A TikTok user, identifying as a former Hobby Lobby employee, has revealed the reason why the company refuses to use barcodes during checkout, leaving numerous people shocked.
In a TikTok video, a former Hobby Lobby employee responds to another TikToker's claim about Hobby Lobby's avoidance of barcodes. Seth (@arenclelle) posed the question: 'Just found out why Hobby Lobby doesn't use barcodes...this store gets crazier and crazier'.
In the footage, Seth who says he’s a former Hobby Lobby worker, claimed: "When I was 16 years old my very first job was at Hobby Lobby because it paid more than any other business in my area"
However, Seth does not attribute the decision to any belief in barcodes being associated with the "mark of the beast" and says Hobby Lobby’s CEO David Green “just really believes in the power of humans over computers.”
He said: "People will say it's because Barcodes are the Mark of the Beast and Hobby Lobby is crazy but they're not that crazy."
Hobby Lobby, known for selling a variety of products, combines its branded items with those from other vendors. In the video, Seth explained that products under the company's brand have their price printed on the packaging, while items from other vendors come with a sticker indicating the price.
He explained: 'Hobby Lobby sells both products that are their brands and products that are. You know they buy off other vendors and sell.'
Seth claimed that Hobby Lobby employees are required to memorize all weekly sales to manually input them into the company's system. This method, he suggested, is less efficient and potentially more challenging compared to utilizing a barcode system.
He added: 'If they buy from a vendor they just put a sticker on it that says the price. If it's their brand then it has the price printed on the packaging, but you have to remember all the sales when you're at that register every single week.'
'You have to remember those sales so you can type them in'
Several viewers resonated with Seth's sentiments, agreeing that the checkout process at Hobby Lobby can indeed be challenging.
One person said: Me on the way to work at Hobby Lobby to give everyone an amazing discount since I am typing in the price. I’ll quit before they do inventory.
A second wrote: I worked at Hobby Lobby too. Was a customer service manager and I knew EVERY item and price in that store.
A third commented: Crazy, cuz the humans always mess up and never give me my 50% off... a computer is less likely to make that mistake I feel
Another said: First of all, w don't have to remember the sales. We have the sale sheets in the register drawers to reference when we need to.
The sales aren’t sales, they just advertise them as such (ie frames). I worked there for an hour, couldn’t do it. Someone else added.
