Www.mediagrouponlineinc.com



Pandemic Pastimes: Books, Arts & Crafts and Hobbies 2020Bookstore Sales Follow Familiar Pandemic PatternAlthough the unit sales of print books increased 2.8% YOY during the first half of 2020, bookstores didn’t benefit from the increase. They experienced the same trend line of so many retail outlets: plummeting sales from March to June, and then a slow recovery.March 2020 retail sales at bookstores (NAICS #451211) decreased 33.2% YOY, and then hit bottom during April at -74.2%. May wasn’t much better at -60.0% YOY, but a step in the right direction, as June sales struggled to -35.7%, and July to -24.7%.The tradition of browsing and mingling in a bookstore was a health and safety risk. Bookstores like other retailers turned to e-commerce, curbside pickup and limited in-store shoppers, which as of late September is how approximately 80% of them were operating.US Bookstores’ Sales Performance, 2020Time PeriodDollar SalesYOY % ChangeTime PeriodDollar SalesYOY % ChangeJan–Feb 2020$1.53 B-2.5%June 2020$382.0 M-35.7%March 2020$392.0 M-33.2%Q2 2020$1.08 B-41.3%Q1 2020$1.92 B-11.1%1H 2020$3.00 B-25.0%April 2020$163.0 M-74.2%July 2020$431.0 M-24.7%May 2020$270.0 M-60.0%US Census Bureau, September 2020Juvenile Books Drive First-Half of 2020 Sales IncreaseIn a July 2020 article, Publishers Weekly characterized the 2.8% increase in print book sales during the first half of 2020 as surprising, but maybe less so, considering parents wanted nonfiction books to supplement home schooling and children wanted fiction for reading.Juvenile nonfiction increased 25.5% YOY and juvenile fiction increased 7.1% YOY in unit sales. The education/reference/language nonfiction sub-category increased 64.6% and games/activities/hobbies 41.2%. All less surprising in retrospect.Adult categories also increased: fiction +2.9%, with the sub-categories of graphic novels +10.3% and general fiction +8.2%.Unit Sales of Printed Books, First Half of 2020By CategoryUnitsChange*By FormatUnitsChange*Adult nonfiction133.26 M-3.4%Hardcover90.64 M+0.1%Adult fiction62.47 M+2.9%Trade paperback182.60 M+5.9%Juvenile nonfiction34.59 M+25.5%Board books18.69 M+0.5%Juvenile fiction76.28 M+7.1%Mass market19.20 M-8.6%Young adult fiction9.90 M+5.9%Total (all units)322.14 M+2.8%Young adult nonfiction1.53 M+31.2%Publishers Weekly, July 2020*from first half of 2019The E-Book SectorWhat may seem a bit more surprising is e-book sales volume decreased 6% during the first half of 2020, but the sector regained its obvious advantage over bookstores and print books with a 31% increase during April 2020, compared to March 2020.In the adult category, general fiction increased 23% from March to April, with the romance sub-category +22%. Nonfiction for adults increased 37% and, unsurprisingly, cooking titles increased 96% while biographies/memoirs were also popular at +40%.The entire children’s fiction e-book category, easily downloaded and viewed on various devices, increased 78%, with general fiction leading the charge at +72% and non-fiction +39%. Young adult e-books increased 10%, as fiction titles increased by double-digits.E-Book Monthly Unit Sales, January–April 2020Month20202019% ChangeJanuary12.6 M14.3 M-11.9%February11.3 M12.4 M-8.9%March13.3 M18.6 M-28.5%April17.4 M12.6 M+38.1%The NPD Group, July 2020 Arts & Crafts and Hobbies Are Essential ActivitiesMuch like books, consumers added arts & crafts and hobbies to their palette of at-home activities with the pandemic outbreak. Initially, major chains, such as Michaels, Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby, deemed themselves essential, although they weren’t officially.Despite their understandable desire to remain open, March 2020 sales at hobby, toy and game stores (NAICS 45112) decreased 31.8%, and then decreased more than double during April, to 68.7%. By June and July, however, the category had positive YOY sales.To build on the recovery of the arts & crafts sector, Michaels announced during September 2020 it had remodeled two Texas stores, with improved visibility of products, more focus on BOPIS and delivery and more space for classes and individual creativity.Hobby, Toy and Game Stores’ Sales Performance, 2020Time PeriodDollar SalesYOY % ChangeTime PeriodDollar SalesYOY % ChangeJan–Feb 2020$2.34 B+6.8%June 2020$1.40 B+21.7%March 2020$852.0 M-31.8%Q2 2020$2.85 B-18.8%Q1 2020$3.19 B-7.3%1H 2020$6.04 B-13.1%April 2020$357 M-68.7%July 2020$1.38 B+19.0%May 2020$1.10 B-9.8%US Census Bureau, September 2020Etsy Is HotEtsy is a leading e-commerce Website for handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. Arts & crafts have been an important activity for many people during the pandemic, which helped Etsy achieve $2.7 billion in gross merchandise sales (GMS) during Q2 2020.Etsy was a go-to place for face masks, as they generated approximately $346 million of Q2 sales; however, other categories increased 93% YOY, with more than $700 million of housewares and home furnishings sales, an 128% YOY increase.During Q2, there were 18.7 million new and reactivated buyers, for a total of 60 million active buyers. They were also spending more, as the GMS per active buyer increased 5.9%.Etsy Sales by Product Category, Q2 2020CategoryShareCategoryShareHomewares & furnishings30.0%Paper & party supplies3.6%Jewelry & accessories14.7%Beauty & personal care3.5%Craft supplies13.5%Other24.7%Apparel9.8%Craft Industry Alliance, August 2020The Etsy Customer ProfileComparing three Summer 2020 surveys from The Media Audit reveals women dominated the Etsy customer profile. They represented 71.1% in Sarasota-Bradenton, FL; 83.7% in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; and 84.1% in Southern New Hampshire.The primary age ranges were quite different: 68.8% of women 55+ in Sarasota-Bradenton, 53.8% of women 21–44 in Minneapolis-St. Paul and 58.7% of women 35–64 in Southern New Hampshire.The household incomes also varied for all women 18+: 78.0% $50K–$100K in Sarasota-Bradenton, 69.6% $100K–$200K in Minneapolis-St. Paul and 48.0% $50K–$100K in Southern New Hampshire.Women 18+ Who Made a Purchased on Etsy During the Past Month in Selected Markets, by Educational Attainment, 2020Educational AttainmentSarasota-Bradenton, FLMinneapolis-St. Paul, MNSouthern New Hampshire?PercentIndexPercentIndexPercentIndexHigh school or less****8.1%243High school graduate15.2%682.4%124.4%13Some college33.0%9616.7%5249.3%187College degree23.2%8946.9%15529.3%122Advanced degree28.5%22134.1%2228.9%64Based on The Media Audit’s Summer 2020 surveys (conducted May–August 2020)*insufficient data?Southern New Hampshire includes Belknap, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham and Stafford countiesMore Valuable InsightsNotable News ReportsWith college campuses closing during late Q1 2020, the Barnes & Noble Education retail sub-sector experienced a 42.8% decrease in comparable store sales during the quarter. This resulted in increased online sales of digital textbooks and general merchandise (clothing and food); however, online general merchandise’s significant increase in its share of total general merchandise sales (55%, compared to 9% for Q1 2019) wasn’t sufficient to offset the loss in physical stores.Local bookstores forced to close permanently because of the pandemic include Books on Main in Hopkinsville, KY; That Book Store in Wethersfield, CT; Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Café in Boulder, CO; Wolfmueller’s Books in Kerrville, TX; and The Literate Lizard, Sedona, AZ.With so many people staying at home during the early months of the pandemic, but still dreaming of a 2020 vacation, sales of the travel book sub-category increased 77% for the four weeks ending May 16th. Unsurprisingly, the region with the largest increase in travel book sales (108%) was for the Western US.Other outdoor-related book titles also experienced significant increases during the same four-week period: Hiking +131%, running and jogging +113% and outdoor skills books +12.%.Similarly, the pandemic caused many people to be more concerned about their finances and had the time to focus on reviewing, planning and improving their situation. According to The NPD Group, unit sales of personal finance titles increased 4% during 2020 through 9/5/20. The topics with the biggest increases were personal investing +43%, personal retirement planning +21% and personal money management +9%.Sources: US Census Bureau Website, 10/20; Publishers Weekly Website, 10/20; The NPD Group Website, 10/20; Business Insider Website, 10/20; Craft Industry Alliance Website, 10/20; The Media Audit Website, 10/20.Updated: October 2020? 2020 Media Group Online, Inc. All rights reserved.Local Market and Station Information ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download