Episode 234: Who killed Jo-Ann?

What happened to Jo-Ann (the massive fabric/craft store chain)? In many places, it was the only game in town. It had a captive audience. And sewing and mending are on the rise. So Amanda set out to find out who killed Jo-Ann. It’s a lot more complicated than you think! In this episode we take a journey full of twists and turns: * Was it just private equity? And WTF is private equity anyway? * What do Jo-Ann and Red Lobster have in common? Unfortunately it's not Cheddar Bay Biscuits. * How has society's relationship with sewing changed over the last 80 years? * Who is Faith Popcorn and why is Amanda obsessed with her? * Where are the mechanized hugging booths? * Does anyone remember Cargo Express? * Where did Jo-Ann's leadership go wrong? * How would Amanda "save" Jo-Ann? * What is the future of fabric stores? And how are we all a part of it? So many sources and so many links for this episode. First: some suggested fabric stores from Amanda: Firecracker Fabrics ( https://www.firecrackerfabrics.com/ ) L'Etoffe Fabrics ( https://letoffefabrics.com/ ) Nacho Ann's Fabrics ( https://www.nachoanns.com/ )Make & Mend ( https://makeandmendshop.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooi0KUUiyIpFSgZltYg8S2Ud5-NXjqdmoFfbDMBWGY2Amzd4wmv ) Check out Oddly Specific with Meredith Lynch ( https://www.meredithlynch.com/podcast ) Sources and additional reading: "How private equity rolled Red Lobster," ( https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/private-equity-rolled-red-lobster-rcna153397 )Gretchen Morgenson, NB