Craft Focus - December 2020/January 2021 (Issue 82)

90 REALISING THE POTENTIAL OF HOBBYIST GIFTING Lockdown has seen the spread of mental wellbeing and self-care into the hobby world, and early indications suggest this trend has no signs of slowing. So, how can arts and craft businesses capitalise on this gift market? Autumn Fair posed this question to some industry experts to find out more… A period of growth The need for activities that can be completed indoors and in isolation created a bit of a boom for the arts-and-crafts sector where other industry sectors, even within retail, were struggling. Most prominently, Hobbycraft reported a 200 per cent increase in online sales at the start of the pandemic back in March. The panellists experienced similar growth; for Gibsons, sales and demand went through the roof when people moved to working from home, and the challenge was largely about meeting such increased demand. In fact, for Natasha, the increase in demand combined with the necessity of furloughing the majority of her team meant that Crafty Arts actually had to pause certain operations just to keep up with consumer demand. A lasting passion or a passing craze? Of course, for all the panellists, who are passionate about their markets, it’s been fantastic so see more and more people enjoying puzzles and crafts and the hope is that this will become a long-term love affair as customers realise the many benefits. Natasha sums it up saying, “lockdown meant we all had to find something to do”. This rings true and no more so than within urban populations and young professionals. For Coralie, the lockdown opened up and accelerated the growth of this market which she has been watching for a while now. As city-dwellers have adapted to a slowed down, more interior version of their lives, an increased amount of time has given people the chance to try something they’ve always wanted to learn and really reap the positive benefits of a sense of achievement on completing a project. Young adults have also been a key demographic for Gibsons, and Kate is confident that a passion for puzzling will stand the test of time. But it’s not just grownups taking the time to get crafty. In the preschool age group, demand has also skyrocketed with the advent of home-schooling and the sheer demand of young children wanting new things to do. For Damien, this group is so important by starting children off on their crafting journeys. Lockdown has seen the spread of mental wellbeing and self-care into the hobby world. From crocheting to watercolours, creative pursuits have become more important than ever to consumers looking for something different to pass the time. Early indications suggest this trend has no signs of slowing. As more people are interested in productive and creative hobbies, how can you capitalise on this gift market? Autumn Fair posed the question to this expert panel, to find out their views. Making up the panel were: Natasha Necati , owner of CraftyArts .co.uk Damien Collett , head of sales, UK & Ireland at SES Creative Kate Gibson , managing director of Gibsons Coralie Sleap , Founder of Drink, Shop, Do

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