per the 2peas board: recollections is closing

[nicurn]

apparently, all recollection stores are closing by the end of the year... first memories now recollections. it's really a shame that I can't stand the lss by me... maggie

did get a little chuckle though, someone over on 2peas wondered if it was "martha's fault"

 

[hopemax]

Yep, I saw. When I went into the one by me on Saturday, they said they were closing in January. With moving to Colorado in March, there were two "scrapping" places I was going to miss: Recollections and Scrapbooks Etc. (owned by the Bazzill people). I suppose if there is a good part of this, I won't have to miss Recollections, because it won't be there to miss.

 

[LindaBabe]

Sincerely hope that all these closings don't mark the beginning of the end for the availability of scrapbooking supplies . . . I know the 3 LSS in our area have all gone out within the last 6 months.

Remember when Paper Kuts magazine went out? I went back and looked at the previous issues and they got thinner and thinner. Recently, I've noticed Memory Makers is thinner. Are they next?

There seems to be an increasing emphasis on beading. Maybe the craft companies/media want us to switch hobbies so they can sell more stuff? It AIN't happening here! I NEED to scrap!

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[vanyel]

I tried to find prima flowers locally - I had bought from Target before but mine don't sell them anymore. In searching for locations, I called the mostly local stores (some were farther than I call local) on the list and of the 5 listed, 3 phones were disconnected, 1 had a weird message saying they'd be open Sept 24 after a robbery, and the 5th was out and didn't expect anymore for 4-6 weeks.

My long-winded point was that 4 places were either out of business or currently closed. How sad to be limited to what the "big box" stores decide people want, like Martha!

 

[ddavis860]

I think the bloom is off Martha's rose anyway...Mike's is dumping her stuff now it seems, and taking coupons for it... Now if they would just take coupons for Cricut stuff again...

Isn't Recollections a subsideary of Mike's? Maybe it's part of the re-org in that company.

They never made it out my way, so I won't be missing anything.

As for LSSs closing...it stinks. I had one here I LOVED! They had all the detail things I needed. The only local one left isn't into that stuff...but she does have Primas (but I buy from Scrapbook Warehouse online). Joann's here REALLY downsized the scrapping dept, and increased the beading dept. I heard beading is the new big thing, but I don't think scrapping will ever end, as long as we keep asking for it...

 

[hopemax]

From what I've picked up.

Recollections and Aaron Brothers are both owned by Michaels. Recollections was the idea of one executive. However, since they opened, the company was bought and taken private, and the executive behind the Recollections concept is no longer with the company. The new people want to focus on the Aaron Brothers and Michaels chains, and not the small Recollections chain.

However, I think scrapbooking is going through a transition period. IMO, there are too many people involved, and too much product. By the time product from one trade show makes it to the marketplace, we're getting the sneak peaks from the next trade show, making the new stuff, old stuff. And how big are people's stashes already? People can only buy so much, and that isn't enough to keep very many people profitable.

 

[sahm1000]

I got an email from Recollections on Saturday saying that it would be business as usual up to January 1, after that they would beging closing. I prefer Archivers over Recollections but they aren't here in Dallas. The three LSS nearest me have closed b/c they couldn't compete with Recollections, the last one just closed about 3 weeks ago! I think the closest store to me now will be almost an hour away, except for Joann's and Michaels. Frustrating b/c I live in a major metropolitan area too! I understand that it would be hard to compete w/ Recollections if you were a LSS but I wonder why they are closing too. Is it perhaps something with digital becoming more popular? It still seems like lots of people scrapbook so I'm puzzled!

 

[RRBB]

For those that haven't actually seen the announcement, here (hopefully) is the email that went out.

Honestly, I'm not heartbroken over this because though I shopped at Recollections on occassion it wasn't my first choice of stores. Yes there's a good selection of products, but price-wise I've found cheaper elsewhere.

I think the big reason so many LSS and places like Recollections are closing there doors is the internet. You can find just about anything you're looking for online. And with a little shopping around - without leaving the comfort of your home - you can usually find a good deal on whatever it is you want/need.

I got an email from Recollections on Saturday saying that it would be business as usual up to January 1, after that they would beging closing. I prefer Archivers over Recollections but they aren't here in Dallas. The three LSS nearest me have closed b/c they couldn't compete with Recollections, the last one just closed about 3 weeks ago! I think the closest store to me now will be almost an hour away, except for Joann's and Michaels. Frustrating b/c I live in a major metropolitan area too! I understand that it would be hard to compete w/ Recollections if you were a LSS but I wonder why they are closing too. Is it perhaps something with digital becoming more popular? It still seems like lots of people scrapbook so I'm puzzled!

Just curious, where in the Dallas area are you? I'm not too far from the Galleria.

 

[sahm1000]

Just curious, where in the Dallas area are you? I'm not too far from the Galleria.

I'm in McKinney. We used to have a scrapbook store here but it closed a couple of years ago. There is a place called the Creative Cottage where you can rent it out for 12 women for a weekend here in town though. It looks to be incredible with lots of amenities for scrappers and a spa that is extra if you would like but they don't carry any supplies. There was a place called the Scrapbucket in Plano that closed a few weeks ago that was really nice (in their email and on their website they listed the big name stores as being the main reason they were closing - they just couldn't compete) and offered embellishments by the piece instead of buying a whole package. They had buckets on tables that had brads, eyelets, chipboard, buttons, flowers, etc. that you could buy by the piece. I've also heard that Scrapbook Warehouse in Lewisville is going to close too. The last time I was there they had very little stock. They sent out emails saying that they were downsizing but we'll see. Either way, Lewisville takes me a good 40 minutes without traffic and much longer with! I've heard that there is a scrapbook store in Richardson so I may have to check that out. It's also quite a haul for me but with the Dallas North Tollway open here in McKinney it should cut down on travel time hopefully! Let me know if you know of any other stores in the area.

 

[RRBB]

I'm in McKinney. We used to have a scrapbook store here but it closed a couple of years ago. There is a place called the Creative Cottage where you can rent it out for 12 women for a weekend here in town though. It looks to be incredible with lots of amenities for scrappers and a spa that is extra if you would like but they don't carry any supplies. There was a place called the Scrapbucket in Plano that closed a few weeks ago that was really nice (in their email and on their website they listed the big name stores as being the main reason they were closing - they just couldn't compete) and offered embellishments by the piece instead of buying a whole package. They had buckets on tables that had brads, eyelets, chipboard, buttons, flowers, etc. that you could buy by the piece. I've also heard that Scrapbook Warehouse in Lewisville is going to close too. The last time I was there they had very little stock. They sent out emails saying that they were downsizing but we'll see. Either way, Lewisville takes me a good 40 minutes without traffic and much longer with! I've heard that there is a scrapbook store in Richardson so I may have to check that out. It's also quite a haul for me but with the Dallas North Tollway open here in McKinney it should cut down on travel time hopefully! Let me know if you know of any other stores in the area.

I went to The Scrapbucket once. It was a neat concept but kind of far for me to get to. I remember reading an email from Scrapbook Warehouse that they were moving to another location within the same shopping strip. I can't remember when I read that or if it's happened yet, though. I never really liked that store because it seemed to have tons of space but not a lot of current selection. Their big draw I guess was the huge crop room. I always liked going to The Scrapbook Barn in Carrollton (NE corner of Trinity Mills and Marsh Lane). I haven't been in a while just because I have so much stuff these days that I'm not buying anything new for the time being.

 

[sahm1000]

I went to The Scrapbucket once. It was a neat concept but kind of far for me to get to. I remember reading an email from Scrapbook Warehouse that they were moving to another location within the same shopping strip. I can't remember when I read that or if it's happened yet, though. I never really liked that store because it seemed to have tons of space but not a lot of current selection. Their big draw I guess was the huge crop room. I always liked going to The Scrapbook Barn in Carrollton (NE corner of Trinity Mills and Marsh Lane). I haven't been in a while just because I have so much stuff these days that I'm not buying anything new for the time being.

I'll have to try the Scrapbook Barn. Scrapbook Warehouse used to be great from what I understand about 3 years ago but now they have no stock. I got that email about a new smaller "boutique" store in the same strip mall but I haven't heard anything about a move date yet. We'll see!

 

[pixiedustforever]

As a Recollections "regular" in the DFW area, I will miss Recollections! We can all get scrapbook supplies anywhere (even Home Depot! LOL!) What I will miss most about the loss of Recollections will be the creativity & knowledge of the awesome staff. They're not there to "run up your tab", but to share techniques and expand one's scrapbooking "territory."

Sorry to hear that the Scrapbook Warehouse might also be undergoing a transition. It's farther than I care to travel (I'm in Fort Worth.) Guess I'll hope for an Archiver's (with current Recollections staff) and live at the Great American Scrapbook Convention in June!

Pixiedustforever

 

[Twingle]

Hate that Recollections is closing - I LOVED their classes, and was exposed to lots of new things that I had not seen before. I didn't shop there very much, partly because the store is over an hour from my house, and partly because I could almost always find better prices online.

There is a little scrap shop that opened five minutes from here, but I don't predict that she will be in business very long. She is not very knowledgeable about how to do some basic scrap stuff (for instance, setting an eyelet. She had no clue.), she has waayy too much product just piled up everywhere, you can't even look through it. On a totally personal note, her store SMELLS - she has one of those glade plug ins in every single outlet, and every time I go in there she badgers her customers about getting more people into the store and will ask you why you bothered to come by if you weren't going to purchase anything. Not what I'm looking for from my lss.

I agree with previous posters, that scrapbooking is going through a transitional phase. So much has happened just in the last three weeks, I think the big scrapbook companies are going to have to do some major thinking in how to direct this market.

 

[sahm1000]

Hate that Recollections is closing - I LOVED their classes, and was exposed to lots of new things that I had not seen before. I didn't shop there very much, partly because the store is over an hour from my house, and partly because I could almost always find better prices online.

There is a little scrap shop that opened five minutes from here, but I don't predict that she will be in business very long. She is not very knowledgeable about how to do some basic scrap stuff (for instance, setting an eyelet. She had no clue.), she has waayy too much product just piled up everywhere, you can't even look through it. On a totally personal note, her store SMELLS - she has one of those glade plug ins in every single outlet, and every time I go in there she badgers her customers about getting more people into the store and will ask you why you bothered to come by if you weren't going to purchase anything. Not what I'm looking for from my lss.

I agree with previous posters, that scrapbooking is going through a transitional phase. So much has happened just in the last three weeks, I think the big scrapbook companies are going to have to do some major thinking in how to direct this market.

What else has happened in the last three weeks?