9 INDUSTRY NEWS Industry news Latest news from the craft industry Creativeworld supports young artists in Frankfurt Once again, Creativeworld exhibitors have donated a wide range of creative materials to the Frankfurt Children’s Office, supporting children in Frankfurt in their artistic endeavours. The materials, originally displayed at the international trade fair for hobby, craft, and artists’ supplies, are given a sustainable second life, benefiting childcare and educational institutions in need of painting and craft materials. During Creativeworld 2025, 30 percent of all exhibitors participated in the donation drive, providing high-quality painting and craft materials to the Frankfurt Children’s Office. From paints, canvases, and brushes to markers, stickers, stamps, and modelling clay – these materials are reaching children’s centres and youth institutions with limited access to creative supplies. With these donated resources, children can explore their imagination and create their very own works of art. Many of these creations will be showcased in the permanent exhibition Kinder Art! at the Frankfurt Children’s Office, as well as online at kinderbuero-frankfurt.de. “This donation campaign has become a cherished tradition at Creativeworld, highlighting the strong commitment of our exhibitors to social creative projects,” says Stefan Schopp, Show Director of Creativeworld, during the handover ceremony. “We’re delighted that so many of our exhibitors are contributing exactly what children need to express their creativity – vibrant paints, colourful animal-themed stamps, shimmering craft foils, and diverse modelling clay sets and a whole lot more.” The Frankfurt Children’s Office distributes the donations from 81 exhibitors to around 50 children’s and youth facilities in Frankfurt. Madeleine Michaelis, Project Manager of Kinder Art!, is enthusiastic about the Creativeworld initiative: “Creative expression is vital for child development. It not only enhances motor skills but also nurtures imagination and self-confidence. Thanks to the generosity of Creativeworld exhibitors, we can provide many children in Frankfurt with the opportunity to engage in artistic activities. In doing so, we stay true to Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to life by enabling children to actively participate in cultural and artistic experiences. The result is a portfolio full of countless small and large masterpieces – and, most importantly, bright, happy smiles.” Messe Frankfurt organises this donation initiative in partnership with the Frankfurt Children’s Office since 2010. The donated materials originate from exhibitors’ showcase assortments at Creativeworld 2025 – a meaningful contribution to resource conservation and a formidable example of sustainability in the DIY industry. Creativeworld will continue to take place at the same time as Ambiente and Christmasworld at the Frankfurt exhibition centre, Creativeworld: 6th to 9th February 2026. Hobbycraft to close nine stores Hobbycraft confirms that, following a strategic review of the business it has announced a restructuring which will result in the closure of some of its loss-making stores, and unfortunately lead to redundancies for the colleagues who work there. The restructuring will also result in a number of management roles being made redundant across the store estate, along with redundancies in the Bournemouth based head office and the distribution centre in Burton on Trent. Nine Hobbycraft stores will cease trading by mid-July with the loss of between 72 and 126 jobs. A number of other stores in the store estate are currently part of an ongoing review process, the outcome of which is currently undecided. Any further store closures will be communicated to employees in due course. The retail sector has been under a great deal of pressure for a prolonged period and this restructuring is necessary to ensure a healthy future for Hobbycraft. Hobbycraft anticipates that the restructure will secure the future of at least 99 stores and more than 1,800 jobs. Hobbycraft CEO, Alex Willson, said, “Hobbycraft is the UK’s leading arts and crafts retailer, with a strong presence across the country and online, fantastic colleagues and loyal and engaged customers. For many, our stores are more than just arts and crafts supplies, they have become places for gaining crafting ideas and inspiration. Very sadly, the strength of our offering has not made us immune from the challenges faced by the retail sector in recent years. Closing stores is always a last resort and this has been an extremely difficult decision. Making these changes is sadly a necessary action to enable us to keep our doors open to crafters up and down the country.”
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