s , ▁it ▁began ▁opening ▁its ▁own ▁stores . ▁Those ▁stores ▁were ▁not ▁successful , ▁and ▁their ▁financial ▁problems ▁ultimately ▁inter fer ed ▁with ▁the ▁chain ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁deliver ▁goods ▁to ▁its ▁franch ise es , ▁ 8 6 0 ▁locally ▁owned ▁stores ▁in ▁ 4 7 ▁states . ▁The ▁company ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁and ▁closed ▁these ▁stores ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 – 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁True ▁Value ▁owner ▁Cot ter ▁& ▁Co . ▁sold ▁its ▁V & S ▁Vari ety ▁Store ▁chain ▁to ▁Ben ▁Franklin ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁Prom ot ions ▁Un limited ▁Prom ot ions ▁Un limited ▁had ▁stepped ▁in ▁as ▁a ▁supp lier ▁for ▁many ▁Ben ▁Franklin ▁franch ise es ▁during ▁the ▁corpor ation ' s ▁descent ▁into ▁bank rupt cy . ▁ ▁It ▁acquired ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁chain ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁as ▁the ▁old ▁corpor ate ▁entity ▁was ▁moving ▁into ▁Chapter ▁ 7 . ▁It ▁has ▁continued ▁operating ▁as ▁a ▁distrib utor ▁serv icing ▁individual ▁franch ise es ▁and ▁advert ising ▁the ▁products ▁sold ▁there ▁through ▁direct ▁mail ▁services ▁and ▁newspaper ▁inser ts . ▁ ▁The ▁chain ▁compr ises ▁about ▁ 2 0 9 ▁craft ▁stores ▁and ▁ 1 2 3 ▁variety ▁stores , ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁a kin ▁to ▁five ▁and ▁d imes . ▁ ▁Prom ot ions ▁Un limited ▁provides ▁similar ▁advert ising ▁and ▁prom ot ional ▁services ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁other ▁ret ail ▁stores ▁una ff ili ated ▁with ▁Ben