A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc.
Ticker:ACMR 500 University Court
Exchange:NASDAQ-National Market Blackwood, NJ 08012
Industry:Retail (SIC Code 5999) (609) 228-6700
# of Employees:577

Offering Information
Type of Shares:Common Shares Filing Date:8/5/97
U.S. Shares:2,700,000 Offer Date:10/8/97
Non-U.S. Shares:0 Filing Range:$12.00 - $14.00
Primary Shares:2,700,000 Offer Price:$15.00
Secondary Shares:0 Gross Spread:$1.05
Offering Amount: $35,100,000 Selling:$0.63
Expenses:$550,000 Reallowance:$0.10
Shares Out After:7,000,000

Primary Underwriting Group
ManagerTierPhone
Alex. Brown & Sons IncorporatedLead Manager (410) 895-2700
Janney Montgomery ScottCo-manager (215) 665-6520

Legal Counsel, Auditor and Registrar
Issuer's Law Firm: Blank, Rome, Comisky & McCauley
Bank's Law Firm: Piper & Marbury
Auditor: Price Waterhouse
Registrar/Transfer Agent: StockTrans, Inc.

Selected Financial Data

Dollar amounts in U.S. millions except for per share data
6 Month Ending Financials
Full Year
Audited
Income
Latest
Unaudited
Income
Prior
Unaudited
Income
Balance
Sheet
12/31/96 6/30/97 6/30/96 6/30/97
Revenue:$109.32$53.66$44.98Assets:$38.97
Net Income:$3.82$0.15$0.19Curr Assets:$32.26
EPS:$0.84$0.02Liabilities:$38.06
Prior EPS:-$4.65-$1.12Curr Liabilities:$16.47
Cash Flow/Oper:$6.65$0.92-$2.94Equity:$0.91
Cash Flow/Fin:-$3.85-$1.79-$0.89Cash:$0.92
Cash Flow/Inv:-$2.25-$1.79Working Cap:$15.78

Business Description
The company is a rapidly growing operator of arts and crafts superstores that offer a vast assortment of traditional and contemporary arts and carfts merchandise for a wide range of customers. The company opened its first store in 1985 and since then has focused on developing and refining its retail concept. As of June 30, 1997, the Company was operating 21 superstores in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The company plans to open at least 30 superstores through the end of 1999, including eight in 1997, four of which were open as of June 30. The company has consistently achieved high levels of net sales per total square foot and average net sales per store. From 1992 to 1996, the Company achieved average annual net sales of $315 per square foot and $6.3 million per store. The company's prototype superstore ranges in size from 20,000 to 25,000 square feet, with approximately 80% devoted to selling space. A typical store offers approximately 65,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) across 26 merchandise categories during the course of a year, with more than 45,000 SKUs offered at any one time. Merchandise is presented in a distinctive manner designed to maximize shopping convenience and to reinforce themes and colors associated with holidays, seasonal events or specific merchandise categories. Arts and crafts projects are prominently displayed in each department throughout the store to stimulate new project ideas for customers and to enhance the shopping environment.

Competition
The arts and crafts retailing business is highly competitive. The Company currently competes against a diverse group of retailers, including several national and regional chains of arts and crafts retailers (such as publicly-held Michaels Stores and Frank's Nursery and Crafts and privately-held M.J. Designs), local merchants that specialize in one or more aspects of arts and crafts and various mass merchandisers that typically dedicate a portion of their selling space to a limited selection of arts and crafts items. These mass merchandisers and some of the national chains have substantially greater financial resources and operate more stores than the Company. The Company believes that the principal competitive factors in its business are pricing, breadth of merchandise selection, in-stock merchandise position and customer service. The Company believes that it is well positioned to compete on each of these factors.

Business Plan
The key elements of the company's business strategy are as follows: (I) Vast Merchandise Selection, (ii) Customer Friendly Superstores, (iii) Price Leadership, (iv) Entrepreneurial Culture and (v) Investment in Management and Infrastructure.

Use of Proceeds
The proceeds from the proposed offering will be used to repay debt, to finance new store openings and for working capital.

Principal and Selling Shareholders
Name of Shareholder% Owned
Before
% Owned
After
William Kaplan50.00%30.70%
Patricia A. Parker50.00%30.70%
Jack Parker50.00%30.70%
Note: Represents ownership of 5% or more prior to the offering.
Executive Officers and Directors
Officer NameTitleAge
William KaplanChairman of the Board69
Robert M. SpencerExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer57
Rex A. RamboExecutive Vice President, Strategic Development, Merchandising and Marketing55
Patricia A. ParkerExecutive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer55
John E. (Jack) ParkerPresident, Chief Executive Officer and a Director56
Janet Parker-VandenbergSenior Vice President, Merchandising34
Ivo M. DiPalmaSenior Vice President, Real Estate42
Lori A. McKeageVice President, Finance35
Patricia T. VandenbergVice President, Human Resources55
Louis GriecoVice President, Merchandise Planning/Advertising49
Frederick W. ThorpeVice President, New Store Development47
Joette F. MetzlerVice President, Projects and Planning31
Mark V. VerseputVice President, Store Operations35
Jack A. RobinsonVice President, Store Operations45
David A. BellumoriVice President, Store Operations44

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