Experience the Creativity...Online!
Written: Oct 30 '01
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The Bottom Line
When you need a late night fix, JoAnn.com is open 24 hours. More than just a store, JoAnn.com offers tips and instructions on several projects, so check it out!
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| Full Review |
Where do you go for great deals on fabric and craft items in your hometown? Being that Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts is a national corporation, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Jo-Ann nearby many of you here on Epinions. It just so happens I am an employee of JA Fabrics in the town I reside, and I have to tell you that place has everything. When I started working there, I really knew very little about quilting, notions, fray-check, and interfacing. Now, I feel like sort of a pseudo-expert on such things. I never would have expected it to be so interesting. So after a couple of months of working hands on in a Jo-Ann store, I decided to check out JoAnn.com to see what creative merriment I could muster up in cyber world.
First of all, I have to say that to really enjoy JoAnn.com, you have to have some interest in Arts & Crafts, quilting, sewing, or some sort of creative hobby. Mainly, this is who the store caters to, and thusly, focuses it's marketing techniques on. But, even if you aren't a imaginative guru who loves Aleen's crafter's paints, there's still plenty to look at, especially for gift ideas.
When I first got onto the site, I'll admit I was a little disappointed in the page layout. I mean the whole main page seemed cluttered to me, and it took a second to load up the first time. Fortunately, pages loaded much faster after the initial viewing. Other than that little hitch, the website seemed more than adequate for providing the intended services and information. That's a good thing too, because the site is a decent size, with plenty of products and information to check out, and it would be a shame to miss any of it.
Being an employee, I have to say the website does the real store justice by keeping products and items I see in my store on the site, with plenty of product and price info to boot. Plus you can have it delivered to your door and you don't have to get out deal with the hassle of the crowds, especially now as the holiday season grows near. The holidays are a great time to shop JoAnn, as many items and fabrics are on sale this time of year.
The company's own brand, Santa's Workbench, is the Christmas time set of collectible houses, town scenes, and collectibles. Since I have been putting these items out since July at my store, I have grown quite fond of the quaint town houses and scenery over the past few months. It's almost going to be a shame to see Christmas end. On the website, many of these items are available to order and have delivered to your home. For more Christmas and other holiday products, check out the "Holidays" section on the home page.
Though JoAnn Stores and JoAnn.com rely heavily on the seasons for sales and merchandising, there are plenty of hobby and craft items to please even the most die-hard crafter. There is a "Crafts" tab that will lead you ro a wonderful array of hobby items, such as Tacky Glue, unfinished wood, feather boas, design-your-own picture frames and scrapbooks, beads, sequins... the list goes on and on. Bottom line, if you love crafts, JoAnn.com has got plenty to keep your wildly creative minds occupied.
First foremost, JoAnn is a fabric store, and as a matter of fact, that is what the original store was designed for. Only later did JoAnn introduce more craft and seasonal floral items to their already impressive inventory of fabrics. Ultimately, JoAnn.com represents the fabric side of JoAnn most impressively. If there are any quilters out there, I highly recommend using JoAnn.com for your quilting needs. Everything from seam rippers to sewing machines can be found on this site.
And if you are picky about fabric, there are several types of calico available, as well as muslin and broadcloths as well. Trust me, JoAnn knows quilting, and I always get a kick when a customer brings in a finished quilt or garment. It goes to show that when you keep great quality items in stock and available to customers, it shines through in the finished product.
As far as site navigation goes, I have never had any problems maneuvering through the site. In fact, I think it is pretty easy to get around, and the site design is pleasing on the eye. I like the way there can be so much on a website, but it never gets to the point that it's too much to tell what's going on, or load times start to increase.
Checking out and viewing your shopping cart on the site is also very easy, which is a good and bad thing. Good, because I expect that out of such a great store, but bad because it's that much easier to spend more money. Combine ease of use with constant bargains and you might find yourself spending more than you thought, but less than you feel it should be.
So all you creative cats out there slip off your thimbles and put away your paints and dive into JoAnn.com. The least you will do is learn a little and inspire that brain of yours for future projects. Just remember that JoAnn can be an very addictive place, so beware. And whatever you do, don't buy up everything on the site. The other arts & crafts junkies need their fixes too, ya know.
Chakka
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 81
Trusted by: 70 members
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