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Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada - Market Research Report (2013-2028)

Zachary Ruthven Zachary Ruthven New York, United States Last Updated: December 2023 NAICS 45112CA

Revenue

$8.2bn

2023

$8.2bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

31,200

Businesses

4,147

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada industry analysis

Hobby and toy stores sell a variety of discretionary goods, making the health of the economy vital to sales, along with the amount of free time consumers have on hand. Over the past five years, hobby and toy stores benefited from a rise in disposable income, resulting in greater consumer spending on discretionary goods. While the pandemic introduced great uncertainty, many consumers found themselves with heaps of free time, along with restless children stuck inside. As a result, sales boomed, especially for shops with prominent e-commerce platforms. Thus, revenue has been growing at a CAGR of 4.6% over the past five years and is expected to reach $8.2 billion in 2023, when revenue will rise an estimated 1.5%.Despite growing sales, many hobby and toy stores have endured dwindled returns. Competition from discount retailers and big-box stores increased, placing greater pressure on shop owners. Such sources of competition often offer lower-than-average prices, resulting in many hobby and toy stores reducing prices to retain customers, while hurting returns. Concurrently, the pandemic increased operational costs for many, eating away at profit. As a result, profit is expected to account for just 2.6% of revenue in 2023.Over the next five years, sales are forecast to continue rising, as consumers find themselves with more free time and greater means. Spending is trajected to increase as the economy stabilizes further, and further innovations in toys and video games will pique many consumers' interests. Many consumers picked up new hobbies during the pandemic, which will keep arts and crafts and hobby supply sales robust. Still, competition from other retailers will only persist, increasing pricing pressures and forcing some out of the game. Revenue is forecast to rise at a CAGR of 2.6% over the next five years, reaching $9.3 billion in 2028.

Trends and Insights

  • Sales boomed at the pandemic’s height. As workers moved to remote work setups and children switched to online learning, toy and hobby supply sales soared. However, price-based competition reached an all-time high, resulting in many lowering prices, severely slashing profit.
  • Adults with families are the key market. Children are the prime users of toys and hobby goods but lack the means to purchase them. As a result, their parents end up being the prime buyers of such goods, making adults, especially those with children, the largest market.
  • Big cities equal big potential client pools. Like most retailers, hobby and toy stores tend to setup in areas with large populations, making large cities like Toronto and Quebec City hotspots.
  • Shops must specialize or diversify. Competition between toy and hobby stores is high and rising. To remain competitive, shops must either find a specialized niche and appeal to a specific market or carry a wide array of goods, becoming a one-stop shop for customers.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2013-2028)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 4.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $8.2bn in 2023.

Trends and Insights

The pandemic boosted sales but slashed profit

  • Amid the height of the pandemic, consumers found themselves with unprecedented levels of free time, resulting in booming sales of toys, games and hobby supplies.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada
Revenue (2013-2028)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising disposable income will bolster spending on discretionary goods

  • Disposable income is set to increase at a healthy pace, resulting in more consumer spending on discretionary items, like toys and hobby supplies.

Biggest companies in the Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada

Company
Market Share (%)
2023
Revenue ($m)
2023
Profit ($m)
2023
Profit Margin (%)
2023
Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd.
1,139.6
28.4
2.5
The Michaels Companies Inc.
632.7
64.6
10.2
GameStop Corp.
253.8
N/A
N/A

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Video games, Traditional toys and Hobby supplies. Video games is the largest segment of the Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada.

Trends and Insights

A greater focus on specialization is reducing toys' share of revenue

  • The toys segment is broad and varied, but primarily includes traditional, non-video game toys, like dolls, action figures, toy cars, baby toys and other similar products.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The Hobby and Toy Stores industry in Canada sells a broad range of toy and hobby goods, such as traditional dolls and toys, electronic toys (including video and electronic games), board games and hobby kits. Online retailers and operators that sell used toys and hobby goods, art supplies and collectors’ items are not included in this industry.

What's included in this industry?

Retailing toysRetailing traditional and electronic gamesRetailing magic suppliesRetailing hobby goods

Companies

Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd.The Michaels Companies Inc.GameStop Corp.

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

AGE COMPRESSIONDO-IT-YOURSELF (DIY)TWEENS

Industry Code

NAICS 2007

NAICS 451120 - Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Sales boomed at the pandemic’s height. As workers moved to remote work setups and children switched to online learning, toy and hobby supply sales soared. However, price-base...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2013-2022) and forecast (2023-2028)
  • Employees, including historical (2013-2022) and forecast (2023-2028)
  • Businesses, including historical (2013-2022) and forecast (2023-2028)
  • Profit, including historical (2013-2023)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Adults with families are the key market. Children are the prime users of toys and hobby goods but lack the means to purchase them. As a result, their parents end up being the...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2023
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2023
  • Major market segmentation in 2023

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Big cities equal big potential client pools. Like most retailers, hobby and toy stores tend to setup in areas with large populations, making large cities like Toronto and Que...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each province
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2023

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each province in 2023
  • Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2023
  • Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2023
  • Number and share of employees in each province in 2023

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Shops must specialize or diversify. Competition between toy and hobby stores is high and rising. To remain competitive, shops must either find a specialized niche and appeal ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2018-2023
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The largest companies have a robust online presence. Online shopping is the name of the game, and toy and hobby stores with established and well-respected e-commerce platform...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2019 through 2023
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2023
  • Overview of Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2017 through 2023
  • Overview of The Michaels Companies Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2017 through 2023
  • Overview of GameStop Corp.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2017 through 2023
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for The Michaels Companies Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for GameStop Corp., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Many associations exist to assist toy and hobby stores. Most relevant associations include companies ranging from the retail of toys to the production of related goods, makin...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2013-2028) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2013-2028) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profit is slim and declining. While the pandemic boosted sales of toys and hobby goods, many shops reduced prices to attract customers and sustain sales, resulting in diminis...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2023
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2023
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Liquidity Ratios (2016-2021)
  • Coverage Ratios (2016-2021)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2016-2021)
  • Operating Ratios (2016-2021)
  • Assets (2016-2021)
  • Liabilities (2016-2021)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2013-2028)
  • Revenue per Employee (2013-2028)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2013-2028)
  • Employees per Establishment (2013-2028)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2013-2028)
  • Average Wage (2013-2028)
  • Wages/Revenue (2013-2028)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2013-2028)
  • IVA/Revenue (2013-2028)
  • Imports/Demand (2013-2028)
  • Exports/Revenue (2013-2028)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2013-2028)
  • IVA (2013-2028)
  • Establishments (2013-2028)
  • Enterprises (2013-2028)
  • Employment (2013-2028)
  • Exports (2013-2028)
  • Imports (2013-2028)
  • Wages (2013-2028)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada in 2024?

The market size of the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada is $8.2bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada industry in 2023?

There are 4,147 businesses in the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.9 % between 2018 and 2023.

Has the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 4.6 % between 2018 and 2023.

What is the forecast growth of the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Hobby & Toy Stores market in Canada?

The biggest companies operating in the Hobby & Toy Stores market in Canada are Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd., The Michaels Companies Inc. and GameStop Corp.

What does the Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada include?

Retailing toys and Retailing traditional and electronic games are part of the Hobby & Toy Stores industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Hobby & Toy Stores in Canada?

The company holding the most market share in Canada is Toys "R" Us (Canada) Ltd..

How competitive is the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Hobby & Toy Stores industry in Canada.

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Canada include:

  • Statistics Canada
  • Industry Canada
  • Canadian Business Patterns

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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