A.C. Moore Closing All Maryland Stores

MARYLAND — A.C. Moore will close all its stores, the company said Monday. The chain, owned by Nicole Crafts, said it has decided to "exit its retail operations" by closing all A.C. Moore stores "as part of a broader strategic plan."

The arts and crafts supplier operates at least ten stores in Maryland. Under the transition, as many as 40 A.C. Moore stores will become Michaels. The locations to become Michaels have not yet been named.

Online orders ceased as of Monday. Previously placed orders will ship, the company said.

Here are Maryland store locations:

• Governor Plaza Shopping Center, 6625 Governor Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie
• Severna Market Place, 571 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park
• Avenues At White Marsh, 8115 Honeygo Blvd., Nottingham
• Festival At Bel Air Shopping Center, 5 Bel Air South Parkway, Bel Air
• Centre At Hagerstown, 17656 Garland Groh Blvd, Hagerstown
• Frederick Crossing, 7330 Guilford Drive, Frederick
• Montrose Crossing, 12013 Rockville Pike, Rockville
• Waldorf Marketplace, 3035 Waldorf Market Place, Waldorf
• Mill Station, 10240 Mill Run Circle, Owings Mills
• Shoppes at Bowie Town Center, 3861 Evergreen Parkway, Bowie

The closures are due to "headwinds facing many retailers," said Anthony Piperno, A.C. Moore CEO.

"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."

Closing plans for specific A.C. Moore locations will be released in the upcoming weeks.

"We are looking forward to re-opening these stores under the Michaels name in 2020 and welcoming new team members," said Michaels CEO Mark Cosby.

Related:

• Sears, Kmart: 4 More Stores Closing In Maryland
• Maternity Apparel Store Closing 3 MD Locations: Report
• Athletic Apparel Chain Closing 4 Locations In Maryland
• 2 Maryland Kmart/Sears Stores To Close In December 2019
• Closing Date For Owings Mills Bed Bath & Beyond Set

A.C. Moore is part of a growing list of brick-and-mortar establishments that have seen a nosedive in revenue and popularity with the emergence of e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart. In what analysts have dubbed the retail apocalypse, the beloved chain Toys R Us was likely the most high-profile retail closure in the past year. In March 2019, JCPenney said it would close 18 stores this year, which included the location at Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg, which shut down July 5.

Toys R Us shut down its operations in the U.S., closing 735 stores. The iconic toy store closed all of its locations in the U.S. by late June 2018, including 17 Toys R Us stores in Maryland.

Transformco, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, recently said it plans to shut another 96 stores by February; four of those locations appear to be in Maryland. Going out-out-of business sales are set to begin on Dec. 2. The targeted stores are the Cumberland Sears store, plus three Kmarts: Frederick Kmart, 1003 W Patrick St.; Hagerstown Kmart, 1713 Massey Blvd.; and Hyattsville Kmart, 6411 Riggs Road.

In early September, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would close some stores and overhaul others ahead of the 2019 holiday shopping season.

— Reporting by Patch Editor Kara Seymour.