There's been much discussion about shopping for fabric and supplies ever since Joann (Formerly known as Joann Fabrics) announced the closing of approximately 500 of its 833 stores following a second bankruptcy filing in less than a year.
"Wherever will we get affordable fabric and notions?" seems to be the main concern as both Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmart and other chain crafts stores are still out there for yarn, crafting, and decorating bits and bobs, plus some crafting quality of fabric.
As a teen I worked in a Ben Franklin and the long-gone Clothworld. I never thought back then that I'd be a quilt shop owner. Though I would rather think of Sew Simple/AmyQuilts as a creative sewing center, since we do carry some garment fabrics, flannel, felted wool, and fabulous threads for hand embroidery. Not to mention our Janome sewing machines and top notch machine and stitching help.
500 stores.... I feel for the employees who will not only need to find new jobs, but those the public are used to seeing, the average employee on the floor, likely will be guilt tripped into staying until the stores lock their doors for the last time.
According to Comparably (,com), a business ranking website, those store employees earn an average of $22,001 per year. Admittedly, there were no details given as to how many hours the average store employee worked. Comparably went on to say,
"Comparably has a total of 3 salary records associated with Jo-Ann Stores employees. 416 employees at Jo-Ann Stores rank their Compensation in the Bottom 5% of similar sized companies on Comparably (based on 1244 ratings) while 407 employees at Jo-Ann Stores rank their Perks And Benefits in the Bottom 5% of similar sized companies on Comparably (based on 411 ratings)."
Of course, things looked better in the C-suite offices, where Wade Miquelon, the former CEO of Joann Fabrics, earned $2,740,178 in total compensation. This included a salary of $834,231, stock options of $1,275,651, stock of $626,247, and other compensation of $4,049. He left the company in May of 2023 and received a severance payment of $392,500 in cash.
An NPR report indicated some fabric shoppers will delve into thrifting and repurposing. I think that is great and certainly a fabulous form of sustainability. But unlike the article stated, it's far from the only option.
I specifically refer to a sustainable business model as we do see time and time again that when business' offer lower quality items at low prices and also embrace the use of coupons for 30-40% routinely, they are competing in a race to the lowest prices. That is not sustainable in the long run. At least not while JOANN was a publicly traded company. It hoped to see stock growth make up for low margins in the store. You really do not want to win a race to the bottom.
Yes, sales have a place in retail. Appropriate pricing models are important, as is making sure to offer customers what they want. JOANN certainly was no longer the large fabric store they used to be, instead adding more and more decorative items, crafts, yarn, beads, fake flowers, etc.
Most quilt shops do have regular sales or even a dedicated clearance section for those who shop with a smaller budget in mind or just love getting a deal. Some, like mine, offers a rewards program of some sort to give discounts to loyal shoppers. (Actually we do all of these things at Sew Simple home of AmyQuilts.com) We love helping new customers and beginners with classes, advice, and encouragement.
That glimmer though....
JOANN had 833 stores across the nation.
Did you know that there 4,547 quilt shops in the US?
That's 5.47 quilt shops for each of the previous 833 JOANN stores.
This number comes from the number of shops using the tax code designation for quilt shops. Arguably this number could vary quite a bit. But that's 4,547 shops calling themselves a quilt shop on their taxes. There could be more. Sadly, at the rate I'm seeing quilt shops close this past year, there could be fewer.
I can hear it now, "I need more than quilting fabric."
These shops are on their way to do one of 2 things. Deciding that they are working harder than ever for very little return, even if they enjoy it, and are thinking of getting out. Then there are other shops, maybe those run by younger people, who are actively looking for ways to grow, thrive, and intersect what they offer with what customers want. It's these shops that I hope and pray will convert JOANN shoppers to local independent creative sewing center shoppers.
These types of quilt shops are paying attention! They often have fabric suitable for certain garments; cotton lawn, canvas, linen blends, and other more drape-y woven cottons. They've got interfacing, thread, sewing machines, notions and more. Many will listen to their customers when they say they want something else and will bring it in if they can, or special order if needed in enough quantity. If they've been around long enough, they may have been fabric shops at first until quilting was the main thing left to them. I'm hoping we see them diversify and become creative sewing centers.
Many JOANN shoppers have commented that they will shop online instead.
According to Google, there are 3521 quilt shops with online shopping. A few of them are huge. One of the largest has alienated a portion of the quilting and sewing community with their stance on certain cultural issues. Many are small enough that they can help you shop online with them if desired. You just can't get that kind of service from the big discounting kind of shops.
One thing is for sure; these independent shops can't expand to serve a broader range of sewing interests without getting to know these shoppers. It can be a real "chicken versus the egg" kind of thing.
With 4,547 quilt shops across the country, I propose that you just might have more shops around you than you realize.
The average age of a quilt shop is just 5 years and 9 months and the number of shops have increased by almost 4% since 2003. Not a huge increase, but statistically, shops are coming and going fairly frequently. A sign that creative people love the idea of providing what they perceive people like them need. Unfortunately, also a sign that it doesn't make big bucks for the owners.
Ask around. Do a google search. These shops aren't as visible as a 10,000 square foot "big box" business, not just in size but also in marketing dollars. But they are out there. Sure, some might not be your "cup of tea" but there will be others that are. There are plenty that want to serve you up your favorite cup of tea, but they can't do that if they don't know you.
Additionally, if you are a quilter, you may find that your projects turn out better with the higher quality fabrics. (I know, I know, some will never be convinced of this.) Unless a quilt shop is serious about being a bargain style shop, they typically sell fabrics by companies who source their cottons (greige goods) from South Korea, Japan, India, Bali, and Pakistan where a better grade of these raw fabrics are used to then dye or print than Joanns did.
Even better, more and more cotton is being digitally printed in the USA. Without tariffs, these fabrics may no longer seem as expensive as in the past. (They likely will be printed on cotton milled overseas for a finer quality, but the final step done in the US will save against tarifs.) I've also read about a number of old textile plants in the US being brought back to life to weave denim, toweling, woolens, and other fabrics. That brings an even brighter glow to that glimmer. I did recently order a few bolts of quilting cotton solids from a company that makes them in the US. Sadly, it felt awful and will be going straight to my clearance section.
This is a conversation to be had with other creative makers, shoppers and shop owners. This is a chance to grow and learn together, to get to know people in your community, and to look at what does a sustainable creative hobby or even small cottage businesses and their suppliers look like as we go forward. Because we must continue to move forward, even if stitching seems like something from our past. We're making beauty out of the ordinary, and for many, engaging in a practice that has multiple mental health benefits.
My final thoughts on finding fabric and supplies in a post-Joann world:
If you only care about price in the current moment, stick to Am*zon, w*w*k, big box places, and the mega online suppliers like MO St*r & FQshop. (Yeah, I'm not spelling them out; they can do their own promotion.) I mention 'current moment' because these kinds of businesses can be competition killers, which eventually leads to higher prices.
If you might want a place with knowledgeable help, sewing machine support, classes, etc. search out your nearest couple of quilt/sewing shops. Let me toot my own horn in the hopes you are close enough to shop at Sew Simple of Lynchburg VA.
If these shops are limited, or don't have what you want, OR you want something in between for some combination of price/selection/knowledge/customer support, look for independent quilt/fabric shops that have a good online presence. Like AmyQuilts.com, my online shop.
A great place to not only learn, but to find a list of independent quilt shops is a FB group called "Nine Patch a Day" run by Karen Montgomery. She's a Jaftex brand ambassador, former quilt shop owner, a fabulous quilting instructor (a little traditional for some in fabric taste), a Creative Grids Ruler designer, and runs an educational retreat for shop owners- Sewposium. There's about 55 shops she works with including me. All of these cooperating shops have online stores, run special programs, and are committed to customer service. (If they don't do good customer service, they don't get to stay a "Sewposium shop" for long!)
I know pricing is usually a main concern, but it's nearly impossible to have quality products, knowledgeable suppliers, and good employees to help, without paying a bit more. What's that old slogan? "We cost a bit more, but we're worth it!"
What do you think? Am I off base? Be kind, but let me know in the comments.
Happy stitching,
