Rhodim

Has anyone ever heard of Bernina sewing machines sold at Joann's. Someone told me they were coming to my local Joann's, is this possible???

MTS

I could see someone renting space from Joann's and opening a dealership in the store. This is what was done with the Husqvarna's a few years ago (all the ones that were in Joann's in my neck of the wood closed). I think there were a few Pfaff dealers as well.

BUt they were run as totally separate entities. COupons were not usable, and you had to check out within the dealer's space for those items.

Who knows? There's new management at Joann's.

But I think the Bernina dealership rules would still apply - you have to be a certain number of miles away from the other nearest dealers, and the demographics would have to support opening a new one. It wouldn't make sense to cannibalize sales from another dealer. Although....... :roll:

Rhodim

Our Wonderful local dealer is closing after 22 years.

cctx.

Not sure on Joann's store, but I do know they used to sell at Hancock fabrics, but then they stopped Bernina and went with Bernette which I know is not a Bernina.

MTS

The Bernina one?

Well, maybe then the same person, or a new one, saw an opening.

Look, the overhead costs might be (are probably) a lot lower than having your own shop. At the least the hassles are fewer. You still have a sublease with the store, but if the roof falls in, it ain't your problem.

Please update here if you hear more. I'd be curious to know if it actually happens.

Rhodim

The Bernina store in Miami, Florida is closing, sadly...

MTS

THe Quilt Scene? Really???

I was there last year and was really surprised at how small, and uninteresting, the inventory was.

It seems to me, over and over, that a store takes on a dealership as an answer to slagging sales. The profit on one machine equals a LOT of FQ's. And you immediately notice the decline in the inventory. Same thing happened to the Delray Beach store. The Jupiter store also has less than half the fabric they used to, but those machines are taking up more and more space. The Jam Patch, which I really, really liked, is also closing their doors (but they're going out on top).

So if one is not in the market for a new machine - and I'm not (maybe a foot or some bobbins now and then) - there really is no incentive to stop by the shop.
I might just as well buy fabric online. Which I do. And then the owner complains that I'm not supporting the store.
But you've got the same bolts that were here 3 months ago. And no new ones. So what's the point?

It's a vicious cycle. Sad.

k9dancer

Where are these stores? Miami? Some other state?

MTS

North Dakota.


No, just kidding.

SE Florida, from Jupiter down to Miami (about 100 miles)

Ramona Byrd

Some years ago my local Joann's sold sewing machines and repaired them. I took one of mine in once for servicing, and while there saw one I wanted and intended to get when I retrieved my old one. But when I walked in and asked if it was ready, the short tempered female there, instead of saying yes, told me rather bluntly with outstretched hand "I want fifty eight dollars first!"
Right there I decided that I didn't really need another machine from that place, paid, walked out with my machine and got one some other place. That part of Joann's closed not long after that.

Customer service? Even now, with the economy as bad as it is, customer service is hard to find. Still remember that marvelous and cheerful clerk in Fresno this Jan who made my trip to Walmart such a joy. Never saw such a friendly person in a store, for many years. She had a long line of very calm and cheerful customers waiting for her too, so must have been there some time to get them in such a good mood.