Disappointing trip to Joann's today

[ilive2craft2]

Tried to do some fabric shopping at Joann's today, but apparently taking inventory is more important than customers trying to buy products. Got frustrated being made to feel that I was in the way as I tried to shop and left.

[rebeccas-sewing]

I wonder why they don't hire workers to do that job at night when the store is closed? I guess they have some good reason. I would think it would be hard to get an accurate count with customers pulling items off the shelf while they're trying to count the inventory.

[ilive2craft2]

They had a whole bunch of people there doing inventory. Why didn't they rope off a section (of course, it would have been the entire quilting fabrics section)? I basically had a person moving a ladder into my personal space and then climbing it.....giving me the look that I was in the way. Or close the shop for half a day? Arrgghhh!

[VickiJ]

I had a bit of a disappointing experience at Joann's this weekend too. I was looking to test out a sewing machine and I was pretty shocked to find they only really carried two models that I would consider affordable (less than $200) and none of those were set up to test. All the workspaces were filled with the high ticket, computerized sewers and sergers.

I really am anxious to get my mom a sewing machine (that I can use while both of mine are still in storage!) but I don't want it to be something overly complicated that she will feel intimidated by and not end up using. It really is for her to ease back into sewing things herself, not just for me to borrow so I can quilt. LOL She was quite the seamstress in her day, making many outfits for herself and my siblings, but she has been out of practice for many years.

I googled some "sewing retailers" in our area of Delaware and came up with 2. Guess we'll be road trippin' at some point to check them out.

[wlrquilts]

Our Joann's in Berlin Vermont recently moved from their large space in the mall to a smaller location - due to lease costs from what I hear. But in addition to not carrying what they did (no handbag supplies, not as much batting, etc.) they cut way down on the help. When I want to cash out you have to ring the buzzer as their never is anyone on the register anymore.

[kensington]

I avoid JoAnn's as much as possible.

[Bubby]

I'm familiar with that attitude...I get it often at WalMart.

[Musical_Starling]

We don't have a Joann's, but we have other stores that have done this and it annoys me to no end! When I worked retail, inventory was done after hours because then you didn't bother any customers and, more importantly for us from an inventory perspective, customers didn't bother us by picking stuff off a shelf and leaving it somewhere else in the store lol

The worst for this in our area is Walmart! When they are open 24 hours for the three weeks leading up to Christmas, it's expected that if you go late at night they're doing inventory because they have to do it at some point and being open 24 hours means no time without customers in the store. But I guess because people tolerated pallets worth of stuff blocking aisles so well during those three weeks they decided they could pull it off all year. We have FOUR Walmarts, soon to be five, and every one has pallets worth of stuff blocking aisles. Where there used to be gaps between the large displays so you could get to the other side of the aisle there are now huge pallets wrapped in plastic. Dumb, dumb, dumb and annoys me EVERY time we go! And last time I went they had their fabric section blocked off so bad you couldn't even get in. Don't they understand I need fabric?! lol And don't get me started on the missing price tags on shelves and large pieces of paper taped up with their new display schemes all over the place...

[Sharyn J]

I went to my Joanns earlier to see if they had Jenny's new magazine. Nope, not yet. As much as I don't like Joann's, I brought a bunch of coupons with me, just in case. Usually they only let you take 50% off regular priced merchandise and only on one item. Today, I got a few cuts of fabric and the woman at the cutting table asked me if I brought coupons. I replied, yes, I have four. She told me to use all of them at the check-out counter. Quilting notions were also on sale 50% off and the coupons are good til the 20th. If only they had nicer fabric, I'd make another trip before Saturday.

So, I ended up with about $36 worth of stuff, used all my coupons and paid less than $20. It was worth going out in the heat. It's about 93F right now and we're having cheeseburgers from the grill. No cooking here today! And maybe not tomorrow either.

[Mchelem]

The inventory workers are not Joann's employees. They are an outside company hired to do inventory only.