The ACE hardware store in the North Albany shopping center had been emptied on March 21, 2026.
Since 2018, when it opened in the then-new IGA supermarket in North Albany, ACE Hardware was a pretty convenient source of, well, hardware. And some other stuff as well.
Now the place is closed. And when North Albany residents need some fixture or coupling or switch in an emergency late in the day, they’ll have to go across town to try to find it.
I guess I didn’t buy enough stuff — from light bulbs and batteries to bags of bird seed, leaf blowers and line trimmers — to keep the store in business. It’s too bad because I always got good help from the men working there.
By the way, if you ask Google AI about ACE Hardware in Albany, it will tell you that the store was holding a liquidation sale in February, but that there was another ACE in Albany, Potters Hardware.
Trouble is that Potters is in Albany, Kentucky. So much for AI.
According to the Internet, the North Albany IGA Supermarket is still part of the Myers Group LLC. The company, based in Clinton, WA, opened the outlet with great fanfare in 2018. The building had been empty for several years after the closing of Ray’s Food Place.
What happens to the empty space in the store? An employee at the IGA supermarket told me the grocery section of the market will be expanded, but there will still be one aisle devoted to hardware items.
So maybe when next I need a lightbulb, I don’t have to run into town. (hh)
This is no surprise considering most items were two or more times expensive as the two big box hardware stores across the river.
At times, you may have to go over to The Dark Side and utilize Amazon…
Yes, so much for A.I. listing an Albany, Kentucky Ace Hardware store being in same town as Albany, Oregon. But, the stock market and big tech wants A.I., so that is what we will have. People won’t have jobs, but the stock market and big tech don’t give a damn about that.
Oh yes, the sky is falling, that darn AI inflated the prices causing the closure just like Rays!
Perhaps the expanded market will have lower prices given the monopoly it have in North Albany, but probably no.
I’ve always liked ACE hardware stores. Shopped many times at the one in North Albany and always had good service. Heard they had closed. Too bad.
Kinda like I felt when Bi-Rite closed in Albany. They were always very helpful about explaining how I could do a job myself and loan me a set of deep sockets (and leaving a refundable deposit). I eventually bought my own set of sockets then they closed shortly afterward.
I experienced the same thing. I had an underground elbow on my water supply “crack” and they sold me the parts & advice on what turned out a lot simpler repair than I expected.
It’s getting rare to find experience & knowledge to go with a product.
Robinet’s in Corvallis is still trying to make a go of it but of course that’s just as far or farther than going across town for your hardware needs.
MacDonald industrial Supply is 1.4 miles away, Parr lumber is a little closer, both have Hardware.
I believe Hasso’s point was- “And when North Albany residents need some fixture or coupling or switch in an emergency late in the day, they’ll have to go across town to try to find it.”
Certainly across the bridge but first avenue is not that far away. 8 minutes according to maps directions from the current NA location to MacDonalds.
It’s not the distance, mainly. It’s that ACE could be accessed until 10 at night. Also it had household hardware.
It saved us a lot of time and energy more than a few times. Working people have customers to deal with so the online ordering is hardly ever convenient or helpful. The extra few bucks for a stress free, quick purchase was well worth it. They had enough variety that we could find what we needed and a quick food run too. We were very thankful and grateful they were there. Supporting other local working people is a part of a good solid community. We will support them whenever we can.