Ace – Santa Cruz Hardware

I always feel like they think everyone’s a shoplifter in this store. It’s not a friendly feeling, I try not to touch anything, put my hands behind my back, anything to get the employees to stand down. I’m a normal looking, clean human. No backpack, no heavy jacket. Never feel the love in this store, which is a drag because I LOVE hardware stores. I find it hard to believe they have such an outrageous shoplifting problem that they would treat all customers like this. Aisles are locked, video cameras and motion sensors beep repeatedly if you are actually looking at the socket wrenches. Warning, warning, warning… employees start to merge at the end of the aisle… intruder alert… a human is…
reading the labels. Gasp.
Never mind. I’ll order on Amazon, Bezos wins another round.
If it was a friendly atmosphere I’d spend hours and lots of dollars in there. As it is, I come in when driving through and need something; then remember why I avoid this store at all costs.

It’s a decent store. There’s always someone around to tell you where to find things. Prices are high, but you won’t wear out your feet — or back — via long hikes across concrete floor to distant shelves where, you find, they don’t have the size you need. And its in the middle of town, not beyond the city limits. So, convenience. It’s a thing you should expect to pay for.
It also functions as a sort of hyper-​serious home maintenance store. They have a truly huge selection of obscure and specialized cleaning compounds. It goes all the way down one side of an aisle.

Best service. Smart staff. Stocked so well. Amazing prices. A jewel in the neighborhood!

I don’t like shopping, so I’m not a browser, and I think a place like Ace is especially geared toward people who want to go in to get what they need and get out. I just wanted to go in and grab a screwdriver quickly before I had to be at an appointment. I had to be escorted through the chain on the end of the aisle by an employee who, despite standing right next to me watching me, asked for me to put my bag at the front counter. There was also another employee standing at the end of the aisle. I don’t want all the hassle and to be treated like a criminal when I just want to get something practical quickly. I don’t want to fish my wallet and my $ 700 phone out of my bag and wonder what other valuables I have in it that you want me to entrust to a stranger who has had what kind of background check to work there? I’ve come to Ace in the past because it is my «neighborhood» hardware store, so it’s conveniently located for me, and I for some reason felt better giving them my business, but they are a national chain anyway. After this experience, I will order online or go to Home Depot – why not?

This is actually an Ace Hardware now. I don’t know why it doesn’t show up like that on Unilocal or Google. The people there are amazing! You walk in and they ask what you need and guide you right to the product. They have a huge selection that has yet to fail us. This is the bigger hardware store around so I like to go here.

Shout out to store manager Deone. She helped me with a complicated return, made it very easy, friendly and smiling all the while. Some of the staff are not well versed in the world of hardware but they are friendly and can usually direct you to a salesperson in the store who is, unlike the big box store down the road.

I have come here often since it replaced blockbuster video. It’s close to my house and it usually has what I’m looking for. For the most part, the customer service has been awesome.
Tonight I was so surprised how rude they were. There were three folks closing up and we ran in at 7:48. Well they all must have had something really fantastic planned after closing tonight because they were not very happy about us running in right before closing and keeping them past 8. I’m not talking about a lot of time. By two minutes before 8pm, I had been reminded three times that they close at 8pm. Then, while we were checking out, the guy at the door mumbled something about how he wasn’t gonna get out of there on time… blah blah. I’m sorry for keeping you past 8. We were literally out the door at 8:04. That’s a bummer. I feel like the cool neighborhood-​hardware-​store vibe just disappeared! Not sure I’ll be returning…

I’ve been going to this hardware store for years out of convenience because it’s near home but I avoid it whenever possible favoring *any* other hardware store in town because:
This Ace Hardware has outrageously high prices.
The selection is decent. They have many more staff on hand to help per customer than Home Depot but, on average, they are inexperienced in comparison to all other hardware stores I frequent in the area.

Seems like I’m always setting out on a home improvement project thinking about where to go when I think of my local Ace Hardware Store in the Seabright neighborhood. I figure its so close I might as well stop there and see if they have what I’m after. I must say THEY ALWAYS DO! I never have to go elsewhere. It is amazing how they always have what I need even though their store is relatively smaller than the big shops — Orchard and Home Depot. They staff is always friendly. There’s never a wait in line. Lucky to have them in the neighborhood. Thank you Ace Hardware!

I’ve been coming to this ACE hardware ever since moving to Santa Cruz after purchasing a house and making home improvements. I have always supported my local ACE hardware. However, coming in this weekend to this location to return a Christmas light decoration extension rod that only extends to 16ft my roof was much higher than I expected and therefor I could not use it. I was told that I could not return or exchange because it was a Christmas item. Dave, the person who was handling returns said that the «owner» does not allow for Christmas item returns/​exchanges. And that they don’t want customers purchasing and returning after Christmas items been used. I felt as if I wasn’t taken seriously for my concerns and frustration about a product that did not work and i did not use. If this is really how the «owner» feels more about returns /​exchanges then customer service and satisfaction. I’ll spend my hard earned money else where. And no offense to Dave, I’m sure he was doing exactly what the «owner» wants and that’s why this ACE will never get my business. So much for thinking local before purchasing in Santa Cruz. Scott Valley will be my only ACE Hardware for now on.
I’m giving 2 stars instead of 1, I was once a happy customer coming here before this last experience. :(

Nice, friendly, and convenient for our neighborhood.

I’ve been binge watching The Walking Dead on Netflix recently, so naturally I’m a bit paranoid about the possibility of cerebral cortex eating animated corpses shuffling down my street looking for their next meal. I’m on the fence about whether or not this could actually happen, but being an ex-​Boy Scout, I feel the need to be prepared.
This ACE Hardware, though tiny in comparison to the megalithic big box home improvement warehouses, has much of what I need to thwart an assault by decomposing walkers! They have the more conventional anti-​zombie weapons such as chainsaws, machetes, and pickaxes, but for those people who like to push the envelope a little bit and create their own weapons; there are also lawnmowers, nail guns, and other assorted pipes, pumps and metal bits that can be used as flying projectiles!
After all that zombie slaughter, you’re probably going to need to clean things up a bit, you know so your house doesn’t smell like decaying flesh? Luckily you can stock up on cleaning supplies at ACE like bleach, Windex, and oxygen-​based cleaners to get the gooey, sticky, stinky blood off your front porch. They also carry respirator masks, latex gloves and safety glasses so you don’t get infected with the zombie virus while cleaning up the mess.
This ACE also has everything you need to put together a zombie attack care-​kit that includes things like batteries, flashlights, canning supplies, road flares, utility knives, duct tape, an emergency radio and first aid kit. Keep it in your house in an accessible place… you know, just in case!
ACE also has a limited selection of plywood and lumber to cover your windows and doorways to prevent those nasty dead folks from entering your humble little abode. I have no idea why plywood would stop hundreds of undead brain-​starved denizens from getting inside and eating your face, but it seems to work on TV.
The staff is really helpful and knowledgable too… just don’t tell them why you’re buying all this stuff. They probably won’t understand anyway and it will just cause unnecessary alarm. We don’t need a bunch of people freaking out and making a run at this ACE buying up all of our supplies! Keep it between you and me, okay?
Get prepared!

We’re building a bedside shelf and went here for some supplies– very helpful and friendly people, and available without being annoying. Didn’t look down on people who know nothing about home improvement like some stores do. Good selection of products– I’d definitely recommend it!

I was just in this store and had to listen to one of the employees complain about Obama being the president (this happened on the day Obama announced his gun control plan). Aside from being inappropriate for employees to discuss politics in front of customers, I’m not interested in supporting a store where employees feel comfortable ranting about the right to be able to spray bullets at children.

They are small so they don’t always have what I need, but they have 95% of the time I’ve gone. Excellent customer service. Seriously, Ace decided to hire a bunch of really friendly, knowledgeable people. There are larger competitors in the area who might offer things for let’s say 50 cents or dollar cheaper, but I can only go there when I know exactly what I want and don’t need to rely on employee expertise. I go to this Ace when I need help with what I’m looking for because I know they’ll guide me in the right direction and I won’t have to come back with a return/​exchange the wrong item. I also love how close they are to my house and their smaller, local feel.

Excellent Ace Hardware! Easy parking, great stuff, helpful staff. Need I say more?

The new ace hardware store is relatively new (3 months) and is an excellent addition to the east side of Santa Cruz. With time being limited and gas costing what it does, it is a time saver and definitely better than driving to 41^st Avenue. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful.