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Hobbycraft has reported a 6.3% increase in total revenue over the six weeks leading to Christmas. The retailer, owned by Modella Capital, saw ecommerce sales rise by 13.8% during the period.
Sales of Christmas products grew by 21.6%. Top-selling items included ceramic baubles, wooden advent calendars, and artificial garlands as customers opted for handmade decorations.
The hobbies and collectables category grew by 52.6%, led by a 61.1% increase in model making kits. The retailer attributed this growth to high-profile interest in brands such as Airfix, Warhammer, and Revell.
Knitting and crochet sales also rose, with more than 500,000 balls of wool sold during the six-week period. Sales of beginner-friendly kits designed by Tom Daley increased by 32%.
Sewing machine sales saw significant growth, with beginner models increasing by 72%. The retailer sold more than 500,000 kids’ crafting kits, a 12% increase on the previous year.
Hobbycraft stated that a report conducted with the charity Mind found 60% of 5,941 respondents wanted to reduce screen time. More than half said crafting improved their mood.
Membership in the retailer’s loyalty scheme grew by 32%, contributing to a 37% increase in revenue from club members.
Chief executive Alex Willson said: “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. In terms of key highlights, 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.”
