Regular Joann shoppers have seen it coming for some time now.
Empty shelves. Fewer employees. Reduced hours in some locations. Joann filing for bankruptcy last year and the company's announcement last week that more than half of the fabric and craft stores across the country would be closed did not come as a surprise.
"I went into a Joann's yesterday, and it literally looked like a tornado had gone through," an X user named Great Aunt Fermildahyde posted in January. "Piles of merchandise everywhere, but lots of empty shelves. Sale stuff was overflowing a bin and laying about on the floor. I got out of there as fast as I could."
On Bluesky, Kim Madsen said, "Shelves empty, out of stock on many craft etc, items. Few employees here. Sad. Not many 'craft/fabric' stores left."
According to the retailer's restructuring website, on Friday, Feb. 14, Joann received approval to begin closing about 500 of its 800 locations. California will be hit hard, losing 61 locations and retaining just 14 of 75 locations.
The struggling retailer filed for bankruptcy in March 2024 after securing around $132 million in new financing to put towards its $1 billion debt. The company stayed afloat then by choosing to go private. However, a rash of store closures followed before the company again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January to "facilitate a sale process to maximize the value of its business."
"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," Joann said in a statement to USA TODAY last week. "A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time."
When are the Joann stores closing? When do the going-out-of-business sales start?
Going-out-of-business sales were scheduled to begin Saturday, Feb. 15, Joann spokesperson Amanda Hayes told the USA TODAY Network. "We do not know how long they will run. Additionally, any timelines are subject to change and could shift on a store-by-store basis."
"We anticipate the store closures to occur over the next few months, although some stores may close within a shorter or longer time period," the restructuring site said.
Is Joann accepting Joann gift cards? Can I return purchases?
According to the restructuring site, Joann is currently not accepting gift cards. Discounts for Girl Scouts, teachers, military and healthcare are also paused.
Joann is not accepting returns.
Which Joann stores are closing in California?
According to Joann's restructuring website, the following California locations will be closing:
How many Joann stores will California have left?
Of the 75 locations in the state currently listed on the Joann website, only 14 were not named on the restructuring list, including Clovis, Covina, Modesto, Rancho Cucamonga, El Cajon, Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles, National City, San Jose, Visalia, Roseville, and Thousand Oaks.
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, contributed to this story.