Hobbycraft enjoyed strong sales performance with total LFL growth of +5.5 per cent with strong underlying growth in store sales supported by the investment in a new website. This has continued to offer an easier shopping experience, showcasing product and project inspiration, and a more immediate Click & Collect service in stores, with collections available within 1 hour.
The period was all about people handmaking for Christmas. Many customers were looking for ways to add that extra sparkle to their festivities, from custom-made gifts to DIY home decor such as wreaths, brush-lettered baubles, and crackers. Personalised products proved popular with sales of Ceramic Blank Decorations increasing by 50 per cent compared to last year.
Hobbycraft also saw significant growth in jigsaws with 220 per cent more units being sold compared to last year. The arts and crafts retailer also saw sales of Kids Crafting Kits increase by 18 per cent, with the range providing a fun form of entertainment over the school holidays as well as proving to be a perfect stocking filler.
In addition, Hobbycraft saw an increase in customers choosing to use more recyclable products for their gift wrapping and home decoration with sales for its Kraft Brown Wrapping Paper increasing by 22 per cent.
Many were also looking for great value items, which Hobbycraft supported by “buttoning down” prices on over 400 craft essentials including paints, ribbon, art accessories and storage sets, keeping them at 2021 prices to ensure that the nation could keep crafting as the colder weather rolled in. Hobbycraft also launched two subscriptions (Hobbycraft Plus and Cut & Create) providing further opportunities to save.
As part of the Christmas range, Hobbycraft had over 120 products starting from just £1 and over 950 products priced between £1 and £5. This supported sales growth as customers were able to find cheaper ways to make beautiful handmade items at a reasonable price. For example, Mrs Hinch revealed an easy DIY Christmas gift idea using Hobbycraft’s Fillable Wooden Letter priced at £5. She simply lined each one with red felt and filled with chocolates. Following this, sales for the Wooden Fillable Letter range skyrocketed by 640 per cent over December 12th – 13th versus the previous two days, as fans of the “cleanfluencer” wanted to give this great value idea a go.
The brand also saw an increase in customers buying workshops as a gift, as more people than ever decided to gift useful experiences. Throughout the Christmas period, Hobbycraft’s expert colleagues and Artisans hosted 16 weeks of festive workshops in-store and online across Autumn, Halloween and Christmas. Starting from just £5 each, customers were given the materials required for the workshop, ready for the host to take the customer through each step. From wreath making, DIY advent calendars, and brush lettering to fun and easy crafts for kids, there was something for all skill levels to enjoy and over 16,000 adults and children attended the festive workshops.
Hobbycraft’s online Ideas Hub saw over 600,000 visits from customers searching for ideas and inspiration in the six weeks leading up to Christmas, with the most popular festive posts being the Knitcraft Christmas Advent Crochet Along, How to Crochet a Mini Stocking Advent and How to Make a Traditional Artificial Wreath. Moreover, with people looking for handmade gift ideas, social platforms such as TikTok saw videos using the hashtag #DIYChristmasGift being viewed 23.6m times.
To support the community, Hobbycraft donated thousands of kids craft kits, via Goods for Good, The Craft Council and The Royal Foundation Christmas carol services which took place throughout the UK, as well as providing decorations to help decorate the churches and create magical community events.
In addition, to support Hobbycraft’s charity partner Together for Short Lives, the brand sold a Shine Together Hanging Ceramic Star Decoration for £2. For every sale, Hobbycraft donated 50p to the charity.
Dominic Jordan, CEO at Hobbycraft commented: “We are delighted to report a robust set of results for Christmas, as our customers invest in thoughtful, personalised, and handmade items, whilst also being at great value. With it being a tough year for many, the process of crafting can help with mindfulness and with something that is handmade, it is more likely to be kept for longer as it has a personal connection to that individual or loved one. We’ve seen so many beautiful handmade items this year which has brought a lot of festive joy.
These fantastic results are a testament to our incredible colleagues who continue to provide amazing service and passion for our customers, and this dedication was recognised in May 2022 when we were revealed as the No.1 Best Big Company to work for in the UK by Best Companies.”
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