photo by: AdobeStock

A sign for Joann Fabrics is shown.

It has been clear for awhile now that it will take more than needle and thread to mend what’s broken with the craft and sewing retailer Joann Fabrics. Now, it also is clear that the Lawrence store won’t be around for the end of the project.

Joann has announced it is closing more than 500 stores, and its lone Lawrence location at 27th and Iowa streets is on the list. The announcement hardly comes as a shock. Last month Joann filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in a year. The company saw its fortunes improve during the pandemic as sewing and crafting increased in popularity as many people were stuck at home. But the surge didn’t last, at least not for Joann stores.

The Ohio-based retailer operates about 800 stores, so it is closing more than half of its locations. The company hopes to find a buyer to operate the remaining stores.

“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,” the company said on its website. “A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time. Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for Joann.”

The company hasn’t announced a date that the Lawrence store will close. Because the company is in a bankruptcy proceeding, there are some legal steps that will have to be followed before the locations are shuttered. Namely, the bankruptcy court must approve of the closings. The company filed a motion with the court on Wednesday seeking those approvals.

If you are having a hard time picturing where Joann is located in Lawrence, you must have a shortage of homemade fleece pajama bottoms and you probably think a bobbin involves an apple and a tank of water. The store — which if you haven’t figured out by now, sells all sorts of fabrics and sewing supplies — is located in the shopping center at the northwest corner of 27th and Iowa streets. That is the one that includes the McAllister’s Deli, where many an individual has nursed an ice tea while their partner on the other end of the shopping center wrestled with the gut-wrenching choice of aqua blue or marine blue.

Two other Kansas locations are on the list for closure — one in Salina and one in Wichita. Based on the company’s website, the retailer will still have nearby locations in Topeka, Overland Park and Shawnee. For how long, though, is another question. The company does have one potential buyer as part of the bankruptcy process. However, it is not clear that the bidder — a financial firm that specializes in distressed retailers — will commit to keeping existing stores open.