Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., formerly known as Hobby Lobby Creative Centers, is a retail company in the US. The company owns and operates 932 stores located in 47 states; they have stores in almost all of the states except Hawaii, Vermont, and Alaska. Let’s know ‘Is Hobby Lobby Going Out of Business?’
It is also an American Christian-based company, which means that they incorporate Christian media and American conservative values into their operation.
Hobby Lobby through the years
In northwest Oklahoma, back in the year 1972, the first Hobby Lobby was founded by David Green. In 1975, Green resigned as the TG & Y’s supervisor and pursued the opening of another branch of Hobby Lobby in Tulsa. In 1982, Hobby Lobby already had 7 stores in Oklahoma alone.
Hobby Lobby offers the following products:
- Arts and crafts materials
- Fabrics
- Wedding supplies
- Picture framing
- Floral and jewelry making
- Baskets
- Home accents
- Party items
- Cookware
- And furniture
In 1992, the company had grown to 50 locations. By the year 2020, Hobby Lobby already serve 900 locations nationwide.
The company is also highly praised for the values it has kept throughout the years. As a son of a preacher and to maintain Christian values for his company, Green and his company do not operate on Sundays. It is part of the goal of allowing their employees to give time for worship and family.
Also, Hobby Lobby maintains high ethical standards regarding its employees’ wages. In the last 13 years, the company has already raised the minimum wage twelve times. As of January 2022, the full-time hourly rate of an employee is $18.50. This rate is quite high compared to the implemented minimum wage, which is around $14 only.
Hobby Lobby Closes and Employees Are Furloughed
Affected by the pandemic, Hobby Lobby closed all of its stores nationwide.
Deemed as nonessential, the company received backlash for continually operating despite the risk of coronavirus.
On April 3, 2020, all Hobby Lobby was demanded to be closed, but their branches in Colorado were spotted still operating. Then the officer of Colorado Weiser sent Hobby Lobby a cease and desist letter. Almost all of the store employees, as well as the corporate and distribution employees, were furloughed.
The company also ended paid time off and emergency leave pay benefits while they were not operating. However, they still have access to dental, medical, long-term disability, and life benefits until May 2020, or until they reopen.
What Really Happened?
It has circulated social media, the complete closure of Hobby Lobby.
Being a firm believer and follower of Christian values, Hobby Lobby CEO David Green once said that the government cannot enforce rules that are against a company’s beliefs. He also penned the exclusion in the exemptions for Christian organizations. For this reason, he asked others to spread this statement of his.
But this statement of Green was not a recent one, nor was it in contradiction of the government’s mandate of closure. His statement was written for a column in USA Today way back in September 2012. After almost 8 years, Green’s statement is circulating again without context and with misleading additions about Hobby Lobby’s closure. Well, Hobby Lobby won a court case back in 2014 and did not close, and it’s also not true that they are closed for good now.
Hobby Lobby reopened
On April 27, 2020, Hobby Lobby stores in Waterville and Bangor reopened. The company was declared essential business by Governor Janet Mills, and she ordered them to reopen under her Executive Order. With this reopening, the company is still under the rule of the government and can only allow a certain number of employees per shift as well as a certain number of customers to be served at a time.
Hobby Lobby is still closed, at least by the end of April 2020, but has reopened in states where it is allowed and under strict protocol. For example, Hobby Lobby reopened in Bend, Oregon in May 2020, but strict social distancing must be followed, as well as other health protocols such as wearing a facemask at all times and placing protective barriers between customers and employees upon check-out.
In early July 2020, Hobby Lobby stated in an official statement that all their stores nationwide were open and back to business. They have resumed regular business hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., but are still closed on Sundays. They promised to continually take steps to provide a clean and healthy shopping environment, and to follow and maintain government implemented protocols such as social distancing, hand sanitation stations, and the wearing of face masks. Since then, Hobby Lobby continued its operation and is far from complete closure.
Conclusion
In summary, Hobby Lobby has been through a lot for the past 12 years, despite maintaining good composure with regards to running their business. The pandemic also did not back down in trying to tear them down, but they survived. We may expect to be with Hobby Lobby for years and years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why doesn’t Hobby Lobby scan or use scanners?
Hobby Lobby, due to following strict Christian values, uncannily does not use barcodes. Although the company does not declare the reason behind it, we can associate it with the “evil” connotation regarding barcodes.
- Does Hobby Lobby sell Halloween items?
Unfortunately, Hobby Lobby stopped selling Halloween items in 2019. The company stated that this is done due to Halloween’s historical and religious background that opposes the company’s beliefs and values.
- How do I use Hobby Lobby online coupons?
To use Hobby Lobby online coupons, look for the “promo code” section before checking out. Enter the code and then click “apply”. Valid discount coupons will automatically deduct the promo to the regular price. Then click “check out.”
