2024
9
US Arts and Crafts Consumer: 2024
2024-02-21T20:02:08+00:00
REP5A23ED87_25F5_436B_BE8D_E68EEFF06C4C
3695
170766
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Report
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The arts and crafts market is thriving, driven by demand for projects that allow for self-expression while also being a budget-friendly pastime with wellness perks. Fiona O'Donnell, Senior Director…
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Leisure and Entertainment
Retail
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US Arts and Crafts Consumer: 2024

The arts and crafts market is thriving, driven by demand for projects that allow for self-expression while also being a budget-friendly pastime with wellness perks.

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  1. Executive Summary

    • Key issues covered in this Report
    • Overview
    • What you need to know
    • Consumer trends: key takeaways
    • Market predictions – arts & crafts
    •  Opportunities
  2. Consumer Insights

    • Nearly three quarters of consumers engage with crafting
    • Crafting maintains pandemic-era popularity
    • Participation in crafting shows no signs of slowing
    • – Graph 1: participation in any art/craft in past 12 months – any project (NET), by gender, 2023
    • – Graph 2: participation in any art/craft in past 12 months – any project (NET), by age and by parental status, 2023
    • Inspire kids and parents through creativity and convenience
    • – Graph 3: participation in any art/craft in past 12 months – any project (NET), by household income, 2023
    • Provide value beyond price
    • – Graph 4: frequency of crafting participation, 2023
    • – Graph 5: crafting skill level, 2023
    • Classes enhance skills and foster community
  3. Project Participation

    • – Graph 6: types of projects worked on in past 12 months, 2023
    • Pandemic boost to arts and crafts has staying power
    • – Graph 7: types of projects worked on in the past 12 months, 2019-23
    • – Graph 8: participation in painting, making decorations and tech-related crafts, 2023 and 2019
    • Decor projects promote wellbeing and individuality
    • Quality, utility and harmony for the “total” decor
    • Tech expands horizon of creativity
    • – Graph 9: select projects worked on in past 12 months, by gender and by age, 2023
    • Make crafting more accessible to underserved groups
  4. Motivations and Barriers

    • – Graph 10: motivations for doing arts and crafts, 2023
    • – Graph 11: financial motivations for crafting, by age, 2023
    • Boost engagement by touting emotional drivers
    • – Graph 12: select attitudes toward emotional benefits of crafting – any agree, by gender and by age, 2023
    • – Graph 13: barriers to arts and crafts, 2023
  5. Crafter personas and perceptions

    • – Graph 14: crafter personas (top three selected)*, 2023
    • People are ardent about their craft
    • – Graph 15: select crafter personas (top three selected)*, by gender and by parental status, 2023
    • – Graph 16: crafter personas (top three selected)*, by age, 2023
    • Resin art makes a comeback with young creatives
    • – Graph 17: crafter personas (top three selected)*, by race/Hispanic origin, 2023
    • Acknowledge and celebrate diversity
    • – Graph 18: approach to arts and crafts, 2023
    • – Graph 19: select attitudes toward crafting and enjoyment – any agree, by age, 2023
  6. Spotlight on hosts and home decorators

    • Home is a gateway to self-expression
    • Home decorators and hosts find inspiration everywhere
    • Help decorators visualize the creative process
    • – Graph 20: select activities participated in the past 12 months, by crafter persona (top 3 selected)*, 2023
    • Go across mediums to broaden reach
  7. Retailers and shopping for supplies

    • Crafters shop around
    • Competition heats up in the crafting retail landscape
    • – Graph 21: retailers shopped, 2023
    • Craft-specific retailers are losing ground
    • – Graph 22: select retailers shopped, by crafter persona (top three selected)*, 2023
    • – Graph 23: approach toward shopping for supplies, by gender and by age, 2023
    • – Graph 24: impact of cost when shopping for supplies, by gender and by age, 2023
    • – Graph 25: select attitudes toward shopping for supplies – any agree, 2023
    • Carafes and crafts
  8. Launch activity and innovation

    • Competition heats up in third-party seller marketplace
    • Sellers and influencers represent strategic market
    • Home improvement retailers cater to decorators
  9. Marketing and Advertising

    • Digital ad spend correlates with holiday season
    • – Graph 26: digital ad spend by select craft retailers – across platforms, by month, 2023
    • – Graph 27: share of digital ad spend, by craft retailer, 2023
    • – Graph 28: share of digital ad spend across platforms, by select craft retailers, 2023
    • Jo-Ann announces new partnership
    • Michaels refreshes brand identity
    • Etsy aims to become go-to destination for gifting
    • Etsy: Gift Mode
  10. Opportunities

    • Areas to branch out to and explore
  11. Market Context

    • Economic indicators point to a healthy economy and a robust future for crafting
  12. Market Drivers

    • Crafting promotes mental wellbeing
    • AI can complement creative pursuits
    • Digital artists find success on Etsy
    • Crafting is an economical pastime
    • – Graph 29: consumer sentiment index, 2021-24
    • Sustainable crafting is a push to reduce waste and get creative
    • Look to players outside the category for best practices
  13. Market Share

    • Mixed results for craft-specific retailers
  14. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Consumer qualitative research
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations and terms
Download Report Summary

Explore the US arts and crafts market with this report. With increasing participation as consumers realize the value of arts and crafts, now is the time to capitalize on demand. Below, we’ve summarized the key topics analyzed and provided hand-selected findings from the report.

Key Topics Analyzed

  • Crafter demographics and how they see themselves.
  • Types of projects consumers worked on in the past 12 months and five-year trend.
  • Crafting motivations and barriers to participation.
  • Retailers for purchasing crafting supplies and shopping habits.
  • Key crafting trends, market drivers, launch activity, and innovations in crafting.

US Arts and Crafts Market Overview

The arts and crafts market is flourishing with almost three-quarters of Americans participating in the past 12 months. The category is benefiting from an increasing interest in handmade, personalized products and recognition of the therapeutic value. There are challenges, with heightened competition from online retailers, increased material costs, and limited shopper loyalty. As the market grows, preserving the authenticity of handmade goods will be crucial to maintaining consumer trust.

Arts and Crafts Consumer Insights

  • Crafters are engaging with various project types. This reflects a diverse market with multiple entry points and the potential for growth across traditional and emerging disciplines such as tech-related craft projects.
  • Affordability is a prime motivator for crafters. This is particularly the case for young adults, who are the most active crafters overall, and more constrained by budget. There’s room to position crafting as not just emotionally enriching but as a budget-savvy pursuit.
  • Men’s engagement in arts and crafts has increased, rising 10%, indicating a move away from traditional gender stereotypes. Mintel identifies this trend as a shift in the definition of masculinity, as men find a sense of accomplishment and productivity in participation.

What’s Next for Arts and Crafts?

Retailers must evolve with shoppers. Crafters shop around and seek inspiration and engagement across digital and physical platforms. This means that looking ahead, retailing and marketing efforts should provide a seamless omnichannel experience.

Buy your copy of this report today and grow your business strategy. You may also be interested in browsing our consumers and trends research.

Market Definition and Brands Covered

Market definition: “Arts and crafts” describes projects made by consumers for recreational or commercial purposes, either using a kit or from base materials. Consumer creative activities evaluated include painting, drawing or coloring, making decorations (eg wreaths, centerpieces), decorating baked goods, paper crafts (eg scrapbooking, die cutting), kids’ crafts (eg making slime, nebula jar), woodworking, knitting or crocheting, jewelry making, and tech-related craft projects (eg 3D printing, electronics).

Brands covered: The arts and crafts competitive landscape is covered in this report, concerning brands such as Makerplace by Michaels, Handmade.com, Etsy, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann, Amazon Handmade, and more.

Expert Analysis

Leading lifestyle analyst Fiona O’Donnell delivers expert industry insights with this in-depth report.

The arts and crafts market is thriving, driven by demand for projects that allow for self-expression while also being a budget-friendly pastime with wellness perks.

Fiona O’Donnell, Senior Director US Reports
Fiona O’Donnell
Senior Director – Lifestyles, Culture & Identity, Multicultural, Travel & Leisure

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