One-third of all Joann stores closed for business permanently in April, and now the rest are set to follow suit in May.
The fabric and craft retailer announced plans to close every store in February after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within a year and selling its assets. Since then the company has gradually rolled out going-out-of-business sales, with 112 stores closing on April 28.
A total of 255 locations shuttered in April, according Jo Anne McCusker, a spokesperson for GA Group, the retail liquidator that won all of Joann’s chain’s assets through auction in February.
The retailer has not announced the remaining locations closing soon but McCusker confirmed the majority of closures will happen in May. Here’s what to know.
Why are Joann’s closing?
The closure of every Joann’s store comes after the Hudson, Ohio-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within a year and auctioned its remaining assets. On Feb. 22, retail liquidator GA Group and Joann’s term lenders won the bidding for the company.
When does Joann officially close?
Joann announced the closure of more than 500 stores in February though the dates of each closure have varied per location.
A total of 255 locations closures occurred in April and the remaining ones are set for May.
Who is the GA Group?
Scott Carpenter, CEO of GA Group’s Retail Solutions, said GA Group has a decades-long history with Joann. Their past work includes assisting Joann in buying former competitor, House of Fabrics, in the late 1990s and helping increase the retailer’s store footprints from 2006 to 2016.
Carpenter said the new ownership group is planning to roll out a “multimillion-dollar retention plan” for Joann’s around 19,000 employees that includes organizing job fairs and granting workers time off so they can interview for other jobs.
See which Joann stores closed in April
USA TODAY is waiting to hear back from Joann about which locations are closing in May.
Contributing: Gabe Hauari, Mike Snider, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Maria Francis and Jim Sergent
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joann to close all remaining stores in May after shuttering over 250
