Joann stores across the state are expected to close in the coming weeks after filing for bankruptcy.

Experts say this is a sign of the times as several national retailers have gone belly up. Many people will remember when the store was known as Jo-Ann Fabrics.

Everything in the Milford store is 40 to 70% off and it all must go. A viewer gave News 12 Connecticut video from inside the store, showing shelves almost bare in the once popular place people came to get all their crafting needs. A stitch in time, no more.

"I was introduced to Joann’s by my grandmother and I never stopped going," said Molly Cohen from Greenwich. "It's very sad that they're closing," said customer Cathy Clemente. The company filed for bankruptcy in January for the second time in eleven months.

The store first went public back in 1969 after it started in Cleveland in the 1940s. It became America's largest fabric and craft retailer.

"It's like a fixture in Connecticut,” said Thomas Boone from Milford.

The company says one-third of Joann stores will be closed this week, with the rest closing next month. Most are in the middle of going-out-of-business sales.

"I love the place. You can buy material, you can buy anything, decorations and things like that. So, it's another thing for Connecticut that's no good," said Natalie Fisher from Stratford.

Joann’s website includes a statement to customers and employees: "We have been proud to serve as a destination for creativity for more than 80 years and thank our dedicated Team Members, customers and communities across the nation for their decades of support."

"It hurts the community when things like that close. Nobody wins," said Boone.

There has been no word on how many jobs will be lost. Over 500 stores across the country and all 10 locations in Connecticut are closing – including in Milford, Brookfield and Torrington.