Hobbycraft, the UK’s leading crafts and hobby retailer, delivered a strong festive performance, with Christmas product sales up 21.6% year-on-year – making it one of the high street winners of an otherwise sluggish season. In-store workshops and seasonal gifting helped drive growth over the six weeks to Christmas, but Hobbycraft’s success came from its standout digital performance. Ecommerce sales surged by 13.8%, outpacing overall revenue growth of 6.3% during the six-week trading period.
The retailer’s online platforms played a key role in inspiring creativity, as shoppers embraced intentional, DIY gifting and festive décor – a trend that defined Christmas 2025. This comes against a backdrop of wider high street struggles, where footfall and discretionary spending have been under pressure.
Top-performing categories for the retailer – which is owned by Modella Capital – included Hobbies and Collectables, up 52.6%, driven by model-making kits (+61.1%) and collectable figures from franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. Seasonal crafting also thrived, with sales of velvet ribbon up 206% thanks to TikTok trends, and wreath-making kits rising sharply as consumers opted for personalised decorations.
“The Tom Daley Effect”
Knitting and crochet were also popular, boosted by “The Tom Daley Effect” – former Olympic diver and Celebrity Traitors star Tom Daley, whose love of knitting and needlework has made crafting accessible to a whole new generation. Sewing machines saw triple-digit growth. Hobbycraft’s loyalty programme also expanded rapidly, with sign-ups up 32% and revenue from members up 37%, underlining the retailer’s success in driving engagement across channels.
The results reflect a broader shift toward mindful, purposeful shopping, in which cost-conscious consumers prioritise creativity and experiences over impulse buys. It also reflects a Golden Quarter in which online sales significantly outperformed physical retail.
Hobbycraft’s CEO Alex Willson said: “We were buoyed by strong online sales, while still seeing promising results across our store portfolio, too. 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.”
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