Joann, the national retailer known for its extensive fabrics and craft offerings, is looking to close over 500 stores across the nation, including the Dickson City location in Lackawanna County.
That store is one of 33 the chain seeks to close in Pennsylvania as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The full list can be found here.
Among the other Pennsylvania stores eyed for closure are locations in Selinsgrove, State College, and Whitehall in the Lehigh Valley.
This is the chain's second bankruptcy filing in less than a year.
In March 2024 Joann — formerly known as Jo-Ann Fabrics —
filed for bankruptcy in a restructuring deal that made the chain a private company and delisted it from the Nasdaq stock exchange, NPR reported. That came just three years after the Ohio-based company went public in March 2021.
Its fortunes have ebbed and flowed with the nation's economy.
Prior to going public in 2021 Joann reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that "the COVID-19 pandemic had spurred growth in the sewing and broader crafting industry, with people across the U.S. fashioning their own masks and using the additional time at home for DIY pursuits," NPR reported. But by the fall of 2023 a sales slump prompted the following year's restructuring.
The latest bankruptcy proceeding got underway in January of this year.
If the court approves its request, Joann would close 533 of its 800 U.S. stores.
"Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for Joann," a restructuring website for the company states.
— Roger DuPuis