D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Hobby stores in the U.S. - statistics & facts
In order to blow off some steam and relax, many people partake in leisure activities or pursue their interests outside of school or working hours. In other words, many individuals around the world have hobbies, which can range from coin collecting and pottery, to writing music, reading graphic novels, and camping. Common hobbies and interests in the United States include travel, cooking and/or baking, and video games.
Hobby stores in the U.S.
For many leisure activities, hobbyists need a place they can visit, i.e., a hobby store, which would allow them to browse and purchase necessary goods or equipment for said activities. In the past decade, the number of sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book establishments in the United States has decreased by over five thousand. In a similar fashion, the number of hobby-focused enterprises has also seen a decline over the years. On the flipside, however, annual sporting goods, hobby, music instrument, and bookstore sales in the United States have grown a fair amount since 1992, reaching nearly 85 billion U.S. dollars in sales in 2020.Retailers and brands
In terms of retail sales, some of the United States’ largest leisure retailers included household names, such as Bass Pro, GameStop, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Hobby Lobby Stores. Dick’s Sporting Goods had some of the highest U.S. sales. GameStop, on the other hand, had the highest number of outlets in the country. Given the growth of e-commerce marketplaces, alongside the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many consumers in the United States have also begun to visit and purchase from online retailers. By far the favorite online store for hobby and stationery items among Americans was amazon.com, followed distantly by staples.com and apmex.com. While hobbyist goods are still most commonly bought in physical stores across the country, there is a growing trend towards buying online.
