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Craft retailer Hobbycraft has revealed that growing interest in crochet and knitting helped spark stronger sales in the run-up to Christmas.

The retail chain also reported increased demand for Christmas decor and DIY advent calendars as it hailed “strong trading”.

The crafts and hobby retailer, which was bought by Modella Capital in 2024, reported that total revenues lifted by 6.3% over the six weeks to December 28, compared with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, online sales lifted by 13.8% on the back of strong sales of its core crafting and hobby products.

Hobbycraft hailed the “Tom Daley effect” for boosting sales of knitting, crochet and needlepoint products, as many newcomers took up the hobby.

Haberdashery products were up 14.4% year on year while knitting yarn was 12.8% higher.

It also saw sales of sewing machines jump, pointing towards more people buying them as Christmas gifts amid the popularity of shows such as The Great British Sewing Bee.

Alex Willson, chief executive at Hobbycraft, said: “We’re pleased to see strong trading numbers for the six weeks to Christmas, which is testament to our fantastic colleagues across our stores, HQ and distribution centre.

“In terms of key highlights, we were buoyed by strong online sales while still seeing promising results across our store portfolio, too.

“As we head into 2026 with total sales up 6.3% year on year, we’re hopeful that by catering for our core craft fans, alongside our newer cohort of hobbyist customers, we will continue to see growth into 2026.”

Last year, the company revealed plans to close nine stores in a move which impacted 126 workers.