More time spent at home has increased spending in hobbies

As a retailer, you may be wondering if hobbyists and the hobby market are worth pursuing.

Yes! Absolutely.

Due to the need to isolate at home more, the pandemic changed how Americans spend their time—and money. So, thanks to COVID-19, there are now more hobbyists than ever.

According to TheSuburban.com, during the outbreak:

• The top 3 most popular hobbies were watching TV and movies, reading, and working out
• The bottom 3 hobbies were learning a language, learning an instrument, and writing
• 1 in 2 were reading to pass the time
• 1 in 3 said that they were doing arts and crafts and playing board games
• The interest in home workouts was 5 times more popular than it was at the same time last year

A survey commissioned during the pandemic by TD Ameritrade showed there was a definite shift on how Americans spent their money, reflecting the increase in popularity of hobbies.

“Americans took up new hobbies like painting and gardening. 24% of Americans reported an increase in spending on hobbies, with an average spending increase of $88.”

Will this trend continue?

It is too soon to tell. It’s possible that once American society reverts to a more normal state, hobbies may lose a little steam. However, on the flip side, once discovered, a new hobby tends to become a permanent part of a person’s lifestyle. Its newly found pleasures far outweigh the previous activities it replaced.

What’s a hobby?

Generally speaking, hobbies—or personal interests—are what people do in their spare time for entertainment, relaxation, fun, or pleasure. The level of commitment can range from casual to passionate. Almost any activity can be considered a hobby.

Wikipedia has a useful six-fold differentiation between the various kinds of hobbies:

1. General is anything that doesn’t fall into the other lists below like DIY and creative projects, watching TV and movies, Legos, genealogy, food, etc.
2. Outdoor and sports include sports, fitness, fishing, geocaching, metal detecting, and tourism
3. Educational hobbies can include archeology, astronomy, microbiology, STEM projects, and robotics
4. Collections range the gamut from action figures and antiques to seashells and vinyl records
5. Competitive hobbies often are other hobbies that are played in teams or where winning is a goal such as video gaming, swimming, chess, etc.
6. Observational hobbies include pastimes like microscopy, astronomy, bird watching, and photography

Hobbyist vs enthusiast—what’s the difference?

Defining the difference between a hobbyist and enthusiast is a bit murky. Both are considered amateurs, as opposed to professionals who get paid for their proficiency.

Some might argue that a hobbyist is more hands-on while an enthusiast is more armchair, but for the most part, the terms are interchangeable.

You don’t have to have a hobby store to market to hobbyists!

A pre-pandemic survey by AFCI (Association for Creative Industries), showed that hobbyists shopped at a number of retail stores to find what they need.

• Craft chain stores
• Discount chains
• Dollar stores
• Local craft stores
• Art supply stores
• Supermarkets
• Hardware stores
• Office supply stores
• Home goods stores
• Club store
• Craft shows
• Department stores
• Drug stores

This means that no matter what kind of retail shop you have, you can certainly stock things that appeal to one or more areas of interest.

Product ideas for some of the most common hobbies

Hobbies may require specialist gear only relevant to that pursuit. Others use gear that are useful across several disciplines.

Thanks to Petra’s outstanding inventory that spans over 800 brands, we have a number of products that will appeal to hobbyists.

Here are 17 hobbies for which we have products. The list is alphabetical.

1. Art and drawing
2. Astronomy
3. Bird watching
4. Camping
5. Drones and RC toys
6. STEM educational toys and toy robotics
7. Fishing
8. Geocaching
9. Golf
10. Hiking
11. Home fitness
12. Home workshop, DIY, and woodworking
13. Hunting and shooting
14. Metal detecting/treasure hunting
15. Microscopes
16. Social media and podcast gear
17. Video gaming/eSports

Pre-pandemic trends and the future

A 2016 Statista survey broke out craft and hobbyists by age and what they spend per month on their hobbies.

And 2016 and 2017 were the years covered by an AFCI survey.

• 62% of US households participated in either a craft or hobby within the last 12 months
• Painting, drawing, edible arts, kids’ crafts, and paper crafts were among the most popular
• 26% of floral crafters and 36% of those who sew and do fabric crafts spent at least 5 hours a day on their hobby
• 91.3% bought supplies in physical stores

During the pandemic, shopping of all kinds shifted to ecommerce. This certainly included hobby supplies.

Moving forward, hobbyists will certainly return to physical shopping. After all, there’s nothing like strolling the aisles to get inspired! But, realistically, they’ll probably not return in the same numbers.

Now’s the time to take a multi-channel approach to reach customers however they shop. Whether it’s a full-fledged online shopping site, a Facebook page, or simply the use of email blasts to your existing customers, pursue all possible avenues just as avidly as hobbyists pursue their interests.

Everyone will come out a winner.

Beyond supplying you with product, Petra has other ways we can help you grow. Check out our Customer Services section at petra.com.