Tapping into the growing arts and crafts market can increase sales and offer opportunities to hold in-store events, as Lawrence Savage, UK marketing manager at ExaClair explains.
Although, there has been a slight decrease (14%) of UK workers basing themselves exclusively from home since 2022, data from the office of national statistics demonstrate that 44% of employees still work from home at least part of the time, whether that be within a hybrid or fully remote capacity.
Thus, with more leisure time and an improved work-life balance being created through this trend, combined with an increasing older population (over 11 million people in the UK are now aged over 65), these have contributed significantly to the growth of the arts and crafts industry, which currently has a turnover of over approximately £400 million across the UK and is expected to experience a healthy CAGR of 5.4% globally up until 2028.
Consequently, it’s no wonder that there are over 19.5 million crafting enthusiasts throughout the British Isles, ensuring creativity is alive and kicking. It’s probably no surprise that around 70% of children aged between 5-10 years old take part in arts and crats on a regular basis, but with 28% of people aged 65-70 also indulging within these activities, it’s a truly popular pastime that spans across several generations.
In fact, with the demands of modern life on both young and old being thoroughly documented these days, further studies highlight how crafting, whatever the technique being partaken in, can boost self-confidence, reduce stress and have positive impacts upon an individual’s mood, not to mention lower blood pressure. It has also been demonstrated to help enhance fine motor skills and mental agility, as well as slowing the onset of dementia, reducing anxiety and the feeling of isolation.
By expanding their product listings to incorporate a wider range of crafting items, gift retailers can tap into this developing market sector, which can act as complementary offering alongside more traditional gifting stationery and accessories. Furthermore, the implementation of these can also open opportunities to hold in-store events or community outreach workshops.
The popular papercraft brand Décopatch has thrived across many retail outlets by using a combination of innovative display POS and workshop days, which give consumers the chance to try before they buy. Additionally, the bestselling selection of Clairefontaine origami or comprehensive range of Avenue Mandarine puzzles and games would make ideal themes for basing such interactive events on. Ultimately, investing in these initiatives can really help drive sales and reoccurring customer footfall over the long-term.
For further advice on how crafting can help your business, see exaclairlimited.com or email sales@exaclair.co.uk
