Struggling fabric and crafts seller Joann plans to close about 500 of its stores across the U.S. — or more than half of its current nationwide footprint.
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Joann, the bankrupt fabrics retailer, is closing 500 of its 800 stores. Here are the Bay Area locations
The move, announced Wednesday, arrives at a tumultuous time for Joann. Last month, the Hudson, Ohio-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time within a year, with the company pointing to issues like sluggish consumer demand and inventory shortages.
Joann currently operates around 800 stores across 49 states. The initial list of the locations it’s looking to close can be found on the company’s restructuring website. They span 45 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
When the stores will shut down and how many employees will be impacted remains to be seen. A motion the retailer filed Wednesday seeks court permission to begin the process.
Below are the states where the 15 Bay Area stores targeted for closure are located.
245 Tamal Vista Blvd 94925 Corte Madera CA
1948 S El Camino Real 94403 San Mateo CA
Walnut St 94063 Redwood City CA
B Willow Pass Road 94520 Concord CA
300 El Cerrito Plz 94530 El Cerrito CA
Amador Plaza Road 94568 Dublin CA
699 Lewelling Blvd Suite 230 94579 San Leandro CA
423 Westlake Center (Second Level) 94015 Daly City CA
19765 Stevens Creek Blvd 95014 Cupertino CA
225 Tennant Sta 95037 Morgan Hill CA
3620 Industrial Dr 95403 Santa Rosa CA
425 Rohnert Park Expy W 94928 Rohnert Park CA
2210 Daniels St 95337 Manteca CA
10916-B Trinity Parkway 95219 Stockton CA
2051 Harbison Dr 95687 Vacaville CA
What led to the announcement of these closures?
Joann previously sought Chapter 11 in March 2024 and later emerged as a private company. But after operational challenges continued to pile up, Joann filed for bankruptcy again in January. It’s now looking to sell the business — and maintained in a filing Wednesday that closing “underperforming” locations is necessary to complete that process.
Joann’s roots date back to 1943, with a single storefront in Cleveland, Ohio. And the retailer later grew into a national chain. Formerly known as Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the company rebranded itself with the shortened “Joann” name for its 75th anniversary.
Both of Joann’s bankruptcy filings seen over the last year arrived amid some slowdowns in discretionary spending — notably with consumers taking a step back from at-home crafts, at least relative to the early COVID-19 pandemic boom. Joann has also faced rising competition in the crafts space from rivals like Hobby Lobby, as well as from larger retailers, like Target, who now offer ample art supplies and kits.
And, while Joann turned to implementing a new business plan after emerging from bankruptcy last spring, company leaders said that the company was back in debt after unanticipated inventory challenges and a slow retail economy, among other challenges.
