If you walked into JOANN for “just one spool of thread” and somehow left with fabric, yarn, faux flowers, glitter glue, and a mysterious bag of buttons, you are not alone. For generations of quilters, sewists, crocheters, teachers, theater parents, costume makers, and weekend craft warriors, JOANN was less of a store and more of a creative emergency room. Need fleece at 8 p.m.? JOANN. Need a zipper for a dress due tomorrow? JOANN. Need one more skein because you lost yarn chicken? Definitely JOANN.
So when shoppers began asking, “Which JOANN stores are closing?” the answer changed quicklyand dramatically. At first, the company planned to close roughly 500 locations during its 2025 bankruptcy process. Then came the bigger update: JOANN would close all of its U.S. stores and go out of business. In other words, this was not a small trim of underperforming locations. It became a full liquidation of the longtime fabric and crafts retailer.
This guide explains what happened, which locations were affected, why the closures unfolded, and what shoppers should know about the final JOANN store closing list.
Quick Answer: Are All JOANN Stores Closing?
Yes. JOANN ultimately closed all of its remaining U.S. stores as part of its 2025 bankruptcy liquidation. The chain had roughly 800 stores across 49 states when it entered its second Chapter 11 process in January 2025. Although the company initially hoped to keep operating under new ownership, the sale process did not produce a buyer willing to preserve the store network. The result was a nationwide shutdown.
That means the “full list of JOANN stores closing” is simple in one sense: every JOANN store was part of the closure. However, there were multiple waves. First came a court filing listing hundreds of stores targeted for closure. Later, the remaining locations were added to the wind-down plan, with going-out-of-business sales running until the last stores closed.
Why Did JOANN Close?
JOANN’s closure was not caused by one lonely bolt of unsold gingham. The company faced a stack of problems that would make even the most patient crafter reach for the seam ripper.
1. A Second Bankruptcy in Less Than a Year
JOANN filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2025, less than a year after a previous restructuring. The earlier bankruptcy helped reduce debt, but it did not fix the company’s deeper operating problems. When JOANN returned to bankruptcy court, it carried hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and faced pressure from landlords, suppliers, lenders, and shoppers who had changed how they buy craft supplies.
2. Inventory Shortages and Supply Chain Trouble
For a craft retailer, inventory is the whole show. If a customer comes in for yarn, thread, batting, interfacing, fabric, paint, or floral supplies and finds empty shelves, that shopping trip can quickly turn into a search elsewhere. JOANN said supply issues and unpredictable deliveries hurt its ability to serve customers as a reliable one-stop shop.
3. Inflation and Changing Shopping Habits
Crafting had a pandemic-era boom, but the afterglow did not last forever. Inflation made shoppers more careful, competition increased, and online shopping became even more normal. Specialty retailers with large store footprints were hit especially hard because rent, payroll, shipping, and inventory costs kept rising.
4. No Buyer to Keep the Chain Alive
JOANN entered bankruptcy hoping a buyer might rescue the business or at least keep a smaller version operating. But after the auction process, the winning bidders were tied to liquidation rather than a store-saving turnaround. That changed the story from “hundreds of JOANN stores are closing” to “all JOANN stores are closing.”
JOANN Store Closing Timeline
Here is the simplified timeline shoppers needed to know:
- January 2025: JOANN filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a year.
- February 2025: The company sought permission to close about 500 stores as part of its restructuring efforts.
- Late February 2025: JOANN announced that all stores would close after the bankruptcy auction failed to produce a buyer that would keep the chain operating.
- Spring 2025: Going-out-of-business sales expanded across the country.
- Late May 2025: The remaining JOANN stores completed the wind-down.
- June 2025: Michaels announced it had acquired JOANN’s intellectual property and private-label brands, including Big Twist, but not JOANN’s physical stores.
Which JOANN Stores Are Closing? The Full Location Answer
The most important update is this: JOANN’s liquidation affected every store, not just a limited set of locations. Early closure lists included hundreds of stores across the country, while later lists covered the remaining locations still open during the final sale period.
The final publicly reported remaining-store list included 444 locations in 45 states. Large states such as California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Washington had especially long lists of remaining stores before the final closures.
State-by-State Overview of JOANN Store Closures
Because the final shutdown applied nationwide, the following list organizes affected areas by state and highlights markets that appeared in the final closure reporting. In states with many stores, multiple cities or shopping centers were affected.
| State | JOANN Locations and Markets Affected |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Mobile, Hoover, Huntsville and other Alabama locations were included in the wind-down. |
| Alaska | Juneau appeared among the final remaining locations; Anchorage and Soldotna were also part of earlier closure waves. |
| Arizona | Gilbert, Mesa, Avondale, Bullhead City, Tucson, Queen Creek, Peoria, Flagstaff, Phoenix and Prescott were among affected markets. |
| Arkansas | Fayetteville was among the affected JOANN markets. |
| California | Sacramento, Concord, San Jose, Clovis, Thousand Oaks, Buena Park, San Diego, Chico, Vacaville, Irvine, Temecula, Redding, Roseville, San Leandro, Visalia, Torrance, Oceanside, Stockton, Fresno and many more California stores were included. |
| Colorado | Littleton, Lakewood, Centennial, Grand Junction, Loveland, Fort Collins, Westminster, Colorado Springs and Aurora were affected. |
| Connecticut | Norwich, Newington, Enfield, Southington, Manchester and Torrington were among impacted locations. |
| Delaware | Newark and Dover were included. |
| Florida | Tampa, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg, Ocala, Panama City, Naples, Jensen Beach, Altamonte Springs, Fort Myers, Bradenton, Pensacola, Orlando, Tallahassee, Sarasota, Kissimmee, Tavares and Yulee were among affected markets. |
| Georgia | Decatur, Gainesville, Alpharetta, Athens, Columbus and Kennesaw were listed among affected locations. |
| Idaho | Nampa, Pocatello, Boise and Twin Falls were included. |
| Illinois | Rockford, Arlington Heights, Moline, Algonquin, Naperville, Countryside, Orland Park, Bloomington, Geneva, Chicago, Springfield, Fairview Heights, Vernon Hills, Bloomingdale, Darien and Peoria were affected. |
| Indiana | Clarksville, Terre Haute, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Muncie, Merrillville, Bloomington, Lafayette, Mishawaka, Avon, Schererville, Evansville, Greenwood, Goshen and Fort Wayne were included. |
| Iowa | Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Clive, Davenport and Iowa City were listed. |
| Kansas | Topeka, Shawnee, Wichita and Overland Park were affected. |
| Kentucky | Florence, Louisville and Lexington were among affected stores. |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Metairie were included. |
| Maine | Waterville, Bangor, Portland and Topsham were affected. |
| Maryland | Westminster, Columbia, Parkville, Hagerstown and Frederick were included. |
| Massachusetts | Burlington, Raynham, Saugus, Middleton, East Walpole, Hanover, Seekonk, Westford, Milford, Shrewsbury, North Attleboro, Pittsfield and Natick were listed. |
| Michigan | Portage, Comstock Park, Mount Pleasant, White Lake, Roseville, Lansing, Taylor, Benton Harbor, Norton Shores, Midland, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, Grandville, Traverse City, Flint, Madison Heights, Brighton, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Novi, Canton, Jackson and Ypsilanti were affected. |
| Minnesota | Coon Rapids, Mankato, Elk River, Alexandria, Maplewood, Brainerd, Minnetonka, Apple Valley, Roseville, Saint Cloud, Maple Grove, Edina, Rochester and Woodbury were included. |
| Missouri | Columbia, Ballwin, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Joplin, Springfield, Independence and St. Peters were affected. |
| Montana | Kalispell, Billings, Bozeman, Missoula and Great Falls were listed. |
| Nebraska | Lincoln and Omaha were included. |
| Nevada | Las Vegas, Reno and Henderson were affected. |
| New Hampshire | Newington, Concord and Nashua were listed. |
| New Jersey | Colonia, Lawrenceville, Shrewsbury, Deptford, Riverdale, Mays Landing, Paramus, Toms River, Mount Laurel, Cherry Hill and Succasunna were affected. |
| New Mexico | Albuquerque and Farmington were included. |
| New York | Williamsville, Westbury, Blasdell, Clay, Queensbury, New Hartford, Fayetteville, Horseheads, Penfield, Amherst, Canandaigua, Hudson, Bohemia, Vestal, Rochester, Albany and Scarsdale were listed. |
| North Carolina | Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh, Wilmington, Durham, Fayetteville, Morganton and Greensboro were affected. |
| North Dakota | Grand Forks, Minot and Fargo were included. |
| Ohio | Fairborn, Toledo, Cincinnati, Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Mayfield Heights, Youngstown, Akron, Mason, Medina, Athens, Dublin, Middleburg Heights, Mentor, Piqua, Elyria, Mansfield, North Olmsted, North Canton, Hudson and Dayton were affected. |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman were included. |
| Oregon | Clackamas, Oregon City, Albany, Corvallis, Grants Pass, Gresham, Salem, Eugene, Hillsboro, Bend, Roseburg, Springfield, Tigard and Ontario were listed. |
| Pennsylvania | North Wales, Cranberry Township, Pittsburgh, Downingtown, York, Quakertown, Dickson City, Warrington, Greensburg, Reading, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Fairless Hills, Edwardsville, Whitehall, Monroeville, Tarentum, Lancaster and Lemoyne were affected. |
| Rhode Island | Warwick was included. |
| South Carolina | Myrtle Beach, West Columbia and Spartanburg were affected. |
| South Dakota | Sioux Falls was included. |
| Tennessee | Murfreesboro, Germantown, Mount Juliet, Madison, Chattanooga, Franklin and Knoxville were listed. |
| Texas | Bryan, Webster, Sugar Land, Midlothian, McKinney, Lubbock, Houston, Tyler, San Antonio, Katy, Waco, Beaumont, Humble, Fort Worth, Dallas, Plano, Amarillo, El Paso, Austin, Round Rock, Spring, Lewisville, Frisco and Denton were affected. |
| Utah | Tooele, Washington, Spanish Fork, Clinton, Logan, Cedar City, Vernal, Centerville, Draper and Riverdale were included. |
| Vermont | South Burlington was listed. |
| Virginia | Woodbridge, Roanoke, Winchester, Fredericksburg, Midlothian, Sterling, Fairfax, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville and Chesapeake were affected. |
| Washington | Mount Vernon, Olympia, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Bellingham, Lynnwood, Federal Way, Tacoma, Shoreline, Kennewick, Yakima, Vancouver, Arlington, Port Orchard, Silverdale and Tukwila were listed. |
| Wisconsin | Oshkosh, Menomonee Falls, Eau Claire, Sheboygan Falls, Racine, Janesville, Onalaska, Wisconsin Dells, Appleton, Brookfield, Madison, Lake Geneva, Wausau, Green Bay, Greenfield and Dunbar were affected. |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne was included. |
What Happened to JOANN Gift Cards, Sales and Online Shopping?
During the liquidation period, shoppers saw deep discounts on fabric, yarn, sewing machines, craft supplies, storage, floral items, home decor and even store fixtures. However, liquidation sales are not the same as normal retail promotions. Inventory changes quickly, coupons often stop applying, return policies tighten, and gift card deadlines can arrive sooner than customers expect.
JOANN shoppers also had to be careful online. When a famous retailer closes, fake websites tend to pop up faster than glitter on a classroom floor. Scam sites often mimic the real brand, advertise impossible discounts, and pressure shoppers to buy quickly. A good rule for any liquidation sale is simple: verify the official website, avoid suspicious ads, and be extra careful with payment information.
Did Michaels Buy JOANN Stores?
Michaels did not buy JOANN’s physical store locations. What Michaels acquired was JOANN’s intellectual property and private-label brands, including the popular Big Twist yarn line. That means some familiar JOANN product names may live on, but the neighborhood JOANN store itself did not continue under the Michaels banner.
For shoppers, this matters because the future of fabric, yarn and sewing supplies will be more spread out. Some customers may shift to Michaels. Others may rely on independent quilt shops, local fabric stores, online fabric retailers, Etsy sellers, big-box retailers, warehouse clubs, or specialty suppliers for notions, batting, apparel fabric, quilting cotton and upholstery materials.
What JOANN’s Closure Means for Crafters
JOANN’s disappearance leaves a real gap, especially in communities where it was the only major fabric store nearby. Sewing is a hands-on hobby. Shoppers like to feel fabric weight, compare colors in person, check stretch, match thread, and ask whether a pattern really needs that many yards. Online shopping is convenient, but it cannot fully replace touching a bolt of fabric and whispering, “Yes, this one understands the assignment.”
The closure also affects teachers, small business owners, cosplayers, quilters, costume departments, church groups, theater programs and home decorators. For many people, JOANN was not just a place to shop. It was where last-minute projects were saved, holiday decorations were born, and ambitious Pinterest ideas either became masterpieces or very educational disasters.
How to Shop for Fabric and Craft Supplies After JOANN
Try Local Fabric and Quilt Shops
Independent fabric stores may cost more than chain retailers, but they often offer better service, curated materials and knowledgeable staff. For quilting cotton, garment fabric, longarm quilting referrals or pattern help, local shops can be surprisingly valuable.
Compare Online Fabric Retailers Carefully
When shopping online, read fiber content, width, weight, stretch percentage and return policies. If the project is important, order swatches first. A fabric that looks “soft ivory” on your screen may arrive as “aggressively beige with opinions.”
Watch for Craft Sections at Big Retailers
Michaels, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Target and other retailers may fill part of the gap, but selection varies by location. Some stores carry yarn and basic sewing notions; fewer offer the kind of broad fabric selection JOANN shoppers were used to.
Build a Basics Kit
If your local JOANN closed, keep essentials at home: black and white thread, needles, measuring tape, pins, seam ripper, elastic, interfacing, basic zippers, fabric scissors, rotary blades, glue sticks, felt, batting scraps and a small stash of emergency fabric. Future-you will be grateful, especially at 10 p.m. before a school project is due.
Experiences and Lessons From the JOANN Store Closings
For many shoppers, the JOANN closing experience felt oddly emotional. On paper, it was a retail liquidation. In real life, it was walking through a store where the fleece section looked like it had been attacked by bargain-hunting wolves, the yarn wall had mysterious bald spots, and the cutting counter felt more like a farewell desk than a service area. The mood was part treasure hunt, part reunion, and part “why did I never buy that rotary mat when I had the chance?”
One common experience during the closing sales was the speed at which useful items disappeared. Decorative pieces and seasonal crafts might linger, but practical staples vanished quickly. Neutral thread, good scissors, quilting rulers, elastic, batting, interfacing, sewing machine needles and popular yarn weights were often among the first categories shoppers searched for. Anyone who waited for the final discount sometimes found a better price but a much smaller selection. Liquidation shopping is a game of timing, and unfortunately the rules are written in disappearing inventory.
Another lesson was that regular shopping habits no longer applied. Customers who were used to coupons, rewards and predictable weekly sales had to adjust to liquidation terms. Closing sales usually mean stricter return policies, changing discount levels and limited customer service options. The best approach was to inspect everything before buying: check fabric for stains, count skeins by dye lot, confirm that sewing machine boxes were complete, and make sure tools were not damaged. A 70 percent discount is exciting, but only if the item actually works.
The closures also reminded crafters how important in-person creative spaces can be. JOANN was where beginners asked basic questions without embarrassment, where experienced sewists hunted for one oddly specific shade of thread, and where families bought supplies for Halloween costumes, baby blankets, graduation decorations and holiday wreaths. Online stores can ship supplies, but they cannot fully replace the small confidence boost that comes from seeing materials in person.
For communities, the loss was practical as well as sentimental. When a JOANN closed in a smaller city, shoppers often had to drive farther or order online for basic supplies. That extra distance matters for seniors, teachers, parents, small-business makers and hobbyists who rely on quick access. A missing zipper can pause a repair. Missing felt can derail a classroom project. Missing yarn can delay a handmade gift. Tiny supplies have a funny way of becoming very important at the worst possible moment.
The best long-term response is to diversify your craft supply sources. Support local shops when possible, bookmark reliable online retailers, join local sewing or quilting groups, and trade extra materials with other makers. Many crafters already have a stash that could qualify as a small museum. Used wisely, that stash can become a community resource. JOANN may be gone, but the people who made things in its aisles are still here, still sewing, still crocheting, still painting, and still pretending they are only buying one thing.
Conclusion
So, which JOANN stores are closing? The final answer is all of them. What began as a plan to close about 500 stores turned into a complete nationwide liquidation after the company’s bankruptcy sale process failed to preserve the chain. The closures affected fabric lovers, crafters, small businesses, teachers and families across the United States.
JOANN’s name and some private-label brands may continue through Michaels, but the stores that served generations of makers are no longer operating. For shoppers, the next step is learning where to find fabric, yarn, sewing notions and craft supplies in a post-JOANN world. The craft table may look different now, but creativity is stubborn. Give it scissors, thread and a half-decent coupon, and it will find a way.