Originally Posted by mzsooz
The company purchased 250 House of Fabrics stores, its biggest purchase deal to that date, raising its total number of stores to 1,060. More than half of these stores were designated Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, while the rest operated under six different names: Cloth World, Fabri-Centers of America, FabricKing, FabricLand, House of Fabrics, New York Fabrics, and So-Fro Fabrics.
Anytime a conglomerate swallows up it's competitors . . .by definition, it eliminates it's competition and consumers suffer as a a result. Higher prices and fewer choices is always the outcome.
I wish the link you provided (thanks, by the way :) ) included more recent information as I'm still curious about whether or not it's part of Wal-Mart. I DID discover that many JoAnn's now occupy former Wal-Marts. That in its self is no easy feat. If any of you have abandoned Wal-Mart buildings in your area, you know what I mean. Before moving to Lubbock, I was an active member of my local chamber. We had an abandoned Wal-Mart in our town and many larger companies had inquired about leasing. Wal-Mart wouldn't lease to them if they sold anything that might compete with something Wal-Mart sold. Consequently . . .the abandoned Wal-Mart has sat empty since the new Super Center down the street opened 17 years ago.