End of an Era by skipt07

End of an Era

Pat Catan’s, which sells retail arts and crafts, will close all 36 of its stores – including four in the area – during the fourth quarter of this year, according to Michaels, which purchased the stores in February 2016.
Pat Catan’s operates stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia. Locally, there are stores in Austintown, Boardman, Warren and Hermitage, Pa.
When Michaels purchased Pat Catan’s nearly three years ago, the company said it would keep the stores open.
But “the Pat Catan’s retail business has struggled in the face of industry headwinds,” Chuck Rubin, the company’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Michaels has local stores in Boardman and Niles, and more than 1,100 stores in the United States and Canada.
Michaels will “rebrand and reopen up to 12 stores as new Michaels stores in fiscal 2019,” Rubin said.
This store will reopen as a Michael's. It is closed now. Many are disappointed that Pat's was bought out by Michael's. Stories going around are that the owners of Pat Catan's wanted to retire and family members didn't want to take over the reins. The other story is that Pat Catan's owned the Darice brand and that is what Michael's wanted. So they bought the chain and then closed all but twelve stores. Micheal's also will not honor the former employees of Pat Catan's and allow them to remain and keep their time and seniority. All employees who want to stay on are required to start over as new employees of Michael's.
Also, Pat Catan's was much different from Michael's in what merchandise they sold. Michael's CEO, said that they would keep the Pat Catan's name, which they did. But as time passed after the buyout, you would see changes in their merchandise and the prices began creeping up. Being the skeptic that I am, I don't believe Michael's ever intended to keep the Pat Catan's stores open indefinitely.
So sad.
June 26th, 2019  
So sad - a sign of our times , I am afraid !
June 26th, 2019  
Oh dear - its probably the online shopping that closes these sort of stores!
June 26th, 2019  
Oh no, I didn't know that. So sad.
June 26th, 2019  
It is sad for the tradition but also said for the employees
June 26th, 2019  
Oh dear, it is very sad when familiar and well loved things change.
June 26th, 2019  
@joansmor - Yes it is. According to an employee of Pat Catan's Michael's paid $150 million for the franchise which the Catanzarite family started. The story is that the children didn't want to have anything to do with with the store when their parents stepped down. So they split the money and watched the business their parents started close.
June 26th, 2019  
@skipt07 I basically worked for a company that had been in business since 1854 and had been brought by the Moody's in 1956. But none of their children worked for the company for long except one who only wanted easy money and not to have to work too hard. They sold the land in 2016 and sold their business separately. Fortunately I was going to retire any way. And the other business but about 75% of our former employees to work.
June 26th, 2019  
Cool picture.
June 27th, 2019  
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