Booming Scrapbooking Industry

A while back I posted an article about the knitting craze, and how small business knitting and yarn shops had boomed as a result.



Well, here's a trend along a similar vein: the boom in scrapbooking.



Scrapbooking -- or "memory crafts" as the hobby is also called -- has exploded in the past decade. According to the Hobby and Craft Association, the trade association for the craft industry, scrapbooking is now a US$2.5 Billion industry that is showing no signs of slowing growth. There are now over 3,000 scrapbooking stores nationwide in the United States, serving 25 million scrapbookers.



Scrapbookers save family memories, including military memories of loved ones. The hobby is predominantly female, with older women constituting a large portion of the market.



Many scrapbooking shops are run by small businesses, including the small business profiled in this Wisconsin State Journal report and in this York Daily Record report.





As with most hobby and enthusiast businesses, scrapbooking stores tend to be run by people who are themselves scrapbookers. They understand the craft, tend to stock more items than general craft store chains, and can be more helpful when answering questions.