LAKEMORE, Ohio — After picking up yarn for her latest sweater crochet project at Joann in Lakemore, Melissa Claus of Tallmadge had to wonder how many more times she'll be able to shop at the store she loves.
"I like the store because you can actually go and feel the products," Claus said.
Joann announced the Lakemore location is among several of its Northeast Ohio stores that will be closing. Other Joann stores on the list are in Bath, Hudson (on Joann's headquarters campus), Medina, North Olmsted, Mayfield Heights, East Liverpool, New Philadelphia, Niles and Youngstown.
"I was very upset. I shared it on Facebook. I was texting my friends saying I was in mourning," Claus said.
Jody Tomei of Akron feels the loss of so many local Joann stores will be especially difficult for older customers who enjoy buying fabrics, arts and crafts.
"A lot of older ladies come here and they quilt. They make things and give away blankets for the children's hospital," Tomei said.
Joann representatives declined requests from News 5 for on-camera interviews.
However, the Hudson-based company released a statement indicating the decision to close about 500 stores nationwide was part of "the ongoing Chapter 11 process and our efforts to maximize the value of the business."
The state also 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. A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time. Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the past path forward for JOANN."
Economist Amanda Weinstein said the closures are hard to stomach, given the fact that the company started as a single storefront in Cleveland, became Joann Fabrics in the 60s, and grew over time with more than 800 stores across the country.
"Losing the local stores means that you're going to lose the jobs associated with them, so not only do the jobs go away, but it also then means you have vacant storefronts," Weinstein said.
Weinstein believes Joann needs to focus on enhancing online options and restructuring for the stores that remain open.
"It could be a buyer. It could be some big changes, kind of making those changes— either through a buyer or through the company itself— figuring out how to increase presence in their stores," Weinstein said.
Whether the company with a more than 80-year history is sold, as Joann is attempting, remains to be seen.
In January, News 5 reported that the company filed paperwork with the state warning that more than 1,000 people could lose their jobs at the distribution center and headquarters in Hudson if no one buys Joann.
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"There's definitely a fear that the company as a whole will eventually go down and will see the employees go out with it," Weinstein said.
Shoppers like Claus hope there is no further job loss, but she was saddened by conversations she had with employees at the Lakemore store.
"They haven't been told anything. They found out the same way we found out, on the news," Claus said.
