A.C. Moore Invests in 2 Online Brands

A.C. Moore, the arts-and-crafts retailer, announced today that it has acquired e-commerce company Blitsy and invested in handcraft marketplace Zibbet to boost its digital capacity. The two major investments are to boost the company’s online reach and sales, said Anthony Piperno, chief marketing and merchandising officer at A.C. Moore. Piperno said both deals were completed last week. The purchase price was not disclosed for either deal. Blitsy is a leading online retailer of arts-and-crafts products, while the exclusive partnership with Zibbet — one of the fastest-growing peer-to-peer handcraft marketplaces comprised of independent artists, crafters, and vintage collectors — gives A.C. Moore another digital outlet to sell its products.

Total Retail's Take: A.C. Moore, which operates 135 brick-and-mortar stores across the East Coast, is wisely bolstering its online presence as it looks to better serve the needs of today's digital-centric consumers. The acquisition of Blitsy and investment in Zibbet paired with A.C. Moore's physical store locations (and its e-commerce site) give the brand more opportunities to engage omnichannel shoppers, which have been proven to be more valuable and loyal to retailers.

"A.C. Moore is entering a period of unprecedented growth," said Piperno, in a company press release. "These dynamic additions to our company can rapidly accelerate adoption of our proprietary product across a global audience of creative consumers and position our family as industry leaders among arts and crafts enthusiasts everywhere."