Latest news with #storeclosing
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lament for the IRL Craft Shop
On a trip to my local Joann craft-supply store recently, I felt a cheap thrill. An extremely cheap thrill. Huge signs posted on the front doors read STORE CLOSING and ENTIRE STORE 30%–70% OFF. One screamed NOTHING HELD BACK, which struck me as both desperate and alluring. I walked in and wandered up and down the picked-over aisles, skimming my fingers across the flannels, fleeces, silks, and satins. Buckets of yarn beckoned. I was even tempted to add a bathrobe, one of those items that places like Joann inexplicably stock alongside craft supplies, to my cart. And soon, in true Millennial fashion, I was lost in nostalgic reverie. When I was 10 or 11, I started a summer 'business' selling friendship bracelets to kids at the local swimming pool, the crafting equivalent of running a neighborhood lemonade stand. That diversion blossomed into a lifetime love of hand-making all sorts of things: blankets, clothes, bags, and many, many hot-glued monstrosities. Since then, I've spent countless hours in craft-supply stores of all kinds, including Joann, which this weekend was expected to finish closing all of its nearly 800 stores, after twice filing for bankruptcy. Joann's shutdown may sound trivial, or even inevitable—the chain is just the latest in a parade of stores that have marched to the graveyard of big-box brands. But many people in creative circles are worried about having fewer places to stock up. Over the past several decades, the expansion of chains such as Joann effectively snuffed out numerous mom-and-pop craft shops, and now many cities and towns may be left without easy, in-person access to a dedicated craft-supply store. This isn't the end of crafting, obviously. People still have Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Even Walmart and Target sell craft supplies, though hard-core crafters will point out, rightly, that those chains don't come close to offering the selection of fabric and other materials that Joann did. Smaller specialty shops exist, but their products tend to be more expensive. And yes, items can be ordered online, but that's always a gamble: Crafting is an intensely tactile experience, and when you can't see or touch supplies before buying them, the reality frequently fails to meet expectations. But the death of a reliable institution such as Joann isn't just about the demise of a business. Its closing creates ever more distance between materials and makers. Plenty of people aspire to indulge their creative side, yet some struggle mightily to find the space and time amid the pressures of day-to-day life. Joann, affordable and accessible, made all of that easier. Take it away, and people might not even try. [Read: Getting through a pandemic with old-fashioned crafts] Joann's disappearance also has, perhaps, an unintended consequence: the loss of yet another outlet for building customs and community, at a time when society could benefit from having more of both. Although crafting is frequently a solitary pursuit, even a kind of invisible labor, it can be a way to form deep, personal connections with other people. I've bonded with a friend at sewing class and spent a weekend with another making Christmas ornaments by covering plastic dinosaurs in Elmer's glue and dipping them in glitter. (Very fun, very messy.) Crafting is also, for many, a matter of family tradition. I learned to crochet from my mother, who was taught by her mother. When I crochet a blanket, I'm participating in, and perpetuating, a loving legacy. And the end result is something I can hold on to for years or even generations. One of my most treasured possessions is a pink, blue, and white afghan blanket my mother crocheted for me when I spent a winter in Chicago. Crafting isn't necessarily a frivolous pursuit (though it can be). Indeed, it occupies a storied place in America's cultural and political history. During the Revolutionary War era, the 'homespun' movement saw women spinning their own yarn as American colonists boycotted British imports. (One of the country's most famous creation myths—that Betsy Ross sewed George Washington's sketch of the first American flag—is of course a story of craft.) Sewing circles have long been a gathering space for political conversation, activism, and agitation. In 1846, Frederick Douglass wrote a thoughtful letter to an antislavery sewing circle in Massachusetts, most likely after its members had reached out to him regarding their interest in abolitionist movements. 'Craftivism' has also led to significant public displays. During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, thousands of people contributed panels to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, an homage to people who had died from the disease. In 2017, people knitted and wore pink 'pussy hats' at the Women's March on Washington. [Read: The forgotten everyday origins of 'craft'] For the talented and deeply dedicated, crafting can morph into a sustainable livelihood or be elevated to fine art. But it is also, quite simply, fulfilling. I don't know how many hours I've filled reading patterns and sewing (and tearing out) stitches. I've crafted so many handmade gifts: some truly beautiful, such as a cream-colored fisherman's afghan I loved so much, I was sad to give it away; and others, such as an uneven, lumpy quilt I sewed in my early 20s, that were cute at best. Ultimately, losing a store like Joann means losing two of crafting's most necessary elements: inspiration and serendipity. Feeling the weight of a particular yarn, seeing the subtlety of certain colors in certain lights, spotting a finished product on a shelf—these tangible interactions are what move many crafters to experiment with something new. This rich display of possibility is part of what makes crafting feel worthwhile. Which is why, as I tried many different projects over the years, to varying levels of success, I never felt bad about giving a new medium a go. It's also why, on my recent—and most likely last—trip to Joann, as I walked toward the checkout with several skeins of discounted yarn, I stopped and picked up a beginner's cross-stitching kit. Maybe now I'll finally master it. Article originally published at The Atlantic
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Definitely more demand for the stripes': Hudson's Bay closure spikes interest in iconic items
Demand for iconic Hudson's Bay items has spiked since the announcement all stores are closing. What might the future still hold for the brand?
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Customers not ready to say goodbye to Parkway Center Giant Eagle
Many shoppers aren't ready to say goodbye to their neighborhood Giant Eagle. The sound of rolling shopping carts and the sight of shoppers tossing groceries into their trunks will soon become a thing of the past at the Parkway Center Giant Eagle. "I'm sorry to see it go," said Nancy Best. "I'll miss it," said LaCreece Roston. After more than 40 years in business, the store is closing for good on June 28. The pharmacy will shut down on May 21. Life-long customers in Pittsburgh's Ridgemont neighborhood told KDKA on Friday that it's a shame they have to say goodbye to the store. "Our family has been in the area for 65 years, and we've been coming to this store since it's been open. So, you know the people," Best said. "I'm not happy about it. It's been here before the Parkway Center Mall was here. And it's been here for years, and I've lived in the area for almost 50 years," said Emily Rider. "I felt very sad because I've been going here since I was born, the store is older than I am. I was here whenever the old mall was here, so it was a big part of my childhood," said a shopper named Lindsey. A Giant Eagle spokesperson said it was not an easy decision, but it would've needed to invest too much money in the store and the surrounding development. "We live close, so it was really convenient and you missed a lot of traffic coming to this one," Roston said. "When they opened the other one, I thought this was just a matter of time. They're too close," Nancy Best said. The company said it believes its locations on Noblestown Road and in Crafton will serve Parkway Center customers well. Giant Eagle opened the store on Noblestown Road a few months ago. "Have to go to Noblestown Road, which is a little bit more of a drive. Not much further, but it is further. When my kids were young, they would walk up here," Rider said. "It's not too inconvenient with the new one, the new location, but we were just used to this one, used to the people, the personalities," Roston said. It's going to take shoppers some time getting used to a new grocery trip routine. "This one's more convenient, I like it here," Quincy said. When the grocery store's pharmacy closes later this month, Giant Eagle said customers can have their prescriptions transferred to any other location. The company said all 75 Parkway Center employees will also be offered jobs at nearby stores.
