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| On April 1, 2014, '']'' stated that Hobby Lobby's employee retirement plan has more than $73M invested in mutual funds, some of which invest in manufacturers of contraception, including some forms which are specifically named in the complaint, even though there exist several boutique mutual funds that specifically screen companies that are not in line with their client's religious beliefs.<ref>, by Molly Redden, at '']''; published April 1, 2014; retrieved April 1, 2014</ref> | On April 1, 2014, '']'' stated that Hobby Lobby's employee retirement plan has more than $73M invested in mutual funds, some of which invest in manufacturers of contraception, including some forms which are specifically named in the complaint, even though there exist several boutique mutual funds that specifically screen companies that are not in line with their client's religious beliefs.<ref>, by Molly Redden, at '']''; published April 1, 2014; retrieved April 1, 2014</ref> | ||
| On June 30, 2014 The ] ruled 5-4 that private firms can choose to be exempt from the law based on |
On June 30, 2014 The ] ruled 5-4 that private firms can choose to be exempt from the law based on religious preferences. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-exempts-some-companies-from-health-care-law-on-religious-grounds-1404138333?mod=djemalertNEWS</ref> <ref>http://reason.com/blog/2014/06/30/supreme-court-rules-against-obamacares-c</ref> | ||
| == Holiday merchandise controversy == | == Holiday merchandise controversy == | ||
Revision as of 16:19, 30 June 2014
For the unrelated radio-controlled model dealer, see Hobby Lobby International. This article is about the company. For the lawsuit in which the company is a respondent, see Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby. | |
 Hobby Lobby in Stow, Ohio | |
| Company type | Privately held corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (August 1972 (1972-08)) |
| Number of locations | 561 stores (2012) |
| Key people |
|
| Products | Arts and crafts supplies |
| Revenue |  US$ 2.28 billion (2011) |
| Number of employees | 21,000 |
| Website | http://www.hobbylobby.com/ |
Hobby Lobby stores are a chain of retail arts and crafts stores based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, and were formerly called Hobby Lobby Creative Centers. The stores are wholly owned by the corporation and not a franchise chain.
History
The company was founded by David Green in Oklahoma City, who opened the first retail store in a 300 square foot space in the northern part of the city on August 3, 1972. Netting sales of $3,200 by the end of the year, he moved to a larger 1,000 square foot space in January 1973. A second store was opened in 1975, and a store opened in Tulsa the next year. It grew to seven stores by mid-1982, and the first store outside Oklahoma opened in 1984.
By the start of 1989, the chain had slowly grown to about 15 stores. But by late 1992, it had grown to 50 locations in seven states, and its growth continued to accelerate. Its 100th store opened in August 1995, and its 200th in August 1999. By March 2002 that number had grown to 281 stores in 24 states, and 310 by October 2003.
As of August 2012 the chain has 561 stores nationwide. Hobby Lobby headquarters are located in a 3,400,000-square-foot (320,000 m) manufacturing, distribution, and office complex.
Business practices
Hobby Lobby stores and facilities are open for business every day with the exception of Sunday due to Green's religious beliefs. He wanted his employees to have more time to spend for worship, rest, and family time, even at the expense of lower profits. Each store is open Monday - Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. and are open from 9:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. on New Years Eve and Day, Memorial Day, 4th Of July, Labor Day, and Christmas Eve; 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving and are also closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Hobby Lobby plays a mixture of light jazz, classical, bluegrass, and contemporary music styles over their speakers in stores, distributed by satellite from its Oklahoma headquarters to each store. A large percentage of the music also incorporates instrumental versions of traditional Christian hymns and popular Christian songs by Zoe Girl, Vince Gill, and Jim Brickman. Rather than utilizing a barcode system, the organization uses manual pricing for ordering of product and accounting. The website states they "continue to look at and review the option of scanning at the registers but do not feel it is right for at this time."
Opposition to Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Green attributes his success to his faith in God and has taken a public stance against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act because of its inclusion of a provision mandating that companies provide access to the morning-after pill.
In September 2012, Hobby Lobby filed a lawsuit against the United States over new regulations requiring health insurance provided by employers to cover emergency contraceptives, stating that, "(t)he Green family's religious beliefs forbid them from participating in, providing access to, paying for, training others to engage in, or otherwise supporting abortion-causing drugs and devices." Hobby Lobby is arguing that the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act serve to protect their religious beliefs and accordingly bars the application of the contraceptive mandate to them. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the company's application for an injunction, prompting it to sue the federal government. On July 19, 2013, the company was granted a temporary exemption from the contraceptive-providing mandate by US District Judge Joe Heaton.
On January 28, 2014, an amicus brief was filed with the Supreme Court by the Center for Inquiry. In contrast, this argues that were the court to grant Hobby Lobby an exclusion which permitted the company to exclude any specific healthcare service from its provision to employees on the basis of the owners' religious beliefs, they would violate the Establishment Clause, also part of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion".
Oral arguments in the case, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, were heard on March 25, 2014.
On April 1, 2014, Mother Jones stated that Hobby Lobby's employee retirement plan has more than $73M invested in mutual funds, some of which invest in manufacturers of contraception, including some forms which are specifically named in the complaint, even though there exist several boutique mutual funds that specifically screen companies that are not in line with their client's religious beliefs.
On June 30, 2014 The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 that private firms can choose to be exempt from the law based on religious preferences.
Holiday merchandise controversy
In September 2013, a shopper reported being told by an employee of the store in Marlboro, New Jersey, it did not carry merchandise celebrating Jewish holidays. While the store carried Christmas items, they did not carry items related to bar mitzvah, Hanukkah, or Passover. The store employee told the shopper that these items were not sold, due to the owner's Christian values. In response, Hobby Lobby apologized for the employee's comments, stating that it has carried Jewish holiday items in the past, and would do so in test areas beginning in November 2013.
References
- ^ "#194 Hobby Lobby Stores". Forbes.com LLC. November 16, 2011. Retrieved Dec 29, 2012.
- ^ Miller, Linda (25 July 1982). New Growth Seen For Hobby Lobby, The Oklahoman
- ^ (23 October 2003). Hobby Lobby's history, The Oklahoman
- Hobby Lobby will open 42,000 square feet store, Southeast Missourian
- Denton, Jon (27 August 1995). Ever-Growing Hobby Lobby Becomes Model Success Story, The Oklahoman
- (8 August 1999). Hobby Lobby opens 200th store Monday, Times Daily
- Lee, Katherine (28 March 2002). Hobby Lobby, arts and crafts store, to open in Tuscaloosa in mid-April, Tuscaloosa News
- "Store Music". Hobby Lobby. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- "Hobby Lobby Frequently Asked Questions". Hobby Lobby. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- Hobby Lobby Plan To Defy Obamacare. Huffingtonpost.com (2012-12-28). Retrieved on 2013-04-09.
- Olafson, Steve (September 13, 2012). "Hobby Lobby Sues U.S. Government Over Health Care Mandate". Chicago Tribune.
- Talley, Tim (September 12, 2012). "Hobby Lobby sues over morning-after pill coverage". Bloomberg Businessweek.
- Scudder, Mark D. (November 28, 2013). "It's Official—The Supreme Court Announces That It Will Review The Contraceptive Mandate". The National Law Review. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - "Hobby Lobby Has Its Day in Court; Argues Case for Religious Freedom". Christianpost.com. 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- "Supreme Court denies Hobby Lobby request for reprieve from health care mandate". Fox News. 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- Stempel, Jonathan (July 19, 2013). "Hobby Lobby wins a stay against birth control mandate". Reuters.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- "Press release - Amicus brief to Supreme Court". Center For Inquiry. January 28, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/13-354_5436.pdf
- Hobby Lobby's Hypocrisy: The Company's Retirement Plan Invests in Contraception Manufacturers, by Molly Redden, at Mother Jones; published April 1, 2014; retrieved April 1, 2014
- http://online.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-exempts-some-companies-from-health-care-law-on-religious-grounds-1404138333?mod=djemalertNEWS
- http://reason.com/blog/2014/06/30/supreme-court-rules-against-obamacares-c
- Hafiz, Yasmine (October 2, 2013). "Hobby Lobby Boycotts Jewish Hanukkah And Passover - Huffington Post - October 2, 2013". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- Kate Taylor (2013-09-30). "Hobby Lobby Backtracks After Reportedly Refusing to Stock Jewish Holiday Goods". Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
- Palmer, Jennifer (2013-10-04). "Hobby Lobby's President Steve Green responds to blogger's anti-Semitism claim". News OK. Retrieved 2013-10-09.