Most shelves inside San Dimas Ace Hardware are now nearly empty. The longtime neighborhood store, which has served San Dimas and surrounding communities since 1974, is preparing to close.

Owner James Reimer said declining sales, financial challenges and an unsuccessful search for a buyer led to the decision. He estimated that keeping the store open temporarily would require $150,000 to $200,000.

“That would not have been a guarantee that it would survive. In reality, it’d take close to $300,000 to $400,000 to fully restock,” Reimer admitted.

Continuing to operate without that investment would “just keep adding debt on top of debt,” he said.

Reimer said the customers he has spoken with are disappointed.

“Everyone that I’ve talked to, they’re all sad to see it go,” he noted. “Part of doing business, I guess.”

San Dimas resident Mike Florentine, a frequent customer, said he worries the closure will further weaken the downtown area.

“It’s terrible,” Florentine said. “I think you’re going to see a continued deterioration of downtown.”

Another customer, Dave, who declined to give his last name, said he has shopped at the store since 1979. He said customers may have difficulty finding the same selection elsewhere.

“Everyone's pretty resilient,” Dave said. “But they aren't going to find any of these [pointing to merchandise]. They have a much better inventory here.”

Dave also said the store’s employees provide personal attention that he has not experienced at larger retailers.

“They come up, and they help you,” he said.

As the store struggled to stay open, community members offered their support through a GoFundMe campaign that launched Sept. 4. The fundraiser raised $4,445, helping purchase additional merchandise. 

“I had that up for at least a month,” he said. “It’s appreciated, but you need to add a couple zeros to that to make a huge dent.”

The store’s future first came into question when the City Council announced during a meeting on Aug. 25 that the business would close on Sept. 19. At the time, Reimer said the closure was not official.

Reimer expressed frustration with the City’s August announcement, saying it added to the uncertainty surrounding the business and negatively affected sales.

“They never came out and retracted their story, and it just kind of snowballed into un-recovery,” Reimer said.

Although a final closing date has not been determined, The store’s financial struggles have affected its employees. Reimer said there were 12 employees in August, compared with just seven today.

Representatives from Los Angeles County recently visited the store to discuss free job training opportunities available to the employees, including skilled trades such as welding, he said, but he is unsure of what the employees plan to do after the store's last day.

Remaining merchandise is 75% off, and the store is accepting cash only. Reimer said proceeds from the sale will help cover outstanding expenses.

“It’s basically going for payroll, taxes, rent, and the electricity bill,” Reimer explained. “The electricity bill is three grand a month.”

After months of trying to keep the business operating, Reimer said the decision to close has been difficult.

“Failure is something hard to admit,” he said.

Reimer added that he hopes customers remember its commitment to helping them with home improvement and repair projects.

“We tried helping every customer that came in,” he said. “We appreciate their loyalty and support.”