What's going on at Michael's and Joann's???

[warmfuzzies]

Here's the scoop; I live in a small East Texas town......the only LYS are Walmart (with an increasingly diminished yarn inventory) and Hobby Lobby. I don't like to order yarn online for several reasons, so when I get the chance to go out of town (usually Dallas or Houston), I hit the local Michael's or Joann's (and I don't do this often, since either city is at least 130-175 miles from where I live). You can only imagine how excited I am to be able to shop at another place for yarn! Well......in the past month I've been on trips to both cities, and visited these stores, hoping to increase my stash, in general, and stock up on Paton's SWS, specifically. What a disappointment!!!!! Michael's has signs posted all over their yarn departments stating "watch for our new yarn department this spring" and Joann's inventory is abysmal......bin after empty bin.

 

Does anyone know what's going on???? Thanks for reading my rant......

 

Juli from Texas:eek

[heart]

My Michaels says the same thing with the signs, but they have went from 4 isles of yarn to 2 isles. It doesn't look new to me, just much smaller. We don't have a Joann's close to here. Just Michaels and Hobby Lobby. We have a few LYS in Spartanburg, but I haven't been.

[bearlycrocheting]

It's the same here too. I don't even check Michael's or Wal-mart anymore. I go to JoAnns or Hobby Lobby.

 

Linda

[Sylviaf]

Mine are both still OK, but the signs at Michaels are still there. Will "new" mean "better?"

[lusmom]

Ok, I heard somewhere and dont quote me but I know I heard somewhere that Michaels is coming out with thier own line of yarn. Who knows it might be on the same par as I love this yarn.

[KER828]

Michael's & JoAnn here treat the yarn as seasonal and reduce the amount in spring and summer and increase it in fall and winter.

[mclendon1]

I was in the local Michaels last week. the worker I asked said new yarn would be out LATE May.

[Tampa Doll]

Wow Heart you have 2 isles of yarn in your Michaels? You are so lucky, ours is down to one isle with empty bins.

I asked a worker at Michaels about the New Yarn Isles in Spring sign. first I got the deer in the headlights:eek look, then the shrug of the shoulders.

[pineknott]

when I asked about the new yarn,all I got was laughter from the cashier

[crochetbydiana]

No real insight except I know that acrylic fiber companies that supply the yarn companies are fewer. Bankruptcy. Red Heart has a notice about it and the dye lots notice. http://www.coatsandclark.com/

 

I'll really be worried IF my online yarn sources deplete!!!

[LI Roe]

I stopped at the Michaels closest to me today and 1/2 of the yarn shelving that was against the back wall now holds baskets, the other part still held yarn. The other couple of aisles were not totally filled yet either, some clearance (not the best prices) yarns were tucked in between. The sign still reads "look for our new yarn department coming soon" or something to that effect. I didn't bother asking anyone. Since I only stop there every few weeks or so, can wait till then. I think I have way more yarn at home than they do.

 

LI Roe

[gumby28]

Michaels is going to start to carry private labeled yarn. The department is set to reset during the month of may. To make room for all the new product they run great clearance prices on what they are getting rid of. I have seen samples of a few of the new yarns they seem to be really nice. Be patient I think it might be worth it.

[warmfuzzies]

Thanks for the update - the signs posted are vague, so I couldn't figure out what was happening. I guess the "private label" trend is growing - Hobby Lobby has discontinued most of their Lion Brand inventory and has brought in more of their own "Yarn Bee" label, with the exception of Deborah Norville's new yarn.

 

Juli from Texas

[texasredhead]

The JoAnn's in Dallas are still the small format stores and don't have much room. You should continue on to Arlington off of I20 to the new SUPER JoAnn's where I work part time. It is 36,000 square feet of everything you could want!!!

[mclendon1]

The JoAnn's in Dallas are still the small format stores and don't have much room. You should continue on to Arlington off of I20 to the new SUPER JoAnn's where I work part time. It is 36,000 square feet of everything you could want!!!

 

 

OMG! 36,000 sq ft! Heaven! :wooWe don't have a Joanne's anywhere around here.

[warmfuzzies]

The JoAnn's in Dallas are still the small format stores and don't have much room. You should continue on to Arlington off of I20 to the new SUPER JoAnn's where I work part time. It is 36,000 square feet of everything you could want!!!

I'm so envious!!!! A question: are you handed a store map when you walk in???? I'd need a GPS to find my way around!

 

Juli from Texas

[texasredhead]

no, everything is in sections. We will be happy to help you get around! Just go all the way to the back right hand corner and you will be in YARN HEAVEN!!!!!

[Notuswind]

i live on the east end of long island new york and the local michaels redid their store last year in the fall. it went from about 4 aisles of yarn down to 2. all they did was revamp the way the aisles were laid out and created a huge section just for scrapbooking, which i don't do. i was so disappointed in what they had done that i stopped going there.

[kkms]

i was in my local michaels last night. the asst. manager cashed me out so i decided to ask when they were re-doing the yarn section. she kinda laughed and said sometime during the summer. i gasped. she said they (not being her) thought that people stopped knitting this time of year, but yet they can't keep their bins full. she thinks by the end of may they will being bringing the new stuff in. she said that they were getting rid of some of the yarn that does not sell well and bringing in some new yarns. but did not saw which ones. but i did notice some popular yarns that were clearances - ugggg!!!!!! so i sit and wait to see what is going to happen.