Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sad News - More Closings!

Recently in my area there have been two of the very few private craft/scrapbook stores announce they were closing very soon...one ~ Pages In Time in Mishawaka, IN (my fav.) is now down to the last days (closing Sat.) and the other The Memory Zone in Plymoth, IN is set to close on December 15th.

I wasn't able to visit either of these stores very often because of the distance but I did love both and was incredibly sad yesterday on my last ever visit to Pages in Time.... If you know me you know I'm very emotional (read - cry baby)... and yes, I did tear up as Becky checked me out for the last time....

I know in these very difficult times things are though for many people ~ being self-employed we know and can relate to this on a very personal level...

I just hope and pray that what few remaining stores are left will be able to sustain themselves until times improve.

It's so very sad to see these awesome & unique stores ( and people ) fall to the pressures facing us all.


Well, sadly (tearing up again as I write this...) just a bit ago I rec'd this announcement from Lifetime Moments...
one of my favorite on-line craft stores....





IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT & 25% off SALE!


**Notes From Jackie:

When you set yourself on a path to follow a dream, the last thing you envision is an ending. Perhaps that is why this note is so difficult for me to write and why I’ve rewritten it so many times in my mind. Sometimes the ‘pull the bandaid off quickly’ method works best, so here it is - Lifetime Moments will be closing by the end of 2009.

We will be closing the online store by December 10th and our local warehouse store by December 20th. The message boards and gallery will remain online until December 31st.

I know that many of you will be surprised by this news, and others will understand as they have seen many a store or small business closing in the past year in their own community due to our slow economy/recession. This past year has been by far our most challenging one as we struggled to adapt to much slower sales as our customers understandably found themselves with less spending money for their hobbies. As the end of our current lease came upon us and the reality that the business had not been able to support its expenses for some time, we knew a difficult decision had to be made.

I have thoroughly enjoyed over 7 years of Lifetime Moments and will truly cherish the experiences LM has brought to my life. The excitement and joy of success as we grew our business from the ground up to one of the premier online scrapbook stores fulfilled my dream of entrepreneurship. We have made amazing friendships as customers became good friends and such an important part of our lives. So much of our lives have been shared in our online community – sadness and grief of lost loved ones, happiness of so many beautiful new babies, new relationships, new homes, new jobs, sound advice, caring concern, shared interests and so many fun times. I am incredibly sad that this chapter in our lives is coming to a close but am confident that the many great friendships LM has fostered will continue for many years to come. Thank you all for being such an important part of our lives over the past 7 years.

We appreciate all of your business over the years. Thank you for choosing LM to shop for your scrapbook supplies. Please help us wrap things up and spread the word to your friends as well.
Sales will begin immediately!

Starting today, everything in the store is 25% off – you must use this promo code at checkout to apply the discount. 25-011

Thank you!

*Outstanding Preorders -

My Little Yellow Bicycle Sweet Love collection – an updated expected date is middle of December which we felt was cutting it too close to when we will close, so all preorders for Sweet Love will be cancelled effective immediately. If you paid via paypal we will put through a refund for you. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

Pink Paislee Cupid collection – we have confirmed that this collection will still be arriving the first week of December, in plenty of time for us, so this preorder will continue.

If you have any questions about your preorder, please contact us at sales@lifetimemoments.com.

*Kit Club - November will be our last kit.

*Customer Loyalty Points - You may redeem any current customer loyalty points in your account. Effective immediately, purchases in the store will not earn you more points.

*Gift Certificates - No new gift certificates will be issued. All current gift certificates are valid, but must be redeemed before the store closes. There is no cash value to gift certificates.

*Discount Codes - Only 1 discount code is allowed per order, they may not be combined. Effective immediately this includes discount codes for Design Team Members, Employees and Moderators.

*Returns - Effective immediately, all sales are final.

*Previously Placed Orders - Discounts are not retroactive and may not be applied to orders previously placed.

*Shipping - Our actual shipping policy remains the same. Orders $85 and over get you free shipping in the US, or a $7 credit toward your shipping if you are an international customer. First class shipping is available if your items fit in an envelope, with a minimum charge of $2.50.



Please pass the word and if you can support Jackie and your own local stores in these difficult times.

1 comment:

  1. I feel your pain. There are not any stores within a hours drive from me anymore. The last ones that I knew about closed last year. I do miss both of these stores terribly. One stop craft stores just do not have the selection of the specialty scrapbook stores. But it is not just the stores, there have been several magazines that showcase those beautiful projects and ideas that have fallen lately as well. All of the inspiration is dwindling. The beautiful projects that you and others create and share with us on the internet just do not have the impact that seeing something in person has.

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