Shopping at either Home Depot or Lowe’s big box home improvement and hardware stores can be a lot like a scavenger hunt when looking for certain products because of the size of the warehouse stores.
It can be challenging when an associate is not sure on which aisle a certain product is located, which has happened to this writer on occasion.
Smaller hardware stores, like an Ace Hardware or True Value, can be more convenient when looking for a one item, as I’ve noticed workers at those stores will immediately ask you if you need help the moment you step into the store. And they seem to know exactly where a product is.
When one of these Ace or True Value stores closes permanently, it often has a major impact on a community.
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True Value Hardware closes store
43-year-old True Value Hardware on 17th in Washington, D.C., an independently owned affiliate of the True Value Hardware cooperative, will permanently close its Dupont Circle store on Dec. 31, 2026.
The hardware store is closing at the end of the year because its owner plans to retire and could not find a buyer for the business, according to WUSA-TV.
“I can’t believe it,” said Vincent Slatt, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Dupont Circle, according to WTOP-FM. “This an earthquake for our community. This is an institution in Dupont Circle.”
Do It Best consolidates headquarters
The closing of the True Value on 17th will come after the hardware cooperative’s owner Do It Best Group closes True Value’s headquarters in Chicago on Oct. 9 and consolidates the two hardware companies’ corporate operations in Fort Wayne, Ind., HBS Dealer reported.
Do It Best Group, which acquired True Value Hardware in 2024, announced on July 1, 2026, that it would close the Chicago True Value headquarters and consolidate both home improvement and hardware cooperatives’ home offices, according to a statement.
“Do It Best Group has always believed in the power of independent business owners and that commitment is at the center of this decision,” Do It Best CEO Dan Starr said in the statement.
“By aligning the headquarters of Do It Best and True Value here in Fort Wayne, we are creating the leadership structure, operational focus, and shared momentum needed to support all of our store owners, strengthen vendor partnerships, and enhance one of the most recognized brands in home improvement,” Starr said.
Company retains 20% of workers
True Value affiliate TV Hardware Distribution LLC sent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notices to 116 of the Chicago headquarters employees. About 20% of the workers from the Chicago office will continue with the company and operate out of the Fort Wayne office, according to HBS Dealer.
“From day one, we have been clear that integration will make us a stronger, more efficient company,” Do It Best Group COO Nick Talarico said in a statement. “Aligning around one headquarters is an important part of reducing operational costs, eliminating duplication, and creating a simpler way of working across the company.
“It will also allow our teams to collaborate more closely, make decisions faster, and focus more of our resources on the programs, products, and innovations that help independent businesses compete and grow,” Talarico said.
Distribution facility closes
TV Hardware Distribution also sent WARN notices on Aug. 3 to 62 workers at the company’s Springfield, Ore., distribution facility, which it plans to close between Oct. 3 and Dec. 31, 2026, according to the notice.
Layoffs are expected to begin on Oct. 3 and conclude by Dec. 31.
True Value closings
- True Value Hardware on 17th, Washington, D.C., on Dec. 31. Source: WUSA-TV.
- True Value Headquarters, Chicago, Oct. 9. Source: WARN notice
- True Value distribution facility, Springfield, Ore., by Dec. 31. Source: WARN notice.
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