Hobby Lobby doesn't cater to "our people"

[RandomTrivia]

I've usually been thwarted in my attempts to go to Hobby Lobby by them being closed on Shopping Day. And when I have gone, their nonexistent stock control system is so fucking ridiculous I regret it. Takes ages to check out, they can't check on stock levels for you, and no returns by swiping your card.

HL is the only store I can think of that doesn't use bar codes - they input everything by hand at checkout. I imagine that's why they can't check stock levels, and I shudder to think what doing inventory in one of those stores is like. It also makes it hard to know if you get the right price on sale items, or look at a receipt and figure out what you actually bought. I do shop there very occasionally - while our Jo-Ann was closed, they were the only game in town for fabric, which is a crapshoot to buy online, and I use their cheap remnants to practice on - and sometimes we need something for school that Michaels is out of. But now we have a shiny new Jo-Ann on our side of town, so I can cut back on the HL problem. Jo-Ann has a much better fabric department anyway.

[DarkAnts]

I stopped shopping at hobby lobby about a year ago. They did not have what I wanted and I got frustrated. Hobby Lobby is nothing special. They have more knickknacks then crafting supplies. Jo-Anns is right across the street and they usually have what I need.

[snarkyjan]

That seismic disturbance we all feel is the owners of Michael's and Joann's. Turning cartwheels.

[darkplumaged]

I used to be sorry that HL has no presence in my area--seriously, the closest one is more than an hour away--but now I'm not. I do OK with Michaels (which has a small but decent selection of Hanukkah items) and A.C. Moore.

[stonefruit]

(when shopping time is sometimes reduced to a matter of a few hours - last year, the first 2 days of the holiday, when you aren't supposed to be shopping, were followed by Good Friday, which was followed by the Jewish Sabbath, which was followed by Easter Sunday, for a total of 5 days when religious Canadian Jews would be unable to shop for groceries during their most food-obsessed holiday. The supermarket owner became a local hero by opening at special times.)

Wait, what? I understand the prohibition on not shopping on chag, but since when is it assur to go shopping on goyische holidays like Good Fridays or Easter Sunday?

This guy sounds wonderful, btw, I just don't understand your comment about how religious Jews can't shop on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

[GeoBQn]

I think it's because the stores were closed on Good Friday and Easter. That made three days where there was a religious prohibition on shopping, plus two days where the majority of the stores were closed to everyone.

[stonefruit]

Oh my goodness. Hadn't even contemplated that possibility - by me (large coastal city in the US), nothing closes on those days! Good grief :embarrassed:

[2xx1xy1JD]

Wait, what? I understand the prohibition on not shopping on chag, but since when is it assur to go shopping on goyische holidays like Good Fridays or Easter Sunday?

This guy sounds wonderful, btw, I just don't understand your comment about how religious Jews can't shop on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

In Ontario, Canada we couldn't because of a law called the Retail Business Holiday Act. By law, all businesses here - even if their customers are 99% Jewish - must close on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

https://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statu ... 0r30_e.htm

In this case, the store owner responded to some pleas from customers, who needed to buy food, and briefly opened his store until law enforcement shut him down and slapped him with a hefty fine. There was an outcry from the community, and the charges and fine were dropped. We appreciate that he was willing to put himself on the line to help his customers.

[August]

Wait, what? I understand the prohibition on not shopping on chag, but since when is it assur to go shopping on goyische holidays like Good Fridays or Easter Sunday?

This guy sounds wonderful, btw, I just don't understand your comment about how religious Jews can't shop on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

Because they live in historically christian countries where stores close on those days? I would put money on me not being able to shop in Jerusalem on oassover, or eat lunch at a restaurant during Ramadan in Jeddah, even as an atheist.

[Mama Mia]

In Ontario, Canada we couldn't because of a law called the Retail Business Holiday Act. By law, all businesses here - even if their customers are 99% Jewish - must close on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

https://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statu ... 0r30_e.htm

In this case, the store owner responded to some pleas from customers, who needed to buy food, and briefly opened his store until law enforcement shut him down and slapped him with a hefty fine. There was an outcry from the community, and the charges and fine were dropped. We appreciate that he was willing to put himself on the line to help his customers.

I find it so fascinating that some countries who don't have separation of church and state seem to have less issues with fanaticism than the U.S. with its technical separation of the two.

[Mela99]

"You people."

Jesus was one of "you people", y'know....

[Jana814]

"You people."

Jesus was one of "you people", y'know....

Good point!! Most of the people that we discuss on here don't realize that!

[Coconut Flan]

The stores being closed was in Canada not the US. I've never seen stores closed here on Good Friday and haven't seen stores closed on Easter in decades. There are the occasional mom and pop operations that might close but not supermarkets and major chain stores.

[Buzzard]

Good point!! Most of the people that we discuss on here don't realize that!

Dont they need "you people" to evict teh ebil muzlimz so they temple can be rebuilt for Jesus?

[Sparkle]

All of the women I've ever seen working in my local Hobby Lobby (and I used to frequent that place regularly before I found out their true colors, and even took some Wilton cake decorating classes there) are of the long denim skirt variety. I imagine it would be pretty easy for management to pick out that type of candidate in their interview and slide around the discrimination laws. I wouldn't be surprised if they networked through local churches for employees.

Maybe it's an area thing, but almost all of the women who work at the stores i've shopped at (3 within a 15mi radius of my home) are the antithesis of ATI/skirt wearing types. There are ones with tats, they wear jeans, no baggy polos, wear makeup and flashy jewelry-i even know one who is lesbian (i worked with her at a previous job for an R Us store and she was openly out).

When this story broke, i was asked if i ever saw Hanukkah items there-i hadn't noticed any, but the store is so OTT Christian that i didn't expect to. I noticed i quit wanting to go there as much when the whole chik-fil-a thing came out and CEOs' personal beliefs became more public. Cute fabric and fun yarn isn't worth it.

[Becket70]

Oh my goodness. Hadn't even contemplated that possibility - by me (large coastal city in the US), nothing closes on those days! Good grief :embarrassed:

I lived in a town in the Midwest (Joplin) that had "Blue Laws" which prohibited the sale of alcohol on Sundays. There was an occasion in which my husband had a bad cold and I went into the drug store to buy some Nyquil. I was shocked to learn that, since it was Sunday and there was alcohol in Nyquil, I could not purchase it. I was from Chicago and had never encountered anything like that. This was back in the 70s so I don't know if those laws are still in effect. One ice storm and one tornado later, we moved to the West Coast.

[docmom]

I lived in a town in the Midwest (Joplin) that had "Blue Laws" which prohibited the sale of alcohol on Sundays. There was an occasion in which my husband had a bad cold and I went into the drug store to buy some Nyquil. I was shocked to learn that, since it was Sunday and there was alcohol in Nyquil, I could not purchase it. I was from Chicago and had never encountered anything like that. This was back in the 70s so I don't know if those laws are still in effect. One ice storm and one tornado later, we moved to the West Coast.

Ha! My parents used Nyquil on the advice of our pediatrician to get my sister to sleep at night. It wasn't till years later they realized the reason it worked so well was its 25% alochol content. To this day she still needs a large glass of red wine to fall asleep. Off topic, I know...

[2xx1xy1JD]

The Kveller blog is covering Hobby Lobby and their apology:

http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/h ... gy-letter/

Judging from the comments here and on their first post, many of their potential Jewish customers will still be avoiding them because of the general corporate policies and attitudes.

[AnywhereButHere]

Oh man, I remember the blue laws. You had to cross state lines to NH to buy booze on Sundays. Actually, most stores were closed on Sundays way back when, not just liquor stores. Except, I think the Cumberland Farms down the street. Go Cumbys! :D

And hey, I got carded last week in Pathmark for buying Robitussin. I haven't looked under 21 in quite some time, but there I was, in the self checkout, holding up the line while the clerk checked my cough syrup buying legitimacy. This was after I had to hunt down an employee with a key to the glass fortress containing shaver blades. I figure that by the next time I need these items, they'll be on an island, surrounded by a moat filled with alligators, or ill-tempered sea bass. :P

[Mama Mia]

Oh man, I remember the blue laws. You had to cross state lines to NH to buy booze on Sundays. Actually, most stores were closed on Sundays way back when, not just liquor stores. Except, I think the Cumberland Farms down the street. Go Cumbys! :D

And hey, I got carded last week in Pathmark for buying Robitussin. I haven't looked under 21 in quite some time, but there I was, in the self checkout, holding up the line while the clerk checked my cough syrup buying legitimacy. This was after I had to hunt down an employee with a key to the glass fortress containing shaver blades. I figure that by the next time I need these items, they'll be on an island, surrounded by a moat filled with alligators, or ill-tempered sea bass. :P

The having to show identification when buying certain cold medicines isn't because of alcohol. It's because one of the ingredients is used to manufacture meth. So they track who buys it, and limit quantities.

[Loveday]

The having to show identification when buying certain cold medicines isn't because of alcohol. It's because one of the ingredients is used to manufacture meth. So they track who buys it, and limit quantities.

Yep. Sudafed, or pseudoephedrine. I used to live on that stuff, both for allergies and because hey, presto, I got a LOT more work done with a dose of it inside me. :shock: Then my blood pressure started shooting through the roof and I had to stop taking it. Nowadays, on blood pressure meds, I can take one Sudafed, once in awhile, if my sinuses are really clogged up. It's odd having to show my license and sign for it, but it's no big deal. No different from the days when you could buy cough meds with codeine by just signing a register at the pharmacy.

[Ariel]

Yep. Sudafed, or pseudoephedrine. I used to live on that stuff, both for allergies and because hey, presto, I got a LOT more work done with a dose of it inside me. :shock: Then my blood pressure started shooting through the roof and I had to stop taking it. Nowadays, on blood pressure meds, I can take one Sudafed, once in awhile, if my sinuses are really clogged up. It's odd having to show my license and sign for it, but it's no big deal. No different from the days when you could buy cough meds with codeine by just signing a register at the pharmacy.

Totally off-topic, but pseudo is the only damn otc medication that works for me when I'm sick. I would build a shrine to that shit if it wouldn't lead to investigations :)

but on topic!

I went to Hobby Lobby once, it was Saturday night around 7:30pm. I was perusing, enjoying the selection, and then the loudspeaker came on:

"Hobby Lobby will be closing in 15 minutes. As a reminder, we will not be open tomorrow in order for our employees to enjoy God's day of rest."

I decided on the spot to never, ever, go there again. Then I looked up the company and regretted going in the first place.

[cindyluvs24]

This issue has gotten a lot of attention in my area which is about 20 minutes away. Also they are building some more in Central NJ in the coming months. I was most disturbed by the comments in my local "Patch". Its a local online "newspaper." I had no idea such idiots were living in my neck of the woods.

[Loveday]

Totally off-topic, but pseudo is the only damn otc medication that works for me when I'm sick. I would build a shrine to that shit if it wouldn't lead to investigations :)

Which is why I still take it, albeit at half-dose, when I really need it, despite my blood pressure problems. I've tried other otc stuff, but nothing else works but pseudo. Nothing.

[Savoring Samsara]

I had no idea that Hobby Lobby didn't use bar codes on their merchandise. Do you suppose it has anything to do with that old 1980s urban legend about bar codes being the mark of the beast from Revelation?