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Recieved an email from Archiver's announcing that they have filed Chapter 11. WOW! Hope they can survive as they have driven out all the local, little crafting stores in my area.
Just got their email, too. I love to browse & shop in Archiver's but don't shop there very often as I live about 150 miles away from the nearest one! I enjoy getting their email newsletter as it always has good ideas, and coupons. Hope they can reorganize & get back on their feet!
__________________ -----Liz "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, ..." ~~1 Thess. 4:11 (NIV)
I hope they can work it out as well. I try to go to my local store when time (and finances) permit, but the last few times, the vibe just "felt different." Different employees, who weren't crafters (gasp!), and just a down feeling. I've always thought their prices were a bit high, but I enjoy their selection and the coupons come in handy. Wishing them the best outcome.
__________________ Trying to kick a cupcake habit!
I'm always tardy for the party, but I bring glitter and sprinkles for everyone!
Chapter 11 is just restructuring not bankruptcy. I go to my Archivers so often the entire staff knows me by name and my phone number...scary, I know. Anyway, they are trying to re-negotiate their leases as prices for real estate were up when they opened many of their stores and the market is now low. They are also working with their vendors to structure different purchasing options. I think they should look at changing their payment terms with their vendors and not bring in so much new inventory on such a regular basis. Seems like every other week their is new merchandise.....just an opinion from an avid Archivers customer and a CPA.
What is sad many of their vendors are smaller than they are. Many of the small scrapbook lines are really small companies who will be out money on this deal and probably can't offer better terms than they are already giving. Are Archivers has gone through a major redo in the last couple months with the huge copy center stuff. I have mixed feelings about Archivers. They are the closest scrapbook store to my house. However, when they opened three LSS went out of business. They employ non-papercrafters at our store who are not knowledgable about the product in the store. I took a class on copics once and the girl teaching the class had never used them and all we did was color in images, didn't learn about shading, etc. I find the store is more for beginners, but not so much for seasoned papercrafters.
What is sad many of their vendors are smaller than they are. Many of the small scrapbook lines are really small companies who will be out money on this deal and probably can't offer better terms than they are already giving. Are Archivers has gone through a major redo in the last couple months with the huge copy center stuff. I have mixed feelings about Archivers. They are the closest scrapbook store to my house. However, when they opened three LSS went out of business. They employ non-papercrafters at our store who are not knowledgable about the product in the store. I took a class on copics once and the girl teaching the class had never used them and all we did was color in images, didn't learn about shading, etc. I find the store is more for beginners, but not so much for seasoned papercrafters.
I agree that lately, at least in the Chicagoland area, the seasoned instructors are no longer with the company. I, too, had a similar experience with Copics. I just happened to be in the store when they first put out their store advertising about Copics. The person behind the desk couldn't communicate the difference between Copics, Tombows (which have been around for years), or other markers. I ended up telling the customer about the Copics, how to use them, what company's card stock is better, etc. The employee was very thankful but I do think that some of them are either beginners or maybe just don't have as much experience and product as I do. I have had things for years that they just started carrying not too long ago and I don't go to the vendor CHA. We haven't had many LSS close around me as we mostly have the 'big box' stores like Michael's, Jo Anne'sand Hobby Lobby. If you don't find it there...go online.
I do think that a lot of their customers are not advanced in card making, scrapbooking, or papercrafting...although, I could be wrong. Some classes are for beginners but even those can be fun.
They just sent an email this afternoon about the Memory Lab as some people thought they were going digital only. That is not true at all.
I will still go there to look around or to talk to my neighborhood store's employees just for fun.
Gosh. This is sad news. I had already given up hoping that Archivers would eventually come to one of the suburbs in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. However, Austin is as close as it gets, and that's far too far for a scrap store visit. I can understand the mixed feelings I've read here ... but the only thing close to me are Michael's, JoAnn, and Hobby Lobby. That leaves a LOT of brands available only online. ... oh well ...
I agree that lately, at least in the Chicagoland area, the seasoned instructors are no longer with the company. I, too, had a similar experience with Copics. I just happened to be in the store when they first put out their store advertising about Copics. The person behind the desk couldn't communicate the difference between Copics, Tombows (which have been around for years), or other markers. I ended up telling the customer about the Copics, how to use them, what company's card stock is better, etc. The employee was very thankful but I do think that some of them are either beginners or maybe just don't have as much experience and product as I do. I have had things for years that they just started carrying not too long ago and I don't go to the vendor CHA. We haven't had many LSS close around me as we mostly have the 'big box' stores like Michael's, Jo Anne'sand Hobby Lobby. If you don't find it there...go online.
I do think that a lot of their customers are not advanced in card making, scrapbooking, or papercrafting...although, I could be wrong. Some classes are for beginners but even those can be fun.
They just sent an email this afternoon about the Memory Lab as some people thought they were going digital only. That is not true at all.
I will still go there to look around or to talk to my neighborhood store's employees just for fun.
I know what you mean! When Archivers first started carrying COPICS, I watched them demonstrating them to customers, and you'd think they were using Crayola markers! No thought given to applying layers of color, shading, etc. Just coloring in the image. Really, at that price, they were not doing them justice!
Archivers is pricey. Cute stuff, though. Have asked for more advanced card classes (and would take the classes, and likely purchase stuff!!!) They continue to toss out card classes that are super easy. The last birthday card class? Seriously, the paper and examples were the ugliest combos I've ever seen. Why not pull out some the cute stuff in your store and put together a class where people actually want the cards that they are making? I don't get it. Just scratching my head............they play to lose.
I too have seen the knowledgeable staff at the local Archivers disappear. What has replaceed them? Young gals that are new to crafting. Why do I say this? My experiences in the store. Last Christmas, during one of the card classes, the instructor incouraged everyone to stamp an image and then sprinkle the image with glitter, because "it gives you this lovely glittery image with no glue/adhesive needed". Really? Looked awesome! UNTIL THE INK DRIED AND THE GLITTER FELL OFF! Glad I'd only done one card like that. Listening to the little voice warning against doing that paid off for me. Felt bad for all the others in the class that made all their cards that way!
I applied at Archivers but was not hired. I was shocked that all they offer their employees is minimum wage. I worked for Walmart and made more than that! I saw the writing on the wall when they started emailing lots of coupons (which was something they didn't do in the past - you'd get the occasional 30% off coupon but all of a sudden they were coming all the time).
I shop Michaels and Joannes more. It's not that I don't LOVE what Archivers has - their prices are just too high!
Recieved an email from Archiver's announcing that they have filed Chapter 11. WOW! Hope they can survive as they have driven out all the local, little crafting stores in my area.
I know what you mean.
The only stores we have now other then Archiver's are the big box stores.
__________________ Mary Ellen
Would love to share some of my crafting with you - my blog
Just got their email, too. I love to browse & shop in Archiver's but don't shop there very often as I live about 150 miles away from the nearest one! I enjoy getting their email newsletter as it always has good ideas, and coupons. Hope they can reorganize & get back on their feet!
Well I think part of it at least for me is that I don't ever get coupons from them.
That's why I spend my money at Hobby Lobby, Michael's and/or JoAnn's.
I did use to shop the LSS when we had one. Although they were almost 30 minutes away from me. I felt like my $$ mattered and was appreciated.
__________________ Mary Ellen
Would love to share some of my crafting with you - my blog
What is sad many of their vendors are smaller than they are. Many of the small scrapbook lines are really small companies who will be out money on this deal and probably can't offer better terms than they are already giving. Are Archivers has gone through a major redo in the last couple months with the huge copy center stuff. I have mixed feelings about Archivers. They are the closest scrapbook store to my house. However, when they opened three LSS went out of business. They employ non-papercrafters at our store who are not knowledgable about the product in the store. I took a class on copics once and the girl teaching the class had never used them and all we did was color in images, didn't learn about shading, etc. I find the store is more for beginners, but not so much for seasoned papercrafters.
I totally agree with you.
The LSS owners in my area were so informative.
I know from personal experience that the LSS owners did it for the love of the craft. My MIL used to run the LSS here. That's where I started paper crafting. The first card I ever made was my wedding invitation. It was CAS.
And now that I've been doing this hobby for almost 11 years that is still the card I am most proud of.
Whereas when I've been to Archiver's and asked a question no one behind the counter knew how to answer it because they don't know the products they are selling. To them it's just a paycheck. They aren't there for the love of the hobby.
IMHO
__________________ Mary Ellen
Would love to share some of my crafting with you - my blog
Archiver's Files Chapter 11
