Much to the chagrin of quilters and other fabric enthusiasts prices for fabric are on the rise as never before. Furthermore, a number of well-respected mills have gone out of business reducing the selection of novelty fabrics. If you have felt the pinch you may very well have asked whyprices are on the rise now. In a previous blog we outlined how manufacturers blame their elevated prices on the cost of the “grey goods” they print on. This trickles down to customers who pay more for the fabrics from said mills. Nevertheless, there is more to the question than the cost of “grey goods”. The absence of Wal-Mart in the fabric industry has been a contributing factor in shutting down some mills and encouraging others to raise their prices. How so?