AC Moore vs Zara

About

AC Moore was an arts and crafts specialty retail chain that operated 135+ stores primarily in the eastern United States — offering art supplies, framing, fabric, seasonal crafts, and home décor materials to DIY enthusiasts and crafters. Founded in 1985 in Moorestown, New Jersey by Jack Parker, AC Moore competed in the specialty craft retail market alongside Michaels and Hobby Lobby until closing all of its stores in 2019-2020 after filing for bankruptcy protection. The chain's entire store portfolio was closed and approximately 40 locations were converted to Michaels stores.\n\nAC Moore's business model was similar to Michaels — big-box format stores with extensive craft supplies, regular weekly promotional sales (often percentage-off coupon events similar to Michaels' famous blue coupons), and custom framing services. The company had geographic concentration in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with a loyal regional customer base that valued the store's assortment for needlecrafts, scrapbooking, and seasonal decorating. AC Moore's closure left its Mid-Atlantic customer base to shift to Michaels and, in some locations, Hobby Lobby.\n\nIn 2025, AC Moore exists as a historical brand reference — the company completed its store closures in 2020 and is no longer operating as a retail business. The craft retail market consolidation continued with AC Moore's closure and Jo-Ann Fabric's 2024 bankruptcy, leaving Michaels and Hobby Lobby as the two dominant specialty craft retailers in the United States. The former AC Moore customer base was partially captured by the 40 Michaels conversions from AC Moore locations, providing geographic coverage continuity for craft enthusiasts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets where AC Moore had operated.