USPS Closes Ace Hardware Location
USPS closes Ace Hardware satellite location
By Jon Show – The U.S. Postal Service has closed its Contract Postal Unit (CPU) inside Ace Hardware on North Main Street, part of a broader national trend of reducing services provided through local businesses.
A CPU is a postal counter operated by a private business rather than USPS employees. Customers receive the same services and pricing as a traditional post office while gaining additional access points.
The CPU at Ace Hardware closed after operating for at least 14 years, according to a store employee. Another source familiar with the decision said the closure was made at the national level, not locally.
The loss of the service reduces convenient postal access on the east side of town. Residents now must travel to the Cornelius Post Office on Chartwell Center Drive or the Davidson Post Office in downtown Davidson.
CPUs have fallen from about 5,290 in 2002 to roughly 1,356 in 2025, a decline of about 74%, according to U.S. Postal Service annual reports and Government Accountability Office data. Despite that decline, USPS says it continues to support expanding alternative retail locations under its 2021-2031 Delivering for America plan, citing lower operating costs than traditional post offices.
Federal lawmakers have considered legislation aimed at increasing transparency around CPU closures, including proposals that would require USPS to explain closures and assess community impact.
