Ace Hardware is facing a federal class action in Chicago that accuses the retail cooperative and its affiliates of quietly coordinating prices across thousands of stores and squeezing customers at the checkout. The lawsuit says a behind-the-scenes data operation helped keep prices high on everyday home and hardware goods, hitting millions of shoppers nationwide.
Allegations In The Complaint
The complaint, filed by plaintiff Sean Twomey on behalf of more than 5 million people who bought goods from Ace since 2022, claims the company’s cooperative model “morphed into an illegal cartel,” according to Reuters. It alleges Ace and thousands of affiliated member stores relied on point-of-sale software and internal reports to gather pricing and sales data, then used that information to coordinate retail prices across the network.
Who Is Named And Who Is Suing
Defendants named in the case include Ace subsidiaries and software provider Epicor. The case, Sean Twomey v. Ace Hardware Corp. et al., No. 1:26-cv-05320, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiff lawyers include Steven Molo and Eric Posner of MoloLamken and Stephen Tillery and David Walchak of Korein Tillery.
Data, Software And Location Rules
The filing says Ace and Epicor used point-of-sale systems and internal reports to aggregate pricing and sales figures from member stores, then circulated those reports in ways that, plaintiffs allege, enabled coordinated pricing across the cooperative, per Reuters. The complaint also points to location restrictions on member stores as part of a broader structure that plaintiffs say kept neighborhood competition in check.
What Plaintiffs Are Asking For
The suit seeks unspecified damages and a court order to stop the alleged price-fixing scheme, and it asks the court to certify a nationwide class. According to the filing, the result has been higher costs on essential home items for “many hardworking Americans” over a multi-year period.
Company Background And Response
Ace Hardware, founded in 1924, operates as a cooperative of mostly independently owned stores and reported a record $10 billion in revenue for 2025. The filings indicate the companies had not publicly disputed the allegations at the time they were filed and did not immediately provide comment to plaintiffs.
Legal Road Ahead
The case must first clear procedural hurdles before discovery can begin. If it moves forward, plaintiffs plan to seek internal pricing reports and system records that sit at the center of their claims. For now, the lawsuit is pending in the Northern District of Illinois, where upcoming motions will determine whether this class action heads toward a full trial or ends in an early exit, such as dismissal or settlement.
.jpg){kind=link}