Craft stores are uniquely unsuited to this because they have to have thousands of suppliers. Just due to the variety of stuff available at a hobby and craft shop, you need to deal in so many thousands of SKUs but any customer needs 5-10 of them at absolute best. The only craft stores that are still independent are those that are supported by the sales of large equipment and then can also supply the owners (sewing machines, looms, etc)
This is mostly going to suck for costumers, home sewists who do anything other than quilt and machine embroidery, teachers and educators who use it for craft supplies, and probably anyone making home- health aids as a small business since they were a major support of open-cell foam in small quantities.
With this, over time at least, competition can return in the shape and form of smaller stores
Maybe something for your wife to start? I heard the market just opened up
Craft stores are uniquely unsuited to this because they have to have thousands of suppliers. Just due to the variety of stuff available at a hobby and craft shop, you need to deal in so many thousands of SKUs but any customer needs 5-10 of them at absolute best. The only craft stores that are still independent are those that are supported by the sales of large equipment and then can also supply the owners (sewing machines, looms, etc)
This is mostly going to suck for costumers, home sewists who do anything other than quilt and machine embroidery, teachers and educators who use it for craft supplies, and probably anyone making home- health aids as a small business since they were a major support of open-cell foam in small quantities.
Cosplay in the US is going to take a hit
Probably everything will just go online. I imagine that is a big part of what killed Joann in the first place.