Before You Preorder: A Shop Owner’s Game Plan

A better conversation with your sales rep starts before the call.

Release season can feel fast. Catalogs arrive, timelines stack up, and suddenly you’re making big decisions in a short window. A little prep ahead of your order can completely change that experience.

Walking into a release with clarity helps your sales rep make smarter recommendations, spot opportunities you might miss, and help you avoid duplicates that slow sell-through. The goal isn’t to order more—it’s to order better.

Use this checklist before your next release call or preorder to make the most of that conversation.

1. Look at Your Shop

What’s working—and what needs attention?

• What sold well last release and over the past year?
• Where are the gaps?
  • Basics
  • Batiks
  • Notions
• What collections or categories have overstayed their welcome?
• Which areas drive the most margin?
• What are customers asking for that you don’t currently stock?

2. Evaluate the Release
What actually fits your shop?

• Which collections are no-brainers for your customers?
• Which fill a gap vs. duplicate what you already carry?
• Are some better suited for precuts, bundles, or select bolts?
• Which color stories are resonating right now?
• New designer? Spend a few minutes exploring their work for inspiration.

3. Plan Ahead
Turn fabric into experiences and sales

• Which projects could become:
  • Classes
  • Kits
  • Free-pattern projects?
• Beginner-friendly or geared toward confident quilters?
• Can kits be offered in multiple sizes or colorways?
• What samples do you want—and do you need ASY or displays?
• How can leftovers turn into impulse bundles or scrap packs?

4. Prep Your Launch
Make the release feel intentional

• What’s your one-sentence hook for each collection?
• Which collections get a full launch vs. a soft rollout?
• Save designer content to reshare during launch weeks.
• Keep it simple: unboxing → sample → class → kit
• How will the release show up in-store?

5. Communicate With  Your Team
Confidence sells

• Share key talking points with staff
• Get them excited about what’s coming
• Decide how you’ll track success:
• Sell-through
• Class signups
• Kit and bundle sales

The strongest release orders don’t come from rushing through a catalog—they come from walking in with clarity. When you take a few minutes to step back and evaluate what your shop truly needs, your sales rep can meet you there with better insight, better recommendations, and a clearer strategy.

Over time, these conversations get easier—and more valuable. You start spotting patterns faster, planning launches more intentionally, and building releases that feel aligned instead of overwhelming.

A little preparation turns release season from a scramble into a strategy—and that’s where the real momentum builds.

Industry Insight

Teresa Porter: Regional Account Executive at Riley Blake Designs and former Quilt Shop Manager

“One of the best things a shop owner can do before a release call is come in with just a little context. When I know what’s been selling well for them—or what hasn’t—it completely changes the conversation. We can focus on filling real gaps instead of guessing.

I also love when shop owners share their plans, even if they’re simple. If I know they’re thinking about classes, kits, or a big launch moment, I can help recommend quantities and pieces that support that. It turns the call from placing an order into building a strategy together.

At the end of the day, the strongest releases usually come from collaboration. The more we can talk through what’s happening in their shop, the more tailored and successful that order tends to be.”