Hobbies

The increasing variety of e-commerce sites focusing on arts and crafts displays the economic relevance of hobbies and free-time activities. Music, cooking, and creative projects are, for the most part, among the top interests of people, regardless of the geographical context. China is the unbeatable exporter of toys, games, and sports equipment, whereas the United States takes over most imports.

While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic translated into an economic loss for many markets worldwide, the global e-sales of toys, hobby, and DIY supplies did not suffer and are forecast to keep increasing in the upcoming years.

Market size

U.S. sales of toys, hobby goods, and games surged amid COVID-19

Total mail-order and e-commerce sales of toys, hobby goods and games in the United States from 2003 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Total mail-order and e-commerce sales of toys, hobby goods and games in the United States from 2003 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

Forced to reduce their social lives to the minimum and isolate at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, people turned to board games and similar leisure activities to spend their free time. In the United States, this situation pushed the mail-order and e-retail of toys, hobby goods, and games by more than 45 percent in 2020 and 67 percent in 2021 over the volume recorded in 2019.

Hobby stores in the United States
U.S. retail sales of music products by category
Toy industry in the United States

Market segments

Tabletop games are a growing market

Size of the table top games market worldwide in 2021, with a forecast for 2031 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Size of the table top games market worldwide in 2021, with a forecast for 2031 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Tabletop games have entertained young and old alike for centuries. The term encompasses a variety of games, such as board games, card games, miniature war games, dice games, and tile-based games. The global tabletop games market could surpass four billion U.S. dollars by 2031, increasing more than 60 percent within ten years.

Board game participation in the United States
Card game participation in the United States
Roleplaying game participation in the United States

Industry trends

The U.S. plant growing market dodged the pandemic

Market size of the plant and flower growing sector in the United States from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Market size of the plant and flower growing sector in the United States from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

In 2022, the market size of the plant and flower growing sector in the United States was expected to exhibit a slight annual decline after a two-year growth of more than 14 percent. This market was worth almost 17.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. That was about three times the market size of the musical instrument and supply store sector in the North American country, which, in contrast, experienced the negative impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Garden equipment and plants in the United States
Average spend on lawn and garden supplies in the United States
Size of the U.S. musical instrument and supply stores market

Industry leaders

The musical instrument segment for Yamaha Corporation’s sales

Yamaha Corporation's musical instrument sales revenue from 2012 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Yamaha Corporation's musical instrument sales revenue from 2012 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

The Yamaha Corporation is one of the leaders in the global music industry market. In 2022, the Japanese conglomerate generated around 2.3 billion U.S. dollars from the sales of musical instruments, which in turn accounted for nearly 70 percent of its total revenue. Yamaha is also an audio equipment manufacturer, and a record producer, besides being involved in non-music-related business.

Yamaha Corporation's sales by product category
Yamaha Corporation's sales by region
Yamaha Corporation's net sales worldwide

Regional overview

Different countries, different hobbies

Most popular hobbies & activities in the U.S. as of December 2023

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Further details: Visit original statistic Most popular hobbies & activities in the U.S. as of December 2023

Around one-quarter of U.S. Americans were engaged in traditional hobbies like gardening and plants, arts and crafts, or board and card games in 2022. In the United Kingdom, the participation in the last two types of activities was similar, though the interest in gardening only reached 10 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, people in Japan do not seem to be as much into those leisure activities.

Hobbies & interests in the UK
Hobbies & interests in Japan
Hobbies & interests in Argentina

State of the industry

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  • Gardening supplies in Canada

Industry Definition

Hobbies are commonly considered as leisure time activities whose main purposes are enjoyment and relaxation. They can refer to casual, project-based or regular pastimes. In this respect, this industry encompasses a wide range of different recreational sectors. The arts & crafts segment mainly refers to artistic hobbies and handcrafts, such as painting, knitting, and embroidery. Meanwhile, the gardening market focuses on participation in gardening activities, as well as spending on lawn and garden care and the purchase of gardening tools.

A popular sector of the hobbies industry, the musical instruments segment, looks at wholesale and retail sales, average unit prices, and sold lots of musical instruments, equipment, and software, as well as examining the school music sector. Finally, the tabletop game market analyzes the popularity and main financial aspects of board games, card games, dice games, and similar activities.

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