Hobbycraft Overview

Hobbycraft is the UK’s only dedicated chain of arts and crafts superstores. Its mission is to awaken creativity in everyone. A typical Hobbycraft store sells more than 35,000 products and the company employs over 1,800 staff nationwide.

The first Hobbycraft store was opened just outside of Bournemouth in 1995. Since then the company has grown rapidly to 61 stores across the UK with a further 20 stores due to open in 2012. The company has ambitions to more than quadruple in size to 180 stores, in the medium term.

Current trading remains very strong. The company has benefited from a shift in culture, where staying at home and rediscovering some of life's simpler pleasures, is a growing trend.

Total sales at Hobbycraft increased by 10.6% to £68.7 million for the year ending 22nd February 2009, and profit before tax increased 67% to £5.4 million for the same period.

Key product areas on offer include card making and scrapbooking, knitting, needle crafts and haberdashery, fine art, jewellery making, framing, wedding stationery, jigsaws, kids crafts, model making and seasonal crafts, with over 250 activities catered for all under one roof. The products are sold via the company’s out of town retail outlets and the website.