Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeThursday, Jul. 09, 2009
Jo-Ann remodels Kennewick store, closes Richland outlet
By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores, the nation's largest fabric and craft retailer, has spiffed up its Kennewick location while closing down its Richland store.
One expanded store is better than two, said company spokeswoman Lisa Greb. The Richland store closed June 20.
A new layout, new lighting, wider aisles, better signage and more product offerings at the Kennewick store will provide an improved shopping experience for customers, she said. It'll make it easier for customers to find the things they want for their creative projects, be it sewing, knitting, beading or scrapbooking, she said.
The 16,000-square-foot store near Columbia Center mall offers an expanded selection of fabric for crafting, quilting and home decorating, an assortment of crafts and artificial flora, and finished seasonal and home dcor merchandise, Greb said. And to celebrate its new look, the store will have special gift drawings and giveaways for customers, beginning today and running through Saturday.
Teachers with a current teacher ID receive a 20 percent discount and a free tote bag, while supplies last, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
"Our hope is that customers will feel inspired by our selection, impressed with our team members' knowledge and helpful service and delighted with the value of our products," said Darrell Webb, the company's chairman and CEO in a news release.
The changes are part of an ongoing nationwide remodeling initiative, which aims to increase craft assortments while reducing space for seasonal merchandise.
Remodeled stores "deliver an average incremental 8 percent increase in sales during their first full year after remodel," according to the company's latest quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Ohio-based company operates more than 750 retail stores across the U.S.
"We're finding people are making things," Greb said. Consumers are knitting more, and instead of buying new expensive clothes, they are personalizing their T-shirts, pants or shirts with embellishments that include iron-on glitter butterflies, Greb said.
-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at www.tricity herald.com
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