Tim Harty, The Business Times

After news broke in mid-February that fabric and craft retailer Joann will close all of its stores nationally by the end of May, questions arose about which retailers might gain Joann’s former customers.

Retail news service Retail Dive reported that a Numerator survey suggests Hobby Lobby and Michaels stores stand to gain the most business from Joann’s demise, followed by online retailers, then the likes of Walmart and Target.

All four of those big-box retailers have stores in Grand Junction, but some small local businesses hope to see former Joann’s customers walk through their doors, too. Among them are Owl’s Nest Quilters, 527 Bogart Lane; Hi Fashion Sewing Machines & Quilt Shop, 2584 Patterson Road, Suite B; and Quilters Inspiration, 2487 Industrial Blvd., Unit 8.

To be clear, none of them are dancing on the grave of Joann.

Owl’s Nest owner Carol Schneider said she started sewing when she was 5 years old, and she’s 65 now. She loved going to the Joann store and Hancock Fabrics where she grew up in Denver.

Quilters Inspiration owner Robin K. Hood said her store stays open late, until 7 p.m. daily, but Joann was open later than that, allowing her to shop there at night when she needed things that aren’t stocked in her own store.

“It’s definitely going to be sad to see them go, just for the history, the nostalgia and all of the fun stuff that they did offer,” Schneider said.

Simply put, no other store that hopes to earn business from former Joann shoppers will have the variety and amount of items that Joann carried.

Instead, they hope to offer something else. Owl’s Nest, Hi Fashion and Quilters Inspiration won’t have the much-larger inventory of Joann, but they say what they carry is higher quality. And they’re not speaking ill of the dying when they say that.

Hood said it’s well-known that Joann’s fabrics cost less because they aren’t as durable.

“Their quality of fabric is not as high as a quilt-shop-quality fabric,” she said. “They are different qualities. So, usually a quilt shop’s prices will be slightly higher because the quality is higher. But I do try to keep my prices as reasonable as possible.”

Schneider hopes anyone who used to shop at Joann for the lower prices will consider her store’s quality materials are worth the extra cost.

“I’m hoping that people will maybe learn that there truly is a difference in quality, and if they want to create something that’s lasting, they need to put the higher quality of fabrics into their projects,” she said. “Because what we create can truly be heirlooms, which is not necessarily what you get from using Joann fabrics.”

Likewise, Hi Fashion Sewing Machines & Quilt Shop instructor and fabric buyer Angela Jones said her store believes quality matters, and Hi Fashion carries higher quality fabrics and definitely sewing machines.

“We sell high-quality sewing machines, because there is a difference,” she said. “Our sewing machines have metal parts inside instead of plastic parts, so they’re longer lasting.”

And it’s not that you can’t get a good deal on something at a small store, as Jones added, “We also have a good selection in our clearance corner.”

Jones, Schneider and Hood don’t fault people for wanting to spend less. Maybe they can’t afford anything more expensive. Or maybe they don’t realize there’s a difference and how dramatic it can be.

“They may not even know the difference between a quality cotton and a Joann’s or Walmart cotton,” Jones said. “But there, you can educate them and maybe get their business. “

That education is something the small, local stores can offer that Joann could not, especially classes.

Schneider said Joann frequently referred customers to her for sewing classes.

“If people want to learn how to sew, how to quilt, to learn their machines, then they need to come here,” she said. “I as the owner emphasize education a great deal, so we have classes going on every day.”

Jones said Hi Fashion has classes in its classroom nearly every day, from beginner classes, new machine-owner classes to advanced classes.

Ultimately, the small shops that stand to benefit from Joann’s departure from the market hope people will give them a look.

“We specialize in panels and novelty fabrics,” Hood said, “and a lot of people go to Joann’s for the novelty fabrics. So, hopefully we pick up a lot of the people that do quilting.”

Jones added, “We’re hoping they’ll find us. … If they come to you, you have a chance at least.”