Hobby Lobby doesn’t really try to hide that their owners are very devout Christians. If the instrumental hymns on the store’s sound system didn’t clue you in, maybe the evangelical Easter newspaper ads, the company’s legal fight over health insurance reform, or stores being closed on Sunday would be a hint. But does that translate to deliberately excluding merchandise and holiday decorations for other religions?
This mess started, as many messes do, with a blog post. Earlier this year, Hobby Lobby opened a new store in Marlboro, N.J. A blogger recounted a friend’s story about how an employee said, “We don’t cater to you people” when she asked whether the store carries bar mitzvah cards. It also happens that the chain doesn’t sell any Hanukkah merchandise, but does start putting out Christmas (or, as their signage renders it, Christmas) decorations at some point in mid-summer.
Now, it could be that the store is deliberately excluding Jewish people, but a tipster who grew up there tells us that’s a bad idea in this particular town in New Jersey. Why alienate so many potential customers? Oh, well: if they don’t want to carry Hanukkah merchandise, then they won’t make money from it, or from the people who decide not to patronize their stores because of it. That’s the free market at work.
What got people riled up was how a Hobby Lobby employee allegedly said this. If that employee really did say “We don’t cater to you people,” that’s incredibly rude and disrespectful when “No ma’am, we don’t carry bar mitzvah cards” is a factual and polite way to put it.
Some market research might have showed the company that a little bit of inclusion can be good for business, but there’s no law requiring them to carry merchandise for everyone’s religious holidays. Maybe it just didn’t occur to them.
In a statement to Entrepreneur.com, the company explained:
Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. is currently working with our buyers over our merchandise selection. Due to multiple customer requests, we are currently evaluating our Holiday items and what we will carry in the future.
Alleged comments made by employees are currently being investigated and will be addressed accordingly. These comments are in no way indicative of Hobby Lobby culture, the owners and the operators.
Marlboro is a great city and has wonderful people and we are blessed to be apart the community.
Of course, when Hobby Lobby does start carrying a few items of Judaica, they’ll put the menorahs out in May.
WHY I WILL NEVER EVER PATRONIZE HOBBY LOBBY [Hopelessly Partisan]
Hobby Lobby reconsiders selling Jewish items [MyCentralJersey]
Hobby Lobby Backtracks After Reportedly Refusing to Stock Jewish Holiday Goods [Entrepreneur]
via Consumerist http://consumerist.com/2013/10/03/is-hobby-lobby-deliberately-excluding-jewish-merchandise/
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