When asked if they had discontinued carrying Lizbeth cotton threads, a manager said, "If we have, you might still be able to find some online."
So instead of searching online, I went to the source. Barbara Foster at Handy Hands responded with this information:
No worry, they still have it in some stores, also Hobby Lobby carries 40 colors in all their stores.
Barbara (and a JoAnn customer service representative) explained further.
JoAnn F&C first conducts a 300-store test market sampling to see how a new product sells. Lizbeth sold well in the test markets, so JoAnn has added Lizbeth size 20 thread to its warehouse.
So why the empty display? JoAnn F&C will only stock Lizbeth size 20 thread in 225 of its stores.
JoAnn's has 750 locations in 48 states. That means only 30% of the company's retail locations will stock Lizbeth thread on a regular basis.
The raw data I received from JoAnn's lists 291 locations, not 225. I must presume this is the list of test stores. The CS rep said that some stores may be closing or changing locations, and to expect this data to be "fluid," meaning that the statistics could change frequently.
If you want to see the store data listing which locations (as of today) will continue to carry Lizbeth thread in your state, I am happy to drop the data into a spreadsheet, save it as a PDF file and post the link. Heck, I don't mind tracking the data through September, if it is valuable to tatters.
Do you want to see it?
6 comments:
I don't get to JoAnn''s all that frequently, but I love to know that thread is close by when I need it, or just happen to go shopping. Thanks for doing the research for the rest of us.
That explains why it's on clearance at my JoAnns. We also have a Hobby Lobby - but I haven't been that crazy about it anyway. I can also get it at The Tatting Corner. I wonder if the Indianapolis Super JoAnn's will carry it?
What a shame as I was planning on stocking up my Lizbeth thread from JoAnns when we are over in Sept. Oh well there is always Michaels and Hobby Lobby.
I'd love to see the data. It will (hopefully) tell me if I should stock up when I visit my Mom or Aunt or if the one near me will stock it. Thank you for doing this.
I would love to see the data too - and I better go to my JoAnn's to see if what they have is clearanced . . .
That's amazing. What you ask? The fact that so many of you actually have ANY thread at Hobby Lobby and Michaels…I've decided New Mexico is just a lost continent of its own…my only consolation is that I have plenty of Lisbeth thread from Handy Hands, I like it; and, every store mentioned is a minimum of 3 hours away! lOL
Now, Tucson does not have a hobby lobby but they do have Michaels (and we drive right past it on the way to our favorite motel) and a HUGE JoAnnes, but I've never been there. (not being a sewing person)
xx bj
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