It’s warmer
now, reaching 50 degrees yesterday and 60 today (Feb. 22). The forecast shows
little variation in highs and lows – a dangerous situation which causes spring
growth too soon. But then – maybe this is the least of our worries.
As Mike rode off on his bicycle yesterday afternoon, I went to town for groceries – AND to see what’s happening at JoAnn’s, where preparations are underway for closing. A sign on the door says that they no longer accept coupons at this store. I wandered around for 15 or 20 minutes and bought nothing. Most items are marked down by 40%, but I was not enticed. The yarn department was not quite bare, but it looked like the most popular yarns, such as Caron and Red Heart, were depleted. All fabric is marked down but you must buy at least one yard. I checked storage bins and baskets, but there weren’t many in stock. Some display racks, such as bias tapes, were looking bare, while others still seemed well-stocked.
“I could just cry,” one guest remarked to another at the cutting counter.
“What about
Walmart?” asked the other.
“Oh, they
have a little fabric, but – well, the quality is questionable.”
And to the
cutting clerk, “I hope you find a good job after this.” (No audible reply.)
We will find other ways to shop for our stitching needs, but it seems like these closures affect communities like ours the most – basically rural and somewhat remote. Even as I say this, my friend in Cedar City, Utah, where shopping is limited, is relieved that her JoAnn Fabrics is not closing. She says it’s a big store, larger than the one here.
Was this my last trip to JoAnn? Possibly. I have plenty of fabric, yarn, and lots of trims and notions. I hate to say it, but I probably have enough to last the rest of my life. KW
I haven't gone over to ours and probably won't. I'm centered on using from all my stashes of yarn, thread, and fabric, etc., and I'm willing to make do if necessary as I know I'll never use all that I have. Ann and I were talking this morning (our Sunday in the toddler room at church) and agreed that we never cared for our JoAnn's since they moved inside the mall and hardly ever shopped there.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris! I'm sure you recall that in the '70s, JoAnn in my community was located on 21st St. in Lewiston -- where Bob's Pet & Pond is today. I was disappointed when they moved to the Bridge Street Center in Clarkston. It would be 25 years before I would shop at JoAnn's again, and then it was because she was conveniently located next door to Albertsons. I enjoyed looking around the store, but in terms of buying, I was never a really good customer.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just read that they are closing all 800 stores now and completely folding. Before it became JoAnn's, wasn't it called House of Fabrics? We actually had two of them, one in each mall when we moved up here.
ReplyDeleteI remember "House of Fabrics," but I don't know the history of the stores. And for years we had the local retailer, Nelson's Fabrics. Don't get me wrong -- I love quilter's cotton, but sometimes it's fun to see apparel fabrics.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I guess JoAnn didn't find a buyer for the chain. To me, it doesn't matter so much about the fabric. It's the ability to find thread and notions locally.