The arts and crafts segment proved to be one of the beneficiaries of the pandemic-driven stay-at-home era—as measured by increased sales levels—thanks to families looking for things for their kids to do while in isolation and adults using their unexpected leisure time to try a new craft or revisit a hobby they had abandoned. It is important to remember, however, that the arts and crafts category had been experiencing good times, for the most part, for several years, propelled by the Maker movement.
Initiatives announced this spring indicate that at least some of the leading mass and discount retailers foresee continued, long-term strength for the sector, even as life gets back to normal:
- Walmart paired with designer Todd Oldham in May for an exclusive crafting brand called Smarts & Crafts, for children aged 3-14. The range incorporates 75 SKUs, including a make-your-own art supply library with more than 1,000 pieces for $39.97, kits for wooden flowers and robot window art, and supplies such as multicolored and patterned craft sticks and glitter paper pads. There are also some bedding and interior décor items. Smarts & Crafts is positioned as gender-neutral and inspiring open-ended play. Oldham has been in the arts and crafts space for almost a decade, debuting his Kid Made Modern brand in 2012. It sells arts and crafts kits and supplies in multiple retail chains, from Kohl’s and Target to Bloomingdale’s and Michael’s, and has launched apparel and home décor collections.
- In March, Target introduced a new private label called Mondo Llama to highlight close to 400 arts and crafts items for all ages. It is billed as the retailer’s first proprietary brand in the arts and crafts space for more than a decade. The goal is to provide a brightly colored range of supplies and kits for all levels of skills and creative abilities, with most priced less than $25. The brand also means to serve a diverse consumer base, for example by including a 24-color skin tone palette, named Hues of You, across its paints, crayons, and markers. The company also commissioned more than 70 pieces of art from a diverse range of global creators, made with Mondo Llama products and featured on the line’s packaging.
- Dollar Tree said in February that it had completed the rollout of its expanded Crafter’s Square department to all of its more than 7,500 stores. The assortment is also available online. Crafter’s Square launched in 2019 in about 650 locations. Since then, the retailer has been expanding both the assortment—with each store seeing four to 12 additional feet of space devoted to this category over the past one to two years—and the number of locations featuring the Crafter’s Square brand, culminating with the February announcement. In keeping with Dollar Tree’s positioning, all the products feature a fixed price point of $1. Items range from scrapbooking stickers, wood crafts, and picture frames to hot glue guns, portable sewing kits, and storage containers.
These chains differentiate themselves in this category through their low price points, as well as their exclusive brands, allowing them to compete effectively against Amazon and other e-commerce sites, the network of independent craft stores, and of course the major craft specialist chains, including the Big 3 of Michael’s, Joann, and Hobby Lobby. Members of the last group have been taking steps to position themselves for continued success post-pandemic.
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