Hobbycraft, what went so wrong?

I used to love going to hobbycraft.  It was one of those rare treats where I’d set aside a block of hours to go wandering and mooching about in there.

However, the last 2 occasions have left me feeling a bit grubby and dirty and quite frankly, confused.

My local store is 30 miles away in Chester, and where it was once a clean, well laid out and well stocked store, its now a confused mash up of poorly laid out and dirty looking fittings.

It’s a relatively new store, certainly less than 5 years,  but it just seems tired and as though they need some industrial cleaners in.

But aside from that, (and I can actually cope with scruffy if the products are worth it), it seems as though the person in charge of stock hasn’t got a clue.

With papercrafting, a brand will bring out a range of decorative papers, and then various embellishments.  They could be brads, buttons, stickers, ribbons.  That sort of thing. There’s usually loads for all the different types of crafter (I can’t bear rubber stamping, I love buttons though, and there’s always something for everyone).

My issue with hobbycraft is that they don’t stock all the various embellishments.  They’ll have maybe a couple of rubber stamps to match the paper and perhaps one set of stickers, but if you want buttons and ribbons, think again!

And almost as bad, they don’t put the collections together.

So I spot a new range of dovecraft papers that look pretty, but have to go two aisles away to the buttons section in the hope they may have them, then somewhere else to see if they have brads, then elsewhere completely to see if there are some themed gemstones.

It’s a pain.

Invariably nowadays I investigate online with the brand to see what’s in the range, and take my money to ebay or online shops instead.

But it’s not just confused in the papercrafting section. 

I took my parents last time I went, and their hobby areas (sewing/knitting and railway modelling) were just as confused. And it was a conversation with Dad last night on this very subject that has prompted this post.

So I’m very sorry hobbycraft, but I won’t be back anytime soon. Your store is badly laid out, poorly stocked, and could do with a run over with a duster.

As a positive though, your staff are always helpful and friendly, and they are faultless in their customer service.