INSIDE

from BusinessLink February 2020

COVERGENCE

That in turn has Hobby Lobby officials feeling optimistic about the decision to move into the Kerrville market.

“We feel we are going to have a real solid store here,” said Mark Raines, Hobby Lobby’s district manager for Central Texas and the Hill Country.

Linda Johnson was excitedly awaiting the opening of Kerrville’s new Hobby Lobby on Monday morning. In fact, she was there a full 90 minutes before the store opened at 9 a.m.

“I just waited in my car and had my coffee,” Johnson said.

She wasn’t the only one who was waiting. Ahead of the opening, there was a line in front of the new 50,000-square-foot store who were ready to check out the craft and hobby store.

Kerrville’s store is the 893rd for the Oklahoma-based company, which is open Monday through Saturday. Raines said they saw encouraging signs for the enthusiasm of the store during a soft opening on Friday. On Monday, customers were greeted with coffee and breakfast treats as they entered the store.

By 9:30 a.m, there were dozens of shoppers in the store, including Johnson, who was in the fabric section, where she was buying camouflaged material to finish a quilt she was making for her son-in-law’s hunting cabin.

Helping her was store employee Anne Dozier, who was measuring the fabric and writing up a sales ticket.

“I’ve been waiting for weeks,” Johnson said of the store’s opening.