Small Bay Area craft stores hope to fill gap after Joann closures announced

Retailers struggle to keep stores open

Briona Arradondo reports.

BRANDON, Fla. - Known as a one-stop shop for crafting needs, many Tampa Bay area crafters are going to have to find a new haven to find fabric and other supplies following the closure of all Joann locations.

Joann, formerly known as Joann Fabrics and Crafts, is the latest big box store to go out of business due to changing shopping habits, shuttering all 800 locations across the country. On Thursday, customers visited the location in Brandon after hearing from friends and relatives that all locations will close in a matter of months.

What they're saying:

"She says ‘did you know that they’re closing all of them down?’ And ‘I’m like ahh man,’" said Mishelle Delfrate, a Wimauma resident who shops at Joann for sewing and scrapbooking supplies. "The fact that it’s a fabric store, and it’s not like Michael’s, which is more of a crafting store. It’s like, ‘where do I go now?’"

Carmen Wilson owns Gigi’s Fabric Shop in Brandon, and Joann holds a special place in her heart.

"To be honest with you, I was keeping my fingers crossed that they weren’t going to close the stores," said Wilson, who has run Gigi’s for about 13 years. "I remember back in 9th grade, whoa that was a long time ago, actually going there to get my fabric needs when I first started sewing. I’m a customer as well, so it really makes me sad to see that we won’t be able to have that anymore."

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Dig deeper:

Economic experts said it’s the latest example of the pandemic accelerating the impact of online shopping.

"We've been analyzing the shift from brick and mortar to online shopping for quite a while now. So one of the biggest items that the consumer prefers really to the convenience and accessibility," said Seckin Ozkul, an assistant professor and director of the Supply Chain Innovation (SCI) Lab at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. "The consumer behaviors are also changing, so we are seeing more and more different demographics shopping online. Again, going after the convenience of shopping online, the safety in some demographics of shopping online because they don't want to go face to face with people."

Local perspective:

Some crafting stores like Gigi’s started offering both to the local community.

"The industry is shifting to that online store and that’s where JukiJunkies.com comes in. We actually ask our customers, call us. We’ll coordinate for you," said Wilson.

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As the clock ticks down on aisles emptying out, residents and small business owners are trying to figure out alternatives.

"I have no clue. I was trying to think about that earlier. I have no idea what I’m going to do. So, I’m just trying to buy as much as I need now," said Elissa Milanes, a Riverview resident and dog groomer who makes dog bandannas for her clients.

Some customers expressed concerns about the options they’ll be left with at other brick-and-mortar stores.

"There are independent places, but they have small stocks, and it’s not a good variety of things. So, I don’t know what’s going to replace Joann’s, because it’s the spot I go to for fabrics," said Delfrate.

Wilson hopes the closures will open up opportunities for small businesses to fill that gap. She said she is expanding the options at her store.

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"We offer our high-end fabrics, but I’ve also been thinking ‘well, maybe I need to start offering a larger variety of different things.’ I don’t know what that’s going to be, but I know I’ve been studying, thinking about it," said Wilson. "I’m hoping that I can provide that for the community, so that we can fill that gap where Joann’s is now that they’re closing."

She’s encouraging those customers to support local crafting businesses for the one-on-one experiences that big box stores don’t provide.

"It’s no longer like shop in person, which is really sad, but I’m happy to know that we still have this store where our local community can come and feel and touch that fabric in person," said Wilson.

What you can do:

Wilson said some of her customers are now seeing fake Joann websites with steep discounts, so be aware of scammers and check the website domain for authenticity to protect yourself. If you have a Joann gift card, the stores are accepting them through Friday.

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