If you’re into arts and crafts, you’ll be happy to know that a new Hobby Lobby opens Oct. 21 in west Chandler. The store will be located on the northwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Country Club Way, across from Chandler Fashion Center.
Vincent Parker is the director of training and customer service for the company, helping to promote the store’s message.
“We feel that the market is underserved and that we can bring a very unique shopping experience to the area,” Parker said.
“We are looking forward to becoming part of the Chandler community.”
The store hopes to hire up to 50 new employees, whose duties will range from managing to being department heads in floral, home decoration and other sections of the store. Pay will start at $12 an hour for full-time employees; part-timers will start off at $8.50 an hour. Even if you have no experience in the industry, there will still be cashier and entry-level positions available.
Aside from the economic value of the store, Hobby Lobby offers more than 65,000 different products in 13 different departments, which makes it more than just your typical crafts store.
“You can personalize your world with our crafting supplies, home accents, custom frames and more,” Parker said. “We offer the widest variety of crafting supplies you will find in one location, with new merchandise arriving all the time. We also have an additional 30,000 Christmas and seasonal items that our store will open up with.”
The store’s promotional deals are not typical. Instead of having sales on just a few items each week, Hobby Lobby offers sales on groups of merchandise in each of the 13 different sections all customers can find something they want that’s on sale.
For example, all pictures frames could be on sale for 25 percent off one week, then all personal framing materials the next week. The store says it’s even doing its part to go green by accepting coupons on smartphones in an attempt to save paper.
Local artists and teachers can also set up their own classes inside of Hobby Lobby for free.
“We offer our classrooms to anyone who wants to teach at no charge; but we do require that the students of these classes use products that can be purchased at Hobby Lobby,” Parker said. “The teachers set the class schedules and price.”
Focused on improving the economy and also the environment, Hobby Lobby manufactures a lot of its items in Oklahoma City at the corporate office.
“We build all of our own store fixtures; make our D&D Brand candles, potpourri, candle- and soap-making supplies, rubber stamps, mat boards for framing, some of our best-selling frames, art canvases, some of our decorator pillows and many other items.”
With the holidays approaching, the store looks to be a great place to do some shopping and procure supplies for homemade gift ideas.
For area residents wanting to supplement their income around the holiday season, Hobby Lobby should be a great addition to a lively shopping area located directly in the heart of the Kyrene Corridor.
