ROCK SPRINGS — The White Mountain Mall will have a vacant storefront in the near future as the Rock Springs Jo-Ann fabric shop was included in a list stores the company plans to close as it attempts to “right size” its store footprint.
The Rock Springs and Cheyenne locations were included in an eight-page list of store closures the company released Wednesday. The closure impacts stores in 49 states. Overall, the company will close approximately 60% of its 800 total locations.
“As part of the ongoing Chapter 11 process and our efforts to maximize the value of the business, (Jo-Ann) has filed a motion seeking court authority to begin closing approximately 500 stores across the nation,” the company said. “This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our Team Members, our customers and all of the communities we serve. A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time. Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for (Jo-Ann.)”
The move comes a month after the company announced it would going into Chapter 11 proceedings to “facilitate a sale process to maximize the value of its business.”
According to the company, Jo-Ann has operated for more than 80 years, originally beginning with a single shop in Cleveland, Ohio. The closure in Rock Springs is one of many that have impacted Rock Springs, with former anchors like J.C. Penney and Herberger’s exiting the mall and city in the past decade. White Mountain Mall has been successful in finding new tenants for its larger spaces, seeing shops like Petco and Dunham Sports moving into the mall.
