A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts announced two investments that it says will bring it to the forefront of creative digital commerce globally.
Parent company Nicole Crafts LLC acquired e-commerce company Blitsy, a leading online retailer of arts and crafts products, and secured an exclusive partnership as part of a major investment in handcraft marketplace Zibbet.
The acquisition combines A.C. Moore’s product sourcing and in-store shopping with Blitsy’s e-commerce capabilities. Blitsy will operate largely as an independent subsidiary of Nicole Crafts LLC and remain based in Chicago, focusing on its current business strategy with access to A.C. Moore’s infrastructure and scale.
A.C. Moore, with headquarters in Berlin, Camden County, and China, will relaunch acmoore.com next year.
“We are joining the A.C. Moore family because there is a huge opportunity to utilize each other’s strengths and move faster toward our vision of delivering a truly rewarding and holistic experience to customers, teammates and brand partners,” said Ross Petersen, co-founder and CEO of Blitsy. “Together, we will drive value, excitement and innovation that the arts and crafts industry has never seen before.”
Zibbet supports more than 50,000 independent creative.
“We’re very excited for what we will achieve through our partnership with A.C. Moore,” said founder and CEO Jonathan Peacock. “Our company values are tightly aligned and I have no doubt that together we’re going to change the face of creative commerce. This is great news for the industry as a whole.”
A.C. Moore was advised on both transactions by EGL Holdings, an Atlanta-based boutique investment banking company.
“A.C. Moore is entering a period of unprecedented growth,” said Anthony Piperno, owner and chief marketing and merchandising officer at A.C. Moore. “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.”
