Another of my LSS's is closing

[clh2]

Geez - enough already.

My favorite Stamping store closed about 1.5 years ago. A scrapbook store in my area closed in 12/06, a big scrapbook store in our area is going down to 1/2 its original size, and another LSS is closing at the end of June.

THERE WILL BE ONLY A MICHEAL's and JOANN's left in the Milwaukee area. And I'm just bummed about this.

The one that will be closing in June is about 2 minutes from my DD's middle school, so I ALWAYS shopped there when I needed to kill some time before picking DD up from school.

I do know - this particular scrapbook store has her specific town's high school stuff (laser cut things with the school name and school colors), I will be buying some of those tomorrow. I would probably have a hard time finding those anywhere else.

I'm just bummed.

 

[LindaBabe]

I feel your pain. My LSS is closing at the end of the month.

She says her product sales are down 70% year over year and I don't wonder - even right there at the store people are talking about the great deals they got on the internet or at Mikes or Joannes.

How can the small store owner compete?

Unfortunately, that means we'll be without classes and cropping space to meet with our friends.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

This seems to be a growing trend, between the internet and the big box stores, small stores can't compete. We had a store about 20 minutes from me and they couldn't swing it so she closed. Now my closest LSS is 45 minutes from here. Ironically I pass Mike's, J's, and ACM on my way. I love my store, but I see sometimes she is completely empty when I'm there. They try to draw people in with crops and classes.

My LSS has also started a partnership with the other 4 bigger stores in our state and a few times a year they do a bus tour. Each store has a bus and they make stops at each store that day. They make up goodie bags, we get great discounts, and each store has make and takes. They try to help each other out as much as possible.

 

[New England Eeyore]

It is a hard situation. I go to my LSS for stuff that I can't find in the chain stores, but for items you do find in both places the chain stores will be cheaper every time. I can imagine it's very hard to be successful. I really only had 2 LSS (and calling one of them local was a bit of a stretch) and the further one closed last year so I'm down to one.

Buffy - which one closed? The one with street parking or the one with a parking lot? (I can't remember their names but I remember what each looked like.) That stinks.

 

[Fran98765]

Ours all closed ages ago, and all we have in our town is Hobby Lobby (plus Walmart of course). I used to love going to classes at the LSS, the big stores just don't have that kind of community that LSS's have.

I know digital scrapping sure doesn't help the LSS's but I am very glad I went digital, so I don't have to worry about finding supplies, I don't shop online very often and wouldn't want to have to order paper online.

It's a sad situation for these women business owners and there doesn't seem to be anything to stop it.

 

[clh2]

I stopped in this morning. I had a frequent buyer's card of $15 to use up. I could have waited for the sale to start happening next week, however, I snatched up ALL the remaining high school paper. OK - so it was only 10 sheets. My DD isn't even IN high school yet. I also picked up some other items with her high school name on them.

I figure once the h.s. stuff is gone, there just won't be a place to find that.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Buffy - which one closed? The one with street parking or the one with a parking lot? (I can't remember their names but I remember what each looked like.) That stinks.

neither thank god!! The one closer to my house closed last year so now I go to the ones I took you to. I still haven't made it to Marlborough. I really need to get out that way.
The one with the street parking just had their 2nd anniversary a few weeks ago. They are still going strong, knock on wood. That was the Scrapbook Clubhouse, the other one, Magical Memories is on that bus tour too. I haven't been there since I took you. I just never get the warm and fuzzy feelings when I'm there.
The others on the tour are in Rocky Hill (just moved to a bigger store), Canton, and one other. I just drive to them because they are on the other side of the state.

 

[New England Eeyore]

Oh, that's good! I agree with you that the Scrapbook Clubhouse definitely had a warmer, fuzzier feel than the other.