Hobby Lobby is a privately held retail

Retail

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

 chain of arts and crafts

Arts and crafts

Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...

 store

Chain store

Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...

s based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

, and is formally called Hobby Lobby Creative Centers.

Founded by David Green

David Green (entrepreneur)

David Green is the founder of Hobby Lobby, an American chain of arts and crafts stores. In 2010, Green was listed as #136 on Forbes' List of The 400 Richest Americans, with a net worth of $2.6 billion....

 on August 3, 1972, the chain has more than 456 stores in 39 states. Hobby Lobby headquarters are located in a 3400000 square feet (315,870.3 m²) manufacturing, distribution and office complex.

Business practices

Stores do not use a barcode system

Barcode system

A barcode system is a network of hardware and software, consisting primarily of mobile computers, printers, handheld scanners, infrastructure, and supporting software. Barcode systems are used to automate data collection where hand recording is neither timely or cost effective...

 and therefore rely on the hand pricing and ordering of items. On its web site, Hobby Lobby states that the high cost of the scanner system would hurt their ability to remain competitive in pricing.

Hobby Lobby delivers the same music to its individual locations via satellite from headquarters. This music blends light jazz, classical, bluegrass, and contemporary music styles (a large percentage of the chosen music is instrumental adaptations of traditional Christian hymns) into one single playlist which loops continuously.

Hobby Lobby locations have general operating hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Except for the Distribution Center on certain days during the winter holiday season, all locations are closed on Sundays, out of respect for the founder's Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 beliefs. References to Christianity are often made in their stores and advertisements. Full page ads are purchased in each location's local papers on Christmas & Easter each year.

Affiliated companies

• Mardel - a Christian bookstore chain
• Hemispheres - a home furnishings company
• Crafts Etc! - a craft wholesaler and online retailer
• H.L. Construction - which handles the construction and renovation of Hobby Lobby stores
• Ethnographic Media - formerly Bearing Fruit Communications - an advertising agency
• Hong Kong Connection - Chinese sourcing and buying office

Hobby Lobby International

Hobby Lobby Creative Centers is not related to Hobby Lobby International

Hobby Lobby International

Hobby Lobby International is a catalog and Internet retailer of Radio-controlled aircraft, helicopters, boats and related products.The company was started in 1963 by James Martin and sold in 2003 to GenCap America and remains headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee...

, a dealer specializing in radio control

Radio control

Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...

led model aircraft.

External links

• Hobby Lobby website
• Voices of Oklahoma interview with David Green. First person interview conducted with David Green, Founder/Owner of Hobby Lobby on October 6, 2009. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.