ACE Hardware Operations

[storewanderer]

It also sounds like Ace is encouraging single-store operators to become multi-store operators, or sell to a larger operator. The Ace where I’m at (Dayton, NV) is owned by the Louie family out of Fallon. Susanville Ace (~90 miles north of Reno) sold to Crown Ace out of SoCal. I know Westlake Ace (the only stores indirectly owned by Ace Hardware) took over a bunch of the old OSH stores, and a couple more locations (like Pleasant Hill).

Interestingly enough, Sparks is about to get another Ace Hardware in a 2008-10ish built but never opened Longs Drugs that’s about the same size as our new Ace in Dayton.

I wonder if that is the same operator who had the Baring Ace who is trying again...

If they do garden center that store should do well enough.

[Super S]

ACE has always been hit or miss and truly varies by location. (The same can be said about True Value)

The small town locations tend to have better variety of products as they don't have as much competition. ACE sometimes is a supplemental portion of a drug store, grocery store, etc.

They don't do as well in bigger towns when you have Lowe's, Home Depot, and others in the mix. Sure, they do carry some items the bigger stores don't, but their prices are considerably higher in almost all cases. Ace in Longview, WA opened in a portion of a former ERNST and did ok for a while, but Home Depot came to town, followed by Lowe's. There is also the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in the mix for hard to find things that are not readily available/no longer made. The ACE seemed out of touch toward the end, and downsized into a much smaller space before closing down entirely.

I have noticed a number of ACE locations that have split from the ACE franchise and shifted to True Value or in some cases have continued as an independent. I have also seen some companies such as Hi-School Pharmacy, who operated hardware departments in all of their stores (at least when they had a larger presence before selling many of their locations to Walgreens) would sometimes operate one location as ACE, another as True Value, although merchandise was largely the same except for True Value/ACE private labels.

[Brian Lutz]

One interesting example I've seen is a hybrid Ace Hardware / Harvest Foods (URM) store located in Spirit Lake Idaho. This was a much nicer store than you'd expect to see in a town with a population around 2,500, with about 2/3 of the store being foods and the other third being Ace Hardware. I'm sure they benefit from a lack of competition (the closest big box home improvement stores are in Coeur d'Alene more than 20 miles away) but seem to be a store well suited to the more rural area they operate in.

One area Ace seems to have a particular focus on is selling high end grills and smokers, particularly some of the premium brands like Weber, Traeger and Big Green Egg. In larger cities there are specialty shops that will carry these, but in smaller towns and rural areas the Ace is likely going to be your best place to find them.

[buckguy]

Ace has done well in DC--a former neighbor has several of them, tailored to each neighborhood and they happily do special orders for hard to find items. Ace just picked up Strosnider's in the suburbs as a franchise---Strosnider has a larger format and loyal following with great service. Even in HD's backyard in Atlanta, quite a few indies have held on. They found niches--things like lawn and garden, paint and stain you can't buy at a chain or woodworking as an anchor with varying degrees of general hardware.

[storewanderer]

One interesting example I've seen is a hybrid Ace Hardware / Harvest Foods (URM) store located in Spirit Lake Idaho. This was a much nicer store than you'd expect to see in a town with a population around 2,500, with about 2/3 of the store being foods and the other third being Ace Hardware. I'm sure they benefit from a lack of competition (the closest big box home improvement stores are in Coeur d'Alene more than 20 miles away) but seem to be a store well suited to the more rural area they operate in.

One area Ace seems to have a particular focus on is selling high end grills and smokers, particularly some of the premium brands like Weber, Traeger and Big Green Egg. In larger cities there are specialty shops that will carry these, but in smaller towns and rural areas the Ace is likely going to be your best place to find them.

Associated Food Stores has multiple independents they've set up with these combination grocery store/hardware store things with Ace. Ridleys has multiple stores like this. Raines in Eureka, NV has this set up too. I think there is another up in Burley.

[bryceleinan]

One interesting example I've seen is a hybrid Ace Hardware / Harvest Foods (URM) store located in Spirit Lake Idaho. This was a much nicer store than you'd expect to see in a town with a population around 2,500, with about 2/3 of the store being foods and the other third being Ace Hardware. I'm sure they benefit from a lack of competition (the closest big box home improvement stores are in Coeur d'Alene more than 20 miles away) but seem to be a store well suited to the more rural area they operate in.

One area Ace seems to have a particular focus on is selling high end grills and smokers, particularly some of the premium brands like Weber, Traeger and Big Green Egg. In larger cities there are specialty shops that will carry these, but in smaller towns and rural areas the Ace is likely going to be your best place to find them.

Associated Food Stores has multiple independents they've set up with these combination grocery store/hardware store things with Ace. Ridleys has multiple stores like this. Raines in Eureka, NV has this set up too. I think there is another up in Burley.

Ray's up in Oregon has a couple of stores (Central Point being one) that have a partnership with Ace - I think I have seen others in California. I went to the Ridleys in Kuna, ID a few years ago and it was nice how they had the Ace setup with the grocery store.

[storewanderer]

Ray's up in Oregon has a couple of stores (Central Point being one) that have a partnership with Ace - I think I have seen others in California. I went to the Ridleys in Kuna, ID a few years ago and it was nice how they had the Ace setup with the grocery store.

The combination in Central Point is poor; the store is too small for that. The Ace mix isn't great (too small). It hardly has any customers anyway so adding Ace in allowed them to cut down their food space and add in more items that would not spoil on them.

Not sure which California Rays have that. Not many Rays left in CA.

The Associated models are set up better. Most were built in this format so I suppose that is to be expected. Ridleys in Winnemucca did this with the former Raleys - it was easy- they just converted the drug half of the store into Ace. The problem is the old Ace in Winnemucca that was long established/across the street before Ridleys bought it, was a much larger store with a lot more to offer than they were able to squeeze into the old Raleys even though they easily have 20k+ square feet for Ace in there.

[TW-Upstate NY]

They don't do as well in bigger towns when you have Lowe's, Home Depot, and others in the mix. Sure, they do carry some items the bigger stores don't, but their prices are considerably higher in almost all cases.

I must've have found the needle in the haystack because there's an Ace in a downtown location that seems to do very well with Home Depot and Lowes located in the major shopping area just a few miles away. And their prices are quite competitive as well. Case in point: I needed a new mailbox and wanted to replace it with the same one I currently have. Home Depot and Lowes stock the brand but not the color and I would have to order it from either one of them. Not really a big deal and I've ordered from both in the past and have been satisfied. I kept looking around and noticed Ace stocks the exact same one and their price was $3.00 less than Home Depot and $7.00 less than Lowes and they actually had the item in stock. Needless to say they got my business the other day. And this Ace is a truly locally owned one location only store which means a lot more of that money stays right here in the community. It's actually a "real" hardware store too and I'll take that over a big box any day.

[Romr123]

I had that happen last year--was looking for a new garbage disposer--ISE Evolution Compact was $5 cheaper at Ace than LowesDepot. Plus the Ace was running a $5/$25 grocery store receipt coupon.

[storewanderer]

Pricing at Lowes and Home Depot is high. They used to be a discount type of place but now they are duopoly and there is no price competition anymore.

Smaller stores like Ace, True Value, etc. are often cheaper.