14-02-2025
Canton crafter impacted by closure of Joann Fabrics: "I'm out of business"
Fabric and crafts retailer Joann Fabrics filed for a second bankruptcy this week, announcing the closure of nearly 500 stores nationwide.
More than 30 stores in Michigan, including a handful of stores in Metro Detroit, are set to close.
The store in Novi is expected to close. When it will close remains to be seen. However, many crafters rely on it, including one local business owner in Canton who says this closure seriously impacts her business.
Since 2018, Nancy Anderson has crafted coats for canines, specifically greyhounds and great Danes.
"It began when I adopted my first greyhound. I started making coats for them, and it grew into a business where I realized, 'My gosh, I was making a lot of money from it,'" said Anderson.
It was a hobby that became a blossoming business called UpTown Hound Apparel, an online Canton-based company that took off globally.
"I celebrated when I had 500 customers. Then all of a sudden, next time I'm looking, I'm at like 2,800 people. All over the United States I've shipped. Ireland and to Germany and the U.K. and Canada," Anderson said.
She gets all the supplies Anderson uses, primarily fabric, from Joann Fabrics.
"Heck, I'm at Joann Fabrics five days a week. I really am. Buying pieces and parts," she said.
News of the retailer filing bankruptcy and closing hundreds of stores, including many in Metro Detroit, has devastated Anderson, whose business relies on the materials she can only get from the retailer.
"The inside fabric, the solid ones, you can't even get those anywhere else. I've tried other stores; I've tried everything. I'm kind of like feeling like I'm out of business," Anderson said.
Anderson is now stocking up on supplies and customer orders while the future of her business continues to loom.
"I mean, I'm going to have to eventually just close it down," said Anderson.
