REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS                          EXHIBIT 99.1

To the Advisory Committee of Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. and Participants
of the Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. Associate Stock Ownership Plan:

We have audited the accompanying statements of financial condition of the Jo-Ann
Stores, Inc. Associate Stock Ownership Plan (the Plan) as of December 31, 2001
and 2000, and the related statements of operations and changes in participants'
contributions for the years then ended. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Plan's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted
in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free
of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence
supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit
also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our
opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial condition of the Plan as of December 31,
2001 and 2000, and the changes in its financial condition for the years then
ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States.




/s/
ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Cleveland, Ohio,
March 20, 2002.