Coloring Books Trend As Social Distancing Stress Buster
With more and more Americans working from home and practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, the need for simple stress-relievers and indoor activities is also on the rise. Enter the humble coloring book.
Coloring Book Solutions has seen an uptick in interest for its adult coloring books and puzzle books.
Adult coloring books – with their intricate patterns and tiny shapes requiring extra hand-eye coordination to fill in – were a big trend in the industry a few years ago. And the classic children’s versions have never really gone out of style. But coloring book suppliers in the industry say they’re seeing an uptick in interest for their products at a time when demand for many other types of products is dropping.
“I’ve been in the business since before the internet,” says Wayne Bell, CEO of St. Louis, MO-based Really Big Coloring Books (asi/82277). “During bad economic times, coloring books always rise in sales. … All the expensive electronic toys go out the window as families try to save money, and a lot of people turn to that family table time with kiddos and grandkids and coloring books.”
Chicago-based Lion Circle (asi/67620) has had a “couple of decent orders” for adult coloring books lately, says Rich Carollo, president. Scott Ward, national sales manager of Coloring Book Solutions (asi/45815) in Ashland, OH, says his company has been “slammed with orders,” because after all, what else are you going to do when you’re stuck at home?
One of Ward’s distributor partners, for example, is preparing care packages for a client’s employees who are working from home in California, and adult coloring books are just one of several gifts being put in each box, Ward explains.
Another idea for distributors would be to suggest pairing coloring books with delivery and curbside services that are proliferating as local businesses shut their brick-and-mortar locations. “If you were to hand one out as a point-of-purchase gift, people would really enjoy that,” Carollo says.
One of the biggest reasons coloring books are hot – besides people having a lot of free time on their hands right now – is their efficacy in relieving anxiety. Studies have shown a link between coloring and mindfulness. “Coloring allows us to switch off our brains from other thoughts and focus on the moment,” Ward says. “Concentrating on coloring an image may facilitate the replacement of negative thoughts and images with pleasant ones.”
Bell says there’s “something magical that happens when you begin to color. ... Your body chemistry changes and you begin to relax.”
It’s not just adult coloring books that are selling well as more states issue stay-at-home orders. Coloring Book Solutions has also seen an increased demand for its large-print puzzle books, especially to the senior market. “These are primarily elderly folks living in retirement communities or facilities where no outside visitors are currently allowed,” Ward says. “The puzzle books allow them the opportunity to engage in an activity that will help stimulate their brain in addition to passing the time.”
Bell’s company has made several educational coloring books geared toward children to teach them about coronavirus and proper handwashing techniques, which Bell says have been getting a good response as well.