While in California, we drove up to Alameda, to shop at Needle in a Haystack. I was really looking forward to visiting this shop as it has a great reputation for being extremely well-stocked.
The shop had just moved into a new, smaller location. It was still huge! It is located in a warehouse area, rather than a retail area, but I suppose rent is cheaper that way.
The shop was actually still in the process of moving. The staff was still unpacking, while trying to take care of customers. The cash register wasn't working properly, the internet wasn't working, files couldn't be accessed to look up points on their loyalty program..... it was frustrating. When I asked about fabric, the kind I wanted was still at the old location. Every chart we wanted to look for had to be looked up on the computer as not everything was unpacked yet.
Although I understand not wanting to close the shop and lose some sales for a few days to make the move and unpack, I think it would have been a wise thing to do. The staff was just too frustrated to be effective. I look forward to visiting the shop again someday, and I am sure it will be great once it is all set up.
I did manage to find a Bleu de Chine heart chart that I had never seen before, a sailing heart. I also got some beads I needed. I would have bought more, but I couldn't find anything!
1 comment:
OMG...I have been reading your posts about going West, but I didn't know that you were coming all the way out West...NiaH is my LNS (I was just there last weekend and they are up and running much better now). Bummer, as I love meeting fellow bloggers face-to-face...and bummer that your visit to NiaH was during their move; for they really are a wonderful outlet for stitching and shopping. Sound like you really covered a lot of ground in your travels, I look forward to reading about any other stops you made prior to going back home.
Take care!
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