According to a recent CNN Belief Blog entry, there are several big-name retailers out there with deeply Christian roots, even if they don’t openly share it with the public.
1. Chick-fil-A. The fast-food chain recently came under fire for feeding a group opposed to gay marriage. Many have approached a Chick-fil-A restaurant on a Sunday to find the place closed.
2. Forever 21. This chain of clothing stores for young women subtly places a reference to John 3:16 at the bottom of its shopping bags.
3. Tom’s of Maine. The CEO of this natural home products company says he treats the business like a ministry, at times bringing in Christian leaders to help the board run the company.
4. Hobby Lobby. A privately owned chain of arts and craft stores, Hobby Lobby’s mission statement boldly proclaims, “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.”
5. ServiceMaster. This owner of companies like Terminix, American Home Shield, and Merry Maids consciously engages servant leadership principles in training its employees in customer service.
6. Herman Miller. This furniture manufacturer “retains a lot of [the Reformed Protestant tradition] in practices that revolve around a notion of respecting the dignity of the human person and a strong environmental ethic that grew out of the religious responsibility.”
7. Interstate Batteries. Company president Norm Miller spends time addressing Christian audiences about “how he found the truth of Christianity and how he learned to effectively apply biblical principles to create a more successful business.”
8. In-N-Out Burger. This fast-food chain has printed biblical addresses on its packaging since the late 1980s.
9. Walmart. The Walton family used Christian servant leadership models in developing the world’s largest retailer.
