SALT LAKE CITY — Annette Malen has been a loyal customer at Joann for nearly 30 years. So when she heard the store was closing its doors for good, it hit her hard.
“I felt really sad. This place is always buzzing with people,” she said while browsing for fabric and thread for a knitting project. “My mom and daughter called me today with the news. We all loved shopping here.”
The announcement came after Joann, based in Hudson, Ohio, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time this year, citing low demand and inventory issues. Initially, the company had promised to keep its stores open.
Earlier this month, however, Joann revealed plans to shut down 500 stores, over half of its locations. On Sunday, it confirmed that a financial firm, GA Group, had won a bid to buy Joann’s assets and would start closing down the business.
Utah boasts 13 Joann stores, from Logan to St. George, and as expected, shoppers flocked to the Millcreek store on Tuesday.
Jaiden Robinson, who grew up crafting with her family, shared her sadness about the closure. “It’s really heartbreaking. Joann is the best spot for fabric,” she said. “There’s nothing that compares to it.”
Despite her sadness, Robinson remains hopeful that another store might take Joann’s place in the future. “My first reaction was, ‘Maybe I need to open a fabric store myself,’” she joked, adding that she often shops at Joann for items like banners and sewing supplies.
According to its website, Joann’s stores, online shop, and mobile app will continue to operate during the going-out-of-business sales, with more details on closures to come. The final sales process is expected to take several weeks.
Joann had previously filed for bankruptcy in March 2024 and managed to operate as a private company afterward. However, ongoing challenges led to this recent closure announcement.
In a statement on its website, Joann’s leadership expressed regret: “We did everything possible to find a better solution to keep the company running.” They vowed to work closely with the new bidders to ensure a smooth wind-down process.
Even in today’s online shopping world, many Joann customers will miss the personal touch of shopping in-store. Malen explained, “You can’t beat seeing colors in person. I’ve bought yarn online, but sometimes it feels like a gamble on the shades you’ll receive. I’m really surprised they couldn’t find a way to streamline their operations instead of closing.”
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