Now Available At Hobby Lobby: Christmas Trees?
Why is Hobby Lobby selling Christmas Trees in August? WHY?! We can understand the tinsel and countdowns, maybe, but !@$% Christmas trees? This picture comes from Hutchinson, Kansas where it will be 92 degrees on Friday. We called Hobby Lobby for an explanation...
A disarmingly unseasonal saleswoman explained that all Hobby Lobby locations now sell Christmas trees. They're not real, because real trees die after one month, nature's way of telling you to slow down and appreciate Thanksgiving. The saleswoman found nothing wrong with the new arrivals, and thought it was "great" that the trees were finally available in August. Reader Justin disagrees:
From a store I've never heard of called "Hobby Lobby" in the small town of Hutchinson, Kansas. This picture was taken on August 12th. Seeing the Christmas trees this early literally made me sick to my stomach.
Christmas is over four months away—126 days and counting—something we're going to remember and appreciate tomorrow as we relax on a hot sunny beach.
Post a comment
Comments:
This just make people appreciate Christmas even less than they do now. You can only keep that holiday spirit for so long.
Makes me glad to be Jewish.
Until they start trying to sell Hanukkah bushes.
In the post earlier this week, I agreed with those that said that hobby/craft stores get a pass due to the fact that Xmas hobbies and crafts take time to make.
However, this changes things. You've screwed the wrong guy, Hobby Lobby!
Please someone tell me this is a photoshopped pic. I think Ben & Co. are pulling our legs.
This must be a new store b/c I went to HCC in the early 'OOs and we didn't have no stinkin' Hobby Lobby that I can remember! I could have decorated my dorm room on the cheap!
Well the only thing I can say is if people are buying them... then why not sell them?
.... since I would think if no one is buying them yet, then the stores will stop selling them so early - but I would guess some are buying them which is why a store would sell them.
Myself - I'm no where near buying Christmas decorations - but then again, if I come across a good Christmas gift for someone now - I will buy it and hold onto it until then.
I can't imagine that stores would be putting this stuff out so early if it didn't sell. I want to know who the fuck buys a Christmas tree in August?! Whoever they are, someone needs to slap some sense into them!
@chiieddy: The Michael's by me did last year. Blue and white lights with gold dreidel ornaments topped off with a Menorah. My friend asked "Why would they make a Jewish themed Christmas tree?", and I told her "So they can call it a 'Hanukkah bush' and double their customer base."
I'll keep an eye (and camera) out for it when we go next week, I'm sure they're decking the halls at this point too.
A few years ago I started a part time job at Hobby Lobby in May. They were just beginning to put out the christmas crap. It was just plain crazy working there with all of the holiday decorations throughout the summer.
I would only buy christmas trees this early if Billy Mays was selling them.
To the OP: Hobby Lobby is not a store that many people have never heard of. It's a chain with about 400 locations and over $2B in sales last year. And when you tire of looking at asherah poles in August, head on over to Hobby Lobby's retail sibling Mardel Christian Bookstore, which is like a Hobby Lobby with bibles. Ah, the anti-charms of Oklahoma City!
Isn't Hobby Lobby the chain that is not open on Sunday so their staff can go to Church? But they don't have a problem pushing Christmas trees in the middle of summer?
Talk about hypocrisy...
@ChuckECheese: I got a $50 gift card to Mardel's 2 years ago. I am not religious. Worst.present.ever.
Christmas hasn't meant anything to me for a long time. I hate watching people become demented psychopaths rushing trying to buy the latest wiz-bang gizmo to make their kids happy. Christmas stopped being a time for family closeness years ago. All it is now is retail's wet dream.
I guess I get it if you want to make fun of stores for already starting to put the christmas stuff out... but on a consumer blog? I don't see how it's hurting the consumer. How many times have you needed something for a totally non-holiday project, and you can't get what you need because the time isn't right. Here's a great example. Lowe's sells a plastic insert that you can put into a lawn bag that will hold it open. Except, they only sell it in the fall. Why? because that's when people put leafs in bags. I guess nobody ever needs to put anything else in a lawn bad the rest of the year. It's the same idea. How many charities host Christmas in July type parties? Like everyone else said... if nobody buys it, they won't put it out... but even if they do, consider yourself lucky to have the ability to buy what you need when you need it, even if you're the only person in the world who needs it right now.
@ChuckECheese: Several years ago the manager of the Hobby Lobby in Hot Springs squashed himself in the box crusher. It was a major mess
You can buy Christmas stuff 364 days a year in Frankenmuth! (I think they are closed Christmas Day)
The Christmas season is obviously entering its log phase of expansion. Next year the decorations will be out at the fourth of July right there with the flags and fireworks. A few years later all that will remain unChristmasfied will be about 10 days in January.
Seriously, I remember when Christmas started the day after Halloween. God I'm old.
@scoobydoo: It is. They only play religious music in the store as well. If that's what they want to do, I don't care. They have the best sales in the world. Pretty much everything in the store is 50% off at least one week out of the month.
My Hobby Lobby had them just after July 4th. I was hoping to maybe get some Easter items on clearance but instead I found Christmas trees and cornucopias.
@ scoobydoo:
You are correct! They even have it emblazoned on their doors that they are proudly closed on Sundays so their staff can spend time with their families and for worship...
On a side note, many stores get their Halloween candy in June. However, Hobby Lobby has probably been stocking it since Easter (or should I say the day before)...LOL
On a somewhat related note, I was stopped in my tracks yesterday by a whole shelf of Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins. My first thought? "Ummm...it's August? Did I miss something?" The over-commercialization of holidays/events generally gets my hackles up, so I'll steer clear of Hobby Lobby lest I go on an anti-holiday tree-pushing-over spree. The earliest Christmas starts in my book is the day after Thanksgiving. No Christmas music, decor, cards, etc. until then at *least*. I guess I'm old fashioned.
Hobby Lobby has been doing this for years. I always assumed that since they needed to roll out the crafting stuff early (as mentioned above, so projects can be finished in time), they just put out all the Christmas stuff at once. It's probably more efficient, even though it kinda freaks me out every year.
What this means for me is that it's time to head over and check out the lawn ornaments. Should be at least 66% off by now to make room for all those trees!
Where are the smart Christian marketers to start promoting year-round Christmas. If you take down your decorations, you just don't "support" Christmas.
Kind of like how if you don't "Support the troops" you are unpatriotic.
I can see it now.
Betty, did you see the Johnson's house? They took all their decorations down? I guess the birth of Jesus just isn't that important to them.
Is anyone else just appalled and saddened by the inflatable Creche scenes? It's got a fan and motor that keep an inflatable stable lit up and plump, right down to the inflatable Jesus.
If you are going to do a xmas themed craft project, and want to have it actually done by xmas, you DO need to have the stuff available by September at the latest. People do do things like spend three months making Santa candle holders for everyone they know.
Hobby Lobby is prevalent in Missouri/kansas. The owner is very very Christian (she even closes the store on sunday) and that probably explains why. It's probably less for money, more for her appreciate of Christ.
I'm not saying it ain't crazy, it is, but just some insight.
My wife works at a hobby lobby here in Jacksonville, FL. They have a whole section devoted to "seasonal"... which is apparently every season. They have thanksgiving, as well as halloween and christmas items up already. They have some trees up, but the corporate tree fluffer hasn't been to there store yet to make sure the trees are fluffed. I think they put them up so early, beacuse they go on sale up to 50 - 60% off even before christmas.
am i the only one who doesn't think it's odd for a craft store to sell holiday stuff early? lots of people are into holiday crafts and start in the early fall so there's plenty of time to get them done by festivus.
"Finally available in August"??
I think this gal has been sniffing too much glue or participating in too many meetings.
@tracilyns: ITA about this generally -- if you're going to, I don't know, handpaint your own creche scene, you probably want to start before Nov. 30. On the other hand, I don't understand the Christmas-trees thing. There's really no point in that; even if you decorate your tree more elaborately than most, there's no way it takes three months.
I worked at Hobby Lobby for a couple of years and believe me, none of the employees are wild about the Christmas stuff appearing in the store this early (it actually begins shipping into each store's warehouse around March so by August it's pretty crowded in there). However, as in most cases - the simplest explanation is correct - you wouldn't believe how many people buy ornaments, lights, ribbons, garlands, AND trees faster than we could get them onto the shelves. Just a side note - ornaments usually start to appear on the counters in Hobby Lobby around July and people actually pick through the boxes and baskets as we're putting them out on display - faster than we can get them onto the shelves. Everyone likes to complain about this trend, but the truth is the only way to stop it is for consumers to stop buying it. If the stores put this merchandise out in July or August and it just sat on the shelves without moving for months until after Halloween...they would stop putting it out so early and focus on something else. I don't see anything hypocritical about this whatsoever - what does marketing to consumer demands have to do with whether or not the company is closed on Sundays? Who do you think is buying all this Christmas stuff anyway? As a Christian, it was nice to work for a company who takes that into account. I was turned down for half-a-dozen jobs before I worked there because I refused to work on Sunday mornings. Besides, if you think it's bad to visit the store once a month (once a week, whatever) just imagine how sick of Christmas all the employees get after seeing it basically every day for 6 months or more?? Bottom line - it sucks but I don't see anything changing in the near future...so deal with it. Audrey Raines Traffic Manager Cumulus Media, Huntsville WVNN/WZYP/WHRP/WUMP/WWFF (256) 830-8300 - phone (256) 232-6842 - fax
No, you're not crazy. I was in Traverse City, MI in June and one of the shops there was chock-full of Christmas stuff, because that's primarily what they sold. There is a distinct difference between a store that sells holiday items (for all holidays) and, say, Target clearing out aisles in September for Xmas wrapping paper and decorations.
I've spent most of my life in Canada (I live in the U.S. now). Up north christmas tree could be seen in most stores by around mid september, just after the back to school sales were done.
@matt1978: They relate to each other because if Hobby Lobby is such a fine christian organization they shouldn't be commercializing christmas to this degree by selling trees 4 months before christmas.
I hate to be a naysayer here, but I have no problem with craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby getting into the Christmas spirit a bit early.
If you want to give handmade crafts as Christmas presents, you probably need to get started now.
With that said.... yeah, Christmas trees are a bit much...
If they're fake trees, I guess it's not so bad. The big display is a bit much though. For being so early in the year though, I would be expecting to see some type of discount.
@tracilyns: I get the crafty part of it. You need cardstock, stamps, flowers, garland etc., to do many time consuming craft projects. OK there. What kind of craft are you doing with a full sized fake tree? It seems to me like you can have the crafty part without the "store full of fully-decorated display trees" part.
Well, Hobby Lobby is a Christian company...maybe they're pushing x-mas this year? They also carry a pretty good line of yarns. :)
I don't get it. It's a store and they put out stuff to sell it. If no one buys them now, maybe they'll be on awesome sale by the beginning of December!
(And yes, hobby stores sell them early ... also, you can order them from catalogs ... if you work for a company that wants to have Christmas decorations sometimes you have to start the paperwork early to get approvals.)
Really, stores wouldn't put this stuff out early unless SOMEONE was buying it. So throw your hate towards those people.
We've got a Prairie Gardens around here; it's a chain that part nursery, part crafts. They started taking out garden stuff to make room for Christmas trees and accessories about three weeks ago, as I found out when I went to look for trellis. Because who would be gardening in summer when they could plan their Christmas tree?
I do my part by no longer buying Christmas gifts anymore. Take that consumerism!
My brother-in-law is a Manager for Hobby Lobby. I do give them a waiver on the early Christmas stuff because they're primarily a craft store and they have to get the stuff out there early for the crafters. It is indeed much more efficient to put all the Christmas stuff out at once, rather than bring out just the ornament kits and what-not without the trees. My sister still thinks it's ridiculous.
And yeah, they have great sales. Combine that with the employee discount from the in-law and the stuff is downright cheap.
I am contacting my family this week to let them know that I am officially finished with celebrating Christmas.