Worked at Joanns for 5 years. The busiest times are convention season, halloween and christmas time. The consistent sales are normal and coupons are given out almost every week. I've met a lot of cool, and interesting creatives thru Joanns.
I worked at JA for ten years and can confirm. Every time (EVERY time) we were re-doing the seasonal section, people would constantly ask if we were closing! I worked at both a trad and an ETC store and can say that there were NEVER enough hours from corporate to receive and stock the weekly trucks or come close to fully recovering the store before closing although the ETC store got more of everything and was marginally better than the trad store. I quit in 2015 and have only been back a handful of times (let's just say that I bought a fair amount while I was working and still don't need a lot) but not since lockdown.
100%, not tryna knock him but only someone not into Crafts would think Walmart and Target have everything you'd need, Joann's and even Micheals (not so much fabric) are alot more specified for certain things.
I used to be a teacher at Joann’s till COVID eventually shut that department down. It’s normally quiet in Joanns, it’s never bustling. But the store where I exclusively shop at get decent business I guess. The “old looking prints” from New Look are actually what’s in fashion right now because of the late 90s early 2000s resurgence. So if you see a lot of prints of sunflowers or iridescent florals that’s why. They update their prints as fashion changes for their customers.
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley there was, I don’t know if every Joann’s stores got rid of them but mine did. I was a sewing teacher, but we also had cake decorating, painting, knitting/crochet and Cricut classes.
@@egyptmachine Oh wow, that sounds awesome. I've only (badly) crocheted a scarf last summer (and then it was mostly too warm to wear it this winter, lol. We're already pretty much jumping ahead into spring). I wouldn't have minded taking a class in person instead of following a RUclips video, but never knew where to find such a class (and then there's the matter of my work schedule 😓). But still, awesome that they offered the classes at all!
It's cool to see 90's stuff making a comeback, but I guess that's why? Because those of us that grew up then are now in our 30s and 40s? Makes me feel old 😩
Seeing Joanns on your list is actually very unexpected. I had no idea they were struggling, honestly. The two locations in San Antonio, TX seem to be doing very well even with the many more locations of Hobby Lobby and Michaels that out number them. I'm a weekly customer of Joanns XD
Joann's is like Hobby Lobby where they have daily/weekly sales, it's not specifically a clearance thing. There was a Joann's right next the art school I went to, and it's the only place that students at my university would get supplies, so the demographic is younger than you'd think, especially with the rise of "instagram crafts" like macrame and crochet and weaving becoming popular. This was a rough watch, ngl 💀
@@user-vi4xy1jw7e probably because the things he mentioned as signs of closing (sales, messy clearance), are just normal for craft stores in general. I don't think I've ever walked into a Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Joan's, or hell even the craft sections in retail stores without noticing the same issues. Nobody asked me, but the issue is that craft stores/sections have to carry such a huge variety of crafting items, ranging from tiny to very big. I don't have to tell you how that can influence how long a task takes. With many stores running on minimal staff, the employees are in a constant state of in-over-our-head. That's why there's never an employee at the checkout unless it's busy. They're using every spare minute of their day to try and keep up. Honestly, I think Joann's is seeing less business from their store-fronts and more from online sales, so they're closing stores that aren't performing in their area.
It's not even really clearance, they increase the price to something ridiculous, and the clearance price is actually the real value. I saw a clearance tag on a cup and it was $50 orig price and 50% off....dafuq
I find it a bit funny (yet understandable) that you get concerned over too many sale signs. To me, it always feels like the big name craft stores are just tricking customers. Places like Hobby Lobby has stuff on sale the moment they slap it on shelves.
Yeah some retail stores have a high MSRP on the merch, and then discount it till they have about 50% markup. So it's on sale but they are still making money.
The people I know who use patterns for making clothes rarely buy the patterns for the pieces on the cover. They like this skirt, but will pair it with a bodice from another pattern and sleeves from another completely different pattern. Individual pieces from patterns get reused over and over again.
We spend a lot of time at JoAnn with Sherry for our live shows. The sales signs everywhere are normal. Their pricing structure is a lot like Kohl’s where the “real” price of an item is inflated. That way, the sales they offer are really just a perceived savings.
Hobby Lobby does the same, in fact almost all chain stores do this. I have seen many items here and HL that are quite similar to the ones sold at the Craft Corner inside Dollar Tree. At this point I just go there now.
I don't go into Joann much, as I'm not into craft things much. But the few times I have gone into one of their stores, I agree that I can't help but notice a crapton of sale signs throughout Joann(the few times I've visited their stores), so the comparison to Kohl's overdoing sales signs makes sense! You also could say that about JCPenney, a la Kohl's.
Everything is on sale at Joann because they send out loads of coupons. The coupons get you in the door, but you can’t use them on sale items. This is just how craft stores work. :P The conditions of the stores seems to vary a lot. Some are very messy and run-down, some are brightly-lit and clean. The amount of merchandise the stores carry varies too.
U hit the nail on the head when u commented out of style fashion choices offered. I see the same at penny's and Macy's. The fashion choices are twenty years old IMHO.
JoAnns is wonderful for fabrics and sewing supplies, Michaels and Hobby Lobby can't compete on that, I'd be really sad if they went away and the other two survived (same thoughts on AC Moore). That being said, if you DO have a local fabric store (I'm very thankful to have two) go and support them, they usually have great prices and more variety in terms of fabrics.
Also, Hobby Lobby is a controversial company and Jo-Ann's is not. I refuse to shop at Hobby Lobby and it won't help if they become the next go to art, crafts and fabrics store
I don't know how to sew at all. I always purchased cake and cookie decoration stuff from JoAnn. The selection is almost non-existent in this category now. I guess it makes sense if it means that they are focusing on fabric. But they also have offered cake and cookie decorating classes that I have signed up for several times only to find out less than 24 hours ahead that the class would not be held. I bet they couldn't fill the class. I wish they would stop advertising them in that case. If I ever could attend a class these days I would need to buy supplies online or from Michael's.
@@RasheedahNizam It sounds like maybe they lost their partnership with Wilton's? I used to do the Saturday demos (back when they had those) and got chummy with the Wilton instructor since there was always a class first thing Saturday morning and I was always apologizing for barging in to gather my demo stuff. So I know that unless there was a minimum number of students for Wilton classes, they got cancelled. We had a very good Wilton teacher and those classes were full most of the time. That was in the before times, though.
Joann is really the only game in town for fabric. They carry nearly everything. Sunday seems to be the craziest day when I go. You'll stand in line at the cutting table and the register forever. That said, they probably could streamline inventory in places if they're losing profits. I doubt they will go under anytime soon. Worst case, they'll restructure or be sold.
For a long time I have often felt that their pricing is artificially high just so they can put things on sale and bring business into the coupons they mail out.
I absolutely adore your choice of music! You hit the nail on the head with vaporwave/synthwave. It was the exact reason I started listening to vaporwave back in the day. It captures the feeling of the 80's/90's shopping and living with a blanket of nostalgia over it. And remember! Nostalgia is not necessarily a "happy" feeling. Its more of a deep longing of time long passed.
The last time I was in Joann’s, summer of 2021, I noticed the prices were ridiculously high. I knew there was no way people were going to buy at those prices. Even at half the price they were still higher than places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. After that visit I assumed Joann’s would be the next retailer to go under.
Oh also, where I shop it’s definitely a bit disorganized and definitely not updated inside. But there’s always people when I go- either after work or on weekends. I sew and it’s the only chain store that has a significant amount of sewing supplies. The sales keep me coming back, and the patterns do well enough I think (though know that it’s not Joanns but the company that designs patterns that decide the designs). I assume the Joanns I go to is relatively popular compared to the rest of the chain. I get good customer service there despite the grungy look. I just push through and keep shopping there because I need what I need!! 😂 The only competition is independent fabric stores. One close by is AMAZING but a little pricey, and doesn’t have patterns. Another one has a much better fabric selection but slim on patterns too. So JoAnns is my go-to for new patterns during their $1.99 pattern sales which happen all the time.
A new Joann store opened here in Happy Valley (Portland) Oregon. It's really nice, clean and updated. It has a huge kids section with lots of Crayola and Lego stuff and a giant video screen. The rest of it is like a regular Joann but new, and I feel like they have everything, way more selections than most. I was surprised to see them open a new location during the height of the pandemic.
All kinds of people shop there. I go there when I need fabric. And the patterns are good when they are on sale. Lots of people that sell on Etsy go there to get supplies. Fabric stores are getting harder to find now. Wal-Mart has a pretty crappy selection and you are lucky if you can find a employee to cut your fabric. The only other store that sells fabric is Hobby Lobby. It’s all online now or if you are lucky to have a local shop.
I worked at Joann's from 2017 to 2019 and the store I was at looked a lot like the second store. It's in really bad shape, and there were some safety hazards and looked really depressing. I'm glad I left, but I wish they would update the locations that look in poor shape.
@@gordontaylor2815 Joann did renovate an older store in Norridge, IL sometime in the last few years. So hopefully all their older stores not yet remodeled(like the 2nd store visited for this video), get a remodel at some point. The shelves were updated, in that store for example. The Norridge store even got a new exterior sign, with an updated logo to my surprise. Those outdated stores must not help the image of Joann to shoppers, though.
There is still very much a demand for this type of stuff, but looking at these two stores it seems they tried to be a lot of different things. A lot of millennials are into knitting, needle point, and even making clothes from a bolt of fabric. I dated a girl who was into needle point, and occasionally made a skirt. She shops there for certain things, but that's because she doesn't agree with the views of the owner of Hobby Lobby. The one thing that struck me with this video is how large they are. In the 80's my local mall had one, and it was probably 5,000 +/- sqft. I think that, or up to 10,000 sqft is more ideal.
I shop at both these locations regularly. I prefer the first location by far. I only go to the 2nd if the first is out of something. They basically over price everything and then put it on sale. Never shop at joanns without a coupon. They have tons of coupons on the app. I prefer joanns for all things sewing and quilting, but for other crafts like jewlery making and painting I prefer hobby lobby. Walmart has a good selection of yarn but their fabric choices are very limited. As for patters, there are only a few main pattern companies and you will find the same ones at Walmart, hobby lobby, joann, pretty much anywhere. You really have to update the fashions with your fabric choices. Target doesn't really care things a true crafter would look for, they offer more of office supplies than anything. I really can't picture joann going anywhere anytime soon. It's too much of a staple for the sewing community and buying fabric online is hard. You want to touch it and see they the colors in person unless you are already very familiar with a certain line. Joann also has sewing classes, but I'd recommend taking a class at your local community college. For example, Mesa Community College has great sewing classes.
My Joann doesn't "give up" on any of their stuff at my location. They take one of those folding tables and set it up between the register and the door. You get to pick a free item from that table with each item you purchase. LOL. Better than tossing it in the dumpster! I had no idea they were in trouble. In my town, we have 1 each of Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and JoAnn. JoAnn is the furthest from me but they've always felt like the ones with the best deals - especially if you sign up for text deals - and they always have the stuff you can't find at the other 2 places.
I worked at a joann's for years, my store was somewhere in between the first and second one you showed, but I gotta say, joann corporate is an absolute shitshow. They do the thing that every corporation is doing now, where they keep the stores insanely understaffed, and then they wonder why not all the items get stocked in time. There was a period of time where my store desperately needed a new manager, but corporate straight up wouldn't let them hire anyone new. The seasonal items were a complete nightmare. There'd be new seasonal items every 2 months or so, but nobody comes into joann's for ugly easter decorations or glittery corn-shaped lawn stakes, so there'd just be piles and piles of seasonal merchandise (floral especially. oh god the seasonal floral, it haunts me) that would go to clearance and eventually have to be thrown out. The amount of waste at that store hurt my soul. Somehow despite all that it was a pretty chill place to work, as retail jobs go at least. They'd just do way better as a store if they just focused on the fabrics and regular crafts, instead of wasting so much money and energy on ugly seasonal shit.
They need to pay employees competitive wages. I interviewed for a job in July 2023 and they wanted to pay me $8.25/hour. That’s a low number for my area; Some fast food restaurants are paying $12-13, Walmart and Target up to $15/hour. How can improve and maintain their stores with non-competitive wages. I’ll be devastated if Jo-Ann’s ever closes. I depend on their store for mostly fabrics and sewing supplies. My store also has a lot of customers.
Me, too. I can't disagree with anything you said! Did you ever have to stock/recover floral and have glitter on your skin for days even after showering? All of the crap seasonal stuff comes in boxes straight from China. I honestly don't understand how the seasonal decor market doesn't get completely glutted, but people kept buying it up year after year.
The 2nd store looks like the 2 stores near me. The property is just falling apart with bad tiles, bad ceilings, grime, leaky roof, dim lighting, cluttered and pretty cramped near the back. Which is why I always would go to Michaels, just way more updated and cleaner.
For a brief time that second store had been a 99 Cent store. JoAnns had been in a different shopping center nearby and moved in immediately after the 99 Cent store lost their lease. This was back in the late 90s. I remember going to it as both stores with my grandparents.
The Joanna Fabrics in Vestal,NY is actually expanding into a new superstore (there current store is about 30 years old or so). The store here is definitely not doing bad with business. They have a ridiculous amount of dedicated clientele.
I go to Joanne's exclusively. My store got a little facelift awhile ago so it doesn't look that bad. The sales are why I go. They have the best yarn selection of every store in my area. I remember hearing about the closure and I mentioned it to someone. They were told they were safe for now. I'll legitimately cry if mine shuts down. There's always at least a few people shopping any time i go, so I hope it's busy enough
There's a dead mall down the road from me that most people really only use for walking at this point, but when the JCPenney anchor went, they converted the space into individual stores, one of which is a Joann Fabrics. That was a few years ago, and it still seems to be doing pretty well. Granted, I usually only go in there when i need a picture frame and they're doing a 50% off sale. Admittedly they do seem to do alot of those, so maybe they're not in as good a shape as I think. They have competition too. There's a Michaels and a Hobby Lobby across the street from them, but they all seem to be hanging in there. I know what you mean about cosplay, though, last week I picked up a frame there and I saw a whole section of fabrics labelled specifically for cosplay. Things like mermaid or fish scale prints, dragon/lizard scale prints, and all kinds of unique designs. Too bad I'm not into cosplay, myself.
The closest JoAnn's by me does pretty well. I haven't been there in a while because I'm not a crafter, but I think they may not get like Bed Bath and Beyond because a lot of people out there, including myself, won't shop at Hobby Lobby because of personal reasons, and will go to these stores and/or Michaels.
They just opened a beautiful new store in San Marcos in San Diego County. Just down the road in Poway, the store is poorly lit and stocked . Just up the road in Oceanside, the store is older and a little dated, but well cared for and well stocked. I hope they don’t close, because they’re about the only store left that sells a large selection of fabric and yarn.
I go to Joanne's occasionally for items to make cat toys with. All in the costume department. When I was a kid II went for the arts, crafts, & science kits & would ask for their old retired Simplicity catalogues.
I agree, I rarely go into chain retail spaces 🛒 but dislike dirty, dank, unlit stores. 🤔 A brand new Big Lots near me is large, clean, well organized. It's good to see a store do well, be busy.
I worked at JoAnn's for many years, twice in my life. The reason you see the aisles of empty shelves is because they are changing seasons. For example, Christmas merch goes to Clearance and in comes Easter and Spring merch to fill up those empty shelves. Their apparel fabric is okay, as is the fleece. But their cottons for quilting need to be upgraded. Those cottons are very poor quality but they charge 1st quality prices. Their Batiks cost MORE than the quilt shops! I still go to JoAnn's, but only for fleece and costume fabrics. I don't even buy thread there anymore because it's poor quality. Plus if you need help while shopping at JoAnn's, good luck in finding an associate to help you! They usually just have 2 people working unless there's sale going on. In that case, there might be 3 people working.
JoAnn is by far better, then Michael's & Hobby Lobby, for product & service. The local JoAnn Fabric in Bloomington, Illinois recently moved into the former Toys-R-Us. I've prefer to shop there. Roomy aisles & even an experiment/play area for the kids. Some stores may need some freshing-up, but I think they still have a place in the retail market. Perhaps more attention needs to made online for them?
I shop at the 2 joann's near me pretty frequently and there's always sales but both stores are always packed. Michaels started selling sewing supplies, they don't have as much, but a decent selection and Michaels overall is much cleaner, brighter, organized and up to date vs. the joann's in my area. I will say, the idea of only being able to go to Target or Walmart to get some of these supplies feels frustrating since the thing I like about stores that cater to a specific niche is I know I can get help on a specific item. I can't ask a walmart employee about yarn recommendations. I also try to avoid Walmart as much as possible since the store doesn't offer a relaxing shopping experience. I currently work in a local yarn shop and I feel like crafters and artists are moving away from big stores because they can get more unique, higher quality things at local mom and pop stores + quality over quantity. Joann's DOES have a really nice seasonal decor and I'd say if they keep up with that and work on their marketing on tiktok I can see them doing well since every time I see a video on TT for an item, it's sold out in every Joann near me. I think if Joann did more collaborating with smaller businesses or local businesses, like how some grocery stores stock local restaurant items to help support local business, that would really help them, on top of a full rebranding and updating of the store which I'm sure they're avoiding because of how expensive it would be. I used to work at Office Max before it was Office Max Office Depot and I remember the reason they did the merger was because it would cost too much money to change all the store signs LOL.
My local one is always well-stocked and has more people in it than our area Michael's. I am not surprised that *any* craft store is having some trouble but there's still popularity- cosplayers as you said, for one. It's just that these items don't always sell for a ton and there's only so wide a market. Regarding the McCalls and such: Etsy made a market for handmade clothes so at least for that and clothing customization there is a market. The styles they tend to have *are* somewhat vintage but the people I've known to get these patterns tend to "Frankenstein" them anyway and use elements of one with another. 💁♀️
I've noticed over the last few years many of the outdated looking JoAnns locations have either renovated, or moved to a more convenient location. My local store has definitely refreshed, making for a brighter and busier shopping experience. Hopefully this store you're featuring can do the same.
We have a Joann's location here in south Texas that opened up less than ten years ago. It looks and feels like the first one you showcased. It's clean and well kept but it's almost always empty of customers. My wife likes to shop there for her crafting supplies but ironically the busiest I've ever seen it was during the pandemic when people were lining up to get in and buy supplies to make masks.
I don't go often anymore, as I don't sew a ton these days, but I did go yesterday, 11AM Saturday, and that location seemed to be doing well enough as far as customer quantity goes. Probably a newer location than the ones you went to. It was pretty well stocked, especially for being (post) Covid. All 3 locations in my area still look nice. I think sales has been their thing for a long time. They had lots of sales and coupons even when I went to fashion school (2009-2012). My hope was often that things WEREN'T on sale, because they were often less of a discount than the 40-50% off coupons.
About 23 to 25 years ago I worked at Jo-Ann Fabrics in my hometown. I still frequent that store from time to time, as it's till there. These stores are shit shows. It's hit or miss and the one in my hometown is somewhere in between the two you showed here. I am honored that I am part of retail archaeology, having worked at a place that is now featured here! 💜 I love your videos by the way! Thank you!
One thing about Joann (and Michaels and Hobby Lobby) is that usually everything is always “on sale”. Really they mark it up a bit higher than what they really expect to sell it for (or sometimes a LOT higher) and then release weekly doorbuster sales and the infamous 50% off coupon (only good for non-sale items and often not on the brand name things they contract out to carry). So seeing everything on sale there is not something that you need to worry about - it’s just what they do. They’ve done that for the last 20 years at least. My local store has had a problem with staffing since the pandemic. It’s been spotty with the hours and they can’t seem to keep a solid management team. We are a small market. I wouldn’t be surprised if it does close - though I would be very sad. They do seem to keep it pretty clean though despite the lack of employees. I would say the second store you were in was probably just lacking good management as well and just no one there to stock. It’s also likely that the rise of Amazon and Temu and such make it easier for people to buy craft supplies online.
I used to sew a lot more when I cosplayed as a teen and college kids from 2000-2010. Back then it wasn't hard to get fabric at $1 a yard which made the fabric crafts a really accessible craft for cash strapped creative kids and adults. But now, a yard of fabric costs anywhere from $7 to $15 for basic cotton broadcloth. Recently I completed a quilted christmas table runner in a Frank Lloyd Wright style and the fabric cost me nearly $150 even trying to catch sales. Hanncock and Joannes are pricing themselves out of their customers' typical spending range. Most people who sew are not wealthy. Hobby Lobby has good prices when you catch teir 40% off all fabric, but their fabric is so thin that it is see through.
Hey sir not sure where you live but they are thriving here in Ohio and top of the line stores. Brand new interior and exteriors. Especially in Central Ohio. Always busy too. I havent seen an interior like the ones you visited in at least a decade or more.
That second Joann looked pretty much like the one I worked at. Stuff is ALWAYS on sale. Those paper signs are a P.I.T.A.- theyre dated, so they have to be thrown away after a few days, and if someone forgets to take down a single sign after its expired, a customer WILL try to argue with you that the discount should be honored even though the date is RIGHT THERE. The building was falling apart and corporate basically ignored us. Said years ago we would get a remodel which to this day never ended up happening. Our POS system was incredibly outdated, constantly glitching and we only had like 2 registers that worked. There were multiple instances of structural damage happening while I worked there. Regional management insisted we work through one of these instances. Store manager actually put their foot down and closed the store themselves. There was once a fire, and the coworker who discovered the fire said they wish theyd pretended not to see it and let it kept burning. It was not worth the $7.70 to constantly get berated by old ladies who think they know how to cut fabric better than you.
The two JoAnns around my current home are petty decent and reflect the feel of the first location you went to. Back home in SoCal I definitely know a location that had that sad feel of the second stop. I think at least in the Midwest there is a strong enough population of older ladies who make all types of clothing and also need quilting supplies to patronize these stores to keep them functioning at a higher level. At least I hope so. I only go in a few times a year for things for projects I'm working on but I would really be bummed to not have them around as an option when I need their on hand stock.
Joann Fabrics is at one location near me, down from four locations. Thankfully, it's not far away. I usually go to JoAnn when a friend of mine is in the area and wants to make a visit for yarn. It's in an older location in Cupertino, CA. This particular one used to be New York Fabrics. One thing that stands out are items (Artificial flowers, Christmas branches, wrapping paper) stuck in a the right window corner. These goods fell behind a shelving unit at least 10 years ago. When the shelving fixtures are un-braced (earthquake bracing) and removed, is when these items will be actually be retrieved. It's not worth it. (It will happen AFTER the store closes for good.) The empty fixtures are in the back, and the clearance junk section is in the back right corner. There are empty areas with yellow tape near the clearance goods. Shopping carts with misc. junk mark the way. As for the locations that shuttered, two of them were relatively new, opened in the past 12 years. The other one (Mountain View) was very old and went through several incarnations of fabric stores through the decades (Home Yardage, House of Fabrics, and New York Fabrics). That actually was a cool location for me when I hung out in that area. It had those hideous, dingy, warm light fluorescent lighting, and some areas where the lighting was dark. The Mtn. View one is likely to be demoed for high density development. The dirt underneath that store is way too valuable.
The Joann's closest to me is doing fine, pretty clean and organized. I often see two ladies working in the fabric dept and there's often a line of people waiting to get their lengths of fabric cut.
Joann's is always running a sale... mostly because they give out coupons that only apply to non-sale and non-clearance items. Seasonal is on sale almost as soon as it hits the shelves.
I buy everything online, however, fabric is the one thing I still like to check out before purchasing. My JoAnn in Newark, DE always has a line. Their salespeople are always great and helpful. It kind of resembles the Dollar General one but it’s kind of what I expect when I go there. One of the few places my mom and I love to go to together, I’ll always shop there.
Within the last 50 years the number of fabric stores closing has bees astronomical. We who grew up with sewn garments and learned how to sew ourselves, find this fact disheartening. We fiber artists do not care about old shelves, old flooring. We only care about price and selection! The remarks of those who toured these new, old, loved stores knew nothing of the value to the community these stores give to us.
But also their seasonal stuff is purposefully marked up to an insane degree, like $75+ for a large light up foam pumpkin. I know they discount it eventually, but that's why they have so much seasonal left over all the time. It's just never been worth it.
JoAnn Fabrics makes me think of my mom. We used to go there together when I was young. I enjoyed the arts and crafts products she used to show me how to do. They always carried the coolest fabric to make pillow cases out of!
I've been in several JoAnn stores and I've never seen one like the second one.The one near where I live is always fairly busy, and if I had a criticism of it it would be not enough people cutting fabric. I've also ordered fabric from them online because with Amazon you don't always get what's advertised. If I have a coupon JOANN's price is not much different, and I always know I will get what I ordered. I do a lot of fabric dyeing and the quality of fabric is just better.
From a business stand point if they don't have the traffic they should consolidate and close that last store or move to a newer location. Not worth putting money in a store you don't own. Bed bath and beyond just filed for chapter 11 in Canada this week.
i used to work at Joanns. A whole 5 years, It was really nice until we got a crappy manager and regional manager. we always put a bunch of stuff on clearance. Covid is the reason I quit (among other things), they raised our salary, it was hell working there bc we were short on cotton and elastic (Which was on high demand bc masks lol) and then as soon as covid was over they were like "ope, back to ur minimum wage you go lol"
Our store here in Oklagoma is very clean, always seems to be busy, and well stocked. The clearance is somewhat organized. ALso it's E-V-A foam (like the letters) not Eva foam.
The JoAnn in Bloomingdale Il is more like the first store, except at the change of seasons. I buy sewing, jewelry, decor and general crafts and there is usually a good selections and good sales. During season changes the stuff kind of gets shuffled.
I haven't been in JoAnn's in about a decade. The last time I was in there was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I bought some candles that were on clearance, among other things, for our parent's anniversary party. After paying and being handed my receipt I noticed that the candles didn't ring up at the clearance price. I asked the cashier and she said there were no returns on clearance items. I told her that while the item *should* have been clearance priced it didn't ring up at the correct price and that I didn't want to return them I just wanted to be charged the correct (clearance) price. She repeated basically the same statement. I felt like I was in a "Who's on first" skit. Finally she called a manager over who said about the same thing. I actually took the manager over to the aisle where the candles were and showed her my receipt. She still wouldn't budge. I've had other frustrating interactions there but never that bad. In talking with my mother later she said that was about par for the course. It's probably not right to condemn the whole chain because of one store but I just have no interest in going back.
The Joann's near us just went under a month ago. It was one of the bad locations. So destitute looking, and in this abandoned parking lot of its own where there were only ever three or four cars parked, three of which must have been the employees'. Dingy, dark, sad. You'd figure with how much they can mark up craft supplies they would have had enough profits socked away for some repairs once in a while...
A large new Jo-Ann's is opening near me, but two somewhat smaller ones are closing to be consolidated into the new store. One of the closing stores is a good 20+ minutes away from its replacement.
This is so shocking to me because in north east Ohio, none of the stores look like this or show any signs of failure… Joann world headquarters are located in Hudson, OH (about 25 min drive from downtown Cleveland) and they have a lot of newly remodeled stores in the whole northeast region of Ohio. Canton, OH must be a test store because it’s always busy and the most updated store I’ve seen! Very well merchandised. I would’ve never guessed that the rest of the stores in the country look like this!
Also I know Joann’s is always hiring freshly graduated college students to come work at their headquarters… they’re in desperate need of young, fresh eyes to keep them afloat i suppose 😬
Both the Joann stores near me are newer Superstore locations- spacious with open ceilings and skylights. Amazing they have such a variety of locations, those ancient dingy locations must really hurt their brand image.
I never see anyone in JoAnn & I walk by it several times a week since it’s in passing from my walk home from my job. // And 3 years ago, it looked clean. Nowadays, it looks dirty & disorganized w/ stuff just random thrown all over like they’re not even trying.
The Jo-Ann stores in my area are in pretty good shape, especially the bigger ones. They all look better than the second store. And I don't recall seeing the carousels of old patterns.
I don't think you can hold craft stores to the same yardstick as normal retail - not sure why, but they ALL do the clearance thing, constantly. You can get 40% coupons at will at Michaels and Joannes, and if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks, you can get 50 or 60 percent. In fact, in my area we had a local craft store that did not discount (but they carried current stuff at reasonable prices) and they actually did go out of business because they could not compete with the perceived value of getting 40 or 50% off of something. The only thing that surprises me is that people are still fooled by these discounts and coupons, because you can go to a different store or online and the "discount" price is the normal price, and you can often get it for less. However, people are indeed taken in by it. Sales are irresistible, and I think the bet might be that people only come to craft stores a few times a year, so the sale looks like they just stumbled on a good deal. Also in my area we had two Joannes in one metro area, and one got a face lift (and is doing quite well) and the other was allowed to decay and eventually closed. I was told that they were finishing up classes before the store closed, and some of the employees went to the other location.
I just went my local Joanns yesterday and bought the 120 different colors Crayola crayons box. There were some empty shelves but it was busy, definitely didn't look like a place about to disappear.
I forgot to mention that fabric in general seems to still be doing well because several Walmarts took their fabric sections out several years ago and then ultimately put them back in years later so there is a demand for fabric
Having been to a couple locations in Washington state, they tend to be a bit closer to the second kind than the first sadly, but the employees have consistently been helpful, patient and friendly in my experience.
My mother is a school teacher and a long time ago, she would go to Joanns to buy fabric for her class to make costumes for her students for the school Christmas show. After a while she stopped going because it got expensive buying large quantities of fabric. I mostly remember Joanns because of that but also the various racks of fabric and the pine cone smell that always greets me whenever I step inside the store. I also remembered begging my mother to get me at least a small bit of fabric from Joanns so that I can try my hand in sewing something, I don't think it ever came out looking great but I loved how soft the fabric was heh.
Reminds me of a location I went to last Christmas. The weird part it was in an up-and-coming suburban neighborhood in SoCal, the business buildings in that plaza probably were 10 years, tops. The floor looked old, and so did the ceiling the back part of the store was empty shelving units and stacked boxes. Stark contrast to the one that's like 20 minutes away, which is very nice...it's a 2 story location and completely updated
I used to work at Joann as a cashier. Abysmal staffing due to insufficient hours from corporate are why the stores are often a mess and makes for a terrible shopping experience. I’ve worked a lot of retail jobs but they were the second worst company I ever worked for. The first being Hobby Lobby
And yet here I am as an introvert who rarely goes anywhere, looking at all of the fabric choices and ahh'ing at it all, lol. I don't do crafts but still, this looks like a great place if I did. I think my mom has been going here to get yarn to finish off a Ravenclaw-themed blanket for me.
We only have 1 JoAnn's where I live in south Houston and it's always busy and looks nice. But JoAnn's is the only place you can really get a wide variety of fabrics. Since fabric shopping is based alot of feeling it in person.
I worked at JoAnn from 2018 to 2021. I worked through Covid and the rise of ship from store sales. I also was “lent out” and worked at several locations in the DFW metroplex so I saw many stores. Some store managers focused on the tidiness of their stores while others struggled with enough man power to get product on the shelves. Pre Covid there were plans to update the stores, but those plans were pushed way back. I think they may have found that remodeling their already packed store while keeping it running is impossible. In my area I know of 2 locations where they opened a brand new store and closed the old store nearby.
JoAnn puts most everything on sale AFTER they jack up the prices on name brand items about 50%. I sell some of the same items in my retail web store for less than JoAnn's "sale" prices. They are masters at deceit and everyone falls for it because of the 40% off coupons they got everyone to buy into. Sick business model. But people have turned into sheep and just follow and expect to be treated like fools.
My wife and one of my daughters do a lot of sewing, and I've been to Joann's many times over the years, and they've always looked like that. And they can go from dead to busy in an instant, too.
I worked at a JoAnn in 2015-16. It was the only fabric store for miles around, having driven out all the independent shops. In general, their fabric and yarn is mass market level, not high quality. [I sew high quality clothing, and even with an insider's knowledge, rarely found anything I wanted to use.] Our store got heavy traffic. Your "good store" Saturday afternoon looks like our store's Friday evening. We all worked to keep the place neat and well organized, re-folding fabric bolts, cleaning up the yard bins and bead wall, etc. We never left boxes in the aisles, or carts of clearance items scattered around. [FYI, all stores will have at least one clearance section. Ours was not well organized, but was clean.] I left when I got a *much* better job in my field ... I no longer live in that area, I hope the store is still doing well. Even if I don't like their fabric and yarn, JoAnn is my go-to place for random craft things.
imagine if they leaned HARD into the gamer/cosplayer/crafter/DIY/tinyhome/apartment aesthetic/pinterest space, totally revamped their entire outward appearance to be this prim, sharp white and blue sort of classy retro vibe, and became the one-stop-shop for the massive hobby trend of crafting that's totally taken over after the pandemic. They'd blow everyone out of the water. Lean into your userbase, you know??
I really hope my local Joann’s stays open because as a historic costumer and general textile artist, this is my go to place for a lot of my projects. It’s got a much better selection than Walmart or Hobby Lobby or any small local stores. I hate buying fabric online because I want to be able to feel the product before buying it, and getting samples online and shipping is just such a hassle for fabrics that aren’t high end stuff. It’s unfortunate to see them not doing so well, because they really do offer products and an experience I can’t get elsewhere.
The two Joanns stores I've been to recently - the ones in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas TX, and the one down the highway in Lewisville TX, are both well-organized and well kept up. I've been to the one in Plano less recently but it seemed in good shape.
I live in Colorado Springs, I had no IDEA Joann was in any kind of trouble. The Joann I usually visit is in a shopping center with a Super Target and Home Goods/TJ Maxx right off of one of the busiest roads in the city. It's close to apartments and a lot of other stores, so there's plenty of traffic to pull people in. There's always people there, not like SUPER crowded, but I've never seen it this empty.
The look of the store depends on when it was built/renovated. When I was young, our JoAnn looked like the second one, because it was there likely since the 70s or 80s-- or, at least the building had been that way for several decades even before that. That location moved shop into our recently renovated strip mall (used to be a traditional indoors mall) in the mid 2000s, and has looked like the first one you recorded since. Note: My JoAnn has a great sale on yarn right now. Highly recommend
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Worked at Joanns for 5 years. The busiest times are convention season, halloween and christmas time. The consistent sales are normal and coupons are given out almost every week. I've met a lot of cool, and interesting creatives thru Joanns.
That's awsome.👍
I worked at JA for ten years and can confirm. Every time (EVERY time) we were re-doing the seasonal section, people would constantly ask if we were closing! I worked at both a trad and an ETC store and can say that there were NEVER enough hours from corporate to receive and stock the weekly trucks or come close to fully recovering the store before closing although the ETC store got more of everything and was marginally better than the trad store. I quit in 2015 and have only been back a handful of times (let's just say that I bought a fair amount while I was working and still don't need a lot) but not since lockdown.
I hope JoAnn fabrics doesn’t go under because that’s my go to place to buy fabric and crafts supplies for puppets and costumes
Same! Its one of the few places I go to for buying fabric
Wait I never knew you watched Retail Archeology
Puppets? Like jim henson?
Maybe they should team up with Michaels. ✔️
From me fursuit making stuff
Dude... I would 100% go to Joann's before Wal*Mart or Target. They don't have any of the craft stuff I need!
Right? I would never even bother with Walmart or Target for craft stuff.
100%, not tryna knock him but only someone not into Crafts would think Walmart and Target have everything you'd need, Joann's and even Micheals (not so much fabric) are alot more specified for certain things.
Walmart and Target employees aren't exactly knowledgeable about art and craft supplies.
I used to be a teacher at Joann’s till COVID eventually shut that department down.
It’s normally quiet in Joanns, it’s never bustling. But the store where I exclusively shop at get decent business I guess.
The “old looking prints” from New Look are actually what’s in fashion right now because of the late 90s early 2000s resurgence. So if you see a lot of prints of sunflowers or iridescent florals that’s why. They update their prints as fashion changes for their customers.
There's classes at JoAnn's? What kind?
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley there was, I don’t know if every Joann’s stores got rid of them but mine did.
I was a sewing teacher, but we also had cake decorating, painting, knitting/crochet and Cricut classes.
@@egyptmachine Oh wow, that sounds awesome. I've only (badly) crocheted a scarf last summer (and then it was mostly too warm to wear it this winter, lol. We're already pretty much jumping ahead into spring). I wouldn't have minded taking a class in person instead of following a RUclips video, but never knew where to find such a class (and then there's the matter of my work schedule 😓). But still, awesome that they offered the classes at all!
It's cool to see 90's stuff making a comeback, but I guess that's why? Because those of us that grew up then are now in our 30s and 40s? Makes me feel old 😩
@@matthewrupp5526 we aren’t old man!! 😄
Seeing Joanns on your list is actually very unexpected. I had no idea they were struggling, honestly. The two locations in San Antonio, TX seem to be doing very well even with the many more locations of Hobby Lobby and Michaels that out number them. I'm a weekly customer of Joanns XD
Joann's is like Hobby Lobby where they have daily/weekly sales, it's not specifically a clearance thing. There was a Joann's right next the art school I went to, and it's the only place that students at my university would get supplies, so the demographic is younger than you'd think, especially with the rise of "instagram crafts" like macrame and crochet and weaving becoming popular. This was a rough watch, ngl 💀
Why was it a rough watch?
@@user-vi4xy1jw7e probably because the things he mentioned as signs of closing (sales, messy clearance), are just normal for craft stores in general. I don't think I've ever walked into a Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Joan's, or hell even the craft sections in retail stores without noticing the same issues.
Nobody asked me, but the issue is that craft stores/sections have to carry such a huge variety of crafting items, ranging from tiny to very big. I don't have to tell you how that can influence how long a task takes. With many stores running on minimal staff, the employees are in a constant state of in-over-our-head. That's why there's never an employee at the checkout unless it's busy. They're using every spare minute of their day to try and keep up.
Honestly, I think Joann's is seeing less business from their store-fronts and more from online sales, so they're closing stores that aren't performing in their area.
It's not even really clearance, they increase the price to something ridiculous, and the clearance price is actually the real value. I saw a clearance tag on a cup and it was $50 orig price and 50% off....dafuq
I mean they just filed for bankruptcy, sooooo
@@ilikecats4711 the sheer piss radiating from your tone in a reply to a comment from a year ago is unreal.
I find it a bit funny (yet understandable) that you get concerned over too many sale signs. To me, it always feels like the big name craft stores are just tricking customers.
Places like Hobby Lobby has stuff on sale the moment they slap it on shelves.
It's the JC Penneys Jedi Mind Trick - people will buy more and feel better about the money they spent if they think they're getting a deal.
Yeah, “always on sale” just means they mark up the “original” price
Exactly. Places like Hobby Lobby are perpetually on sale.
it is alternate weeks. if what you want isnt on sale this week it will be next week
Yeah some retail stores have a high MSRP on the merch, and then discount it till they have about 50% markup. So it's on sale but they are still making money.
As for the patterns, a lot of 80s and 90s fashion styles are coming back for younger people.
Yeah, these are the latest fashions, fashion goes in cycles.
@shmataboro8634 I'm wondering if bell bottoms will make a comeback lol
The people I know who use patterns for making clothes rarely buy the patterns for the pieces on the cover. They like this skirt, but will pair it with a bodice from another pattern and sleeves from another completely different pattern. Individual pieces from patterns get reused over and over again.
We spend a lot of time at JoAnn with Sherry for our live shows. The sales signs everywhere are normal. Their pricing structure is a lot like Kohl’s where the “real” price of an item is inflated. That way, the sales they offer are really just a perceived savings.
Also illegal in the EU. Hoping the US will catch up with that, but I doubt it.
Hobby Lobby does the same, in fact almost all chain stores do this. I have seen many items here and HL that are quite similar to the ones sold at the Craft Corner inside Dollar Tree. At this point I just go there now.
@@Gia_Marie Sherry does the same thing. Most of her craft items are from Dollar Tree these days.
I don't go into Joann much, as I'm not into craft things much. But the few times I have gone into one of their stores, I agree that I can't help but notice a crapton of sale signs throughout Joann(the few times I've visited their stores), so the comparison to Kohl's overdoing sales signs makes sense! You also could say that about JCPenney, a la Kohl's.
Everything is on sale at Joann because they send out loads of coupons. The coupons get you in the door, but you can’t use them on sale items. This is just how craft stores work. :P
The conditions of the stores seems to vary a lot. Some are very messy and run-down, some are brightly-lit and clean. The amount of merchandise the stores carry varies too.
Just a scummy practice. Tricking people into buying your stuff…
U hit the nail on the head when u commented out of style fashion choices offered. I see the same at penny's and Macy's. The fashion choices are twenty years old IMHO.
JoAnns is wonderful for fabrics and sewing supplies, Michaels and Hobby Lobby can't compete on that, I'd be really sad if they went away and the other two survived (same thoughts on AC Moore). That being said, if you DO have a local fabric store (I'm very thankful to have two) go and support them, they usually have great prices and more variety in terms of fabrics.
Also, Hobby Lobby is a controversial company and Jo-Ann's is not. I refuse to shop at Hobby Lobby and it won't help if they become the next go to art, crafts and fabrics store
If Hobby Lobby is all that’s left then that’s the day I stop crafting altogether.
AC Moore. There’s a name I haven’t thought about in a very long time.
I don't know how to sew at all. I always purchased cake and cookie decoration stuff from JoAnn. The selection is almost non-existent in this category now. I guess it makes sense if it means that they are focusing on fabric. But they also have offered cake and cookie decorating classes that I have signed up for several times only to find out less than 24 hours ahead that the class would not be held. I bet they couldn't fill the class. I wish they would stop advertising them in that case. If I ever could attend a class these days I would need to buy supplies online or from Michael's.
@@RasheedahNizam It sounds like maybe they lost their partnership with Wilton's? I used to do the Saturday demos (back when they had those) and got chummy with the Wilton instructor since there was always a class first thing Saturday morning and I was always apologizing for barging in to gather my demo stuff. So I know that unless there was a minimum number of students for Wilton classes, they got cancelled. We had a very good Wilton teacher and those classes were full most of the time. That was in the before times, though.
Joann is really the only game in town for fabric. They carry nearly everything. Sunday seems to be the craziest day when I go. You'll stand in line at the cutting table and the register forever. That said, they probably could streamline inventory in places if they're losing profits. I doubt they will go under anytime soon. Worst case, they'll restructure or be sold.
For a long time I have often felt that their pricing is artificially high just so they can put things on sale and bring business into the coupons they mail out.
I absolutely adore your choice of music! You hit the nail on the head with vaporwave/synthwave.
It was the exact reason I started listening to vaporwave back in the day. It captures the feeling of the 80's/90's shopping and living with a blanket of nostalgia over it. And remember! Nostalgia is not necessarily a "happy" feeling. Its more of a deep longing of time long passed.
The last time I was in Joann’s, summer of 2021, I noticed the prices were ridiculously high. I knew there was no way people were going to buy at those prices. Even at half the price they were still higher than places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. After that visit I assumed Joann’s would be the next retailer to go under.
Oh also, where I shop it’s definitely a bit disorganized and definitely not updated inside. But there’s always people when I go- either after work or on weekends. I sew and it’s the only chain store that has a significant amount of sewing supplies. The sales keep me coming back, and the patterns do well enough I think (though know that it’s not Joanns but the company that designs patterns that decide the designs).
I assume the Joanns I go to is relatively popular compared to the rest of the chain. I get good customer service there despite the grungy look. I just push through and keep shopping there because I need what I need!! 😂
The only competition is independent fabric stores. One close by is AMAZING but a little pricey, and doesn’t have patterns. Another one has a much better fabric selection but slim on patterns too. So JoAnns is my go-to for new patterns during their $1.99 pattern sales which happen all the time.
A new Joann store opened here in Happy Valley (Portland) Oregon. It's really nice, clean and updated. It has a huge kids section with lots of Crayola and Lego stuff and a giant video screen. The rest of it is like a regular Joann but new, and I feel like they have everything, way more selections than most. I was surprised to see them open a new location during the height of the pandemic.
This is an odd and surprising take. Joann never seemed to be a dying store and doesn't seem to be planning to close any significant amount of stores.
All kinds of people shop there. I go there when I need fabric. And the patterns are good when they are on sale. Lots of people that sell on Etsy go there to get supplies. Fabric stores are getting harder to find now. Wal-Mart has a pretty crappy selection and you are lucky if you can find a employee to cut your fabric. The only other store that sells fabric is Hobby Lobby. It’s all online now or if you are lucky to have a local shop.
I worked at Joann's from 2017 to 2019 and the store I was at looked a lot like the second store. It's in really bad shape, and there were some safety hazards and looked really depressing. I'm glad I left, but I wish they would update the locations that look in poor shape.
Either update them, or cut them loose (i.e close them). And I'm more inclined to believe the latter will happen instead of the former...
@@gordontaylor2815 Joann did renovate an older store in Norridge, IL sometime in the last few years. So hopefully all their older stores not yet remodeled(like the 2nd store visited for this video), get a remodel at some point. The shelves were updated, in that store for example. The Norridge store even got a new exterior sign, with an updated logo to my surprise.
Those outdated stores must not help the image of Joann to shoppers, though.
There is still very much a demand for this type of stuff, but looking at these two stores it seems they tried to be a lot of different things. A lot of millennials are into knitting, needle point, and even making clothes from a bolt of fabric. I dated a girl who was into needle point, and occasionally made a skirt. She shops there for certain things, but that's because she doesn't agree with the views of the owner of Hobby Lobby. The one thing that struck me with this video is how large they are. In the 80's my local mall had one, and it was probably 5,000 +/- sqft. I think that, or up to 10,000 sqft is more ideal.
I know someone who makes a fair number of her own clothes because she's unusually tall.
I shop at both these locations regularly. I prefer the first location by far. I only go to the 2nd if the first is out of something. They basically over price everything and then put it on sale. Never shop at joanns without a coupon. They have tons of coupons on the app. I prefer joanns for all things sewing and quilting, but for other crafts like jewlery making and painting I prefer hobby lobby. Walmart has a good selection of yarn but their fabric choices are very limited. As for patters, there are only a few main pattern companies and you will find the same ones at Walmart, hobby lobby, joann, pretty much anywhere. You really have to update the fashions with your fabric choices. Target doesn't really care things a true crafter would look for, they offer more of office supplies than anything. I really can't picture joann going anywhere anytime soon. It's too much of a staple for the sewing community and buying fabric online is hard. You want to touch it and see they the colors in person unless you are already very familiar with a certain line. Joann also has sewing classes, but I'd recommend taking a class at your local community college. For example, Mesa Community College has great sewing classes.
This is definitely a difference to the joann's I shop at frequently the one I shop at is always super clean and well managed love the videos!
The last thing I was expecting in this vid was an Evangelion joke in this channel. Godspeed
I'm a GC and I built two Joann in 2022. They are rebranding and moving towards much larger 30k+ SF spaces.
My Joann doesn't "give up" on any of their stuff at my location. They take one of those folding tables and set it up between the register and the door. You get to pick a free item from that table with each item you purchase. LOL. Better than tossing it in the dumpster! I had no idea they were in trouble. In my town, we have 1 each of Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and JoAnn. JoAnn is the furthest from me but they've always felt like the ones with the best deals - especially if you sign up for text deals - and they always have the stuff you can't find at the other 2 places.
The JoAnn's in Farmington NM recently relocated to a newer, bigger space. The original one was very small, cramped, and disorganized.
Have you done a Mall Tycoon game playthrough since Siesta Mall? I loved those! wondering if maybe you did it on Patreon or something.
I worked at a joann's for years, my store was somewhere in between the first and second one you showed, but I gotta say, joann corporate is an absolute shitshow. They do the thing that every corporation is doing now, where they keep the stores insanely understaffed, and then they wonder why not all the items get stocked in time. There was a period of time where my store desperately needed a new manager, but corporate straight up wouldn't let them hire anyone new. The seasonal items were a complete nightmare. There'd be new seasonal items every 2 months or so, but nobody comes into joann's for ugly easter decorations or glittery corn-shaped lawn stakes, so there'd just be piles and piles of seasonal merchandise (floral especially. oh god the seasonal floral, it haunts me) that would go to clearance and eventually have to be thrown out. The amount of waste at that store hurt my soul.
Somehow despite all that it was a pretty chill place to work, as retail jobs go at least. They'd just do way better as a store if they just focused on the fabrics and regular crafts, instead of wasting so much money and energy on ugly seasonal shit.
They need to pay employees competitive wages. I interviewed for a job in July 2023 and they wanted to pay me $8.25/hour. That’s a low number for my area; Some fast food restaurants are paying $12-13, Walmart and Target up to $15/hour. How can improve and maintain their stores with non-competitive wages.
I’ll be devastated if Jo-Ann’s ever closes. I depend on their store for mostly fabrics and sewing supplies. My store also has a lot of customers.
Me, too. I can't disagree with anything you said! Did you ever have to stock/recover floral and have glitter on your skin for days even after showering? All of the crap seasonal stuff comes in boxes straight from China. I honestly don't understand how the seasonal decor market doesn't get completely glutted, but people kept buying it up year after year.
The 2nd store looks like the 2 stores near me. The property is just falling apart with bad tiles, bad ceilings, grime, leaky roof, dim lighting, cluttered and pretty cramped near the back. Which is why I always would go to Michaels, just way more updated and cleaner.
For a brief time that second store had been a 99 Cent store. JoAnns had been in a different shopping center nearby and moved in immediately after the 99 Cent store lost their lease. This was back in the late 90s. I remember going to it as both stores with my grandparents.
The Joanna Fabrics in Vestal,NY is actually expanding into a new superstore (there current store is about 30 years old or so). The store here is definitely not doing bad with business. They have a ridiculous amount of dedicated clientele.
I go to Joanne's exclusively. My store got a little facelift awhile ago so it doesn't look that bad. The sales are why I go. They have the best yarn selection of every store in my area. I remember hearing about the closure and I mentioned it to someone. They were told they were safe for now. I'll legitimately cry if mine shuts down. There's always at least a few people shopping any time i go, so I hope it's busy enough
There's a dead mall down the road from me that most people really only use for walking at this point, but when the JCPenney anchor went, they converted the space into individual stores, one of which is a Joann Fabrics. That was a few years ago, and it still seems to be doing pretty well. Granted, I usually only go in there when i need a picture frame and they're doing a 50% off sale. Admittedly they do seem to do alot of those, so maybe they're not in as good a shape as I think. They have competition too. There's a Michaels and a Hobby Lobby across the street from them, but they all seem to be hanging in there.
I know what you mean about cosplay, though, last week I picked up a frame there and I saw a whole section of fabrics labelled specifically for cosplay. Things like mermaid or fish scale prints, dragon/lizard scale prints, and all kinds of unique designs. Too bad I'm not into cosplay, myself.
The yellowed 80s look is kind of comforting.
The JoAann I knew from my childhood has been updated and one nearby where I live now is nice too. That second one in the video is rough looking.
The closest JoAnn's by me does pretty well. I haven't been there in a while because I'm not a crafter, but I think they may not get like Bed Bath and Beyond because a lot of people out there, including myself, won't shop at Hobby Lobby because of personal reasons, and will go to these stores and/or Michaels.
I avoid Hobby Lobby as well.
Hobby Lobby is one of two places that will not get my business. (The other is Chick-fil-A).
They just opened a beautiful new store in San Marcos in San Diego County. Just down the road in Poway, the store is poorly lit and stocked . Just up the road in Oceanside, the store is older and a little dated, but well cared for and well stocked. I hope they don’t close, because they’re about the only store left that sells a large selection of fabric and yarn.
I go to Joanne's occasionally for items to make cat toys with. All in the costume department. When I was a kid II went for the arts, crafts, & science kits & would ask for their old retired Simplicity catalogues.
That second store needs to be renovated. JoAnn should update stores like this one
I agree, I rarely go into chain retail spaces 🛒 but dislike dirty, dank, unlit stores. 🤔 A brand new Big Lots near me is large, clean, well organized. It's good to see a store do well, be busy.
I worked at JoAnn's for many years, twice in my life. The reason you see the aisles of empty shelves is because they are changing seasons. For example, Christmas merch goes to Clearance and in comes Easter and Spring merch to fill up those empty shelves. Their apparel fabric is okay, as is the fleece. But their cottons for quilting need to be upgraded. Those cottons are very poor quality but they charge 1st quality prices. Their Batiks cost MORE than the quilt shops! I still go to JoAnn's, but only for fleece and costume fabrics. I don't even buy thread there anymore because it's poor quality. Plus if you need help while shopping at JoAnn's, good luck in finding an associate to help you! They usually just have 2 people working unless there's sale going on. In that case, there might be 3 people working.
JoAnn is by far better, then Michael's & Hobby Lobby, for product & service. The local JoAnn Fabric in Bloomington, Illinois recently moved into the former Toys-R-Us. I've prefer to shop there. Roomy aisles & even an experiment/play area for the kids.
Some stores may need some freshing-up, but I think they still have a place in the retail market. Perhaps more attention needs to made online for them?
I shop at the 2 joann's near me pretty frequently and there's always sales but both stores are always packed. Michaels started selling sewing supplies, they don't have as much, but a decent selection and Michaels overall is much cleaner, brighter, organized and up to date vs. the joann's in my area. I will say, the idea of only being able to go to Target or Walmart to get some of these supplies feels frustrating since the thing I like about stores that cater to a specific niche is I know I can get help on a specific item. I can't ask a walmart employee about yarn recommendations. I also try to avoid Walmart as much as possible since the store doesn't offer a relaxing shopping experience. I currently work in a local yarn shop and I feel like crafters and artists are moving away from big stores because they can get more unique, higher quality things at local mom and pop stores + quality over quantity. Joann's DOES have a really nice seasonal decor and I'd say if they keep up with that and work on their marketing on tiktok I can see them doing well since every time I see a video on TT for an item, it's sold out in every Joann near me. I think if Joann did more collaborating with smaller businesses or local businesses, like how some grocery stores stock local restaurant items to help support local business, that would really help them, on top of a full rebranding and updating of the store which I'm sure they're avoiding because of how expensive it would be. I used to work at Office Max before it was Office Max Office Depot and I remember the reason they did the merger was because it would cost too much money to change all the store signs LOL.
My local one is always well-stocked and has more people in it than our area Michael's. I am not surprised that *any* craft store is having some trouble but there's still popularity- cosplayers as you said, for one. It's just that these items don't always sell for a ton and there's only so wide a market.
Regarding the McCalls and such: Etsy made a market for handmade clothes so at least for that and clothing customization there is a market. The styles they tend to have *are* somewhat vintage but the people I've known to get these patterns tend to "Frankenstein" them anyway and use elements of one with another. 💁♀️
I've noticed over the last few years many of the outdated looking JoAnns locations have either renovated, or moved to a more convenient location. My local store has definitely refreshed, making for a brighter and busier shopping experience. Hopefully this store you're featuring can do the same.
We have a Joann's location here in south Texas that opened up less than ten years ago. It looks and feels like the first one you showcased. It's clean and well kept but it's almost always empty of customers. My wife likes to shop there for her crafting supplies but ironically the busiest I've ever seen it was during the pandemic when people were lining up to get in and buy supplies to make masks.
I don't go often anymore, as I don't sew a ton these days, but I did go yesterday, 11AM Saturday, and that location seemed to be doing well enough as far as customer quantity goes. Probably a newer location than the ones you went to. It was pretty well stocked, especially for being (post) Covid. All 3 locations in my area still look nice. I think sales has been their thing for a long time. They had lots of sales and coupons even when I went to fashion school (2009-2012). My hope was often that things WEREN'T on sale, because they were often less of a discount than the 40-50% off coupons.
About 23 to 25 years ago I worked at Jo-Ann Fabrics in my hometown. I still frequent that store from time to time, as it's till there. These stores are shit shows. It's hit or miss and the one in my hometown is somewhere in between the two you showed here. I am honored that I am part of retail archaeology, having worked at a place that is now featured here! 💜 I love your videos by the way! Thank you!
One thing about Joann (and Michaels and Hobby Lobby) is that usually everything is always “on sale”. Really they mark it up a bit higher than what they really expect to sell it for (or sometimes a LOT higher) and then release weekly doorbuster sales and the infamous 50% off coupon (only good for non-sale items and often not on the brand name things they contract out to carry). So seeing everything on sale there is not something that you need to worry about - it’s just what they do. They’ve done that for the last 20 years at least.
My local store has had a problem with staffing since the pandemic. It’s been spotty with the hours and they can’t seem to keep a solid management team. We are a small market. I wouldn’t be surprised if it does close - though I would be very sad. They do seem to keep it pretty clean though despite the lack of employees. I would say the second store you were in was probably just lacking good management as well and just no one there to stock.
It’s also likely that the rise of Amazon and Temu and such make it easier for people to buy craft supplies online.
I used to sew a lot more when I cosplayed as a teen and college kids from 2000-2010. Back then it wasn't hard to get fabric at $1 a yard which made the fabric crafts a really accessible craft for cash strapped creative kids and adults. But now, a yard of fabric costs anywhere from $7 to $15 for basic cotton broadcloth. Recently I completed a quilted christmas table runner in a Frank Lloyd Wright style and the fabric cost me nearly $150 even trying to catch sales. Hanncock and Joannes are pricing themselves out of their customers' typical spending range. Most people who sew are not wealthy. Hobby Lobby has good prices when you catch teir 40% off all fabric, but their fabric is so thin that it is see through.
Hey sir not sure where you live but they are thriving here in Ohio and top of the line stores. Brand new interior and exteriors. Especially in Central Ohio. Always busy too.
I havent seen an interior like the ones you visited in at least a decade or more.
That second Joann looked pretty much like the one I worked at. Stuff is ALWAYS on sale. Those paper signs are a P.I.T.A.- theyre dated, so they have to be thrown away after a few days, and if someone forgets to take down a single sign after its expired, a customer WILL try to argue with you that the discount should be honored even though the date is RIGHT THERE.
The building was falling apart and corporate basically ignored us. Said years ago we would get a remodel which to this day never ended up happening. Our POS system was incredibly outdated, constantly glitching and we only had like 2 registers that worked. There were multiple instances of structural damage happening while I worked there. Regional management insisted we work through one of these instances. Store manager actually put their foot down and closed the store themselves. There was once a fire, and the coworker who discovered the fire said they wish theyd pretended not to see it and let it kept burning.
It was not worth the $7.70 to constantly get berated by old ladies who think they know how to cut fabric better than you.
The two JoAnns around my current home are petty decent and reflect the feel of the first location you went to. Back home in SoCal I definitely know a location that had that sad feel of the second stop. I think at least in the Midwest there is a strong enough population of older ladies who make all types of clothing and also need quilting supplies to patronize these stores to keep them functioning at a higher level. At least I hope so. I only go in a few times a year for things for projects I'm working on but I would really be bummed to not have them around as an option when I need their on hand stock.
A welcome break from my house cleaning, thanks dude!
Joann Fabrics is at one location near me, down from four locations.
Thankfully, it's not far away.
I usually go to JoAnn when a friend of mine is in the area and wants to make a visit for yarn.
It's in an older location in Cupertino, CA. This particular one used to be New York Fabrics.
One thing that stands out are items (Artificial flowers, Christmas branches, wrapping paper) stuck in a the right window corner. These goods fell behind a shelving unit at least 10 years ago.
When the shelving fixtures are un-braced (earthquake bracing) and removed, is when these items will be actually be retrieved. It's not worth it. (It will happen AFTER the store closes for good.)
The empty fixtures are in the back, and the clearance junk section is in the back right corner. There are empty areas with yellow tape near the clearance goods. Shopping carts with misc. junk mark the way.
As for the locations that shuttered, two of them were relatively new, opened in the past 12 years. The other one (Mountain View) was very old and went through several incarnations of fabric stores through the decades (Home Yardage, House of Fabrics, and New York Fabrics). That actually was a cool location for me when I hung out in that area. It had those hideous, dingy, warm light fluorescent lighting, and some areas where the lighting was dark. The Mtn. View one is likely to be demoed for high density development.
The dirt underneath that store is way too valuable.
The Joann's closest to me is doing fine, pretty clean and organized. I often see two ladies working in the fabric dept and there's often a line of people waiting to get their lengths of fabric cut.
My local Joanns is clean and well maintained and they do a lot of business. I was surprised to see them on your channel.
Joann's is always running a sale... mostly because they give out coupons that only apply to non-sale and non-clearance items. Seasonal is on sale almost as soon as it hits the shelves.
My JoAnn Frabics is more like the first store. It's not cramped and looks nice
I buy everything online, however, fabric is the one thing I still like to check out before purchasing. My JoAnn in Newark, DE always has a line. Their salespeople are always great and helpful. It kind of resembles the Dollar General one but it’s kind of what I expect when I go there. One of the few places my mom and I love to go to together, I’ll always shop there.
Within the last 50 years the number of fabric stores closing has bees astronomical. We who grew up with sewn garments and learned how to sew ourselves, find this fact disheartening. We fiber artists do not care about old shelves, old flooring. We only care about price and selection! The remarks of those who toured these new, old, loved stores knew nothing of the value to the community these stores give to us.
I've been to JoAnn stores in many states and the only one I've been to like the second you visited was in Columbia, SC. When they're bad, they're bad.
But also their seasonal stuff is purposefully marked up to an insane degree, like $75+ for a large light up foam pumpkin. I know they discount it eventually, but that's why they have so much seasonal left over all the time. It's just never been worth it.
Hey I own a small sewing kit for emergency tears, and it came from one of those!
JoAnn Fabrics makes me think of my mom. We used to go there together when I was young. I enjoyed the arts and crafts products she used to show me how to do. They always carried the coolest fabric to make pillow cases out of!
I've been in several JoAnn stores and I've never seen one like the second one.The one near where I live is always fairly busy, and if I had a criticism of it it would be not enough people cutting fabric. I've also ordered fabric from them online because with Amazon you don't always get what's advertised. If I have a coupon JOANN's price is not much different, and I always know I will get what I ordered. I do a lot of fabric dyeing and the quality of fabric is just better.
From a business stand point if they don't have the traffic they should consolidate and close that last store or move to a newer location. Not worth putting money in a store you don't own. Bed bath and beyond just filed for chapter 11 in Canada this week.
i used to work at Joanns. A whole 5 years, It was really nice until we got a crappy manager and regional manager. we always put a bunch of stuff on clearance. Covid is the reason I quit (among other things), they raised our salary, it was hell working there bc we were short on cotton and elastic (Which was on high demand bc masks lol) and then as soon as covid was over they were like "ope, back to ur minimum wage you go lol"
Our store here in Oklagoma is very clean, always seems to be busy, and well stocked. The clearance is somewhat organized. ALso it's E-V-A foam (like the letters) not Eva foam.
The JoAnn in Bloomingdale Il is more like the first store, except at the change of seasons. I buy sewing, jewelry, decor and general crafts and there is usually a good selections and good sales. During season changes the stuff kind of gets shuffled.
I haven't been in JoAnn's in about a decade. The last time I was in there was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I bought some candles that were on clearance, among other things, for our parent's anniversary party. After paying and being handed my receipt I noticed that the candles didn't ring up at the clearance price. I asked the cashier and she said there were no returns on clearance items. I told her that while the item *should* have been clearance priced it didn't ring up at the correct price and that I didn't want to return them I just wanted to be charged the correct (clearance) price. She repeated basically the same statement. I felt like I was in a "Who's on first" skit. Finally she called a manager over who said about the same thing. I actually took the manager over to the aisle where the candles were and showed her my receipt. She still wouldn't budge.
I've had other frustrating interactions there but never that bad. In talking with my mother later she said that was about par for the course.
It's probably not right to condemn the whole chain because of one store but I just have no interest in going back.
The Joann's near us just went under a month ago. It was one of the bad locations. So destitute looking, and in this abandoned parking lot of its own where there were only ever three or four cars parked, three of which must have been the employees'. Dingy, dark, sad. You'd figure with how much they can mark up craft supplies they would have had enough profits socked away for some repairs once in a while...
A large new Jo-Ann's is opening near me, but two somewhat smaller ones are closing to be consolidated into the new store. One of the closing stores is a good 20+ minutes away from its replacement.
This is so shocking to me because in north east Ohio, none of the stores look like this or show any signs of failure… Joann world headquarters are located in Hudson, OH (about 25 min drive from downtown Cleveland) and they have a lot of newly remodeled stores in the whole northeast region of Ohio. Canton, OH must be a test store because it’s always busy and the most updated store I’ve seen! Very well merchandised. I would’ve never guessed that the rest of the stores in the country look like this!
Also I know Joann’s is always hiring freshly graduated college students to come work at their headquarters… they’re in desperate need of young, fresh eyes to keep them afloat i suppose 😬
They also compete with Michaels. I have both a Michaels and JoAnn Frabics
Both the Joann stores near me are newer Superstore locations- spacious with open ceilings and skylights. Amazing they have such a variety of locations, those ancient dingy locations must really hurt their brand image.
I never see anyone in JoAnn & I walk by it several times a week since it’s in passing from my walk home from my job. // And 3 years ago, it looked clean. Nowadays, it looks dirty & disorganized w/ stuff just random thrown all over like they’re not even trying.
The Jo-Ann stores in my area are in pretty good shape, especially the bigger ones. They all look better than the second store. And I don't recall seeing the carousels of old patterns.
I don't think you can hold craft stores to the same yardstick as normal retail - not sure why, but they ALL do the clearance thing, constantly. You can get 40% coupons at will at Michaels and Joannes, and if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks, you can get 50 or 60 percent. In fact, in my area we had a local craft store that did not discount (but they carried current stuff at reasonable prices) and they actually did go out of business because they could not compete with the perceived value of getting 40 or 50% off of something. The only thing that surprises me is that people are still fooled by these discounts and coupons, because you can go to a different store or online and the "discount" price is the normal price, and you can often get it for less. However, people are indeed taken in by it. Sales are irresistible, and I think the bet might be that people only come to craft stores a few times a year, so the sale looks like they just stumbled on a good deal. Also in my area we had two Joannes in one metro area, and one got a face lift (and is doing quite well) and the other was allowed to decay and eventually closed. I was told that they were finishing up classes before the store closed, and some of the employees went to the other location.
I just went my local Joanns yesterday and bought the 120 different colors Crayola crayons box. There were some empty shelves but it was busy, definitely didn't look like a place about to disappear.
I didnt know joann was struggling. They opened a new location in riverside california only a few years ago
I forgot to mention that fabric in general seems to still be doing well because several Walmarts took their fabric sections out several years ago and then ultimately put them back in years later so there is a demand for fabric
Having been to a couple locations in Washington state, they tend to be a bit closer to the second kind than the first sadly, but the employees have consistently been helpful, patient and friendly in my experience.
My mother is a school teacher and a long time ago, she would go to Joanns to buy fabric for her class to make costumes for her students for the school Christmas show. After a while she stopped going because it got expensive buying large quantities of fabric. I mostly remember Joanns because of that but also the various racks of fabric and the pine cone smell that always greets me whenever I step inside the store.
I also remembered begging my mother to get me at least a small bit of fabric from Joanns so that I can try my hand in sewing something, I don't think it ever came out looking great but I loved how soft the fabric was heh.
Reminds me of a location I went to last Christmas. The weird part it was in an up-and-coming suburban neighborhood in SoCal, the business buildings in that plaza probably were 10 years, tops. The floor looked old, and so did the ceiling the back part of the store was empty shelving units and stacked boxes. Stark contrast to the one that's like 20 minutes away, which is very nice...it's a 2 story location and completely updated
I used to work at Joann as a cashier. Abysmal staffing due to insufficient hours from corporate are why the stores are often a mess and makes for a terrible shopping experience. I’ve worked a lot of retail jobs but they were the second worst company I ever worked for. The first being Hobby Lobby
A store I actually go to sometimes.
And yet here I am as an introvert who rarely goes anywhere, looking at all of the fabric choices and ahh'ing at it all, lol. I don't do crafts but still, this looks like a great place if I did. I think my mom has been going here to get yarn to finish off a Ravenclaw-themed blanket for me.
We only have 1 JoAnn's where I live in south Houston and it's always busy and looks nice. But JoAnn's is the only place you can really get a wide variety of fabrics. Since fabric shopping is based alot of feeling it in person.
I worked at JoAnn from 2018 to 2021. I worked through Covid and the rise of ship from store sales. I also was “lent out” and worked at several locations in the DFW metroplex so I saw many stores. Some store managers focused on the tidiness of their stores while others struggled with enough man power to get product on the shelves. Pre Covid there were plans to update the stores, but those plans were pushed way back. I think they may have found that remodeling their already packed store while keeping it running is impossible. In my area I know of 2 locations where they opened a brand new store and closed the old store nearby.
The one near me recently got updated. It looks nice, and is well organized
JoAnn puts most everything on sale AFTER they jack up the prices on name brand items about 50%. I sell some of the same items in my retail web store for less than JoAnn's "sale" prices. They are masters at deceit and everyone falls for it because of the 40% off coupons they got everyone to buy into. Sick business model. But people have turned into sheep and just follow and expect to be treated like fools.
My wife and one of my daughters do a lot of sewing, and I've been to Joann's many times over the years, and they've always looked like that. And they can go from dead to busy in an instant, too.
I worked at a JoAnn in 2015-16. It was the only fabric store for miles around, having driven out all the independent shops. In general, their fabric and yarn is mass market level, not high quality. [I sew high quality clothing, and even with an insider's knowledge, rarely found anything I wanted to use.]
Our store got heavy traffic. Your "good store" Saturday afternoon looks like our store's Friday evening. We all worked to keep the place neat and well organized, re-folding fabric bolts, cleaning up the yard bins and bead wall, etc. We never left boxes in the aisles, or carts of clearance items scattered around. [FYI, all stores will have at least one clearance section. Ours was not well organized, but was clean.]
I left when I got a *much* better job in my field ... I no longer live in that area, I hope the store is still doing well. Even if I don't like their fabric and yarn, JoAnn is my go-to place for random craft things.
imagine if they leaned HARD into the gamer/cosplayer/crafter/DIY/tinyhome/apartment aesthetic/pinterest space, totally revamped their entire outward appearance to be this prim, sharp white and blue sort of classy retro vibe, and became the one-stop-shop for the massive hobby trend of crafting that's totally taken over after the pandemic. They'd blow everyone out of the water. Lean into your userbase, you know??
I wonder if cosplayers are keeping them going as a brand.
Such revamps are quite expensive. Whereas doing nothing is cheap!
Ugh that sounds like a miserable place to shop.
I really hope my local Joann’s stays open because as a historic costumer and general textile artist, this is my go to place for a lot of my projects. It’s got a much better selection than Walmart or Hobby Lobby or any small local stores. I hate buying fabric online because I want to be able to feel the product before buying it, and getting samples online and shipping is just such a hassle for fabrics that aren’t high end stuff. It’s unfortunate to see them not doing so well, because they really do offer products and an experience I can’t get elsewhere.
The store in Visalia CA. is well stocked, clean, and well lit! Very nice to shop there.
The two Joanns stores I've been to recently - the ones in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas TX, and the one down the highway in Lewisville TX, are both well-organized and well kept up. I've been to the one in Plano less recently but it seemed in good shape.
I live in Colorado Springs, I had no IDEA Joann was in any kind of trouble. The Joann I usually visit is in a shopping center with a Super Target and Home Goods/TJ Maxx right off of one of the busiest roads in the city. It's close to apartments and a lot of other stores, so there's plenty of traffic to pull people in. There's always people there, not like SUPER crowded, but I've never seen it this empty.
The look of the store depends on when it was built/renovated. When I was young, our JoAnn looked like the second one, because it was there likely since the 70s or 80s-- or, at least the building had been that way for several decades even before that.
That location moved shop into our recently renovated strip mall (used to be a traditional indoors mall) in the mid 2000s, and has looked like the first one you recorded since.
Note: My JoAnn has a great sale on yarn right now. Highly recommend