Business Insider/Jessica Tyler All three craft stores had a ton of seasonal products on sale.
- Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Joann Stores all sell arts-and-crafts products like canvases and paint, sketchbooks, scrap-booking supplies, and home decor.
- Hobby Lobby is a privately owned company, but earlier this year, it announced it would be continuing to grow, opening an additional 60 stores and hiring around 2,500 new employees in 2018.
- In August, Michaels reported comparable sales decreased 0.4% in the second quarter. The company opened nine new stores, closed one store, and relocated seven stores in the quarter.
- Joann is also a privately owned company. It was taken private by private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP in a $1.6 billion deal in 2011.
- We visited neighboring locations of Hobby Lobby and Michaels in Commack, New York, and a Joann in Scarsdale, New York, and found that one of the stores had a lot more to offer than the other two.
Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Joann are three of the biggest arts-and-crafts retailers in the United States.
Each store sells products like canvases and paint, sketchbooks, scrapbooking supplies, and home decor. All three stores also offer craft classes for kids and adults, as well as DIY project ideas and tips.
Hobby Lobby, which is privately owned, currently operates 800 stores across 47 states. In 2017, it opened 63 new stores, including 12 relocated stores. Earlier this year, Hobby Lobby announced it would be continuing to grow, opening an additional 60 stores and hiring around 2,500 new employees in 2018.
Michaels, which is a public company, currently has 1,251 of its namesake stores in 49 states. In August, Michaels reported comparable sales decreased 0.4% in the second quarter. The company opened nine new stores, closed one store, and relocated seven stores in the quarter.
Joann is also a privately owned company. It was taken private in 2011 by private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP in a $1.6 billion deal, and it currently operates more than 850 stores across the country.
We visited neighboring locations of Hobby Lobby and Michaels in Commack, New York, and a Joann in Scarsdale, New York, and found that one of the stores had a lot more to offer than the other two.
Here's the verdict: