Ace Hardware

I’ve been coming here for several years now, since moving up to Gurnee from Mundelein. It is rare that I don’t find what I’m looking for. They always offer to help, in finding product to recommending product.
Prices seem fair and in line with competition.
It is close to home, so I don’t have to drive all the way across town.
I’ve never had any issues with customer service of friendliness.
All around great store and resource.

Consumer Beware. I brought 5 window screens here to be repaired. They had rips/​tears in the mesh. I get a call 10 days later letting me know my screens are ready for pick-​up. I go to Ace and get the screens. I proceed to pay and they tell me my total is $ 197.00 dollars!!! I nearly fell over! I tell them no way that price is correct. The employee named «Scott» tells me the price is right. I can get 5 «Brand New» screens for $ 192 at the local big box home improvement store. These guys/​Ace are robbing customers blind with their inflated prices. My wife and I know Ace charges a few dollars more for things, but we try to support the local neighborhood shops. Scott was not even willing to negotiate price and would rather lose a customer. I wasn’t looking for a freebie, just pay a fair value. Anyways, my wife and I will not step foot into Ace ever again and will let neighbors and friends know, DO NOT USE ACE FOR SCREEN REPAIR!

I’ve always been a fan of ACE hardware, and that is mainly because there’s always someone in a red vest with a smile and the willingness to help. And, to be honest, I’m a man that needs decent amount of help with getting the right tools. I’m the kind that ends up using phrases like «looks like» or «what-​cha-​ma-​call-​it» or «that thingy», and almost all the time, they know what I’m talking about.
And Sunday wasn’t any different. I described in great lengths (accompanied by hand gestures) what I wanted and for what. And after navigating through their store, I ended up with everything I wanted and needed for the job that was waiting for me at home. In hindsight, I wish I took his name down and thanked him on here. Often a great service or experience makes a day much better, and this was one of them. What I was looking for became a dialogue with him, and his idea of how to tackle the situation helped with coming up with a better plan of action. I was there half an hour before the Bears and Packers game, which clearly was the perfect time to be there. Checkout was a breeze as I got the usual series of questions with a smile and politeness.
As for location– the Grand Ave construction does create a hindrance, but that is only temporary. They have a huge parking lot that they share with Walgreens. I cannot imagine this parking lot ever being filled to capacity, so parking really isn’t an issue with this location.
This ACE definitely lives up to their tagline of «The Helpful Place».

I will never buy another thing from this store thanks to a condescending and rude manager. I went there to buy a Big Green Egg for Father’s Day. While there, I saw the EXACT same Burgess Mosquito Fogger that I had just returned to Menards down the road because it was defective. Menards did not have another one in stock. A sign at the entrance to ACE says that they will match competitors Ad’s. ACE’s price was $ 10 more than Menards everyday price. I asked the sweet, helpful girl at the counter if she could price match Menard’s price. She said sure, but needed to call a manager over. The manager was rude and condescending to me, and essentially said that he would not match the price because I didn’t have a printed ad with a SKU for him to attach to his copy of the receipt. I asked if I could show him the item on Menard’s website, and he was not interested in listening to me.
I guess that he was unaware that I was there to purchase an $ 829 BBQ grill from him. I was in no mood to explain that to him, so I politely walked out. Fortunately, I found a BGE at Abt, and they price matched ACE, so I bought the stand and accessories. All in all I spent over $ 1100 on that purchase. ACE lost the sale and my business by treating me like a lying cheapskate for asking them to honor one of their posted policies. As luck would have it, Menards got some more mosquito foggers in stock this week and they are offering 11% rebates on everything, so this fogger works out to be about $ 16 cheaper than ACE, and I know that if I have any issues with it, Menards won’t treat me rudely. BTW, Lowes and Home Depot will beat their competitors price by 10%. So if you find something at ACE, google it to see if HD or Lowes carries it. Take a picture of the price at ACE (or shown a sales assoc. the online web price, then drive 2 miles down the road and save 10% no questions asked. I cannot imagine a manager at a retailer treating a customer poorly, and expecting them not to flee to your nearby competitors. I will not be back.

Go to Ace when you need help finding something or require the expertise of staff to help you solve a problem. They are phenomenal in this regard. The store is small enough to negotiate but very well stocked for your hardware and outdoor needs. Prices are competitive, especially if you join the Rewards program which in addition to discounts, will send you coupons throughout the year. You can actually find people to help you there, sometimes they even ask you before you require their help. This is so much different than the other mega warehouses in town, Ace is a breath of fresh air.

This place blows me away with their fastener selection. I just ran all over town looking for 5/8×6″ fully threaded hex head bolts. Just found them at this mom n’ pop hardware store for a cool $ 4/​apiece. This is probably the 3^rd time this year I’ve found something here I couldn’t get from a supply house. That’s pretty Ace.

«Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man!» Yeah, boyee it is! Ace is especially helpful to those of us who like to repair, install and maintain odds and ends around our homes, but are all too often clueless about how to go about it, in need of instruction, encouragement, and an occasional «Sure you can do it!» vote of confidence. It is not as much about saving a buck or two, as it is about not having to let a mystery schmo into your home to TCB.
If you can get a floor clerk’s attention at any one of the big, glorified hardware warehouse lumberyard stores, consider it your lucky day. If that floor clerk can intelligently answer your questions, consider yourself the equivalent of a Publishing Clearing House winner in glorified hardware warehouse lumber yard-​dom. If that floor clerk can or will instruct you about how to execute your task, and be pleasant at the same time, you are blessed … or you got terribly confused and ended up at Ace Hardware store, instead. Next time you need to repair, install and maintain something around your home, forget the big, glorified hardware warehouse lumber yard store and get thine happy azz to Ace. These people even can school you about the ways of paint and wall paper, and match paint to just about any color sample that you have!