of the following: 

1) Strings of beads with larger quantities of beads on them.  -What they carry now are small packages of beads where you really can't complete a project with them.

2) Sterling Silver and Gold Filled Findings

3) 49 Strand Beading Wire

Very interesting - you've listed four places which I would definitely not shop for beads!  For a beginner crafter, Wal-Mart is a fine resource for supplies (setting aside some personal ethical issues I have with their business practice of running small local shops out of business...), but it would be far better if they catered not only to those wishing to make dolls out of safety-pins and beads or simple stringing projects.  They may be more lucrative to those of us who are serious in our beadwork if they perhaps inspire a bit more with better quality and maybe even provide more resources like how-to books and magazines right in the craft sections for inspiration. 

Most of us who work with beads regularly all started off once upon a time purchasing beads at Wal-Mart, Michael's, and JoAnne's but have found that the bead quality is poor and the price is expensive for what we're getting.  Not to say that they only carry bad beads - the Blue Moon line is excellent (although they are still expensive comparitively to what we can get online).  But the seed beads usually are 'rochallies' which are irregular and poorly made.  Most seed beads from India are of a lesser quality than those from Japan or even Czech beads. 

 Thanks for the feedback!  The books are limited, but I was shopping at Wal-mart just this evening and Bead & Button was featured right at the end of the bead aisle!  There certainly is great breadth in the levels of quality in beads, so I have to think stores have to strike a careful balance between the cost and quality of the beads.  Something of a lower grade can still be a beautiful bead and make a project that is treasured.  I can understand how more professional crafters would have sources outside of local/chain stores to buy large quantities of certain beads.  I often find people have a strong opinion one way or another with Wal-mart and so I thank you for your honesty.  I hope to hear more from you viewers!

 Best Regards,

Ava
 

hello! My name is James. My good-friend and i shop at wal-mart for ussually thing that cost to much in bead stores and the sell them in larger groups and different varieties such as earing hooks and that but now we ussualy preffer to shop at Micheals because the quality at wall-mart is even less sometimes that expected but just sometimes the have deals at wall-mart for turquise and different pearls and sometimes even swarovski but that is mostly in the past, i still like B-dekk and beads and plenty more and the internet direct, but am now looking for site that has manuals and product for alll kinds of different material and such(chain maille and right angle and advanced but that might be of topic so far!  God Bless!!!

Plastic faceted. Honestly, at my store folks are asking for plastic pony and faceted beads all the time. I don't have the space for that, or for plastic pearls.  It seems we have a lot of crafters who want to make projects in large church groups who have a small budget.

GREAT QUESTION!! 

I live half an hour from New York city, where there are more stores than you can imagine with excellent quality beads and materials. However, when you work, time is a premium and you must consider the cost of getting into the city and home again. The places you mentioned are what I am left with on almost a daily basis - AC Moore, Michael's and Wal-Mart. I shop Michaels and Moore only when I have 40% off coupons but I have resorted to Wal-Mart. The reason I say "resorted to" is exactly for the reasons a previous poster said. And I quote her:

They need to have more of the following: 

1) Strings of beads with larger quantities of beads on them.  -What they carry now are small packages of beads where you really can't complete a project with them.

2) Sterling Silver and Gold Filled Findings

3) 49 Strand Beading Wire

Then I would like to add that I would love to see better quality beads on long strands, and a larger variety of wires and findings at a price that at least equals Michaels or ACMoore after their 40% coupons. I actually went to Wal Mart yesterday and for the first time left without buying a single item. They didn't have anything new and the quality was poor. I understand about church organizations and so forth looking for plastic, but I'm sure there are many of us who sell their pieces and are looking for better supplies.

I do hope you can pass these messages along to those who can made intelligent decisions. Many of us must resort to these stores and it is frustrating to return home without the proper materials to complete a project.

Thank you.  

 Thanks again for the great responses!  I shared the first responses at a company meeting last week and it really started some discussion about how to meet those needs.  We know groups are often looking for activities and supplies in the craft aisles.  I'm beginning to get a better perspective for the range of products needed; nice plastic basics, strings of great glass, quality findings and threading materials, and even sterling and gold filled components.  The sterling question is what brought me to this forum in the beginning, but the comments I found about sterling at Wal-mart were old (2006) when they had just put in a bead aisle that included some sterling.  Sterling is a traditionally strong selling product, but it's introduction at Wal-mart initially seemed to fail and the product was pulled.  I don't think most people even realized it was there.  Yet it's been mentioned several times here again.  Sterling prices are going crazy and sterling plate is a less expensive alternative, is there any interest in sterling plate?  Or would you still pay higher prices for a bit of real sterling silver? 

Best Regards,

Ava 

I don't know about where you are... but the Wal Marts around here have shrunk their crafts' dept to one isle. Fabric, yarn, beads, paints, glues, etc all have to fight for space in that isle. No way can they stock a reasonable selection of beads-- they used to have a full isle of beading supplies, and even then did not have a particularly good selection.

I used to buy beads/beading supplies at WalMart only when I needed plastic pony beads or similar. The rest of the offerings were too low quality with too high of a price for that quality. Michaels has become the same way-- a string of low qulity tigerseye beads (maybe C grade) was about the same price as A/B grade tigers eye of the same stated size beads at a local trade show. I say "stated size", because the Michaels version varied in size from that stated... as wll as having off-centered drill holes, chiped/uneven drill holes, poor charoyance on many of the beads and the direction of the striations were often neither in line with the drill hole nor perpendicular to it.

Whenever I am in Walmart, I wander over to the bead aisle just to see what's there.  As people have stated, the bead offerings are so low quality that I wouldn't want to use them in my jewelry, though I have bought the Blue Moon beads that they sometimes have.

The good thing about Walmart is that they are open during the hours when my local bead shop is not.  It would be good if they would carry more supplies... Quality stringing material and threads, such as nymo, c-lon. etc.  Proper beading needles in several sizes.  Beading mats and trays.  Beading tools.  Books, magazines, patterns.  Bead storage in different shapes and sizes.  Nicer focal beads.  Cabochons.

They should think along those lines.  These are all the types of things that I would make a special trip to Walmart for in the middle of a project, rather than the bead aisle being an afterthought when I am already in the store.

Cat

I haven't found beads at Walmart that have particularly my interest however I by my fireline in the fishing department!  I  have purchased some  of the small storage containers at Walmart. 

 I purchase beads from a lot of different places, including Walmart who used to carry an excellent supply of Mother of Pearl and other good shell beads in different sizes and shapes in the same color.  I purchased many of these and have used them in necklaces that I sell in an upscale boutique.  But, I  was always disappointed that the "findings," such as headpins, clasps, etc. were more in keeping for plastic and inexpensive beads - so of course, was heading to local beadstores, Michael's, etc to fill that need of sterling silver, gold-filled.

The last time I was In Walmart - all those good beads had been marked down and were gone and the rest were relegated to the end of an aisle with "Close Out sign."  One of the workers told me that they were phasing out their beads along with the DMC threads - it's just another craft to them and when it doesn't sell - it's out of there. Disappointing because i had not seen that particular brand of shell beads at any of the other craft stores.

Would love to hear if your company can get them to add back some upper end beads. It was my understanding that WalMart was trying to upgrade their image with a better quality of items. Of course everything is now made overseas - but don't get me going on that one.

Good luck! 

I must agree with the other responders. My local Walmart barely has a section for beading and the products look mostly like plastic, low quality, cheap stuff. It looks like a section for someone just experimenting for the first time with beading to see if they may be interested. Not for serious beaders. Very limited amount of product and variety. I have only been beading for about two years, but prefer bead stores, internet, and bead shows to local craft stores and Walmart. Even the craft stores who have large aisles filled with beads, etc. never seem to have what I need and prefer to work with. I believe that serious beaders would pay the money to have better quality products.

If I was in a pich to finish a piece I would buy the parts necessary at a supply chain. Finding, eye pins, cutters. I do have an issue with things being labelled properly. I was upset to see what appeared to be blue magnesite labelled as turquoise at a few chains. Otherwise the availabilty was great late at night when the mod struck (years ago).

 As others have said I no longer buy from chains as on line I can find much better prices and quality. Also supporting local bead stores (which I do even though I have my own bead store) is important. Those ladies have knowledge that is just not avaiable at the chains.

That said I would focus on the really low end for inexpensive pieces and a small assortment of many of the things jewelry makers may need late at night like good crimps, findings, etc.....

Szarka

 I purchase my beads almost exclusively online.  I use mostly seed beads, because I do bead weaving and bead crochet.  The stores you mention have for the most part only a very small, limited selection of seed beads.  I have occasionally found a few at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, but they are sporadic.

 Hi,

This caught my eye, being a Bead Store Owner.  I have tried to speak with industry people at a few shows and have very strong opinions regarding the big box stores and local bead store or any other crafting stores. 

I'm not intimidated by Michaels or Wal-Mart because my customers know about the quality and the customer service I provide.  What bugs me is that I would like to purchase from larger wholesalers and I'll use Blue Moon Beads as an example, but I don't want my customers seeing the same product in the big box and my store. 

My suggestion is that if you would create a specific separate line of items made for the small businesses that the big box stores cannot carry.  That would create a reason for my customers to come to me.  I have very personal experience in this and if you would permit I would like to explain why.  My brother in law started Redsand Clothing Company with Steve Timmons back in the mid '80's.  They started selling to the local surf shops and such.  When they became big and started selling to Nordstrom’s and "big box stores" they had a separate line for the smaller stores that supported them from the start.  This loyalty went a long way and the small business were still frequented because the unique, cool clothes could still be bought.

I'm not sorry for the tirade but I appreciate the forum to release my frustration.  My customers do know that if they want different, high quality and very reasonable prices, they come to me.  My store is 4 years old and fantastic.  Check it out... www.thebouncingbead.com

Two Sisters Who Enable Your Addiction 

 Welcome to the forums, two sisters!  You have a nice looking store. ( http://www.thebouncingbead.com/index.html ) It's good to see more and more LBS owners in the forum.

Rings & Things  does California truck shows. We invite LBS near our locations to post signs about their stores and put out fliers at our show. We understand that we only come to your area once or twice a year. We don't have classes and can't take the time to help with designs and techniques.We don't sell small quantity put-ups except in precious metal. Local Bead Stores provide resources that the big box stores and on line stores, distributors and wholesalers  can't or won't provide.

 Wow!  Thanks again for all of your responses - no apologies for tirades needed.  I love it when people are passionate about their art/business.  I agree that large store chains and even online sources cannot compare with the experience of a fine bead shop.  Picking through loose beads and components is a kind of sensory pleasure and the social atmosphere is a unique experience that cannot be replicated.  I hope my line of questioning does not come as a threat.  Some very true statements have come out here about how the large store bead aisles are somewhat hit and miss with the product selection, more geared to beginners that professionals.  My boss brought in a wonderful analogy I'd like to share.  In terms of competition, he said that when the tide rises it lifts all of the boats.  Have you heard of this?  I'm probably quoting it wrong, but the idea is that good competition spreads interest.  That new beader in the Wal-mart aisle might be brave enough to enter a beads only store next time because something piqued their interest or they made a nice toggle bracelet and now they're ready for more.  I'm not a great business mind so I might not be describing this well...All I know is we are a craft company and we want every experience with our product to be the best possible, no matter the venue or the level of the customers' expertise.  It is unlikely a large chain will have every special bead you are interested in, but what if they had the wire you can't live without, the findings to finish a quick project and maybe a small but fun selection of beads; and because of their buying power these stores can provide some items at a very good value without having to buy mass quantities of the item yourself.  Just things to think about.  The BeadEnabler (great name - beading is addictive isn't it?!?) has a great point about keeping exclusive lines for different venues so each place can be a destination for that special product alone.  I'll continue to pass along your helpful commentary and I look forward to hearing more.

Best Regards,

Ava