2. Have the credit crunch and other
consumer trends impacted on the
craft market?
Indications of ………
Many potential buyers
Stronger, more positive image
3. Market for craft =
26.5 million adults in England
(63% of population)
Includes:
16.9 million people who have ever bought craft
and
9.6 million people who have never bought craft, but
would consider doing so in future
We were asked to explore the state of the Craft Market in the light of the credit crunch and longer term consumer trends, comparing the market sizing exercise with that we carried out in 2006.
The short message seems to be that craft has benefited in that:
More people seem to have a propensity to buy craft
The image of craft is more positive
Than we found 4 years ago
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
WORTH NOTING THAT DEFINITION IS: ORIGINAL, HANDMADE CRAFT ie ‘any object that has been made by hand by a craft maker, including ceramics, wood, glass, metalwork, furniture and jewellery’ THIS IS A VERY BROAD CHURCH - anything perceived to have craft values essentially. NOT THE TOP END STUFF THAT CRAFTS COUNCIL FOCUSES ON (contrast between types of people between the photos)
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
WORTH NOTING THAT DEFINITION IS: ORIGINAL, HANDMADE CRAFT ie ‘any object that has been made by hand by a craft maker, including ceramics, wood, glass, metalwork, furniture and jewellery’ THIS IS A VERY BROAD CHURCH - anything perceived to have craft values essentially. NOT THE TOP END STUFF THAT CRAFTS COUNCIL FOCUSES ON (contrast between types of people between the photos)
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
Eg these COLLECT buyers make up a tiny proportion of the whole market. Most of the market are NOT going to buy at this level.
WORTH NOTING THAT DEFINITION IS: ORIGINAL, HANDMADE CRAFT ie ‘any object that has been made by hand by a craft maker, including ceramics, wood, glass, metalwork, furniture and jewellery’ THIS IS A VERY BROAD CHURCH - anything perceived to have craft values essentially. NOT THE TOP END STUFF THAT CRAFTS COUNCIL FOCUSES ON (contrast between types of people between the photos)
WORTH NOTING THAT DEFINITION IS: ORIGINAL, HANDMADE CRAFT ie ‘any object that has been made by hand by a craft maker, including ceramics, wood, glass, metalwork, furniture and jewellery’ THIS IS A VERY BROAD CHURCH - anything perceived to have craft values essentially. NOT THE TOP END STUFF THAT CRAFTS COUNCIL FOCUSES ON (contrast between types of people between the photos)
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
WORTH NOTING THAT DEFINITION IS: ORIGINAL, HANDMADE CRAFT ie ‘any object that has been made by hand by a craft maker, including ceramics, wood, glass, metalwork, furniture and jewellery’ THIS IS A VERY BROAD CHURCH - anything perceived to have craft values essentially. NOT THE TOP END STUFF THAT CRAFTS COUNCIL FOCUSES ON (contrast between types of people between the photos)
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
People claim either to be in the market to have the propensity to buy, and to buy cutting edge work.
It is obvious that, with the increase of such phenomenon as Christmas Markets in City Centres
A youthfull renaissance in ‘art and crafts’, making gifts and exchanging or buying items produced within friendship groups
Some of this propensity to purchase will spin off these trends
But there are also wider and more significant trends relating to authentiseeking, brand me, as well as self-sufficiency that seem to support this change in the market dynamics.
The profile of buyers to potential buyers indicates that there is a challenge in turning propensity into reality:
Existing buyers are already culturally switched on and active; potential buyers less so
Existing buyers are older, approaching middle-aged, women , often empty nesters who can now pepper their homes with objects of choice without feeling guilty that the money shouldn’t have gone on yet another pair of trainers or university fees
Potential buyers are younger whose disposable income is competing against other priorities
Existing buyers are often engaged in a craft skill themselves; potential buyers are not
So the benefits of owning craft are more closely identified with and felt by existing buyers whilst they are more abstract for potential buyers - they like the idea but there’s often a long path to get down before getting to the threshold.
At the same time the image of craft does appear to have developed some strong brand equity in recent years
When we carried out our previous research the image of craft still carried negative values of being home-spun, amateurish, a bit WI
Now the dominant values are personalised, handmade and workmanship And these sit in positive light when compared to design and luxury goods
Values have turned away fro these symbols of conspicuous consumption to the point where luxury brands are now appropriating the values of craft to reposition themselves in more favourable light.
So how does the craft sector make the most of this potential?
Awareness , making opportunities and distribution are key.
So many purchases are spontaneous affairs
Buying unique presents can send people in search of the right object
And stage in life - where actively deciding to treat yourself in a guilt -free way - all make for fairly hit-or-miss market conditions
These are after-all objects that are not essential for human survival
So craft has to promote:
How objects help create a lifestyle - through display
Why objects are worth the money - through information
And make purchases easier to justify - through careful pricing and easy finance
We asked people in the market which of a series of attitude statements were ‘increasing in importance’ for them at the moment:
We were asked to explore the state of the Craft Market in the light of the credit crunch and longer term consumer trends, comparing the market sizing exercise with that we carried out in 2006.
The short message seems to be that craft has benefited in that:
More people seem to have a propensity to buy craft
The image of craft is more positive
Than we found 4 years ago
We were asked to explore the state of the Craft Market in the light of the credit crunch and longer term consumer trends, comparing the market sizing exercise with that we carried out in 2006.
The short message seems to be that craft has benefited in that:
More people seem to have a propensity to buy craft
The image of craft is more positive
Than we found 4 years ago
