He sets down the FrameMaster to check out TheG for a few minutes...
OK so someone else is promoting custom framing

GREAT - that will make more people aware of what we do and what we offer.
Once customers go to some of these places MAYBE it will whet their appetite for something more - and better - and maybe they'll come to one of our stores. We all have clients who started framing at (insert favorite BB here) who learned the difference and now come to "real" shops. Regardless of who the supplier is, the same problems will apply - staffing and keeping turnover to a minimum in order to be successful. Yes, these places attract talented framers from time to time - but they usually don't stay long (I hired and replaced more than my share over the years)
Do you want to succeed

Then lose the LJ-is-killing-us mentality and focus on YOUR business. If you currently buy from LJ, and this arrangement disturbs you, fire them and find another vendor (it's easy, just make a few phone calls and you'll have more reps than you ever wanted to meet banging down your door). If you don't use LJ, why do you care?
DISCLAIMER:I show and sell LJ - I have no JoAnns nearby (but plenty of other competition) - and I don't really care what arrangement they have, I just hope I qualify for something like it one day.
This is a business (I know, that might bother some of you) and we (should) make business decisions absent emotion. So the local JoAnns is now the LJ framing outlet. Great - use it to your advantage and carry something
the other guys don't. Maybe you lose some of your LJ, maybe all, maybe none. I guarantee that if you are showing 100 LJ smaples,you're selling maybe 30, and only 10 in big quantities (got POS? Check it and see). That leaves about 270 spots available for other vendors. In our shop we show approximately 1800 corners, and turn over at least 1/3 every year. Those that didn't get touched during the year get pitched. Our vendors tell us what they're selling. Our POS tells us what's selling so we only pitch the bad stuff. Change is good - embrace it. Change won't hurt, if you know your business and do it right.
We just met with our LJ rep - and had my say regarding Partner status 'cuz I felt we'd earned it - and learned otherwise
I'd like the better deals, but I won't turn my shop into a BB clone for an extra discount. I'd rather have 5-8 vendors who offer unique designs, good pricing, and good service. I don't need 8 or 10 different gold swan profiles - but I do need something no one else has. Our reputation is for unique and different, butI can't do that with only 2 or 3 vendors. In short,
my business requires more. But we still carry LJ - a good bit, in fact - and will in the future.
As for their site and their stores: Anyone who thinks they can't learn from others regarding marketing, display, etc is nuts. Look to the industry players - yes, Joanns would be one - but also other business leaders (Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 1, etc) They know how to display and market their products - concentrate on category leaders, attractive displays, great product and good prices. We can LEARN AND USE their best ideas. If they're showing lots of preframed "Singing Butlers" maybe
it's becasue they sell. Next time you're doing preframed (if you do in YOUR BUSINESS) you should do up a "Singing Butler" or two. Know and show WHAT SELLS, not just what looks nice.
It's your business, not theirs, but we can all learn something to make ours better and more successful. Or not.
...climbing down off the soapbox to finish up another order the big guys can't do
Tony