Hobby Lobby Grand Opening for Ocala, FL!

[donnalynn2]

Our HL is finally set to open on Monday (2/6/06). I'm bummed as I have to work til 5:30 and there are going to be a bunch of giveaways and such during the day. I will definately be checking it out after work! I hope they'll have some coupons and such in the paper tomorrow for the opening!

 

If anyone has a HL in their area, can you tell me a little about them and what I can expect?

 

Are they good about accepting comp coupons like Jo-Anns or are they stingy like Michaels?

 

Do they keep a nice supply of yarns and varieties?

 

Is the staff helpful for the most part or dumb as a box of rocks???

 

Of course I know every store is different, but just wanted to get a heads up!

 

 

THANKS ALL! I'll let you know how the grand opening is!!!

[Shelleden]

Good for you! The Hobby Lobby's I routinely shop at have TONS of yarns! They have a line exclusive to HL called Yarn Bee, and the variety is mind-boggling! Very reasonably priced too. They aren't very good about keeping their magazines and leaflets up to date, though. In fact they're the worst! Jo Ann Fabrics is the BEST. Michael's is a close 2nd. HL's craft-book section is usually messy, too, and they have the SAME leaflets month after month. There is still a Crochet! magazine from May 2003, and other old issues on the shelf in one of the HL's! But all in all, I love the store. It's usually very clean and has such a wide selection. You'll enjoy it. I don't know about the coupon thing - I've never tried it. The staff is friendly enough, but it seems the store is short-staffed. The lines are long when you go to check out. Well now, don't I just sound like a craft store expert?

[Becks]

Our Hobby Lobby is great!

They have soooo many yarns in stock that they not only have three aisles devoted to it; the yarns are also displayed in about 4 midway aisle cubes as well as endcaps.

 

The prices are the best I've seen.

 

I like to cross stitch too, but when I need certain colors of DMC floss, only Hobby Lobby seems to carry it all.

 

I've never tried to use competitors coupons there, but they do run 40% off ads occasionally which is nice. At Christmastime it was every other week.

 

They are closed on Sundays.

Lines are always full but they move along.

I don't mind waiting if I am getting a good deal.

I practiaclly LIVE in their Clearance section. You can get great deals on those old Crochet! magazines once they finally move them over to the clearance section. Pattern leaflets and books too!

[FelixLake]

I love our HL. They have a great selection of yarn and will order for you if you need a lot in one dye lot. I don't know about all the others, but they don't have their inventory in a computer and their registers are not computerized, so if you get something on sale you need to make sure it is rung up on sale.

 

They have a sale on yarn every week, just different kinds. They run a sales ad in the paper, but it is black and white and just on one of the regular pages, not a special insert.

They have a great selection of fabrics too, but they are more expensive than other places. I'll be in Ocala in 2 weeks, so I'll have to check it out.

[klouised]

Woohoo! Ocala, huh? I'll be moving to that area soon, so I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

[debspugs]

Donnalynn, was in the this am. They had radio station 93.7 there and had on sale the same as all there stores. Debi

[kazily]

I love HL.. lots of yarns in stock, good 40% off coupons occasionally, good sales & good clearance like 50% off books, mags & hooks.

 

Our book/mag section isn't very good though. Like someone else said, they do not restock regularly & crochet books are few. Lots of booklets though I haven't fond but a few I wanted.

 

Check for free leaflets. They have quite a few.

[Nashville Crocheter]

I love Hobby Lobby. I hardly ever buy anything there is that is not on sale. Every week they have many items on sale. be sure to check your Sunday paper or their website http://www.hobbylobby.com

 

But let me reiterate what someone else has said. if you know an item is on sale, be sure the cashier rings it up on sale. My friends and I joke that it depends on which line you get it as to what you will end up paying.

[donnalynn2]

Donnalynn, was in the this am. They had radio station 93.7 there and had on sale the same as all there stores. Debi

 

I don't quite understand what you're saying here... Are you saying they were open today??? I drove by there on the way home and they definately weren't open...

 

93.7 in Ocala is WOGK FM, K-Country (I used to work there) but I wasn't listening to them today. I do know that WKTK out of Gainesville is planning on broadcasting there on Monday. (Honestly I haven't been listening to a lot of radio lately, mostly audio books at work) Do you live in the Ocala area? Where abouts??? I work over by On Top Of The World but live near the Shores... If you're saying HL was open today I'll be miffed! I drive by there every day... I was actually wishing they'd open today as I only work half a day on Saturdays.

 

Thanks for the heads up about the registers. I always keep a real close eye where-ever I go. Michaels has a real hard time with discounts and such. When I worked there, we were always having problems with certain sale and clearance items not ringing up correctly.

 

When I bought a bunch of their floral picks after Christmas (sign said 90% off) they only rang up at 70%. I stopped the cashier and told her that they were 90% off. She proceeded to get nasty with me and told me that they were considered "floral" and floral was only 70% off. I then told her that I don't care what the paper says, that there are about a dozen little signs taped to EACH bin with the picks in them that said 90% off ALL christmas! She told me that the signs must just be in the wrong place. Thank the Lord that a knowledgable salesperson walked by and she confirmed that ALL christmas was 90% off now and that they have been having problems with the picks not ringing up correctly all day! (Another reason not to like Michaels! LOL)

 

I cannot wait to check out HL's own line of yarn! Oh boy! Yarn that I've never felt or touched before! I really want to play hookie from work Monday... They really won't mind if I just call in sick, right? (Yeah, right! I wish!)

[elicrochet]

When I get back to the states HL is one of the 1st places I try to get too-Shelleden I'm from Indy and I find the one up in Carmel is a little nicer than the one in Greenwood. It's located at keystone and 116th st. Of course I only get there once a year. Going to be in Carmel this year in May whoohoooo can't wait!!

[debspugs]

Yeppers it was open today. Bought some yarn bobbins, stitch counter, and some crochet books (3). All 1/2 price. Very nice in there. The radio station was there, did a spinner and could win prizes, I got try again later, dh got a cozy. Had alot of nice yarns and threads, still not all in though. Very little amount of crochet books. Inventory small amounts for crocheting and knitting.

 

Did not know that their cash registers do not automatically take sales off. Had to remind the cashier all were 1/2 off. She had to void and redo. Manager stated "old ways cash registers". Sorry you missed today.

 

I did not know about monday, will go then too. lol, don't need anymore yarn but can't hurt to look. lol. Debi, FL

[JazzRizz]

Looks like I need to plan a trip to Ocala! I went to my very first Hobby Lobby while spending time with my Mom in December in Fairview Heights, IL. I fell in love with this store. I could only buy what I could fit in my suitcase to fly back home with me at the time. In fact, I ordered more yarn off their website as soon as I got home (they were offering free shipping ).

 

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE their Yarn Bee Frosting yarn! So soft. Yep, looks like I'm taking a trip up HWY 27 very soon!

[CLLinda]

Good news for you in Florida. A Hobby Lobby is a great store. I wait for their Half-price sales and then stock up. They run these sales on hooks, needles, and all crochet and knitting implements about once every two months. So I just wait for the sales and stock up. Why pay $2 for a hook when I can wait and get it for $1.

 

They run RH for $1.86 a skein. And TLC Essentials for $2.17 or so. So I wait for sales and stock up there too. They have had all their books and pamplets for half price, and I was told they were going to get rid of their books, but I don't know if that is true.

 

Look in your local paper for the Ad on Sundays. Or look it up Sunday morning on www.hobbylobby.com. They are closed on Sundays, which means that on Mondays, the place is jammed. I have found that if you shop between 5 and 6 p.m., the place is not as crowded.

 

I love my Hobby Lobby. That's the first ad I read every Sunday. Enjoy yourself.

 

Linda:manyheart

[Tampa Guy]

The more stores like these the better, but it looks to me like they are starting off on the wrong foot in your area. Old time cash register in a new store, I know Tampa Doll would have taken that comment as an insult to her intelligence.

 

I know when she goes into the local Michaels or Joanns with her 50 or 70% off coupon for that .79 cent button (even though I always remind her now that’s off the Retail price) she expects that full discount.

 

I see more complaints coming on this store, but not any more then the others, that’s why I generally sit out in the car listening to a sports talk show. We men never complain about nothing. j/k lol .

[donnalynn2]

Well so far I'm pretty disappointed. I drive by there every day and if they opened yesterday, why no banner telling everyone it was open??? Not to mention (as Tampaguy said) why put in a brand new store with old registers? Very dumb move... I scoured the paper this morning and got my usual Michaels and Rag Shop ads but there was NO mention of the HL! I even searched each and every page of the paper itself for a black and white ad and there was NOTHING! If they are paying for radio stations to broadcast there (which is extremely pricey) then why not pay for an ad in the Sunday paper? It wouldn't have cost a fraction of the radio broadcasts.

 

I can't speak for KTK but for K-Country I can. Broadcasts go anywhere from $1500 to $3000 dollars for a 2-3 hour live broadcast. It is not a cheap thing to do whereas a paper ad wouldn't have cost more than $100 for a decent mention.

 

I will be checking this place out and am still excited about there being another craft store in the area, but they are definately not starting out on a good foot...

 

P.S. Tampaguy, I understand your DW! I am the same way! If I only need an item that is under a buck and have a coupon, then I want that discount! I always check my reciepts!!! My DH and you would get along. He has only gone into one craft store in his life and it's only because I wanted the Bob Ross master paint set for Christmas and they had it 40% off at Michaels. Without the discount it was almost $100 so I gave him the ad and told him to ask for help. He told me he would never go into another craft store in his life! He said he felt "weird" in there! You poor men... Is it not masculine to go in there or something? Oh well, we love you guys anyways for putting up with us!

[goldi316]

Regarding the "old registers in a new store", one thing I've noted about Hobby Lobby is that they have an, um, tendency toward not embracing the rush toward newer technologies - they like to keep things set up the "old fashioned" way. I suspect that it's also one of the ways they are able to keep their prices lower than their competitors in most areas. Everyone has gotten so used to the notion of "newer" and "faster" when it comes to technology, but this outfit isn't one of them. They are very conservative. Though people don't consider this, there IS a privacy issue involved. They don't track your purchases, ever. There can be down sides to all that fancy technology too, you know?

 

You will definitely have to pay attention at the register, and KNOW what your items' prices should be. The cashiers do try to stay on top of the sale prices, and have the flyer there to check, but you may still have to remind them on some things. As far as I know, they do not accept competitor coupons. I have yet to see a newspaper ad from them, but that's mainly because I don't buy the paper. Your best bet is to sign up for the emailed sales flyer which usually arrives in your inbox around midnight Saturday night. It will include the weekly coupon (scroll to the bottom of the message), which lately has been running every other week for 40% off (the retail price of) ANY one item (the other times a specific item or craft area is named). You can use one coupon per store per day, which means that you could print out 6 copies of the coupon and visit the store each day of the week to get 40% off on any one item. If you're lucky like me, and have the time, you can maximize that further by visiting more than one store (I have a potential of FIVE within my roaming area, but that's a rare venture on my part).

 

Their Yarn Bee line is mind-boggling, and growing daily! And their sale prices are unbeatable. I just recently loaded up on Lion Landscapes yarn for $3.66 each when it was on sale at half price. This is typical of their sales. But do plan on shopping early in the week when it's something you really want, those shelves empty quickly, and they don't seem to be quick to restock, at least in my experience. But like someone else mentioned, they are also happy to order large amounts in certain dye lots for you if you need them.

 

Oh, one last thing: regarding pattern books and leaflets - they have a "no returns" policy on those, so be sure it's what you really want (and also flip through to make sure some moron hasn't torn a pattern out of a book - happened to me once) before you buy, whether at full or half price.

[debspugs]

Donnalynn, the ad for them was a full page in the business section, of the star banner. Has a 40 percent coupon also. Hope this helps. Debi

[donnalynn2]

Donnalynn, the ad for them was a full page in the business section, of the star banner. Has a 40 percent coupon also. Hope this helps. Debi

 

Thanks so much for posting this!!! I swear I searched through the entire paper and didn't see this ad! After your post I went through the biz section and there it was! If it were a snake it would have bitten me!!!

 

Was it just me or was there NO yarn on sale?

 

It does appear though that a bunch of stuff will be 1/2 and 1/3rd off this week! I am so going diving into the Wilton supplies! At 50% off? Heck, I could really use a few things and now is the time to get them. Now to convince DH that I need some money to spend...

 

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions and such. I am really hoping that they have classes at this store. My local Rag Shop doesn't have any classes so Michaels is the only place I can go which isn't really fun since Cruella De Ville hates me and still works there. (The last time I took a class, she actually interuppted the class and made sure the teacher knew I didn't work there anymore. Wanted to make sure I wasn't getting a freebie!) I could have killed her. It was none of her business and yes I paid to be in the class. Made me look like an idiot though... Before the Bob Ross class I took I had to buy a few things and if you are taking a class you can buy your supplies for that class at 10% off. Well the FES on duty that day gave me a heck of a time and I actually got a late start on my painting because of it. If this HL has classes I'll be glad that I don't have to take them at Michaels anymore.

 

Well I'll let y'all know what I come home with tomorrow!

[donnalynn2]

Ok, well I'm home after spending over an hour at the HL! I love it! I must say that their patterns left a lot to be desired. There were maybe 5-6 different booklets and NO magazines of any kind. I love the yarn though! I must have perused the yarn aisles for the better part of 45 minutes!

 

You guys were right about the registers! I couldn't believe my eyes! The clerk I got told me that ALL the Yarn Bee yarn was 1/2 off even though it was only supposed to be certain kinds so I got a skein of Luscious I think for 1/2 off. She did double charge me on oil canvases. I bought a 2 pack and she charged me for 2 packs. I didn't realize it til I got home so I have to go back to the store and have them refund me the difference.

 

I was shocked at all the empty spaces though. This is a brand new store and there were literally tons of bare shelves. Very disappointing. I am pleased with the Yarn Bee yarn though. They also carry many different colors of the sugar n cream that I haven't seen elsewhere. Oh, and what was up with the Caron SS? They only carried these little 3 oz skeins! Very odd...

 

I was impressed with their prices though. On most items they are cheaper than Jo-Anns and certainly Michaels. I think that Michaels will feel the heat from HL in my area...

 

Now to explain to DH why I "needed" to buy what I did!