This report provides an analysis of the Canadian Arts and Crafts market, competitive strategies, opportunities for brands, and the latest consumer behaviour.
Topics Analyzed
- Creative projects typically worked on.
- Crafting skill and frequency.
- Changes in crafting and reasons as to why.
- What inspires consumers’ creative projects.
- What keeps consumers from crafting.
- How crafting makes consumers feel.
Canada Arts and Crafts Consumer Overview
From painting to jewellery making to tech-related crafts, consumers have options when getting crafty and typically turn to social media (57%) to be inspired. As costs of living continue to challenge Canadians, crafting clearly makes sense in comparison with more costly leisure activities, but, two thirds (66%) of crafters agree that inflation has forced them to cut back on their spending on craft supplies.
Whether it is because crafting is often an economical way to spend leisure time, for the mental health benefits 93% of crafters experience, or in aim of the finished product, 59% of Canadians have worked on creative projects in the past year. Though tight financial times mean less spending on extraneous goods, brands need to remind consumers that crafting can be a permissible indulgence when other spending is off the table.
And, while crafting does somewhat stereotypically skew younger and female, this certainly does not need to be the case! Inclusivity in crafting is key. From gender representation in ads to tutorial videos in different languages, consumers across genders and cultures are interested in crafting, brands just need to help individuals get past the learning curve. Arguably, the biggest threat to the arts and crafts space is consumers’ own self-doubt. Remind crafters that there is beauty in the process.
Expert Analysis
This report, written by Candace Baldassarre, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight trends in the arts and crafts market and add expert context to the numbers.
Though the stresses of rising prices plague consumers, Canadians don’t need much convincing that time crafting is time well-spent.
Candace Baldassarre
Research Analyst
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive summary
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Types of crafts made
- Graph 1: art or craft projects worked on in past year, 2023
- Graph 2: art or craft projects worked on in past 12 months, by age, 2023
- Graph 3: art or craft projects worked on in past 12 months, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 4: crafters, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 5: art or craft projects worked on in past 12 months (select), mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 6: art or craft projects worked on in past 12 months (select), South Asian consumers vs overall, 2023
- Graph 7: daily website/app usage, by race, 2023
- Graph 8: art or craft projects worked on in past 12 months (select), newer Canadians vs overall, 2023
- Graph 9: crafters, by region, 2023
- Graph 10: crafters, by household financial situation, 2023
- Crafting skill and frequency
- Graph 11: crafting frequency, 2023
- Graph 12: crafting at least a few times per week (NET), by types of crafts made, 2023
- Graph 13: crafting frequency (select), overall vs mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 14: crafting skill level, by “I think that my crafting skills are better than those of my peers” (% agree) vs overall, 2023
- Changes in crafting
- Graph 15: crafting more since a year ago, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 16: crafting more since a year ago, overall vs mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 17: daily social media use, overall vs moms vs dads, 2023
- Graph 18: reasons for crafting more than a year ago, 2023
- Graph 19: crafting more because crafting provides stress relief, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 20: reasons for crafting more (select), overall vs students, 2023
- Graph 21: reasons for crafting less than a year ago, 2023
- Graph 22: crafting less because “I don’t have as much time this year”, by age, 2023
- Arts and crafts shopping locations
- Graph 23: art and craft supply purchase locations, 2023
- Graph 24: purchases art and craft supplies at dollar or discount store, by perceived financial situation, 2023
- Graph 25: purchases art and craft supplies at dollar or discount store, 2023
- Graph 26: purchases art and craft supplies from Amazon, by locations of art and craft supplies purchased, 2023
- Graph 27: art and craft supply purchase locations (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 28: art and craft supplies purchase location (select), overall vs mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 29: art and craft supply purchase locations (select), by age, 2023
- Graph 30: art and craft supply purchase locations (select), overall vs students, 2023
- Creative project inspiration
- Graph 31: sources of inspiration for creative projects, 2023
- Graph 32: sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 33: sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), overall vs moms vs dads, 2023
- Graph 34: sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), by race, 2023
- Social media inspiration
- Graph 35: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects, 2023
- Graph 36: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects, by daily use of social media platform, 2023
- Graph 37: daily social media use, 2023
- Graph 38: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 39: daily website/app use, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 40: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), overall vs moms vs dads, 2023
- Graph 41: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), by age, 2023
- Graph 42: social media sources of inspiration for creative projects (select), by language spoken, 2023
- Barriers to crafting
- Graph 43: reasons for not crafting in the past 12 months, 2023
- Graph 44: reasons for not crafting in the past 12 months (select), by age, 2023
- Graph 45: have not crafted in the past 12 months because “I’m not creative enough”, by workplace location, 2023
- Graph 46: reasons for not crafting in the past 12 months (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 47: reasons for not crafting in the past 12 months (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 48: reasons for not crafting in the past 12 months (select), by household financial situation, 2023
- Attitudes toward crafting
- Graph 49: attitudes toward crafting, 2023
- Graph 50: attitudes toward crafting, by age, 2023
- Graph 51: “I often get bored and don’t complete projects I start”, by age, 2023
- Graph 52: attitudes toward crafting, by race, 2023
- Graph 53: “I typically enjoy the crafting experience more than the end product”, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 54: attitudes toward crafting, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 55: “I would rather make something than buy it”, by daily site/app usage, 2023
- Graph 56: “Tutorial videos make me more willing to try a new craft”, by age, 2023
- Graph 57: “Tutorial videos make me more willing to try a new craft”, by language spoken at home, 2023
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Competitive strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Marketing and advertising
- Opportunities
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The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Graph 58: top three concerns in next six months (NET), 2023
- Graph 59: top birthplaces of recent Canadian immigrants, 2021
- Graph 60: population aged 0-14 and 65+, 1988-2068*
- Graph 61: employed consumers’ workplace location, 2023
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