Joann’s future is doubtful

February 23, 2025

The winning bidder of the bankruptcy auction was a partnership of Great American Group and some of the lenders. They bought the assets of Joann with the intent of liquidation rather keeping it as a going concern. The bankruptcy court will approve/disapprove of the sale on February 26th. This means all 800+ stores will most likely close on or before May 31, 2025. FYI, Great American is the same group that liquidated Hancock Fabrics almost 10 years ago.

The Hancock’s closures didn’t bother me as much as the closure of Joann does. I have a personal history with Joann. Cloth World, the fabric store I grew up with, was bought by Joann in 1994. Shortly after, I helped reset one of the Gwinnett Cloth World stores to the new Joann format. As we moved around the country with hubby’s job, finding the local Joann store in our new town was the same priority as finding the nearest library. I am a librarian, after all.

With the closing of Joann, crafters have lost a major option in where to buy supplies. In some areas, Joann is the only fabric/craft store for miles around. Even in markets served by Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and Wal-Mart, some crafters refuse to shop any and all of these stores for various reasons. Besides, Joann is open on Sundays and allows Sadie to shop with me. The teacher discount and sales meant this teacher could afford to do craft projects with her students without breaking the bank.

Practical me has been surveying my fabric and notion stash to see if there’s anything I need to stock up on should I find a great price during the closing sales. Honestly, I don’t need a thing at the moment. Should I need more Pellon SF-101 interfacing for a t-shirt quilt currently in the queue, I have other ways to get it. Hobby Lobby usually runs a 40% off fabric promotion every 2-3 weeks. Today, I learned that interfacing by the yard is included in that promotion. Bonus? Hobby Lobby is much closer to home, too!

Fortunately, we still have options to source materials our creative endeavors. It’ll be an adjustment to figure out where’s the best place to get certain things from now on, but I’ll survive. Something will eventually come to the marketplace to fill the void left by the closure of Joann stores.

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Musings on what happened to Joann

February 22, 2025

Out of curiosity, I’ve been skimming through the court docket. Know what I think? Joann’s has been badly mismanaged for years by executives who: (a) didn’t know their target customers as well as they should have and (b) were out to siphon off as much money from the company as possible. Follow the chain of ownership. The number of different LLCs that own Joann is dizzying. Too much intermingling among executives, members of the board of directors, suppliers, financiers and outside consultants. Lots of lawyers, accountants, consultants, rent-a-executives with four figure hourly rates all have their fingers in the pie. They’ve all filed paperwork with the court to make sure they get paid. What about the employees and unsecured creditors?

Joann has too many stores and no one was willing to be the bad guy and close the unprofitable ones until now. Gordon Brothers is taking care of that. Apparently, the remaining stores have garnered the interest of several suitors in an auction. It’ll be next week before we hear anything about that. Hopefully, the new buyer will revive the remaining Joann stores – returning the company to its fabric and textile roots. Keep the fabric, notions, yarn and needlework categories. Maybe some plastic storage. Have a carefully curated selection of sewing machines, accessories and staff who know how to use them. Offer classes again. Adults are looking for in-person beginner sewing classes because you can only learn so much from YouTube.

My unsolicited advice to the successful bidder who plans to keep the remaining stores open: Invest in your stores and people. Offer quality merchandise that’s priced fairly, with clear coupon/discount policies. Customers will return.

Alternatives to Joann’s – ATL edition

February 20, 2025

This post examines brick & mortar alternatives to Joann’s in the Atlanta area for sourcing fabric and sewing supplies.

Garment/Bridal/Cosplay
Gail K. Fabrics (Decatur) and Fine Fabrics (Norcross). Gail K’s Cheshire Bridge location is my personal favorite.

Home Dec Fabric/Trims
Fabric & Fringe Warehouse (Marietta) plus any of the showrooms in the Chattahoochee Industrial area (Lewis & Sheron Textiles, Forsyth Fabrics, etc.). Some of the home dec showrooms at ADAC in Buckhead (wholesale vendors) have warehouse sales. Get on their mailing lists.

Quilting Cottons
Any of the quilt shops in greater ATL/north Georgia can source your cotton fabric needs. Tiny Stitches in Marietta is one of the largest shops in the area. Like to treasure hunt? Check out Thread Bear Fabrics in Cumming. Sew Senoia does monthly pop-up shops at the SQTM in Carrollton.

Atlanta Sewing Centers in Marietta and Duluth have an assortment of quilting cottons, canvas and the occasional dressmaker fabric. They are also a Bernina/Baby Lock dealer.

Sew Sew Studio (f/n/a Discover Sewing) in Bogart and Duluth have an assortment of quilting cottons and bag making supplies. They are also a Janome, Brother, Pfaff and Viking dealer.

Tip #1: There are a number of recently closed quilt and fabric shops that still appear in search results as open for business. Always verify the company is still in business before you head that way.

Tip #2: Attend the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Gas South Convention Center (Duluth). This show comes to ATL every March. If you are a garment sewer, there’s usually a vendor or two selling quality knits, wools and other apparel fabrics at good prices.

ATL is also home to several Hobby Lobby and Michael’s stores. Sewing supplies and fabric selections are available and vary by location.

Most Wal-Marts still have a sewing/craft section – some even have cutting counters. If you need a zipper, thread, scissors, batting, stuffing or interfacing late at night – here’s a source of supply.

Last, but not least – as of now, we’ll still have Joann stores in Kennesaw and Decatur once the bankruptcy dust settles.

Geographically speaking: Other than Gail K. Fabrics and the home dec warehouses on the Westside, the majority of independent fabric and sewing machine shops are located OTP (outside I-285) in the north ATL suburbs. Chain stores such as Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Joann have at least one location ITP (inside I-285).

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