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Oh gee Jobear...I am sorry to hear that. Browsing in a craft store was so much fun once upon a time. I still like to do it but am having the experience we are all talking about more and more. Makes me sad.
What's odd from a corp buyer POV, is that stamps are a higher ticket item than say .99 cent paper. Therefore, in theory, it should be something they would stay on top of and keep up with trends.
So much of what I see in stores today makes no sense to me.
My stamp buying evolution is so funny to me now...when I started out and didnt know anything at all (aside from the one little LSS I had) I started in places like overstock.com and Amazon! Then it went to gen suppliers like Joanns and some smaller ones who have in turn, smaller stamp companies....then direct to the mfgs. I didnt go to ebay for years. Can you imagine? In my vast ignorance, I first googled "rubber stamps"!! I got all kinds of crazy answers. Oh you can get stamps in those places but it's not the same at all.
Michaels does now have an online store, opened a month or two ago. But by all the Face Book complaints, this online store is not doing well.
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I will say, most of my shopping any more is on the clearance isles of these stores. I have plenty of stock so I mainly go in for adhesive refills. Even with going to the clearance racks they are less and less. I'm an all over paper crafter grid. I actually make cards but usually by need. I'm more of a scrapper and mini album girl.
I do get frustrated at Michaels lately, because they cleared an area and put up some Graphic45 stuff. It looked as if they were going to do a section just like they have for Tim. Well, it never came to fruition. They sell out every pad of paper they put in it, but they refuse to fill it up with at least a small variety in this section at all. I've begged them. I told them that it's obvious to me that there are G45 fans that come in as anything they lay down sells out. I've gotten about 4 pads of G45 paper (after multiple trips) and a stamp set, but they won't keep it coming.... it trickles in and every time I go, I get less and less.
I do look online at Joanns as they seem to carry more online then they do in the store. The qualities of the paper, I know, so I don't have to feel it. They usually have some kind of shipping deal. It just sucks to order everything online as I like to run and grab it and now I have to wait for it. I don't like planning my paper crafting. That's why I'm working through my stash before I buy any more. (Unless I see something good on clearance).
I think we all are frustrated that we don't see the products we want in the stores anymore.
I just stopped in my nearest Michaels which is supposed to be one of the largest in the company and it looked worse than normal. I have a g/c I forgot about and i could not find one single thing I was tempted to buy. They have removed more shelves so we could have a square dance party in sections now. They have flexed really random merchandise into odd areas. The Martha Stewart area, which has many empty holes from clearance, now has random bits and pieces of Recollections. The stamps aren't even all together anymore in her grouping. They have faced out paper pads, thus eliminating more facings, making it appear full but in reality, far less. The bottoms of all the shelves were filled with jumbo paper pads or cardboard boxes. Again, an attempt to create fullness though the stocks are totally unrelated. I understand items clearancing an then being restocked with new but the store does not appear to be going that way.
Much like Denverkat276, I have done my more recent shopping from the clearance area. My coupons mostly go unused. I haven't ever seen any Graphics45 in my store. All I can say is that I am grateful that once upon a time I went shopping/stocking happy because I would not be able to find any of it these day UNLESS I choose to shop online. I do at times, liking Joanns, but like to impulsively go out for what I think I need.
I also see the craft stores in my area offering less for card/ scrapbook makers.
Joanns is featuring more for sewing; Hobby Lobby is offering more home decorating merchandise and Michaels is featuring more in floral and picture framing . They all are offering Cake decorating classes LOL
My feeling is although card making and scrapbooking are still popular many people have more stuff than they can use so they will only buy something that is completely different from what they have or that fills a need such as the envelope punch board.
The days are over of us spending $50 or more on paper craft supplies each time we go to a craft store .
Therefore the stores are moving toward merchandise they hope will be better sellers
Just my 2� worth
On the subject of Michaels Recollection card stock I lOVE their colored 65# CS for making flowers !
I also use it when I have several layers on a card that I will be mailing so the card doesn't become a 5# card
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Last edited by Barbara Jay; 08-15-2014 at 10:59 PM..
I just looked at Joanns online and happily found a number of stamps on my wishlist at significant savings. I didnt buy them yet. One thing about a wishlist...as it ages...it is possible to get discounts on the stuff but you will also possibly miss out on others.
It's true though now that you mention it eboyd, I have not gotten offers lately either, but I also passed on a number of them and maybe the system says "I am not going to keep offering after X times".
A trick a GF (who was in the tech aspect of marketing) told me that seems to work some of the time is if you go in, put stuff in a cart and either leave it or dump it and exit....coupons will start coming to entice you back b/c they know you did that and they want to push you into making the buy. Or I have just had companies email me and ask if there was a problem. Which sometimes there was.
I will check again for Michaels online...so far I have not had any luck. They are sending me offers constantly and the direction I feel they are going in is framing. Never ending offers and big ads but for the store.
Just goes to show you what I have always believed. Customers are very savvy. They see what you are doing instantly. They have some patience, but not endless, and a fast way to lose them is to look "aimless" for a period of time. People make the mistake of thinking crafters dont understand business...like none of us have jobs-or eyes.
I got coupons in the mail from Michaels but haven't tried on line yet. I bought quite a bit from Joann's on line and was going to look for the rest of the Spectrum Noir pencils I want and use a 40% coupon on them. So far no luck, however, I do get their flyer with coupons in the mail.
So I went to look at company financials online b/c Dh said he thought he had seen something about Micheal's admitting they had expanded too fast....
From what I can see, Michael's went public this year and that often causes a hiccup in finances but they had very strong numbers for 1st quarter this year-1 Bil. All the figures were up compared to last year at this time. The others seem to be private so there is less on them.
Maybe (we can hope) that means Michael's will level out and fly better soon. But when they listed what they carry-imho-it seemed very tilted towards framing stuff vs scrapbooking which was not even mentioned. That may be a clue to their direction for the future?
I also finally found Michaels online...they only had 81 items under stamping and those were not all actual stamps. That is pretty paltry. I guess we will see what comes.
No idea. I dont feel like I see customers in that dept when I go-at least not so many.
But getting something privately framed (small store), at least in NYC is HYPER expensive so maybe? There are a lot of dedicated framing stores here. I think framing is one of the areas Michaels has it's own brand-and that always means a lot more profit.
For me personally, I have had better success with Joann framing over the past two tears. I know this varies by person but Joanns had better prices and a better selection of what I needed. I did try Michaels framing department first. I have never checked out HL's framing because there seldom seems to be anyone working it so not worth my time to wait around.
As I see it. Mike's hire's people to fill in spaces. Most the Manager's have NO crafting background. They tend not to know what's important to their customers.
I have a couple of good friends that work for Michaels. They have shared with me.. Most the Manager's are looking to fill the store with what ever they can Some of it is, Junk!
Personally I haven't gone shopping at any of the Craft stores in awhile.
Most of the time, I can't find what I'm looking for. I don't care for the store brand supplies. And they don't carry enough Brand name items.
Except for HL or Joanne's. Mostly looking for Fabric.
As I see it. Mike's hire's people to fill in spaces. Most the Manager's have NO crafting background. They tend not to know what's important to their customers.
I have a couple of good friends that work for Michaels. They have shared with me.. Most the Manager's are looking to fill the store with what ever they can Some of it is, Junk!
Personally I haven't gone shopping at any of the Craft stores in awhile.
Most of the time, I can't find what I'm looking for. I don't care for the store brand supplies. And they don't carry enough Brand name items.
Except for HL or Joanne's. Mostly looking for Fabric.
There is no requirement that an employee, sock, cashier or Manager has to have crafting background. One of the Manager's I worked with,he worked for Lowe's for seven years before being employed by Mike's.
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
[QUOTE=Denverkat276;20724174]I will say, most of my shopping any more is on the clearance isles of these stores. I have plenty of stock so I mainly go in for adhesive refills. Even with going to the clearance racks they are less and less. I'm an all over paper crafter grid. I actually make cards but usually by need. I'm more of a scrapper and mini album girl.
QUOTE]
Just a heads up for DenverKat, Joann has marked all their clearance down yet again but most of the stores have captivated it in the system but not changed the shelf tags or physically marked the items. My nearest store has scanners and I just happened to check. I got Martha Stewart punches for $4.97 and so many Soft Spoken, Jolees and the like embellies for $.97. The smaller stores have more embellies clearances than the Super Js. I knew I shouldn't have looked;). Just thought I would pass this info along. I assume it is probably the same in all markets.
I will say, most of my shopping any more is on the clearance isles of these stores. I have plenty of stock so I mainly go in for adhesive refills. Even with going to the clearance racks they are less and less. I'm an all over paper crafter grid. I actually make cards but usually by need. I'm more of a scrapper and mini album girl.
QUOTE]
Just a heads up for DenverKat, Joann has marked all their clearance down yet again but most of the stores have captivated it in the system but not changed the shelf tags or physically marked the items. My nearest store has scanners and I just happened to check. I got Martha Stewart punches for $4.97 and so many Soft Spoken, Jolees and the like embellies for $.97. The smaller stores have more embellies clearances than the Super Js. I knew I shouldn't have looked;). Just thought I would pass this info along. I assume it is probably the same in all markets.
HAHAHA.
Shame on you for telling me this!! lol I'm going to have to swing by there on Saturday.
Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to at the very least check them out. I do love scanning them before going to the register.
You know, my Michaels had one in the center of the store when I first moved here 2 1/2 years ago. Then one day it was gone. I hope they get them, because it helps me monitor what I spend.
The Michaels on Colorado Blvd was the first to get scanners when the moved to their new location a few years back and what joy. Then..... they broke and they finally removed them for many months. Last month they got a new system and two new scanners that are in new places in the store. Even several of the employees didn't know they had new scanners. I like to check stuff and find hidden treasures in the markdowns.
Denverkat - did you find any goodies at Joanns? I was in three different stores and the merchandise really varied from lots to nothing but picked over scraps. The store by SW Plaza had the least.
Unfortunately, I did too much on Saturday morning, which tuckered me out and made me a bit under the weather so I didn't get there. Just as well. I saved some money by not going. I did stop by the Tuesday morning and Michaels at Riverton. I didn't know that they had a Michaels over there. It is really laid out weird. I did find a couple of clearance items that made me happy. I picked up a cinch and a replacement epic from a CL lady. She was fairly south of me and I saw the Michaels sign as I was heading back on Santa Fe....lol The power of a well placed Michaels sign. lol
Marimoose, You are obviously in my area. I'm in the Bel Mar area about 1/2 block from Hobby Lobby. Are you going to either of the Stamp shows in CoSpgs or Loveland? I want to go and was going to post to see if anyone was going to either and maybe like to meet.
When I said I liked the Recollections brand white paper I was referring to the 8.5 x 11 110LB. white or ivory(cream) paper sold in pkg. of 100 sheets. It is 12.99 but, of course, we use a coupon. It is perfect for using with Copics, and the best for card bases. A friend, who knows all about paper, says it is the same as Neenah Crest, but much cheaper. Since I discovered this paper, I never use anything else. Please try it. You'll love it. Happy Stamping...Bobbi
I saw the other day that they have black in the 110 lb. also.
What I think stinks about JA, Michaels and HL is that it's the same stuff ALL the time! Yes, they bring in some new stuff here and there, but overall there's stuff there year after year. Most of us doing papercrafts want the latest and greatest, and I know they can't have it all in store, but seriously! I'd love to see a better clear stamp selection in those stores. I've seen some Dylusions stamps in HL, but overall, there's a huge selection of wood stamps and a teeny tiny selection of clear. That drives me nuts!
What I think stinks about JA, Michaels and HL is that it's the same stuff ALL the time! Yes, they bring in some new stuff here and there, but overall there's stuff there year after year.
YUUUP!!! I have a M's and two JAs within 15 minutes of me (don't do HL anymore but there is one of those just as close, as well), but it's the same stuff over and over again. My M's did stock the new Heidi Swapp stuff when it released and they get some new lines, but many times I go and go again and again and it's the same old stuff, same old stuff. It seems like with the ascent of blogs and Pinterest, the focus is more on DIY home decor projects now and papercrafting is getting left in the dust. I'm really fine with that, so long as Scrapbook Expo and GASC keep coming to town!
As much as I disagree with their politics, I shop at HL MUCH more than Michael's. I have a friend who works at Ms. There are usually 2 people in the store. One manager and one cashier. There is no one to ask if you have a question. I always find someone on the floor at HL. I also find it hard to navigate Ms.
We also have Tuesday Morning, which has a small craft section. What you can find there is priced really well.
But, life has completely changed for me. Two words - Amazon Prime. Even if I pay full price, I save money by not impulse shopping at the stores.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
I DO love going to Tuesday Morning; they always have a ton of 6x6 and 12x12 pads on the megacheap; I got a WRMK 6x6 pad there the other week for $2.99. I don't care much if they're last season's stuff at the prices they offer!
I love Prime too, Debbie, though I rarely use it for craft supplies. I do like being able to add things to my cart and watch for price fluctuations.
I have also noticed the same in most of the Mikes, and Joann's here in MN. Crafts Direct in St. Cloud, MN, has also downsized their paper craft selections. They have 2 rows of wooden stamps and only 1 aisle of clear stamps. most of their background paper has shrunk. I went to that store alot because I knew that I could get good selection of stuff, but now its a hike to go there from Brooklyn Park. So I only go there every once in awhile
To be honest, Michaels, Joanns and Hobby Lobby are not where I go for the newest or latest and greatest. Those are my stores for basics that I need now - cardstock or adhesive or a punch. I'll check out other areas, but I don't expect to find much. The rest I look for online. Even if I have to pay shipping, most of the time that's not much more than it would cost me to go from store to store to store.
I talked with an employee at Michael's about the dwindling Martha Stewart aisle and was told that Martha Stewart is unhappy with Michael's displays of her items and has cut back on what they are allowed to sell. My Michael's has lots of new companies' products lately. They seem to have rethought their idea to stock mostly Recollections brand items. I am very much a clearance shopper, and love it when I find the 1 cent items at Michael's. I bought 4 or 5 packs of 12 x 12 chipboard, a 12 x 12 and 8x8 paper pad, a few stamp sets and a 12 x 12 K and Company album and more all for 1 cent each. (they were not purchased on the same day) My JoAnn's used to have tons of different paper pads besides DCWV, but slowly phased them out. It seems they are now bringing them back. They also seem to be stocking more companies like 7 Gypsies and a ton of Tim Holtz.
Gee I have never seen a 1 cent sale! Lucky you!!!!!
I think of the B&Ms for when they run sales. Otherwise Joanns online prices are usually on sale for stamping stuff 30 or more percent combined with free ship for over X dollars. Either I save up a wishlist or I split and order with a friend.
It is a shame they dont seem to bring in new-nor do they make the effort of having a "what's new" display.
I am more inclined to do impulse shopping in person than online so it's better to get me in there.
I found a lot of paper pads at TJ Maxx for a couple of years-then this year not so much. Marshalls might have a bit too, though not as much. Seems seasonal...like spring into summer? They also have other misc craft bits. I also look at them for stuff like plain stationary, esp Cranes, that I can then stamp and do up for gifts.
most of the Mikes and Joann's still have old paper, and very few new stamps. Crafts Direct in St. Cloud, MN, has cut down on the scrapbooking stuff. 2 sides of an isle for wooden stamps and 1 section for cling/clear stamps. they have narrowed their background paper to at least 3 isles. dies and folders are on one isle only. kind of sad, as I would go there more often than shop in Mikes or Joann's. I guess with online companies get the most business, they had to reduce their supplies.
very few LSS are open here in MN. With Archievers going out of business, not much to chose from.
most of the Mikes and Joann's still have old paper, and very few new stamps. Crafts Direct in St. Cloud, MN, has cut down on the scrapbooking stuff. 2 sides of an isle for wooden stamps and 1 section for cling/clear stamps. they have narrowed their background paper to at least 3 isles. dies and folders are on one isle only. kind of sad, as I would go there more often than shop in Mikes or Joann's. I guess with online companies get the most business, they had to reduce their supplies.
very few LSS are open here in MN. With Archievers going out of business, not much to chose from.
I think it is a circular problem. Stores did not refresh their stock with newer things so people started buying less from them. When people started buying less the stores ordered less instead of seeing the real problem was they had stale stock . IF they had listened to their customers they would have heard the problem loud and clear.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I still see very old stamps at M's. The one "2000" as in the year, really gets me. When I asked why they didn't put it in the dumpster, I was told that maybe people would want them for reunions. Yeah, right! I'm sure there is a big call for that. The "Dollar stamps" now !.50, are terrible. They use to be so nice. Oh well, I have become an ebay shopper. Happy Stamping...Bobbi
I think it is a circular problem. Stores did not refresh their stock with newer things so people started buying less from them. When people started buying less the stores ordered less instead of seeing the real problem was they had stale stock . IF they had listened to their customers they would have heard the problem loud and clear.
Barbara-
I think you nailed it right on the head. Fewer sales= lower buyer attention at corp.
I stopped by Michaels today b/c I just happened to be there. Years ago I had to really really fight with myself to keep from literally going broke filling up my cart.
Today-I had to strain to figure out something to buy. I got some 110lb paper, glue, dull metallic brads on a sale for male cards...and two Spellbinder dies on deep sale. And those dies cost me 1/2 hour of digging because the clearance area was so bad. What was sad is that had it been more organized they might actually get stuff out of there.
I have to say I love the 110 Recollection papers in white, ivory, and black. The best part is they honor coupons for those purchases. They will even take my HL coupons. I make tons of cards, and finding some decent paper for a great price is A-Okay in my opinion. I think the trend is headed more for the diecut items now, so I see a lot less new stamps, but I think paper crafting of some sort with always be around. So hopefully pretty papers will be too.
__________________ LizThe joy of the LORD is my strength.Right Brain Madness --My blogProud member of the redDivasKSS certified multi-step stamperFan Club member since 2004
I too have experienced the sorry state of stock at Michaels and JoAnn's. Don't have a HL close to where I live. There is a A.C. Craft and Moore that I found about 45 miles from home. I've lost the thrill of walking down the aisles of craft stores looking for new exciting things to discover. 😞.
I shop on-line mostly. I make a list and then make large purchases so I can get free shipping it helps, definitely cheaper gas wise.
As for Martha Stewart I don't care for her so I don't want her products which in my opinion are severely over priced. If you like MS that is ok, no harm intended here just my opinion.
__________________ .
Keeli
Time passes, memories fade, feelings change, people leave, but HEARTS never forget.
