Beadworld — Attraction in Seattle

I recently visited to stock up on some beads and was pretty disappointed in the experience. There were many people in the shop, and several employees. I was there for over an hour and no one asked me how I was doing or asked if I needed help. They did however watch me the whole time and stare as if I was about to steal or something. I didn’t do anything other than walk in, and grab a tray to sort my beads into.

Right before I went to check out, one woman asked “if I was doing okay in the corner” from five feet away, as if I hadn’t walked the entire shop at the end of the hour I was in there.

They helped literally everyone else in the store; someone even walked past me to ask someone else if they needed help, and then walked right back past to ask the person behind me if they needed help. Everyone else who walked through the front door was greeted except for me.

At checkout, I greeted the cashier and was met with silence. I also mentioned I had a gift certificate and if I needed to do anything special to use it. I was met with a loud sigh, no words. She punched buttons into a computer and shoved the pin pad towards me.

That’s so cool to experience as a POC woman living in 2024.

I’ll be telling all my bead-er friends and I absolutely won’t...

I was introduced to Beadworld in 2003. It is so much more than a place to buy beads and supplies; Nikki and her staff have become friends who I look forward to seeing. They are interested in their customers' needs, always ready to help. When I have a project that's challenging to finish, I take it there, and get great advice and support. Many times, I've seen Nikki and her staff giving individual attention to customers; it might be a mom and child wanting to make a first project, or a professional artisan assembling materials for a new design idea. I love being there, listening, sometimes joining in the conversations. It's really a place of community for creative people.

There have been times when Nikki has steered me to less expensive solutions.

Just yesterday, she suggested I look in the loose beads for what I needed, rather than buying full strands. She even took time to search for what I was looking for!

The quality of the findings and gemstones, beads is always excellent. . I encourage headers of all levels to patronize this wonderful...

I was a long-time loyal customer and always enjoyed Beadworld's friendly, helpful & welcoming staff....until a couple of days ago. A new(?) clerk looked at me with undisguised suspicion when one of my pendant-items was, in her mind, placed in a less expensive section of my tray. I showed her where the like items were, and my pricing was correct, but she rudely said, "No way these are $2.00 -- the setting alone is $2.50." I paid for my $80.00 order but felt sick as I walked out -- I have never shoplifted or tried to cheat a store ever in my life, and I felt like she was watching me to make sure I didn't pilfer something on my out. I get better prices & more courteous service than this on eBay and at bead shows, so why try to support local retailers who treat their long term...