The $760B+ DIY Market Goes Digital

TikTok's #DIY hashtag has 116B+ views. The r/DIY subreddit is closing in on 20M members. Searches for "DIY near me" are enjoying all-time highs.

Consumers and investors alike are rolling up their sleeves and diving into DIY, with a new focus on digital platforms.

Do it yourself

The big picture: Traditionally brick-and-mortar heavy, recent raises and sales data point to DIY's pivot to e-commerce.

Over the last year, digital DIY platforms have raised serious dough: UK startup Lick raised $28M, and France's ManoMano raised a cool $355M.

Stateside, Home Depot's e-commerce sales more than doubled over the last year to reach ~$20B. Competitor Lowe's rose at a similar rate to hit ~$9B. But there is still significant room for growth: These dollar amounts only represent ~14% and ~10% of revenue, respectively.

There is plenty of market white space, as well as valuable lessons from new players that can be applied to the ~$400B US industry.

The digital-only model: Newcomers ManoMano (EU) and Lick (UK) are solely e-commerce players, and both of these (very new) platforms are using models not yet fully leveraged in the US.

1. ManoMano, the "Amazon of all things DIY," differentiates itself by:

• Various retailers directly listing products, everything from screwdrivers to hot tubs (we recently wrote about the rise of these third-party marketplace models).
• Recruiting retired hardware store employees or enthusiastic DIYers who assist customers ("Manodvisors" helped 2.3M buyers last year).
• Having a B2B option, which leads to larger order sizes (responsible for ~10% of revenue <1 year after launch).

The platform grew sales by 100% last year, with 70% growth in unique site visitors to reach 50M per month.

A similar model could be applied to the US market. Founders could also leverage existing brick-and-mortar footprints by partnering with small-scale hardware and DIY stores, which can act as both showrooms and storage warehouses.

Timely delivery of awkwardly large DIY items is one of the ways that ManoMano has outshone other hardware store players. Providing appropriate delivery solutions to new DIY e-comm platforms is an opportunity.

2\. Lick, a trendy niche startup launched in 2020, offers:

• High-end D2C branded products; Lick paint is ~2.5x more expensive than a comparable tin of Dulux.
• Limited options (paint, wallpaper, and blinds only).
• A 185K+ strong community of designers and decorators who work with the brand.
• Products aligned with the luxury sustainability trend.

Lick reported a $7M revenue run rate within its first eight months. Founders looking to niche down with luxury D2C options could focus on a variety of DIY markets. Some growing subreddit examples:

Source: Subreddit Stats

Used DIY tools: Tools can be expensive, so, understandably, demand for affordable, used options is rising.

Source: Google Trends

You could combine the thrifting and DIY trends to create an online marketplace, like a ThredUp for all things DIY.

Demand for used furniture is also growing. Your platform could have a section for used pieces, with the option to add on the tools, paints, etc. required for refurbishment.

DIY foods: There is an increasing interest in DIY food items like cheese, wine, and beer. Reddit's r/HomeBrewing has over 1M members, and TikTok's #CheeseMaking has 12M+ views.

Source: Subreddit Stats

All-you-need kits for DIY food items are an attractive opportunity, as are subscription services for seasonal options (i.e., a "make your own winter cheese" box).

Some Amazon examples already cashing in, per Jungle Scout:

• A DIY hot sauce making kit (~$68K per month).
• Hi Mountain's sausage kits (~$25K).
• Standing Stone's beginner cheese-making kits ($25K).

Finish it yourself

FIY: The "finish it yourself" (FIY) is DIY with a safety net. This method preserves the consumer satisfaction of doing things, but with limited risk of failure.

FIY also taps into the personalization trend, and can be leveraged in a variety of ways:

• Bouquet making: French Bergamotte allows you to become a florist in your own home with their self-assemble bouquets.
• Indoor smart gardens: Foolproof indoor salad bars (i.e., AeroGarden) are in vogue. Amazon searches for "AeroGarden seed pods" are up 188% over the last 90 days, per Jungle Scout.
• Paint your own crockery: Pottery painting is the perfect FIY darling.
• Cake decorating: Deliver a freshly baked cake complete with all the goodies needed to ice it off. Cake decorating classes are trending, and Amazon searches for "cake decorating kits" are up 126%.
• FIY Fashion: Nike already allows you to customize sneakers, and let's not forget the wildly popular Crocs Jibbitz.

Would you enter the DIY space? Please share in the comments!