Claims are spreading online that Hobby Lobby—an arts and crafts chain founded by Christian philanthropist David Green—has stopped selling Hanukkah merchandise in its stores.
“I know most of us already boycott Hobby Lobby but they have gone even further down the Christian Nationalist’s hole,” one post reads. Attached is a screenshot of an email from a Hobby Lobby customer service representative explaining that Hanukkah merchandise is no longer available in stores or online. “After careful consideration, the decision has been made to discontinue the sale of certain seasonal markets, which will include Hanukkah merchandise at this time,” the email reads. “Making this decision now will allow us the opportunity to refresh some of our core seasonal merchandise.”
The claim is not new, and the same image has appeared on social media platforms in the past: “Hobby Lobby flying its antisemetic [sic] flag high,” reads a November 2023 Reddit post with the same image. Similar posts have appeared across Facebook, Threads, and Instagram in recent weeks, with some earning thousands of likes and shares.
The claim is true, but out of date: Hobby Lobby discontinued several of its seasonal product lines in 2022, including its Hanukkah line, citing business reasons.
In 2023, several news organizations confirmed that Hobby Lobby had stopped selling Hanukkah merchandise in its stores, a decision that drew criticism toward the chain at the time. The company claimed that the decision was made for business reasons and emphasized that other seasonal product lines were also cut.
“The decision on what to offer our customers are based on many factors, including customer interest and what sells well,” Hobby Lobby told Snopes in a statement last year “Our seasonal merchandise assortment carried at Hobby Lobby is constantly changing, and they evaluate it annually. Due to the need to find additional space for some of our stronger categories as well as our newer ones, the decision was made over the last couple of years to discontinue several seasonal product lines, including Mardi Gras, Halloween and Hanukkah.”
The company faced similar criticism in 2013 when a Jewish customer who asked about Hanukkah decorations was allegedly told that the store doesn’t “cater to you people,” by a Hobby Lobby employee. In response, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green issued a public apology and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to nondiscrimination. “Our family has a deep respect for the Jewish faith and those who hold its traditions dear,” he said.
Hobby Lobby did not respond to a request for comment by The Dispatch Fact Check.
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