Believe it or not, quilting is a $3.7 billion industry.
With a number that large, it’s easy to feel optimistic about the futures of our businesses. The next step is to figure out who is contributing to that market, and cater to their wants and needs.
There are anywhere from 7 to 10 million quilters in the United States, and 72% of them are dedicated quilters showing this industry has both quality and quantity within it’s following.
The average dedicated quilter is a 63 year old female with a household income of $93,000 according to this report. They spend over $3,000 a year on quilting and prefer traditional quilting over modern techniques.
To keep in mind the future of the industry don’t forget quilters aged 45 and under, otherwise known as new quilters. Although they are not considered dedicated quilters due to time constraints with work and family, they still spend about 10 hours a week quilting and have an average household income of $98,000. They get their information mainly from video and social media and prefer modern quilting techniques.
By 2020, 72% of all social media posts will include video. Even though video can be a daunting task, it is what the industry is moving to—better to start now rather than later! Making your own videos will make it more likely that new quilters will attend an event in shop considering only 26% of new quilters attended a quilt show last year.
This article isn’t trying to persuade you to only cater to dedicated quilters or new quilters, variety is a good thing! Keep doing what you’re doing and continue to be your community’s expert on all things quilting.
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