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What's Happened to Michael's? (rant)


greeneggs

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I know I've remarked on this before, and perhaps it is just the Michael's in my area but I've got to ask it again, what's happened to Michaels? I don't get in there that much anymore because I live and work in a different section of town but yesterday, after a doctors appointment I found myself right beside it.

 

Thinking I might stop in while I'm here and being lured in with a sign that read Baskets: 60% off (a crocheter can never have too many baskets!) I entered the store I thought WHOA! It was bad...very unorganized, stuff scattered every and a ton of Christmas merchandise. The baskets turned out to be Christmas ones.

 

I can remember just a few years ago Michael's being a glorious crafting hot spot. Who didn't run for the Sunday paper for those coveted 40% off coupons? Is it just this store that seems to be failing? I took a quick turn by the yarn and was blown away by the prices. The yarn was a good 20 to 30 cents higher than stores less than a mile away!

 

Perhaps it's just me but it seems like Michaels has begun to tarnish just a bit and that's sad. There just aren't that many stores left for us crafters! The only ones I've found in my area are Jo-Ann's and Wal-Mart and as we all know Wal-Mart has begun scaling back their craft sections.

 

UGH!

 

I think I need to start a support group: Crafter's with Limited Resources..heck perhaps I'll open my own craft store! Can anyone say unlimited yarn supply????? :yay

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I know how you feel. I live an hour from the nearest WalMart (that being the ONLY major superstore we have in our area)...so I did open my own yarn store...I love it.

 

No to highjack this thread, but where in WI is your yarn store and can I come play?

 

Sara

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That is sad. You should notify the company with your concerns. The condition of the store is the responsibility of the store manager and district manager in your area who is over the store manager. The ones we have here in North Texas are beautiful, neat and organized.

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That is sad. You should notify the company with your concerns. The condition of the store is the responsibility of the store manager and district manager in your area who is over the store manager. The ones we have here in North Texas are beautiful, neat and organized.

 

 

I think I will take your advice. You know, the thing that struck me is that there was no reason in the world for the store to look like that...there were so many employee's just mulling about. Honestly I've come to expect this from Wal-Mart and in fact because of that I don't shop there half as much as I did two years ago. Just sad to see it happening at other places. Glad to know this is just an exception and not a rule.

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My Michael's here in Utah is the same. I had my 4 year-old daughter with me and of course she had to use the bathroom and YUCK!!! :yuck It was disgusting. I just keep telling my daughter don't touch ANYTHING! And to top it off no soap! Ugh I will only go there to get a lighted hook when they have them in stock. I like JoAnn's now!:yes

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I've been kind of annoyed at Michael's myself. Half of the store is scrapbooking stuff. Nothing agaist scrapbooking (IMO i've had NO desire to try it, though) but the main focus of our Michael's seems to be scrapbooking.

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I think the lack of competition is apparent! They don’t care, because they don’t have to. Some Michael’s are a bit better then others. But in general JoAnn and Michael’s have just gone downhill.

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I've been kind of annoyed at Michael's myself. Half of the store is scrapbooking stuff. Nothing agaist scrapbooking (IMO i've had NO desire to try it, though) but the main focus of our Michael's seems to be scrapbooking.

 

The funny part is that my OTHER obsession is scrapbooking and I only shopat Michael's for yarn. All the scrap stuff they have is not what I am looking for and the selection at the ones here is atrocious. But the Michael's here is the only place that I can buy Bernat Cottontots (my favorite baby yarn) so I have to brave it once in a while.

 

Both of the stores here are less than 3 years old so they seem to be holding together fairly well, although I wish they would get something NEW in once in a while. Always the same old stuff....

 

Sara

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I think the lack of competition is apparent! They don’t care, because they don’t have to. Some Michael’s are a bit better then others. But in general JoAnn and Michael’s have just gone downhill.

 

 

Good point.

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My local Michael's was a mess the other day but there was a very good reason. They were getting ready for inventory,anyone who has ever been in retail will understand counting everything in the store causes quite a mess sometimes. I went back the very next day and everything was back to normal. Any time the rest rooms have been a problem I have told the cashiers. The response I get everytime is "Oh that is not our fault the customers are always messing it up." Um I'm a customer I did not 'mess' it up and it is up to your management to see that it is kept clean, after all it is a PUBLIC bathroom!

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I'm not keen on the michaels here either. I scrapbook, but their selection is so passe and over priced and the yarn is expensive. Our walmart doesn't have have a huge selection but the prices are so much cheaper.

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I have been in two of the Michaels, one by my home, one by my moms in a neighboring county, a few miles away from me. It seems that there is more floral and scrapbooking and cake decorating. Books are hard to come by and more cookbooks than I have seen in a while at a craft store.

 

The price of yarn is higher than AC Moore, which is also higher than Wal-mart. And one has more of a selection of RedHeart SuperSaver than the other one does. The Joanns are not that close to me so I don't go, unless I am in that area, which is very rare and the last time, I wasn't impressed with them either.

 

Seems like a good craft store is becoming extinct.

 

LI Roe

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I don't think they're too bad, but the Michael's near me isn't what it used to be. I love Joanns for fabrics, but not so much for yarn, and I'm not a huge Hobby Lobby fan.

I with there was an AC Moore here. They're the best for yarn, IMO.

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I'd have to agree with the suggestion about telling upper management. I've worked in retail for quite a while, and that is always the most effective tool.

 

I live a minimum of 15+ miles from any/all of the craft stores in the area. A.C. Moore, two Michaels, two JoAnn's and numerous WalMarts. My older Michaels is tattered, but not horrible(although I'll note the restrooms are BEAT) and while smaller, has the better yarn selection. Not bigger, just more varied. The newer one is clean, very organized (even during Christmas-such a chore) but lacking in variety. More room...just duplicates. Go figure.:shrug

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My nearest Michaels is pretty good. My biggest complaint is that the lighting is terrible. Trying to match colors is a real chore. It's usually clean and well stocked, primarily because they have lots of competition nearby. It is literally next door to Hobby lobby and one mile down the road from Joanns. My poor daughter gets stuck going to all three stores (whoohoo coupons!) whenever I have a chance. She calls Michaels "the yarn store". When we moved to this side of town I really lucked out.

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I know how you feel. I live an hour from the nearest WalMart (that being the ONLY major superstore we have in our area)...so I did open my own yarn store...I love it.

 

I wanna know where to come play also!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I think the lack of competition is apparent! They don’t care, because they don’t have to. Some Michael’s are a bit better then others. But in general JoAnn and Michael’s have just gone downhill.

 

 

Very good point. But I have to say I do like Jo-Ann's but I am also a seamstress and frankly, I haven't found a better source for fabric (in my area at least). I buy a lot of Caron yarn at Jo-Ann's because they do put it on sale a lot. I stocked up during the 1 pound for 4.99 sale! Fortunately I live right beside a Jo-Ann superstore and it is managed beautifully. Always clean, always organized and always very busy. Now the Jo-Ann's on the other side of town? Oh my..the mirror really does have two faces...this one is a smaller, older store and they've packed in soo much stuff! :eek I truly feel for the employees there, they are some good folks doing the best they can.

 

Wal-Mart....blah....right, at my store, the RHSS is $2.39....my Jo-Ann's it is $2.40. I'll by pass the rude employee's, the dirty stores and the 45 minute wait to check out and head right to Jo-Ann's any day.

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The Michaels by me totally stinks! They have the tiniest yarn section I've ever seen!

 

I'm a scrapbooker too and the selection completely stincks too. And, it's WAY over priced.

 

We have a Joann's too, and I think the prices are WAY too high. I only go in there if I'm looking for a specific item.

 

For me it's Hobby Lobby all the way! They have a HUGE yarn section, and sales all of the time.

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Where do I start with the Michael's near me?

The dark lighting? The small yarn section? The boxes in the isles for restocking? (Which they never seem to do) Oh I know, the workers constantly ignoring the patrons or saying I don't know where that is or even if we have it. They have better lighting over wicker baskets, than over the yarn.

Joann's is only better in the fact that the lighting is good and they very rearly have boxes in the isles for restocking. They would rather have an empty shelf.

I am to the point where I buy most of my supplies on the internet. How sad.

There is suppose to be an AC Moore being built on the other side of Tampa, but that doesn't help us over here.

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I always find, lately, that I end up leaving Michaels empty-handed. They never seem to have what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, the one large chain that ALWAYS has everything, AC Moore, is 45 minutes away from me. Their service blows Michaels' service out of the water, it's so good. But, sadly, they are a bit of a drive. Ironically, the LYSs are right nearby, but their prices tend to be steep. I don't mind shelling out a few bucks for yarn for a sweater, but an AFGHAN in expensive yarn??? That would be too astronomical...

 

Nowadays, I usually end up ordering on-line if I just need the cheaper yarn. The cost of shipping is STILL less than the money I'd spend in gas to get to the chains.

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Very good point. But I have to say I do like Jo-Ann's but I am also a seamstress and frankly, I haven't found a better source for fabric (in my area at least). I buy a lot of Caron yarn at Jo-Ann's because they do put it on sale a lot. I stocked up during the 1 pound for 4.99 sale! Fortunately I live right beside a Jo-Ann superstore and it is managed beautifully. Always clean, always organized and always very busy. Now the Jo-Ann's on the other side of town? Oh my..the mirror really does have two faces...this one is a smaller, older store and they've packed in soo much stuff! :eek I truly feel for the employees there, they are some good folks doing the best they can.

 

Wal-Mart....blah....right, at my store, the RHSS is $2.39....my Jo-Ann's it is $2.40. I'll by pass the rude employee's, the dirty stores and the 45 minute wait to check out and head right to Jo-Ann's any day.

 

 

I agree, the wal mart by my house is so bad, they even have an anouncement on the loud speaker apologizing for the condition of the store.

This has been going on for two years. I live close to LA and there are several nice Wal Marts in the area. This one is just so bad, dirty, overcrowded. I feel for the employees as the customers are pretty scary. There are long lines but not due to the workers. I feel the public has gotten totally out of hand with rudeness. They talk on their cell phone instead of taking care of their business and getting out of the store. I can’t even suggest a remedy to this issue. I live 5 minutes from ths walmart. Yet I drive 24 -45 minutes to the nicer ones. :eek

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