UK Hobbies and Interests Consumer Report 2022

The UK Hobbies and Interests report identifies consumer attitudes towards hobbyists, key market drivers, and consumer hobbies and interests in the UK. This market report covers the market size, market forecast, market segmentation and industry trends for the Hobbies and Interests market in the UK.

Current Market Landscape

Spending on hobbies and interests could be partly dampened by the rising cost-of-living crisis in the coming months. However, those who describe their situation as ‘healthy’, with money left over at the end of each month, are much more likely to spend time on their hobbies than those in less affluent financial situations, which should help to mitigate the impact.

• One in five adults have embarked on a new hobby since the outbreak of COVID-19. Three in 10 have rekindled an interest from the past.
• 18% of adults have rediscovered a hobby they had previously done as an adult, and 15% have become ‘kidults’ – reconnecting with a hobby last enjoyed in their childhood.

Potentially, any further downturn in out-of-home leisure spend could even provide a further boost to lower-cost home-based alternatives.

Future Market Trends in Hobbies and Interests

The COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions created ideal conditions for hobbies. As society moves into a post-pandemic phase, where social restrictions are no longer deemed to be necessary, and competition from out-of-home leisure fully recovers, it is unlikely that activity will fully match the peak levels seen during 2020 and 2021.

However, a permanent transition to more flexible working arrangements, including more time spent at home, and a growing interest in wellness, stress management and work/life balance, are conducive to future consumer engagement with hobbies and interests.

Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our UK Leisure Time market research.

Quickly understand

• Consumer participation in hobbies and interests over the past 12 months.
• The impact of COVID-19 on hobbies and interests, and how the COVID recovery phase is likely to affect participation.
• Key market drivers and trends in work and leisure.
• How hobbyists can be segmented according to the time they spend on hobbies and their main motivations.
• Types of retailer used by hobbyists: generalist versus specialists; online versus in-store.

Covered in this report

Brands: Hobbycraft, Amazon, John Lewis, The Works, Facebook, YouTube.

Expert analysis from a specialist in the field

This report, written by Utku Tansel, a leading analyst in the Retail sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

The pandemic has raised the importance of hobbies in people’s lives, and seen many adults take up brand new interests, revisit old pastimes and rediscover a sense of childhood play. Hands-on physical activities offer digital downtime and provide a therapeutic pressure valve in a stressed society.

John Worthington
Senior Analyst