British craft retailer Hobbycraft has reported a significant uplift in festive sales, crediting a resurgence in traditional crafts like knitting and crochet for driving growth.
Strong Festive Trading Figures
The company, which was acquired by Modella Capital in 2024, announced that its total revenues increased by 6.3% during the crucial six-week trading period leading up to December 28, compared to the same timeframe a year earlier. This period of "strong trading" was also supported by heightened consumer interest in Christmas decorations and do-it-yourself advent calendars.
Online sales performed particularly well, jumping by 13.8% year-on-year. This digital growth was fuelled by robust demand for Hobbycraft's core range of crafting and hobby products, indicating a sustained shift towards online shopping within the sector.
The "Tom Daley Effect" and Crafting Resurgence
Hobbycraft specifically highlighted the influence of the "Tom Daley effect" in its success. The Olympic diver's public embrace of knitting and crochet has inspired a new wave of enthusiasts to take up the hobbies. This trend was reflected in the sales data, with haberdashery product sales rising 14.4% and knitting yarn sales increasing by 12.8%.
Needlepoint also benefited from the renewed interest. Furthermore, sales of sewing machines saw a notable jump, a trend Hobbycraft links to their popularity as Christmas gifts, likely influenced by television programmes such as The Great British Sewing Bee.
Leadership Optimism for 2026
Alex Willson, Chief Executive at Hobbycraft, expressed satisfaction with the results. "We’re pleased to see strong trading numbers for the six weeks to Christmas, which is testament to our fantastic colleagues across our stores, HQ and distribution centre," he stated.
Willson pointed to the dual strength of the business: "We were buoyed by strong online sales while still seeing promising results across our store portfolio, too." Looking ahead, he added, "As we head into 2026 with total sales up 6.3% year on year, we’re hopeful that by catering for our core craft fans, alongside our newer cohort of hobbyist customers, we will continue to see growth into 2026."
The positive Christmas performance comes after a challenging period for the retailer's physical estate. Last year, the company revealed plans to close nine stores, a move that affected 126 employees, as part of a broader restructuring of its store portfolio.
