As many crafty people will know, JOANN Fabric and Crafts is the go-to place for people looking to create artwork or  a dress from a few yards of fabric and thread. 

The word fabric in the store’s name, references the vast inventory of patterns they stock, along with the sewing classes offered, as well as  enough yarn to be a cat’s heaven. 

JOANN has been a mainstay among other craft stores like Micheal’s and Hobby Lobby since they opened in 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Unfortunately, as many businesses will know, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown has been very difficult to stay afloat in, with people preferring to order things online and  not going to in-person stores that aren’t essential.. 

“I only come maybe a couple of times a year or so,” said Maddie Freeze, a customer of the Silverdale JOANN location. She did state that her mother used to come often, but she herself only comes a few times a year, showing there is a generational gap in the clientele of the store.

Craft stores like JOANN are not able to keep the same busy clientele base as a grocery store or pharmacy, since those carry more necessities.  People will visit those stores more often than JOANN’s and the like, craft stores see sparser visits by customers like Freeze or Summer Beck, another customer of the Silverdale JOANN, but she only comes “about once a month”. 

Since fabrics are one of the main things JOANN offers in stores along with sewing machines and patterns, it was a good place to buy supplies for making clothing when it opened in the early 1940s. However, since fast fashion has boomed along with the ability to order clothing in seconds, the cost of fabric can now be more expensive than buying a SHEIN dress for 15 dollars.

Since the cost of making yards of fabric and the time that goes into creating a garment, it’s less time consuming to fill a closet with cheap clothing from H&M or FOREVER 21. This however does create wasted clothing since these garments are made quickly and low quality, causing them not to hold up long term. 

 In Silverdale there is a lot of competition for the local JOANN since there is also a Micheals and newly opened Hobby Lobby all within a short driving distance. However,  some customers still frequent JOANN.

“Other craft stores don’t really have what JOANN has, or Hobby Lobby is closed on Sunday so I had to come here,” Freeze added. 

JOANNis a multigenerational place for some people as well. Older people whose mothers were making clothes and knitting in times where it was more affordable to do so rather than buying clothes. Even those in Gen X could have mothers who sewed and knitted using supplies that were bought from JOANN. 

“I’ve been sewing since I was a kid, as long as Joanns has been around,” said Chris Holtz, a lifetime customer of the Gig Harbor JOANN. She uses both the Silverdale and Gig Harbor locations. 

If you are a person who is interested in creating things with fabric or taking on a new hobby, try and go now while brick and mortar stores are still able to compete with the convenience of online shopping. You can visit and browse your own small fabric district and make something unique while there is still time.