The Retailer Joann Closes Its 800 Doors

We are literally witnessing the end of a retail era with the closing of all Joann brick and mortar 800 retail locations. :(

Joann, or what used to be called Jo-Ann Fabrics, was the last remaining retail fabric store in the U.S. serving customers who like to walk into a retail location and physically shop for fabric by touching, comparing, stretching, and clipping samples of fabrics.

The retailer certainly gave it “the old college try” over and over again (after 80 years of business), and even had a bump in sales during the pandemic as DIY crafts surged and even as its rebranding brought it expanded attention to more crafts. But alas it just wasn’t enough to compete with the buffet of online options that proved to be more competitive.

My biggest memory of the brand is when the stores and its employees were helping people make masks for healthcare works during the pandemic … incredible.

So where do consumers now go to shop in-store for fabric?!? There actually are not a lot of options remaining, and most are pretty local. “Good Housekeeping” wrote up a list that is detailed here, which does point out a white space in the market. But since legacy brand Joann couldn’t make it work offline, perhaps the space just isn’t big enough or lucrative enough to make it work? Can other brick and mortar retailers fill the gap now on a mass level? Is this an opportunity?

For now, online seems to be where it’s at. It’ll be interesting to watch the online space as internet fabric retailers try to improve the shopping experience for those who miss the physical presence of feeling the fabric during the purchase process … perhaps this is the place for some innovation?

Goodbye Joann … you were a pioneer for sure and we appreciate all you’ve done for the many a DIYer through the years.

What’s your experience? JIM