I agree completely. I plan on 40" of usable fabric for all of my planning purposes. I always over buy so I have boo boo room. And this goes for LQS fabrics as well - not just JoAnn's

not just flannels have changed- fabric widths can be anywhere from 30" wide up to 44" for (normal) wides are considered 54"-60" or the very wide 108"-120"
i have shopped in regular quilt shops who have fabric on the bolt that is only 32" wide- when i asked about it i was told- different manufacturers process different widths- it is always a good idea to check- and if a fabric is only 32" wide a fq is going to measure 16"x18"! so be prepared for that too.

I think it's called 'theft by stealth'. It also happens with goods you buy in the supermarket. The packaging stays the same, the price stays the same or is dearer, but there is less product by weight or volume. Very sneaky.

Soon we will be back to the days of 35-36" width...oh boy, I'm dating myself...

How sneaky. It is a shame you have to watch out for these kind of things.

Did you know that a lot of our favorite foods do this too. Yep, sometimes instead of going up on prices they change how much you get, same size box but if you look at the weight it is smaller. Sometimes the amount is not noticeable to us but a couples ounces per product saves them thousands of $$.

I personally think it is terrible to trick the consumer like that.

This has been going on for many years. I first noticed it when I was cutting pieces for a quilt and I didn't get enough across the width. A quick measure, and sure enough, it was only 40 inches wide. This was an "In the Beginning" quilt fabric purchased at a quilt shop while on a road trip. I called and had them send me more -luckily they still had some. I think that was at least 10 years ago.

I remember 36". :) My first job was in the fabric department.
Fabric width varies by manufacturer. I carry a retractable tape ruler and measure the bolt I'm interested in before figuring out how much I'll buy.

I plan on 40". It's been a long time since I've seen a WOF 45". Connecting threads has added VERY wide selvedges, but they made the fabric a bit wider to accommodate.

There has always been a difference in widths of fabric. It is nothing new with JoAnn's. For years it has ranged from 40" up to 45". So NOT new. Just be sure you watch and know the width and if it will work with your project.
I have seen a difference in width from same manufacturer and same line design of fabric. Just depends on where it is printed and where the base goods came from.

LOL :D