JOANN Fabrics in San Antonio: History, Stores, and Closures
For many years, Joann Fabrics & Crafts (now stylized JOANN) was a fixture for sewing and craft enthusiasts in San Antonio, Texas. The chain traces its roots to a single Cleveland fabric shop opened in 1943, and over the decades it grew into a national retailer with “more than 800 stores across 49 states”. In Texas the company expanded to dozens of locations (about 29 at the time of its final bankruptcy), including multiple stores in the San Antonio areaexpressnews.com. At its peak there were three Joann stores in San Antonio proper: one on the South Side (3142 SE Military Drive, Suite 126), and two on the North/Northeast side (11655 Bandera Road in the Bandera Pointe shopping center, and 25 NE Loop 410, Suite 114 in the Pavillions North shopping center). These stores served generations of local crafters by offering bolts of fabric, yarn and sewing supplies, scrapbooking materials, home decor crafts, and a variety of other art and craft products. Joann also branded itself as “the nation’s category leader in sewing and fabrics with one of the largest arts and crafts offerings”, reflecting its broad inventory and in-store services (such as custom framing and craft classes).
Store Locations and Closures in San Antonio
Over the years, Joann’s San Antonio presence was relatively stable at three locations. However, beginning in early 2025 the company began winding down all of its U.S. retail stores. In February 2025 Joann announced that its South Side San Antonio store (3142 SE Military Drive) was on the initial list of planned closures. This left the two remaining locations at Bandera Pointe and the Pavillions North shopping center operating temporarily as the only Joann stores in the city. Just weeks later, Joann’s parent company revealed a new plan to liquidate the entire chain. By late May 2025, Joann was holding going-out-of-business sales at all of its remaining stores nationwide, including the two San Antonio stores. The company confirmed that “by the end of this month” all of its approximately 440 remaining stores would close, explicitly listing the Pavillions North (25 NE Loop 410, Ste. 114) and Bandera Pointe (11655 Bandera Rd.) locations among those shutting down. (The south-side Military Drive store had already begun closing in February 2025.)
Joann’s exit marks the end of an era in San Antonio. Before the 2025 closures, the chain’s roughly 800 U.S. stores included nearly three dozen in Texasexpressnews.com, making it one of the largest craft suppliers in the region. In San Antonio the three Joann outlets had offered convenient access to fabrics and supplies across different parts of the city. With their closure, none of the Joann stores remain open in San Antonio or surrounding areas as of mid-2025. (Nearby markets such as Austin and Houston also saw multiple Joann closures as part of the same nationwide shutdown.)
Store Offerings and Services
Joann stores were known for their wide range of crafting merchandise and services. In addition to vast selections of fabric bolts (quilting cottons, knits, fleece, upholstery fabrics, etc.), the stores stocked yarns and needlecrafts, sewing patterns, ribbons, beads, scrapbooking kits, jewelry-making supplies, seasonal décor and holiday crafts, cake-decorating tools, and more. The chain also offered in-store services such as custom framing (through the Artistree franchise) and sewing machine rentals or repairs in some locations. A hallmark of Joann stores was their educational programs and events: many stores hosted regular classes and workshops for all ages (for example, sewing classes, knitting circles, cake-decorating classes, and seasonal DIY events). These activities made Joann locations informal community hubs where hobbyists and families could gather and learn new skills.
By its own description, Joann had become the nation’s leader in its category, serving as “a convenient single source for all the supplies, guidance, and inspiration needed to achieve any project or passion”. Its San Antonio stores typically followed this model. For instance, San Antonio-area Joann stores often held weekly Saturday classes for children and adults, hosted craft nights, and welcomed local sewing or quilting guilds. (While specific San Antonio class schedules varied by year, this kind of activity was common in Joann stores.) Shoppers in San Antonio could use Joann’s website and mobile app for project ideas, coupons, and even purchase online and pick up in-store. The chain’s national marketing emphasized DIY creativity and community crafting, a theme that resonated in its San Antonio locations.
Community Engagement
Joann’s engagement with the community went beyond just retail. The company regularly partnered with schools, nonprofits, and civic groups. For example, on a national level Joann has long supported the Kids In Need Foundation, an organization that provides free school supplies to under-resourced teachers. Since 2002 Joann Stores have donated seasonal crafts and art supplies to schools through this partnership. The Kids In Need Foundation notes that “product donations from JOANN Stores have inspired endless new lessons and furthered creative opportunities for millions of students”. Locally, Joann’s San Antonio stores would often participate in similar programs by collecting scrap materials for art projects or offering sewing supplies to local schools’ Home Economics classes (although specific San Antonio donations were not widely publicized in the media).
When the chain announced its planned closures, company executives themselves acknowledged Joann’s community role. In statements released during the bankruptcy process, Joann leadership said the store closings were “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”. Indeed, many local customers and employees considered the San Antonio Joann outlets to be an integral part of the creative community. Crafters recall that Joann was a common meeting place for quilting bees, sewing circles, and school craft fundraisers. While the official press focuses on business aspects, this sentiment highlights that Joann’s San Antonio stores had become more than just retail shops – they were social spaces for hobbyists and families.
Economic and Retail Factors Leading to Closure
The San Antonio closures were driven by corporate and industry factors beyond the local market. Nationally, Joann Inc. had been facing years of difficulty in the changing retail landscape. Even before 2025, the company had wrestled with stagnant sales and heavy debt. In early 2024 Joann filed for bankruptcy protection to restructure, emerging a month later with about half its debt canceled. Executives openly blamed intense competition from e-commerce (including Amazon and other online craft suppliers) and rising operating costs. As Reuters reported, Joann’s 2024 bankruptcy documents cited “increased competition from online craft supply sales, rising freight costs, and a slump in sales after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic” as key issues. In other words, the pandemic had temporarily boosted at-home crafting, but demand later softened, while shipping and logistics costs remained high.
By January 2025, Joann again filed for Chapter 11 protection. This time the outlook was grimmer: after failing to find a buyer to keep the business going, Joann announced plans to liquidate all stores. The company attributed the decision to “significant and lasting challenges in the retail environment” coupled with a “strained financial position and constrained inventory levels”. Among those challenges were widespread supply chain disruptions in late 2024 – for instance, manufacturers eliminated or delayed certain fabric and yarn lines that Joann had counted on. Reuters coverage noted that Joann’s court filings indicated suppliers had removed items the store needed, and that unpredictable deliveries of yarn and sewing items were “limiting its ability to serve as a one-stop-shop for craft and hobby projects”. Joann also cited a burdensome cost structure: at the time of its final bankruptcy filing the chain carried roughly $615 million in debt and spent about $26 million per month on store rent. In sum, a mix of rising competition, higher costs, and diminished post-pandemic demand led to Joann’s decision to wind down entirely.
These industry factors were not unique to San Antonio; they were felt by brick-and-mortar retailers everywhere. Shifts in consumer habits – especially younger shoppers moving online – squeezed traditional hobby stores. Even so, the closure of Joann stores in San Antonio (and nationwide) left a void in the local retail landscape. Joann’s bankruptcy and liquidation reflected both company-specific problems and the broader “retail apocalypse” affecting many mall-based chains.
Impact on San Antonio Customers and Alternatives
The sudden disappearance of Joann’s stores has had a real impact on San Antonio shoppers. Many local crafters have expressed frustration or sadness at losing convenient outlets for fabrics and supplies. As one San Antonio news source put it: “It’s a sad day for crafters everywhere – Joann Fabrics & Craft Store is planning on shuttering more than 500 locations nationwide, including 18 in Texas”. With the San Antonio Joann stores closed, hobbyists now must seek other sources. Some lamented on social media that “a large city like San Antonio has almost no fabric stores” left, and asked for recommendations for specialty shops.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. Michaels, another national arts-and-crafts retailer, operates several stores in the San Antonio area (for example at La Cantera and the Quarry). In response to Joann’s collapse, Michaels even launched a “Welcome JOANN Shoppers” campaign, inviting former Joann customers to explore its expanded fabric and sewing selection. Hobby Lobby – a craft superstore chain – also serves San Antonio with two locations in the city (at 286 Bitters Road and 7058 Bandera Road). Independently owned fabric shops are another option. Local businesses like Fabrictopia (Southwest Military Drive), Memories By the Yard, and Allbrands Creative Sewing carry bolts of cloth and sewing notions, though on a smaller scale than Joann. These stores often emphasize friendly service and specialty fabrics, but may have higher prices or less variety than a big box chain.
Online shopping has also become a bigger factor. Many San Antonio crafters who relied on Joann are turning to internet retailers (including Joann’s own website, for a time) or marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, and Fabric.com for fabrics, yarn, and craft kits. Some customers have noted that discounts on online fabrics can rival the in-store sales Joann frequently ran. Bulk and discount stores (like Walmart and Target) sell some craft items and basic fabrics, but do not cover the full range of sewing needs.
Overall, the closure of San Antonio’s Joann stores has forced the local crafting community to adapt. Clubs and sewing circles that once met at Joann (for fabric shopping or classes) will have to find new venues. Quilters now plan field trips to the remaining fabric shops or fabric-focused events. Teachers who once shopped sales at Joann for classroom projects may need to budget differently or rely on donations from other sources. In the broader sense, Joann’s departure leaves a gap in the San Antonio retail map. As one local reporter observed, Joann was “the leading sewing and fabrics store” in the city, and its absence will be felt by many hobbyists. The community will likely remember the store closures as part of a larger national shift – but in the meantime, San Antonians seeking cloth and crafts must look to the remaining chains and local shops to keep their creative projects alive.
Sources: Historical and closure information from San Antonio Express-News, MySA.com, CultureMap San Antonio, Reuters, and Joann corporate releases, among others. blogvista.co.uk/
