From the title, you might think I’m not a dedicated sewist, but that’s not true. I went to Jo-Ann stores as a child with my mom and later worked there during college. Over the years, I’ve supported the company through my crafting, baking, home decorating, dressmaking, alterations, and costume making, totaling over 40 years. This article reflects on my experiences as a shopper and employee of this once-great retail giant in the crafting world.
A short history.
The fabric store chain began in 1943 as the Cleveland Fabric Shop in Cleveland, Ohio. I started visiting Jo-Ann with my mom in the 80s when I was exploring my creativity with latch hook kits, plastic beads for bracelets, and making doll clothes. At that time, there weren’t many locations in Michigan. We often drove to the Dearborn location or the Grosse Pointe Farms location when visiting my grandma, both near Detroit.
In the mid-90’s.
I worked in retail crafts while attending Wayne State University. I took sewing classes in high school, earned a Tailoring certification at Marygrove College, and made clothes for myself and others. When Jo-Ann Fabrics announced it was opening a two-level superstore in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, dressmakers and crafters were excited. The store was like a Meijer for crafters, being one of the first of its kind, featuring different departments and an entire upstairs for home decor.
While this was happening, I worked at a rival fabric store called Minnesota Fabrics, which was later bought by Hancock Fabrics. By the time Jo-Ann Fabrics opened, I had gained many sewing skills and customer experience. I was ready for a change, so I thought, “Why not apply?”
A trip down memory lane.
Shortly after I applied, I was hired in the home decorating department. The department was huge, with fabrics color-coded and grouped by type like sheers, wovens, and Sunbrella. The rows of selections seemed endless. Pillows and foam sold by the inch or foot were stored neatly on shelves. There were displays sent from corporate featuring curtains, pillows, and chairs made from popular collections like Waverly and Richloom. In the back, there was a small stockroom, a pattern area, and a classroom. A workspace for the floral designer overlooked the staircase, making it feel like a department store.
The downstairs of the store included a bridal fabric section, an apparel fabric section, a notions section, a floral section, a craft section, a framing section, and a Viking sewing machine dealer by the large staircase. The lower level also had a checkout area at the front and a wide stock room at the back, along with an elevator and two restrooms. You might be thinking, “Wow, they really had something special!” They did.
I’m sure corporate looked at the area’s demographics and thought the residents needed a store like this. However, most customers were from nearby middle to working-class neighborhoods. Many locals came to buy craft supplies for their kids’ school projects, ready-made Halloween costumes, or fabric to give to a seamstress for making clothes or home decor.
I remember a customer who changed her home decor every six months. During our 50% off sales, she would buy a lot of fabric for drapes, bedding, pillows, and more. She told me that she hid the fabric in her car until her husband was away, then brought it inside. I couldn’t understand how he didn’t notice the charges on his credit card or the changing decor from toile to floral to brocade. Maybe he just didn’t care. Regardless, she spent a lot of money in the store.
I worked mainly in the home decorating department and helped in the apparel cutting area as well. I was also trained to assist at the register when needed. The store was busiest during prom season, when home decorating fabrics were 50% off and around the holidays. We often had a line at the cutting counter and registers during those times. The four years (or so) I worked there were likely some of the highest in profits for the store due to various factors: it was new, fully staffed, there were plenty of kids in the area needing supplies for school projects, and it was before Y2K. I left the company in 2001.
The winds of change have begun to blow.
I believe the change in shopping habits started to shift once Amazon expanded into allowing 3rd party sellers on their platform. This opened the door for fabric and craft item manufacturers to reach a number of homes at the touch of a keyboard. Stores such as Walmart Supercenters added fabric to their craft department. Michaels, which was primarily arts and crafts, also added a small fabric area to their stores. Hobby Lobby has steadily expanded its way up North. Meijer, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General etc. all have substantial craft departments. I don’t want to discount the small business fabric and quilting shops that are nestled throughout the country as well. These shops have some of the best finds for unique fabrics, yarn and vintage buttons. There were far more shopping options that the customer didn’t have before. Options that were cheaper and more convenient. All of these competitors led to less foot traffic, less sales, and less employees for Jo-Ann.
Another factor that contributed to their decline is the rise of compulsive habits with electronics. Crafting requires attention to detail, but continuous scrolling through content on phones and computers consumes time. It also shortens the attention span due to the endless information. You can’t sew or craft an item in just one minute.
The last time I went in the store that I worked was back in 2019. I was in the area and needed a few notions, so I stopped in. The store had scaled down the home decorating fabric upstairs to accommodate all of the apparel fabric and notions. The downstairs was all of the floral and crafting items. It was dusty, overcrowded and underwhelming. I walked aisles before I saw an employee. A far cry from when I worked their many years ago.
As soon as the sale flyers stopped coming in the mail, 50% off coupons became rare, and home decorating fabrics rarely went on sale for over 40%, I knew the end was near. I noticed fewer people being hired who knew how to sew, and I often overheard frustration about the lack of sewing knowledge in stores. Luckily, I never had to ask questions, though I did correct an associate about 27 inches being 3/4 of a yard. When the yardage amounts were labelled right on the cutting counter. Most stores were operating with a skeleton crew, making it hard for them to keep up with recovery, with usually one cashier at locations I frequented and shelves in need of restocking. The worst I saw was a leaking roof with a makeshift solution that had persisted for years. The demise has been in the making for some time now.
Jo-Ann Fabrics was a public company listed on the American Stock Exchange as Fabri-Centers of America. They acquired various chains like Cloth World and House of Fabrics, becoming a retail giant for many years. Their idea of one-stop shopping for fabric and crafts was popular 30 years ago. However, times have changed. I cherish the memories of shopping there with my mom, visiting Peaches record store and Sanders ice cream shop afterward. I also remember the friendships made while working there in college and the heartfelt items I created for family and friends.
Thanks Jo-Ann.
