Eckersley's

What Eckersley's does

Eckersley's is an Australian-owned and operated retailer of art and craft supplies, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Sydney. The company distributes through Australia-wide physical retail stores alongside a full e-commerce storefront, and operates dedicated Education and Business Supplies divisions that serve schools and corporate buyers respectively. Its catalog spans painting, drawing, craft, surfaces, easels and studio equipment, kids' art, and education kits, carrying flagship brand partnerships with global manufacturers including Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, Copic (for which it holds exclusive distribution in Australia), Faber-Castell, Derwent, STAEDTLER, and Australian brands Matisse and Jasart.

The business model combines one-time retail transactions (unit pricing across a range from roughly $2.75 consumables to over $3,600 in premium studio equipment), a recurring-element loyalty program (Creative Rewards), and B2B services including 30-day credit accounts with detailed invoicing and priority service for business customers. Customer segments are deliberately horizontal: individual artists and hobbyists form the primary base, with students/teachers, business customers, and kids/families as secondary segments served through differentiated pricing, account structures, and merchandising. The GTM motion is direct-to-consumer across both physical and digital channels, supplemented by in-store workshops, competitions, email, and active social media on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce platform (Magento-style, given the static asset versioning in the source URLs) with supporting services such as canvas stretching, easel hire, school and business account management, gift cards, and workshop bookings. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or app integrations are disclosed; the company's competitive differentiation rests on brand heritage, multi-channel distribution, staff expertise from creative-industry backgrounds, and exclusive/preferred brand relationships rather than on technology differentiation. Operating scale is indicated by a 251–500 employee headcount band and continuous operation for over 55 years, with no parent company, external institutional investment, M&A activity, or restructuring events documented in the source material.

Name

Eckersley's

Legal name

Eckersley's

Website

https://eckersleys.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Eckersley's is an Australian-owned art and craft supplies retailer founded in 1965, operating Australia-wide physical stores plus a full e-commerce platform serving individual artists, students, teachers, businesses, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art and Craft Supplies Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB), Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG), Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Craft materials store
• Painting supplies
• Drawing supplies
• Creative arts retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Art Supplies Sales: Direct sales of art and craft supplies through physical retail stores and e-commerce platform. Products include paints, brushes, drawing instruments, surfaces, and craft materials.
2. Business Account Credit: Business customers receive 30-day credit on purchases with detailed invoices and personal priority service.
3. Creative Rewards Loyalty Program: Loyalty program offering rewards and benefits to members who earn rewards through purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eckersley's is an Australian art and craft supplies retailer selling painting supplies (watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache), drawing tools, craft materials, surfaces (canvas, paper), studio equipment, and kids' art supplies. The company operates through multiple physical retail stores across Australia and a comprehensive e-commerce website, supported by a Creative Rewards loyalty program, business account services with credit terms, and an education division for schools.

Product overview

Eckersley's is an Australian-owned art and craft supplies retailer offering a comprehensive multi-category portfolio. The core offering consists of major product categories: Painting Supplies (watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache paints, brushes, canvas, easels), Drawing Supplies (pencils, pens, markers including Copic, inks, pastels), Craft Supplies (jewellery, clay, papercraft, resin), Surfaces (canvas, paper, sketchbooks), Easels & Studio Equipment, Kids Art Supplies, and Education Kits. The company operates a retail platform alongside physical stores, enhanced by a Creative Rewards loyalty program, gift card system, and B2B business account services with 30-day credit terms. Additional services include canvas stretching, easel hire, and in-store workshops. Key branded products span leading art supply manufacturers including Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, Reeves, Matisse, Jasart, Copic, Derwent, and Faber-Castell.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Painting Supplies Comprehensive range of painting products including watercolour, acrylic, oil, and gouache paints, brushes, canvas, easels, mediums, varnishes, paint sets, spray paints, and painting accessories for artists, students, and hobbyists.
• Drawing Supplies Extensive collection of drawing tools including pencils (graphite, coloured, charcoal, mechanical), pens, markers (including exclusive Copic range), inks, pastels, charcoals, and drawing aids such as sharpeners, erasers, rulers, compasses, and templates.
• Craft Supplies Wide variety of craft materials and tools for jewellery making, candlemaking, clay modelling, papercraft, scrapbooking, vinyl cutting, resin art, printmaking, and DIY craft kits including diamond painting and macrame.
• Surfaces Artistic surfaces and substrates including canvas (stretched, rolls, panels), paper (watercolour, drawing, printmaking, cartridge), pads, sketchbooks, journals, boards (foam, mount), and notebooks from brands including Fabriano, Reeves, Strathmore, and Moleskine.
• Easels & Studio Equipment Studio essentials including easels (table, sketch, studio), desks, storage solutions, drying racks, drawing boards, display books, portfolios, carry cases, framing supplies, and cleaning products.
• Kids Art Supplies Creative products designed for children including activity sets, markers, pencils, pastels, crayons, chalk, paints (acrylic, watercolour), paint-by-numbers kits, brushes, modelling supplies, and STEAM educational kits.
• Education Kits Educational art and craft supplies tailored for schools and educational institutions, including curriculum-aligned kits and materials.
• Design & Technical Drawing Professional design tools including adhesives, cutting equipment, foam boards, technical drawing instruments, printmaking supplies (block printing, etching, screen printing), modelling materials, and projectors.
• Creative Rewards Membership Customer loyalty program that allows members to earn rewards on purchases, with benefits including exclusive deals and member-only offers.
• Gift Cards Gift card program allowing customers to purchase gift cards for art and craft supplies.
• Business Account Services Business account services offering 30-day credit terms, detailed invoices, personal priority service, and delivery options for business customers purchasing art supplies and stationery.
• Canvas Stretching Service Professional canvas stretching service for artists.
• Easel Hire Service Easel hire service for events and temporary display needs.
• Workshops & Classes In-store art workshops and classes for customers to learn various artistic techniques.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• Winsor & NewtonflagshipOthersFlagship brand partnership featuring Winsor & Newton products prominently on website homepage and throughout product categories including watercolour, oil, and acrylic paints, inks, and brushes.
• LiquitexflagshipOthersFeatured brand partnership for acrylic paints, spray paints, and markers with prominent placement in product categories.
• ReevesflagshipOthersFeatured brand partnership offering paint sets and art supplies with promotional offers.
• CopicflagshipOthersExclusive distribution partnership for Copic markers, multiliners, inks, and accessories across drawing and design categories.
• DerwentflagshipOthersFeatured brand for drawing pencils, graphite, and drawing accessories including sharpeners and storage solutions.
• Faber-CastellflagshipOthersFeatured brand partnership across multiple product categories including pencils, markers, sharpeners, and kids art supplies.
• STAEDTLERflagshipOthersFeatured brand for technical drawing, pencils, and sharpeners with extensive product range carried.
• MatisseflagshipOthersAustralian-made art paint brand featured prominently across acrylic and craft paint categories.
• JasartflagshipOthersAustralian art supply brand with wide product range including paints, pencils, storage solutions, and easels.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spotlight: Australian big-box craft and home fabrics retailer with national store footprint and e-commerce. Overlaps with Eckersley's across craft supplies, kids art, and hobby segments, though broader in fabrics and home décor.
• Officeworks: Australian office and stationery chain that carries a meaningful art and craft supplies assortment alongside its core office products. Competes with Eckersley's on price, range, and convenience, particularly for school and small-business customers.
• Art Shed Brisbane: Australian online-focused art supplies retailer. Comparable to Eckersley's in product range and target customers, but operates without a national physical store network.
• Riot Art & Craft: Australia's largest dedicated art and craft supplies retailer, operating both physical stores and e-commerce. Directly comparable to Eckersley's across product range, target customers (artists, students, hobbyists), and omnichannel model.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Australia: General online marketplace with an expanding art and craft supplies category in Australia. Competes on price, range, and delivery speed rather than specialist expertise, pressuring Eckersley's on commoditised SKUs.
• Dick Blick Art Materials: US-based art supplies retailer with strong e-commerce presence and trade/education accounts. Directly comparable to Eckersley's in artist-grade product range, pricing, and education division.
• Hobby Lobby: US-based arts, crafts, and home décor retailer with a large store footprint. Overlaps with Eckersley's across art supplies and craft categories, though broader in seasonal/decorative merchandise.
• Michaels Companies: The largest specialty arts and crafts retailer in North America with extensive physical and online operations. Comparable to Eckersley's in core product categories and customer base, though operating at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Cass Art: UK's leading art supplies specialist with physical stores and e-commerce. Closest international analogue to Eckersley's in product curation, artist-focused expertise, and trade/education services.

Others

• Jasco (J.B. Commercial): Australian wholesale distributor of art and craft supplies whose branding appears in Eckersley's site infrastructure. Acts as a supplier/ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but is closely tied to the same Australian art retail channel.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Eckersleys
• Instagraminstagram.com/eckersleys
• TikToktiktok.com/@eckersleys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eckersley's