A bankruptcy court judge will hold a hearing on Friday to consider a motion by national sewing, arts and crafts retailer JOANN to begin closing sales at 500 underperforming stores, including the three remaining in the Valley.

The stores in Boardman, Niles, and East Liverpool are on the closing list. The Hermitage store closed last month.

The company said the closings are part of JOANN’s strategic marketing process for the sale of all or substantially all of its assets.

The company anticipates commencing these sales as soon as possible following a hearing on the motion, currently scheduled for Friday, February 14, 2025.

JOANN proposes to discontinue accepting gift cards on its e-commerce platform and in retail stores 14 days after the court’s order, which could come Friday.  Gift cards will be deemed to have no remaining value and will not be redeemable for cash. 

The company will discontinue accepting refunds, returns, or exchanges of merchandise sold in the ordinary course of business 14 days after the entry of the order.  All sales at closing stores will be final.

JOANN initiated Chapter 11 proceedings on January 15, 2025, while continuing its efforts to maximize value through a sale process.  The Company has been operating its business as a debtor in possession, maintaining normal operations in the majority of its approximately 800 stores across 49 states.