By Alex Lloyd Gross
All ACMoore craft stores will close by the end of 2020. That shocking news was released today, November 25 2019 by the company. 40 of the big box craft supply stores will become Michaels. The rest could remain vacant for years to come. Based in Berlin New Jersey, Anthony Piperno, Chief Executive Officer of A.C. Moore said, “For over 30 years, our stores have been servicing the creative community with a vast selection of art and craft materials, with one common focus, the customer. Unfortunately, given the headwinds facing many retailers in today’s environment, it made it very difficult for us to operate and compete on a National level. During this process, we will continue to provide great customer experience, while still delivering quality and value on your favorite products. Plans for closing specific A.C. Moore locations will be shared in the upcoming weeks on our website. While we will stop accepting further online orders as of today, we will ship any previously placed orders in the ordinary course.”
The time table for store closings in the area will be announced sooner, rather than later. It is quite possible that some locations close rather quickly and others stay in operation longer.. It is unknown if these stores will hold liquidation sales or merely ship unsold inventory in bulk to outlet stores or elsewhere. AC Moore is still advertising their Black Friday Doorbusters. They spent a lot of money on advertising and it is not feasible to cancel that at this late juncture.