Joann's to shutter its last locations in days
Joann's reign as America's favorite craft retailer is coming to an end. The 82-year-old chain will close all of its remaining stores nationwide by Friday, marking the final chapter in a long, slow decline.
Reddit users have chronicled the final days: 'The Joann's in Janesville and Madison, Wisconsin still have patterns at 80 percent off,' one shopper wrote . 'Tons of yarn, all marked down.' Joann's demise has come fast. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January in the hope of restructuring and keeping the business afloat. Initially, bosses planned to close 500 shops.
But just a month later bosses said Joann would close all its 800 stores . After shutting 255 in April, the rest will go by the end of the month. Until 2018, it was known as Jo-Ann Stores but rebranded as 'Joann' to move beyond fabrics to embrace a wider range of crafts. Fans of Joann were furious to learn the chain canceled gift cards on February 28 .
Joann is the latest retailer to face challenges after experiencing a pandemic-era sales boom. With Americans now returning to work, the surge in home crafting has significantly declined. Home organization specialist The Container Store suffered the same fate, and filed for bankruptcy last month.
Joann's closures come after a widespread 'retail apocalypse' last year saw major companies file for bankruptcy and brick-and-mortar stores close in their droves . Up until mid-December, US retailers shut 7,300 stores - up nearly 60 percent from 2023.
Customers are also required to make purchases in-store only, and all sales are final. Now that Joann has bitten the dust, other craft retailers have been luring in its loyal customers. One of its biggest competitors Michaels went so far as to write 'Welcome Joann customers' on its internet home page.
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