<PAGE>

      As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2000

                                                     Registration No. 33-______

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                 -------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         A.C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

<S>                                         <C>                                    <C>
                                            500 University Court
            Pennsylvania                     Blackwood, NJ 08012                       23-3527763
  -------------------------------      -------------------------------           ----------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction of      (Address of Principal Executive              (I.R.S. Employer
   incorporation or organization)            Offices) (Zip Code)                 Identification Number)

</TABLE>

                      A. C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS 401(k) PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

              John E. Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer
                         A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc.
                              500 University Court
                           Blackwood, New Jersey 08012
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (856) 228-6700
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                          CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
==================================================================================================================

                                                                    Proposed          Proposed
                                                                     maximum           maximum         Amount of
              Title of securities               Amount to be     offering price       aggregate      registration
               to be registered                registered (1)      per share       offering price         fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                            <C>                 <C>              <C>                 <C>
Common Stock, no par value                     500,000 shares      $5.53(2)         $2,765,000          $730
===================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)   In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
      amended, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount
      of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefits plan
      described herein.

(2)   Pursuant to Rule 457(h), based upon the average of the high and low sale
      prices of A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. Common Stock, no par value,
      reported on the Nasdaq National Market on May 26, 2000; and used solely
      for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with
      Rule 457(k) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


<PAGE>


PART I.   INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form
S-8 will be sent or given to participants in The A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k)
Plan (the "Plan") as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated by the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act").

         Such documents are not being filed with the Commission, but constitute
(along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof) a Prospectus that meets the
requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

         The Company shall furnish without charge to each person to whom the
Prospectus is delivered, on the written or oral request of such person, a copy
of any and all of the documents incorporated by reference, other than exhibits
to such documents (unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by
reference to the information that is incorporated). Requests should be directed
to A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc., 500 University Court, Blackwood, New Jersey
08012, Attention: Leslie H. Gordon, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial
Officer, telephone number (856) 228-6700.

PART II.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed with the Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

         (i)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1999;

         (ii) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year covered by Form
10-K referred to in (i) above; and

         (iii) The description of the Company's Common Stock which is
incorporated by reference in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A
(File No.000-23157) filed on October 1, 1997 under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.

         All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company with
the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, after the date of this Registration Statement
but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities
then remaining unsold hereunder, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.


<PAGE>

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Sections 1741 through 1750 of Subchapter D, Chapter 17, of the
Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended, (the "BCL"), contain
provisions for mandatory and discretionary indemnification of a corporation's
directors, officers and other personnel, and related matters.

         Under Section 1741, subject to certain limitations, a corporation has
the power to indemnify directors and officers under certain prescribed
circumstances against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonable incurred in connection with
an action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, to which any of them is a party by reason of his being a
representative, director or officer of the corporation or serving at the request
of the corporation as a representative of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, if he acted in good faith and in a
manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of
the corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable
cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Under Section 1743, indemnification
is mandatory to the extent that the officer or director has been successful on
the merits or otherwise in defense of any action or proceeding if the
appropriate standards of conduct are met.

         Section 1742 provides for indemnification in derivative actions except
in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the person has been
adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the
proper court determines upon application that, despite the adjudication of
liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly
and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses that the court deems
proper.

         Section 1744 provides that, unless ordered by a court, any
indemnification under Section 1741 or 1742 shall be made by the corporation only
as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that the representative
met the applicable standard of conduct, and such determination will be made by
the board of directors (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of directors not
parties to the action or proceeding; (ii) if a quorum is not obtainable, or if
obtainable and a majority of disinterested directors so directs, by independent
legal counsel; or (iii) by the shareholders.

         Section 1745 provides that expenses incurred by an officer, director,
employee or agent in defending a civil or criminal action or proceeding may be
paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action or
proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to
repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not
entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.



                                       2
<PAGE>

         Section 1746 provides generally that, except in any case where the act
or failure to act giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by
a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness, the
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by Subchapter 17D of the
BCL shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking
indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw,
agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as
to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity
while holding that office.

         Section 1747 grants to a corporation the power to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any director or officer against any liability incurred by
him or her in his or her capacity as officer or director, whether or not the
corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against the liability
under Subchapter 17D of the BCL.

         Section 1748 and 1749 extend the indemnification and advancement of
expenses provisions contained in Subchapter 17D of the BCL to successor
corporations in fundamental changes and to representative serving as fiduciaries
of employee benefit plans.

         Section 1750 provides that the indemnification and advancement of
expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Subchapter 17D of the BCL, shall,
unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person
who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to
the benefit of the heirs and personal representative of such person.

         The Company's by-laws provide, in general, that the Company shall
indemnify its officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by law.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits

         The following exhibits are filed as part of the Registration Statement
or, where so indicated, have been previously filed and are incorporated herein
by reference.

         Exhibit No.             Description
         -----------             -----------

              5.1        Opinion of Counsel regarding legality

             10.1        The A. C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k) Plan

             23.1        Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

             23.2        Consent of Counsel (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)

             24.1        Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

                                       3
<PAGE>

Item 9.  Undertakings

         (a)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                           (i) To include any prospectus required by section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

                           (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
Registration Statement;

                           (iii) To include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration
Statement;

         Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

                  (2) That for the purpose of determining any liability under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall
be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each
filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (and, where applicable,
each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that is incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.


                                       4
<PAGE>


         (c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, insofar as
indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment for the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.









                                       5
<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Blackwood, New Jersey, on the 30th day of May, 2000.

                                    A.C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS, INC.

                                    By: /s/ John E. Parker
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        John E. Parker
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints John E. Parker, his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution of resubstitution,
for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any
and all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with
all exhibits thereto, and other documentation in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or their substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the 30th day of May, 2000
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                  Signature                                Capacity

<S>                                                 <C>
/s/ John E. Parker                                   President, Chief Executive Officer
------------------------------------------------     and Director
                  John E. Parker                     (principal executive officer)


/s/ Leslie H. Gordon                                 Executive Vice President and
------------------------------------------------     Chief Financial Officer
                 Leslie H. Gordon                    (principal accounting and financial officer)


/s/ William Kaplan                                   Chairman of the Board
------------------------------------------------
                  William Kaplan

/s/ Patricia A. Parker                               Director
------------------------------------------------
                Patricia A. Parker

/s/ Richard Lesser                                   Director
------------------------------------------------
                  Richard Lesser

/s/ Richard J. Bauer                                 Director
------------------------------------------------
                 Richard J. Bauer

/s/ Richard J. Drake                                 Director
------------------------------------------------
                 Richard J. Drake

</TABLE>




                                       6
<PAGE>

                                  Exhibit Index

         Exhibit Number

        5.1                Opinion of Counsel regarding Legality

       10.1                The A. C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k) Plan

       23.1                Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

       23.2                Consent of Counsel (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)

       24.1                Power of Attorney (included on signature page)










                                       7
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "A C MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS INC", "cik": "0001042809", "assigned-sic": "5990", "irs-number": "223527763", "state-of-incorporation": "PA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-38156", "film-number": "646963"}, "business-address": {"street1": "500 UNIVERSITY COURT", "city": "BLACKWOOD", "state": "NJ", "zip": "08012", "phone": "6092286700"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "500 UNIVERSITY COURT", "city": "BLACKWOOD", "state": "NJ", "zip": "08012"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2000

                                                     Registration No. 33-______

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                 -------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                         A.C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
500 University Court
            Pennsylvania                     Blackwood, NJ 08012                       23-3527763
  -------------------------------      -------------------------------           ----------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction of      (Address of Principal Executive              (I.R.S. Employer
   incorporation or organization)            Offices) (Zip Code)                 Identification Number)
A. C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS 401(k) PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

              John E. Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer
                         A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc.
                              500 University Court
                           Blackwood, New Jersey 08012
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (856) 228-6700
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
==================================================================================================================

                                                                    Proposed          Proposed
                                                                     maximum           maximum         Amount of
              Title of securities               Amount to be     offering price       aggregate      registration
               to be registered                registered (1)      per share       offering price         fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, no par value                     500,000 shares      $5.53(2)         $2,765,000          $730
===================================================================================================================
(1)   In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
      amended, this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount
      of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefits plan
      described herein.

(2)   Pursuant to Rule 457(h), based upon the average of the high and low sale
      prices of A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc. Common Stock, no par value,
      reported on the Nasdaq National Market on May 26, 2000; and used solely
      for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with
      Rule 457(k) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
PART I.   INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

         The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form
S-8 will be sent or given to participants in The A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k)
Plan (the "Plan") as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated by the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act").

         Such documents are not being filed with the Commission, but constitute
(along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof) a Prospectus that meets the
requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

         The Company shall furnish without charge to each person to whom the
Prospectus is delivered, on the written or oral request of such person, a copy
of any and all of the documents incorporated by reference, other than exhibits
to such documents (unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by
reference to the information that is incorporated). Requests should be directed
to A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc., 500 University Court, Blackwood, New Jersey
08012, Attention: Leslie H. Gordon, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial
Officer, telephone number (856) 228-6700.

PART II.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed with the Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

         (i)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1999;

         (ii) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year covered by Form
10-K referred to in (i) above; and

         (iii) The description of the Company's Common Stock which is
incorporated by reference in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A
(File No.000-23157) filed on October 1, 1997 under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended.

         All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company with
the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, after the date of this Registration Statement
but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities
then remaining unsold hereunder, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.
Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Sections 1741 through 1750 of Subchapter D, Chapter 17, of the
Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended, (the "BCL"), contain
provisions for mandatory and discretionary indemnification of a corporation's
directors, officers and other personnel, and related matters.

         Under Section 1741, subject to certain limitations, a corporation has
the power to indemnify directors and officers under certain prescribed
circumstances against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and
amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonable incurred in connection with
an action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative, to which any of them is a party by reason of his being a
representative, director or officer of the corporation or serving at the request
of the corporation as a representative of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, if he acted in good faith and in a
manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of
the corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable
cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Under Section 1743, indemnification
is mandatory to the extent that the officer or director has been successful on
the merits or otherwise in defense of any action or proceeding if the
appropriate standards of conduct are met.

         Section 1742 provides for indemnification in derivative actions except
in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which the person has been
adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the
proper court determines upon application that, despite the adjudication of
liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly
and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses that the court deems
proper.

         Section 1744 provides that, unless ordered by a court, any
indemnification under Section 1741 or 1742 shall be made by the corporation only
as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that the representative
met the applicable standard of conduct, and such determination will be made by
the board of directors (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of directors not
parties to the action or proceeding; (ii) if a quorum is not obtainable, or if
obtainable and a majority of disinterested directors so directs, by independent
legal counsel; or (iii) by the shareholders.

         Section 1745 provides that expenses incurred by an officer, director,
employee or agent in defending a civil or criminal action or proceeding may be
paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action or
proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to
repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not
entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.

                                       2
Section 1746 provides generally that, except in any case where the act
or failure to act giving rise to the claim for indemnification is determined by
a court to have constituted willful misconduct or recklessness, the
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by Subchapter 17D of the
BCL shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking
indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw,
agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as
to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity
while holding that office.

         Section 1747 grants to a corporation the power to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any director or officer against any liability incurred by
him or her in his or her capacity as officer or director, whether or not the
corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against the liability
under Subchapter 17D of the BCL.

         Section 1748 and 1749 extend the indemnification and advancement of
expenses provisions contained in Subchapter 17D of the BCL to successor
corporations in fundamental changes and to representative serving as fiduciaries
of employee benefit plans.

         Section 1750 provides that the indemnification and advancement of
expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, Subchapter 17D of the BCL, shall,
unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person
who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to
the benefit of the heirs and personal representative of such person.

         The Company's by-laws provide, in general, that the Company shall
indemnify its officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by law.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits

         The following exhibits are filed as part of the Registration Statement
or, where so indicated, have been previously filed and are incorporated herein
by reference.

         Exhibit No.             Description
         -----------             -----------

              5.1        Opinion of Counsel regarding legality

             10.1        The A. C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k) Plan

             23.1        Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

             23.2        Consent of Counsel (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)

             24.1        Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

                                       3
Item 9.  Undertakings

         (a)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                           (i) To include any prospectus required by section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

                           (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the
Registration Statement;

                           (iii) To include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration
Statement;

         Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

                  (2) That for the purpose of determining any liability under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall
be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each
filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (and, where applicable,
each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that is incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

                                       4
(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, insofar as
indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment for the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

                                       5
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Blackwood, New Jersey, on the 30th day of May, 2000.

                                    A.C. MOORE ARTS & CRAFTS, INC.

                                    By: /s/ John E. Parker
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        John E. Parker
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints John E. Parker, his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution of resubstitution,
for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any
and all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with
all exhibits thereto, and other documentation in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or their substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the 30th day of May, 2000
Signature                                Capacity
/s/ John E. Parker                                   President, Chief Executive Officer
------------------------------------------------     and Director
                  John E. Parker                     (principal executive officer)

/s/ Leslie H. Gordon                                 Executive Vice President and
------------------------------------------------     Chief Financial Officer
                 Leslie H. Gordon                    (principal accounting and financial officer)

/s/ William Kaplan                                   Chairman of the Board
------------------------------------------------
                  William Kaplan

/s/ Patricia A. Parker                               Director
------------------------------------------------
                Patricia A. Parker

/s/ Richard Lesser                                   Director
------------------------------------------------
                  Richard Lesser

/s/ Richard J. Bauer                                 Director
------------------------------------------------
                 Richard J. Bauer

/s/ Richard J. Drake                                 Director
------------------------------------------------
                 Richard J. Drake
6
Exhibit Index

         Exhibit Number

        5.1                Opinion of Counsel regarding Legality

       10.1                The A. C. Moore Arts & Crafts 401(k) Plan

       23.1                Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

       23.2                Consent of Counsel (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)

       24.1                Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

                                       7