The popular fabric and craft retailer Joann is set to permanently close more than half of its stores nationwide. Among the stores that will be closed down, seven are in Metro Atlanta. The closures follow the company’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2025 for the second time in less than a year.
Joann filed a court motion to start the closures on Wednesday, February 12. The retailer operates more than 800 stores and around 500 of those stores in 49 states will be closed down. Although the company has not announced the list of stores that will be closed, court filings reveal the details.
Highlights
- Joann will be closing down 500 stores across the country, 7 in Metro Atlanta.
- The company filed for bankruptcy for a second time in January 2025.
- Atlanta will have a few stores that are not currently part of the list of stores closing down.
Joann Stores Closing Down in Atlanta
Metro Atlanta will have several Joann stores closing down soon. The list of the stores that will most likely be closing down soon in the area is given below:
- 9439 Highway 5, Douglasville
- 2255 Pleasant Hill Road, Ste. 200, Duluth
- 965 N. Point Drive, Alpharetta
- 1630 Scenic Hwy. N., Ste. O, Snellville
- 250 Pavilion Pkwy., Fayetteville
- 1380 Dogwood Drive, Conyers
- 540 A Lakeland Plaza, Cumming
Notably, the Kennesaw and Decatur stores are not currently on the list. A total of 12 stores will be closed down in the state of Georgia.
The company is yet to announce when exactly the stores will be closed down. It is also not clear whether the affected stores will be offering closing sales.
Joann has been in business for over 80 years, serving sewists, quilters, crocheters, crafters, and other creative enthusiasts. It had previously filed for Chapter 11 in March 2024 but came out of it a few weeks later as a private company and was able to keep all the stores open.
The decision to choose the stores that will be closed is made after careful analysis of the store’s performance, the company said in a statement. The states that will see the most number of closures are California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Hawaii will not have stores closing down.
There has been no official announcement of the number of jobs that will be lost in the process. But, given the scale of the closures, a significant number of job losses are expected. At least some customers may face difficulty procuring craft supplies as the stores close down. A spokesperson for Joann said, “This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our team members, our customers, and all of the communities we serve.”
The retail landscape in the US is changing fast. Changes in consumer behavior with the rise of online shopping have significantly impacted retail businesses. The rate of retail closing is expected to speed up in the coming months and years.
