72-Year-Old Minnesota Ace Hardware Store to Close as Cooperative Sees 12 Independent Locations Shut Down in...

Kuipers Ace Hardware in Golden Valley, Minnesota, will permanently shut down by the end of December after 72 years in business, marking at least the 12th independently owned Ace Hardware location to close across the U.S. in 2026. Owner Dale Hoffman said the decision followed failed lease negotiations with the Golden Valley Shopping Center’s new landlord, adding that the store is holding a liquidation sale with many items marked 50% off until year-end or until inventory sells out.
The closure comes alongside at least 11 other independent Ace Hardware shutdowns this year across states including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas due to factors such as owner retirement and financial pressure.
For the third quarter ended Oct. 3, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based hardware cooperative reported $2.5 billion in revenue, up 2.1% year-over-year. Among roughly 4,000 U.S. stores sharing daily retail data, same-store sales rose 2% on a 4.5% increase in average ticket size, even as same-store transactions declined 2.3%.
Independent hardware retailers continue to face intense competition from major chains. According to first-quarter 2026 market share data from PassBy, Home Depot ($HD) led the home improvement and hardware sector at 29.5%, followed by Lowe’s ($LOW) at about 23.3%, Harbor Freight Tools at 14.8%, Ace Hardware at 11.4%, Do It Best at 10.8%, True Value at 7.1%, and Menards at 3%.