The entity itself is not shuttering, though eight stores are in the midst of closing.
Author’s Note
This article is based on corporate postings and accredited media reports. Linked information within this article is attributed to the following outlets: CBS8.com, FootwearNews.com, Twitter.com, and WMAR2News.com.
Introduction
I have written previously about the JOANN Fabric and Craft chain for NewsBreak. My December 8th article, “JOANN Stores Permanently Closing Multiple Locations. What This Means For the Struggling Company,” is particularly relevant to this current piece due to addressing a spate of upcoming store closures and rumors regarding the long-term health of the company itself.
My article excerpted a recent CBS8.com report that directly refuted those rumors. Titled “No, JOANN Fabric Isn’t Going Out of Business or Closing Most of its Stores,” the report stated: JOANN “has no plans to close its physical stores,” despite “unfounded reports” that the company is doing so, Shauntina Lilly, the company’s public relations manager, told VERIFY in an email. A manager at a JOANN store in Spokane, Washington, also confirmed that the store isn’t going out of business and doesn’t have any plans to close. The company is expected to close eight out of its more than 800 stores throughout the country over the next three months, and some team members who work at those closing stores may receive severance packages, Lilly added.
Lily went on to state: “In alignment with standard brick and mortar business processes, JOANN closes stores occasionally while simultaneously investing in, and opening brand new stores to best meet the needs of our customers,” Lilly wrote in an email.
The eight closures in question have begun, and nothing appears to have changed as far as the company’s stance on the matter.
Let us explore further.
JOANN Fabric and Craft, 2023
FootwearNews.com, in its piece titled “Jo-Ann Fabric Will Close Stores in 2023: Here Are the Locations & Why Jo-Ann Isn’t Going Out of Business,” listed two of the locations presently in the midst of closing:
Keene, New Hampshire: 401 West St., Keene, NH 03431
Bridgeport, West Virginia: 2399 Meadowbrook Mall Rd., Bridgeport, WV 26330
WMAR2News.com has listed a further closure in Maryland: JOANN fabrics and crafts store is closing its Cockeysville store this month, and the building is set to be replaced by an Aldi supermarket. JOANN confirmed that its last day of business at the Church Lane Center, on York Road near Cranbrook Road, is Jan. 15.
In response to a Twitter query to make public a list of locations that are closing, a JOANN Fabric and Craft representative responded with the following: Hi! There is not a list of stores that is closing in January. Any store closures that we have planned are part of our normal business evaluation process. We are definitely not going out of business or having any mass store closures.
As the other upcoming closures are individually confirmed by the company, they will be listed in a followup.
Conclusion
Nothing has changed since my prior article on the company as far as long-term intent. As of press time, JOANN Fabric and Craft is adamant it is remaining in business, and the reasons behind the stores announced as closing are strategic in nature.
In the event of pertinent updates on the matter, I will share them here on NewsBreak.
Thank you for reading.
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