Adult coloring books a big draw
Genre of intricate illustrations is a bright spot for publishers and retailers.
The amateur artists can be found coloring in airport lounges, waiting rooms and while they watch TV at home. They are forming coloring meet-up groups at libraries and coffee shops so they can chat as they doodle.
Coloring books for adults — a genre once considered little more than a novelty — are suddenly a big business, a bright spot in the financial results of publishers and retailers. Nielsen Bookscan estimates that 12 million were sold in 2015, a dramatic jump from the 1 million sold the previous year.
Whether it is a short-lived fad remains to be seen. The books are typically filled with intricate black-andwhite illustrations. While many find the act of coloring to be a calming distraction from hours spent tapping, swiping and staring at screens, some early adopters aren’t exactly hooked. Several have found the need to stay in the lines to be anything but soothing.
“Most of the pages are full of pictures that are so small I can hardly see the details to color them, which causes more stress than if I hadn’t tried to color in the first place,” one reviewer of a popular coloring book wrote on Amazon.com.
Experts say the catalyst for the craze was the work of Scottish author Johanna Basford, whose 2013 title, “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book,” began burning up bestseller lists with its detailed images of topiaries and flowers, plus its challenge to find hidden items in the elaborate illustrations.
Basford and other authors have attracted legions of enthusiasts who are looking to unwind, who see scrawling away at an image of a tree or an animal as a low-key, low-stakes way to channel imagination or to keep their hands busy while they let their minds wander.
Elizabeth Himeles, 26, said she has taken up coloring as a way to tap into some of the creativity she used when she attended arts camp as a kid. She said it’s not unusual for her to spend as many as two hours a week coloring, and as many as four hours a week when she gets together with a coloring group she organized in the Boston area.
It’s not clear whether the rise of adult coloring books has come at the expense of sales in other categories, but the effect of the craze can be seen in various corners of the retail industry.
Barnes & Noble Inc. has said that strong demand for adult coloring books and artist supplies provided a tail wind to the chain’s total sales in the last three quarters. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. moved in November to add a dedicated four-foot section for adult coloring books in 2,000 of its stores. Target Corp. started carrying adult coloring books in 1,300 stores in August and within months rolled them out to the rest of the chain. This month, it’ll carry as many as 40 titles.
“I’ve been in this business for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Kathleen Schmidt, vice president at Running Press, which hurried to publish four adult coloring books last year.
Crafting retailer Michaels has expanded its assortment to more than 150 coloring books and promises more this year. Idalia Farrajota, Michaels Cos.’ senior vice president of merchandising, said the chain has developed exclusive titles and has sought to expand beyond flora-and-fauna-heavy designs by adding Harry Potter and Star Wars adult coloring books to its lineup.
“It’s been hard to keep up with demand,” Farrajota said.
At Barnes & Noble, WalMart and Michaels, executives said the growing interest in adult coloring books has also prompted a surge in sales of related art supplies. Nielsen reports that total sales of colored pencils shot up 26.3% in 2015, a sharp increase compared with the previous three years, when annual growth ranged from 1.3% to 7.2%.
That pattern is probably why Crayola, the Hallmark Cards Inc.-owned giant of kids’ art supplies, moved late last year to launch “Color Escapes,” a line of chicly packaged coloring books and colored pencils aimed squarely at adults.
Mary Amicucci, chief merchandising officer at Barnes & Noble, said she believes the coloring trend marks the beginning of a broader trend toward personal expression. Barnes & Noble will be investing in similar categories such as painting, calligraphy and illustration, she said.
During the holiday season, Michaels put out coloring-book-style note cards that Farrajota said you can “personalize and send it to your bestie and wish her a happy birthday. Coloring is not just about the book anymore.”
And Farrajota would know: In her office, she has framed and wall-mounted her own coloring-book illustration of a horse.
Halzack writes for the Washington Post.