79-year-old hardware store operator, Great Lakes Ace Hardware, has announced it will permanently close its Center Line, Mich., location on March 28. The closure was announced without a specific reason. Independent hardware store operators, part of the Ace Hardware and True Value Hardware cooperatives, are facing economic challenges due to competition from Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon. Home Depot dominated the home improvement sector with 28% of the market in 2025, while Lowe’s captured 17% and Amazon generated 11% of sector’�s sales. With the big three retailers capturing 56% of sales, smaller chains and retailers are struggling to generate enough sales to stay in business.