When the original intellectual property auction for the remaining assets of the former sewing and craft chain Hancock Fabrics concluded, the winning bidder was a company called ADMACO, Inc. Who? That turned out to be an alias for Michaels, the nationwide craft supplies chain, which will take over the Hancock Fabrics trademarks, and the 10 million names on its mailing list.

The serious crafters in the audience are probably asking themselves, “Wait, what would Michaels want with a serious sewing and fabric store like Hancock? They barely even sell sewing supplies!”

That’s true, though Michaels does have a wide selection of fabrics and sewing machines available to buy online. Maybe they think that Hancock’s customers are interested in scrapbooking supplies, beads, and Rainbow Loom, too.

The good news, according to the report of the privacy ombudsman [PDF] in this bankruptcy, is that Michaels will allow people on the Hancock Fabrics list to opt in, and has agreed to abide by the privacy policy of Hancock Fabrics. There will be opportunities by e-mail and on the Hancock Fabrics and Michaels websites to opt out if you don’t want Michaels to contact you.

Here are some of the brands that Michaels is getting, if it does decide to expand its offerings in fabric, notions, and sewing machines:

The sale also includes a long list of domain names, which include the baffling SnuggieOutlet.com, which isn’t an active site right now.

(Via Chain Store Age)

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