Crafters, quilters, knitters and makers across the country received bleak news on Wednesday when they learned that Joann, the arts-and-crafts retail giant, was preparing to close more than half of its stores in the wake of its latest bankruptcy filing — its second in less than a year.
Possibly as early as this weekend, pending court approval, the company will begin closing 500 of its roughly 800 stores nationwide. To its loyal customer base, the news represented more than just the decline of a chain that sells yarn, art supplies, sewing machines and fabrics. It also symbolized the demise of a sanctuary for those who find joy in the therapeutic hobby of creation.
Jen Clapp, a longtime quilter and former fiber optics salesperson who lives in Northern Kentucky, mourned the expected end of the Joann she had been visiting since she was a girl. Back then, it was known as Jo-Ann Fabrics.
“My friends who don’t quilt have been texting me to ask, ‘I just heard what happened — are you OK?’” Ms. Clapp said. “And no, I’m not OK. I’m heartbroken. My grandmother took me to that Joann, and I still go to it. Back then it opened up my world to quilting, seeing a whole wall full of calico cotton, and it’s been my go-to Joann ever since.”
“I’ve gone to the smaller boutique stores, and you might get higher-end fabrics at them, but nothing really has the same selection as a Joann,” she added. “What’s happening will hurt the quilting community because those smaller specialty stores are few and far between. You’ve got to travel to get to one, and not everyone can find them. But almost anybody can get to a Joann.”
Founded in Cleveland in 1943 by German immigrants, the company went on to become a leader in the craft retail sector alongside competitors like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Joann enjoyed a surge in popularity during the pandemic, when consumers developed a taste for practicing craft hobbies at home. But as that trend faded, the company filed for bankruptcy, for the first time, last March.
“This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our team members, our customers and all of the communities we serve,” the company said in a statement about this week’s announcement. “Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for Joann.”
Sally Shore, a fiber artist and longtime member of the Long Island Craft Guild, said she would miss the hands-on feel of visiting her local outlet in Westbury, N.Y., which is also expected to be among the stores that will be closed.
“When I need something there, I don’t just buy what I need, I’ll end up going up and down the aisles and get inspired to grab materials off the shelves to make things I’m not shopping for,” she said. “Going online isn’t the same experience. And with yarn, I like to see it, to feel it.”
“The problem is that the smaller, independent stores are hard to find,” she added. “You’ve really got to hunt for them. There’s a Michaels not too far from me, so I guess I’ll start shopping there, unless eventually it closes, too.”
For some, like Laura Christobek, a knitter and crocheter who lives in Cincinnati, the news felt personal.
“From a sentimental point of view, I know the aisles of Joann well,” Ms. Christobek said. “It’s where I’ve gotten what I need to make Halloween costumes for my kids, and I can’t tell you how many baby quilts I’ve made from materials I’ve gotten from there.”
“With what’s happening now, I don’t know what my alternative is going to be,” she added. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
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