Popular Craft And Fabric Store To Close 26 Illinois Locations

This store chain had its beginnings back in 1943, when it was founded by six German immigrants in Cleveland, Ohio. At that time, the owners went with the very clever name of The Cleveland Fabric Shop because...well, it's Cleveland.

After a few years of growth and expansion, the store's name was changed to Jo-Ann Fabrics, with the name being drawn from the first names of two family daughters, Joan and Jacqueline Ann.

By 2020, Joann Fabrics had around 850 stores from coast-to-coast, but now in 2025, they're down to around 800 stores...and they're about to cut that number down significantly.

Two Bankruptcy Filings Within Two Years Shows That Serious Problems Remain In The Company

When Joann Fabrics first filed for bankruptcy protection in March of 2024, the company said they'd planned to keep stores open, citing new funding that would help them reduce their debt by over $500 million.

Fast forward to now, and less than a month after a second bankruptcy filing, Joann Fabrics has announced that they're closing over 500 of their 800 stores in 40 states, including Illinois. The company also warned that there may have to be even more closings as their bankruptcy process moves forward.

WGNTV.com:

In a recent court filing, JOANN listed roughly 530 “underperforming” stores across more than 40 states that it would like to “immediately” begin closing. When the company filed for bankruptcy protection in January, it originally planned to keep all of its roughly 800 stores open throughout the process.

The States With The Most Coming Closures Of Joann Fabrics Are California, Illinois, Michigan, And Florida

And, according to FastCompany.com, these are the Illinois locations being targeted for closing (which is something the company is planning on doing in the very near future):

• 722 West Town Center Blvd., Champaign
• 4917 Cal Sag Rd, Crestwood
• 36 Danada Sq W, Wheaton
• 8245 W Golf Rd, Niles
• 4514 N Harlem Ave, Norridge
• 20 Countryside Plaza, Countryside
• 526 S State Route 59, Naperville
• 362 W Army Trail Rd Ste 230, Bloomingdale
• 413 N Milwaukee Ave Unit 500, Vernon Hills
• 714 Commons Drive, Geneva
• 15752 S. La Grange Rd, Orland Park
• 373 E Palatine Road, Arlington Heights
• 2639 N. Elston Ave, Chicago
• 2741 Plainfield Road, Joliet
• 3310 Shoppers Drive, McHenry
• 555 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago
• 2391 County Line Road, Algonquin
• 2917 North Vermillion Suite C17, Danville
• 3911 16th Street, Moline
• 425 N 32nd St, Quincy
• 1332 E Main St, Carbondale
• 3201 East Lincolnway, Sterling
• 3940 Route 251 Suite A1, Peru
• 1611 South West Avenue, Freeport
• 700 Broadway East, Mattoon