Hobby Lobby vs. Michaels in 2024: An In-Depth Comparison of the Craft Retail Giants

With over 2,000 arts and crafts stores combined in the U.S., Hobby Lobby and Michaels dominate the retail crafting market. But how exactly do these two industry titans compare in 2024 when you look beyond the ribbons and wreaths?

I took a deep dive into the details to find out. Read on for a comprehensive analysis of how Hobby Lobby stacks up against Michaels this year.

Key Similarities and Differences

Despite carrying overlapping product assortments, Hobby Lobby and Michaels have notable differences.

Key Similarities:

• Both offer arts, crafts, home decor, seasonal items, custom framing
• Cater to hobbyists, DIYers, crafters, decorators
• Have online stores and mobile apps
• Offer teacher discounts and rewards programs

Key Differences:

• Hobby Lobby has 900+ stores in 47 states, Michaels has 1,200+ stores in 49 states and Canada
• Hobby Lobby founded in Oklahoma, Michaels founded in Texas
• Hobby Lobby is privately owned, Michaels is publicly owned
• Hobby Lobby closes Sundays, while Michaels stays open
• Michaels has more fine art supplies, Hobby Lobby has more textiles

While they stock many of the same products, closer inspection reveals some sizable distinctions between the two brands.

Store Selection and Product Offerings

Both Hobby Lobby and Michaels sell a wide assortment of arts, crafts, and home decor products. However, their product mix differs in a few key categories.

General craft supplies like yarn, floral stems, ribbons, fabrics, beads, frames, and seasonal/holiday items are stocked abundantly at both stores. Hobby Lobby tends to offer more textiles for sewing projects and home goods while Michaels excels in DIY party supplies.

Fine art supplies like high-quality drawing pads, paints, brushes, and canvases are more prominently featured at Michaels. Aspiring artists have better luck finding essential tools at Michaels.

Home decor and furniture is more robust at Hobby Lobby, with a wider selection of wall art, pillows, rugs, and faux plants. Those decorating on a budget might leave with fuller carts at Hobby Lobby.

Scrapbooking selection is on par at both; avid scrapbookers will be pleased with the variety. The same goes for baking and cake decorating supplies.

Kids‘ crafts are stocked abundantly at each store, though Hobby Lobby seems to carry more activities geared towards younger children.

Here‘s a quick product category breakdown:

While both robust, Michaels carries more specialty art supplies, whereas Hobby Lobby excels in home goods.

Pricing and Discount Strategies

In terms of regular base prices, Hobby Lobby and Michaels are quite aligned. However, Hobby Lobby employs an everyday low price strategy, while Michaels favors targeted sales.

Hobby Lobby lures shoppers in with promises of "Always 50% off" hundreds of items like framed art and home decor. This creates an illusion of savings for bargain-seekers.

Michaels runs weekly sales events that discount specific categories each week, like "30% off all yarn" or "40% off readymade frames." Discounts around 40% are most common.

When matched item for item, Hobby Lobby comes out 5-10% cheaper on those always-discounted products. However, for non-discounted items, Michaels can be cheaper when they run a special sale.

Here‘s an example price comparison on matching products:

Michaels also price matches competitors, including Hobby Lobby, and takes an additional 10% off matched prices. This makes it easy to get Hobby Lobby deals at Michaels if you find an identical item in stock at both.

When it comes to coupons, both stores offer 40-50% off any one regularly priced item. The coupons have exclusions and cannot be combined or used on sale items. Neither accepts the other‘s coupons.

Between everyday low prices and always-on sales, Hobby Lobby generally has lower regular pricing. But Michaels coupons and price matching can sometimes beat Hobby Lobby deals.

Store Policies and Controversies

Store policies and company controversies also differentiate these two retailers.

Most notably, Hobby Lobby closes on Sundays to give employees "a day of rest." Founder David Green‘…