TNNA to Suspend Operations April 30
TNNA announced that the organization will suspend operations as of April 30, 2020, due to declining membership, low attendance at shows, and the cancellation of the Summer Show due to COVID-19.
Yarn Industry News Update: April 2020
Once per quarter Stacey Trock rounds up news from the yarn industry and in the spring of 2020 most of the news revolves around COVID-19 cancellations as well as the ingenuity and innovation the crisis has inspired in yarn-based businesses.
Etsy Asks Sellers to Make Face Masks
Etsy sent an email to sellers this morning encouraging them to make face masks to sell on the site to fulfill the demand to fight COVID-19.
Big Challenges Ahead for Michaels’ New CEO
Michaels CEO Mark Cosby was ousted after a disappointing third quarter in 2019; Ashley Buchanan has a tough year ahead as coronavirus ravages retailers.
Bluprint’s New Combined Instructor Dashboard Further Frustrates Legacy Teachers
Bluprint’s new instructor dashboard lumps subscriber and a la carte customer questions together, making it nearly impossible for legacy instructors to honor their contracts.
Big Changes to Etsy’s Ads Program After a Blockbuster Year
The fact that Etsy surpassed its financial goals in 2019 should have been the biggest news coming from the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call last week, but the changes it’s making to offsite advertising have stolen the spotlight.
Fiskars Begins Worldwide Business Reorganization
The Finnish company Fiskars best known for its orange-handled scissors is making major changes amid disappointing financial results for 2019.
Strategic Sewing & Quilting Summit to Convene Summer 2020
The Strategic Sewing and Quilting Summit will bring industry leaders together this summer in Chicago to develop a strategic plan to grow the consumer market for sewing.
Lion Brand Yarn Studio Announces Closure
Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York will close their doors on April 2, 2020, after 11 years selling yarn at their Union Square store.
Spoonflower Appoints Former eBay, ChannelAdvisor Executive as New CEO
Spoonflower appoints Michael Jones, a former eBay and ChannelAdvisor, as CEO.
Yarn Market News Publishes Its Last Issue
This week Yarn Market News, the trade magazine for the yarn industry, announced that the January 2020 issue will be it’s last.
CSS Industries, Including Big 4 Pattern Companies, Acquired by Design Group
CSS Industries, the company that owns the Big 4 sewing pattern brands (Simplicity, McCall’s, Vogue, and Butterick) has announced that it is being acquired by Design Group.
Yarn Industry News Update: January 2020
Catch up on what’s happening in the yarn industry including increased fragmentation, boycott lists, ‘craft dabbling’ and fundraisers for Australia in our latest yarn industry news update from Stacey Trock.
A Handcrafted Decade: Industry Highlights from 2009-2019
As we prepare for 2020, we’re looking back over the decade and remembering craft industry highs and lows. The past ten years have seen rapid changes in technology and culture, many of which impacted craft business owners. Here’s a recap of some of the biggest moments in the craft world this decade.
News Roundup from the Scrapbook Industry: Winter 2019
The scrapbooking industry is always dynamic with new products being released, mergers and acquisitions, and the intellectual property questions that arise. Nancy Nally of Scrapbook Update brings us up to to date on the latest news this winter.
Michaels CEO Believes the Tough Times Will Pay Off
Is Michaels’ new strategy of focusing on core makers paying off? Michaels Stores Inc. saw sales decline again in the third quarter of 2019 and downgraded its overall outlook for the year. And yet the company reported progress on its e-commerce and community initiatives.
Future of the A.C. Moore Marketplace
Now that A.C. Moore will not longer be in business, what will be the fate of the A.C. Moore Marketplace? Zibbet founder Jonathan Peacock explains.
Knit Picks Launches Crochet-Specific Brand, WeCrochet
WeCrochet is a new website and catalog from the company that owns Knit Picks. Dedicated to crochet, there are plans for magazines, books, and a podcast.
A.C. Moore is No More as Parent Company Nicole Crafts Exits the Retail Market
A.C. Moore’s parent company, Nicole Crafts, is getting out of the retail crafts business. Some stores will reopen as Michaels in 2020.
Row By Row Becomes Quilter Trek, A Color-Guided Shopping Adventure
Row By Row Experience has been relaunched as Quilters Trek, an inclusive shop hop that encourages quilters to visit brick-and-mortar quilt shops all summer long.