Market for craft
The biggest survey on the market for craft published in over a decade, commissioned by Crafts Council and partners.
Crafts Council are delighted to present The Market for Craft, a rich report and data analysis tool that answers the questions, who is buying craft? Where are they finding it and how?
The first analysis to identify and gauge appetite for British craft for over a decade reveals our passion for craft has never been greater – 73% of UK adults had bought craft in 2019 – snapping up almost 25 million handcrafted objects and driving craft sales over £3bn.
Market for Craft report
The Market for Craft report provides valuable evidence to understand more about how best to stimulate, support and grow the craft market. This work was commissioned by the Crafts Council and eight leading national partners prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, with aim to provide direction for makers developing their businesses and wanting to understand their audience in greater detail.
The report identifies seven buyer groups that the Crafts Council, partners, and makers more widely, should make the focus of their market development strategies.
- Proto-collector
- Adventurer
- Early mainstream
- Mature mainstream
- Millennial mainstream
- Gen Z mainstream
- New entrant
Market for Craft data tool
The report is accompanied by the Market for Craft data tool, an open-access dashboard available online at no cost to independent makers, studios and collectives, shops and galleries, and curious consumers. Using the data tool’s tabs and filters, users can gain a detailed insight into customer demographics, behaviours, motivations, and barriers, to inform business strategies.
This tool is intended to help you analyse the data from the consumer survey for the Market for Craft report (~5300 consumers) released in May 2020.
Insights
The maturing of the craft market in the UK can be attributed to a number of wider trends that are likely to accelerate as a result of the pandemic – the rise of e-commerce, investment purchases over throwaway objects, and an interest in sustainability and supporting small businesses. As makers look to secure their futures and to rebuild and strengthen their practice, the findings are a rich resource to help us interrogate and advance the vital roles of makers and consumers, as well as the galleries, fairs, markets and businesses that unite them.
Key areas of focus include:
Shifting demographics
As craft has entered the mainstream, the majority of the market is dominated by more cautious, cost-conscious buyers. Almost a third (32%) of today’s buyers are aged under 35 – making this demographic the biggest buyer of craft today. The under 35-year-old craft buying market has grown by 32% since 2006 as a new generation of younger, ethnically diverse, savvy buyers drive a significant shift in patterns of consumption.
In terms of makers’ demographic profile – the proportion of disabled makers has more than doubled since the last study in 2006, with around a quarter of makers in 2020 having a disability.
E-Commerce
10.3m Brits are buying craft online – a figure that has more than tripled over the last decade. However, the majority of people still prefer to buy in-person. This growth has largely been fuelled by the success of retail platforms. In December 2018, Etsy reported that there were 220,000 active sellers in the UK with a further 9,000 makers on Folksy.
Jewellery is the most popular craft discipline to purchase by volume, but glass and metal have seen the most sizeable growth since 2006.
International trade
In 2020 around half (49–53%) of makers had sold work overseas in the previous 12 months. 85% of Americans surveyed would buy a piece of craft compared with 88% here in the UK. 28% have bought from a UK maker and 59% would consider doing so in future – revealing a strong appetite for UK exports. With 10.5m untapped, potential consumers living in New York and LA alone, the report points to considerable potential for US growth.
However, makers are concerned about the negative impact of Brexit on their work – a quarter (26%) of makers surveyed for this research said that Brexit had already had an adverse impact on their business; a further 22% said they expected it to in the future. The majority of issues makers faced related to rising costs – of materials, of shipping – and a loss of commissions, particularly from international and private clients.
Experience economy
From the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee attracting audiences of close to 5 million, and sellers of craft supplies for the domestic market seeing a surge in sales — public interest in making and its wellness benefits has soared. With 20% of British consumers indicating that they would pay to attend a craft workshop, it is no surprise that such a significant number of people are turning to online tutorials and craft kits to learn a new skill while they have more time at home.
New intermediaries can also capitalise on makers seeking a means to diversify and sustain their business through the delivery of short courses and masterclasses.
Looking ahead, the Crafts Council are preparing a new guide for makers on offering craft experiences. To stay in the know make sure to sign up to our Maker newsletter.
Technology gaps
Makers are harnessing technology to promote their work but need support in optimising their approach. In 2006, 42% of professional makers had their own website. By 2020, 68% of all makers had a website. Whilst the use of technology is common across all makers surveyed, advice and support in optimising the use of technology were the training needs identified by the highest proportions of makers, in particular social media and promotion (44%) and how to use online platforms to sell work (46%).
Acknowledgements
*The report was undertaken by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre in partnership with Arts Council of Wales, Contemporary Visual Arts Network, Craft Northern Ireland, Craft Scotland, Crafts Council, Creative Scotland, Creative United, The Goldsmiths’ Company, Great Northern Events/Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair. The third in our historical analyses of the market for craft, the report describes a significant shift in patterns of consumption as craft becomes more mainstream.
