In the 50 years since it was established, Hobby Lobby has grown into one of the largest retailers in the country.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the major competitors and companies that are like Hobby Lobby to learn which brands the company has been going up against!
What Are Hobby Lobby’s Competitors In 2024?
Hobby Lobby’s biggest competitor is Michaels because they have a very similar business model. Michaels has a larger presence than Hobby Lobby, and it offers an aggressive price matching policy that undercuts Hobby Lobby significantly. Other sources of competition are Jo-Ann, Amazon, and retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger in 2024.
Keep reading to take a look at Hobby Lobby’s biggest competitors, starting from stores that focus on arts and crafts supplies, before going on to the biggest retailers that also have similar products!
1. Michaels
Michaels is the company that’s often compared to Hobby Lobby and is arguably its biggest competitor.
Both of these stores deal in arts and crafts and have been around for roughly the same amount of time.
Hobby Lobby was established in 1972, while Michael’s was established in 1973.
Michaels has Hobby Lobby beat in terms of presence.
For example, Hobby Lobby has over 900 stores in 47 states, whereas Michaels has more than 1,200 stores in 49 U.S. states and Canada.
Additionally, Hobby Lobby doesn’t ship to Alaska and Hawaii.
Hobby Lobby used to have an edge on Michaels with its 40% off anything coupon, but it was discontinued.
Therefore, Michaels now has the advantage with its price matching policy that knocks 10% off identical merchandise.
Moreover, Michaels acquired two of Hobby Lobby’s biggest rivals, Pat Catan’s and AC Moore, in February 2016 and November 2019 respectively.
Michaels bought Pat Catan’s, a Cleveland-based company that also focused on arts and crafts supplies, for $150 million.
The company’s purchase of Pat Catan’s did not go as expected, however, because it had to shut down the company in January 2019.
At the time, the chain had 36 locations, but about a dozen of them reopened, later rebranded as Michaels stores.
AC Moore was founded in 1985 in New Jersey and had grown into a value of about $41 million around 2011.
Additionally, Michaels bought the company and took over the leases for about 40 stores, as well as a distribution center in New Jersey.
2. Jo-Ann
Jo-Ann also focuses on arts and crafts, with over 800 stores in every state except Hawaii.
Despite only having stores in the U.S., the company offers international shipping to several different countries in South America, Asia, the Middle East, and more.
Overall, Jo-Ann has more of a presence than Hobby Lobby when it comes to international business.
3. Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace that connects arts and crafts enthusiasts from all over the world.
Anyone can create items and put them up for sale on the site.
However, you can also get artisanal arts and crafts supplies from the platform, making it an attractive option for anyone looking to get a personal touch.
Its draw is different from other craft stores because it’s mostly people connecting with others as opposed to a giant company pushing brands.
As well, being a fully online company means that Etsy is readily available and delivers to more places across the globe.
4. Blick
Blick is an art supplier that has been around for more than 110 years and has more than 60 stores across the country.
Despite having significantly fewer stores than Hobby Lobby, the company’s inventory is larger.
Blick currently sells more than 90,000 items, while Hobby Lobby sells around 70,000.
The company also handles international shipping through Priority Mail and FedEx, meaning it can deliver to more locations than Hobby Lobby.
5. Plaid
Plaid is an arts and crafts supplier that focuses on DIY efforts. The company has an online store as well as physical locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Additionally, Plaid also offers shipping to areas where Hobby Lobby doesn’t, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as U.S. territories like Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico.
6. Cratejoy
Cratejoy is a subscription box service that allows users to pick their interests from a wide list and have a box delivered with items related to that interest.
We’ve found two boxes on the website that are related to arts and crafts. They are targeted at people who would like to dip their toes into the field but don’t know where to start.
7. CreateForLess
Established in August 2001, CreateForLess is an online craft supply store.
The company has more than 70,000 items in its catalog and provides fast shipping options, including next-day delivery.
8. Artist & Craftsman Supply
Artist & Craftsman Supply was started in 1985 in Portland, Maine. In 2009, the company’s founder sold 48% of the total stock to the employees.
In December 2016, the employees bought the remaining shares in the company, making Artist & Craftsman a fully employee-owned business.
Today the company has around 20 stores in different areas around the country and uses UPS for shipping, making it easy to place and fulfill international orders.
9. Factory Direct Craft
Factory Direct Craft is a family-owned and operated craft supply company that sources its items directly from small to medium manufacturers.
Apart from its online store, Factory Direct Crat also sells on larger retailers like Amazon and Walmart.
According to its website, the founders’ whole family is involved in the business.
In fact, the founders themselves connect with the suppliers while the other members run the day-to-day operations.
10. Target
Target also sells arts and crafts supplies within its stores and has more than 1,800 locations in all states.
Having similar products, superstores and double the store presence of Hobby Lobby makes it a serious competitor.
Target is one of the largest retailers in the country, seeing as how its revenue in 2021 was nearly $100 billion.
11. Walmart
As the largest retailer in the world by revenue, Walmart is easily one of Hobby Lobby’s biggest competitors, with more than 10,000 stores in over 24 countries.
Although some stores go by different names in certain regions, Walmart still has a considerably larger presence than Hobby Lobby, at more than 10 times its locations.
12. Amazon
Amazon is the second largest retailer in the world by revenue. despite mostly operating via its online platforms.
The company allows different merchants to sell arts and crafts supplies to people across the world, making them serious competition for Hobby Lobby.
13. Kroger
Kroger only has stores in 35 states, but there are over 2,800 of them under more than 20 banners with annual sales of well over $100 billion.
Among the many items the company sells are arts, crafts, and hobby supplies, making it one of Hobby Lobby’s biggest competitors.
To know more, you can also read our posts on what is Hobby Lobby, where is Hobby Lobby, and Hobby Lobby hours.
Conclusion
Michael’s is arguably Hobby Lobby’s biggest competitor because they stock most of the same products and have a similar business model.
However, Michael’s has a bigger presence with over 1,200 stores in both the U.S. and Canada.
