Greetings Today January February 2023

Editor Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk

Advertising

Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289940

Managing

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289940 Production

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor Naomi MacKay

leader

And it’s shows time once again!

As I write this, card publishers up and down the country are busily receiving stock and taking publicity photos in readiness to show off their new wares to a host of eager buyers, from independent retailers to the big boys, at Spring Fair.

And the good news is that despite all the doom and gloom in the press, greeting card retailing appears to have come through Christmas relatively unscathed. Our Diary of a Card Shop columnists Paul and Helen Southgate of Cards n Things in Hellesdon, Norwich said: ‘’So much scaremongering made it a nervy wait to see if customers would buy, and as the weeks went on through October and November, there was no drop in customer spend. In fact, we had record sales in October, November and December.’’

So hopefully all the exhibitors at Spring Fair will find that the visiting retailers will come ready with their wallets open!

If you’re a retailer heading to the NEC, Birmingham, there’s certainly plenty to fill your shelves and racks - you can find a

line-up of the greeting card offering in our Spring Fair preview on page 16, along with some hints, tips and tales of shows past from some of the exhibitors.

There’s more advice on getting the best out of this season’s trade shows from Anna Berry, director and cofounder of Retail100 Consulting, who has compiled a guide to making the most of a show visit on page 55.

While you’re at the shows, it’s also a chance to consider upping your game when it comes to gifts - a selection in a greeting card shop offers a great chance to increase customer spend - as Paul and Helen noted: ‘’We found our greeting card sales were on a par with last year, but what made the difference was our gifting range.’’ We’ve included some gift ideas in our focus on p50.

And while you’re there, you might as well start planning for next Christmas too - as the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail! Take a look at our focus on Christmas for more inspiration.

And talking of planning ahead, take this chance to look forward to summer (doesn’t that seem a long time away?!) and the famous Greetings Today Golf Day.

Lema Publishing founder Malcolm Naish says: ‘’We shall once again be organising the only industry Golf Day on June 29 at Puckrup Hall [in Tewkesbury]. Very good room rates have been agreed and the format for the day will be a nine holes morning Texas Scramble, followed by a sumptuous lunch, with the afternoon team fourball, individual Stableford and yellow ball competition to follow - with a barbecue to continue the most essential networking that follows a day’s toil!

“Sadly, I had to cancel the 2022 golf day due to a number of very late cancellations that just made the day impossible. So put June 29 in your diaries now! The cost for the day, including the evening barbecue, is £110 per player.

‘’Let’s make this a golfing day to remember. Let’s face it, a day’s golf will make a nice change from working from home, and taking time out to walk the dog. Plus, you could be coming home with one of Greetings Today’s

Send your views and submissions for the magazine to naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk

hugely expensive and highly sought-after prizes!’’ Email Malcolm at malcolm@lemapublishing. co.uk to book your place.

Meanwhile, whether you’re on the train to Birmingham, or staying indoors to escape the weather, use the time to read the rest of the magazine. Towards the back of the issue you’ll find interviews with Scribbler’s head of design

Aisling Crosland, who reveals how the retailer sources and creates its ranges, as well as Sandra Jervis, who champions Welsh language cards in her Lampeter shop Creative Cove.

I always like to hear from retailers, so do get in touch if you would like to contribute to our retail section. In fact, I would love to hear from any readers who are interested in taking part in our features, interviews and news pages. Contact me at naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing many of you at Spring Fair. Please stop and say hello if you see me wandering the aisles!

Card shop owners awarded MBEs

The owners of a Norwich Greeting card shop have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours List

David and Ruth Southgate, owners of Cards N Things in Hellesdon, were nominated for their charity and community work. The shop is now run by their son Paul and his partner Helen.

For more than 50 years, David, 81, and Ruth, 79, have dedicated their lives to voluntary work.

The nomination for the award stated: ‘’They founded a church in Hellesdon, Norwich, that started with meetings at their home, followed by a tent mission and finally they built the current church premises.

‘’They have guided thousands of children and young adults through Sunday School, youth clubs, summer camps and many other outing days. With the support of others they have tried to teach children and young people good morals and skills for life.

‘’Through the church they also started a luncheon club that provides care and hot meals for the elderly within the community. Over the years they have served thousands of hot meals. Their work with the elderly also includes monthly ‘Saturday Special’ days with entertainment and food. In addition, they have made regular home visits to those unwell or unable to venture out.

‘’As well as the work within the church they also founded a local orchestra. This is open to musicians of all abilities and ages. It has been running continuously for 40 years with regular practices on Monday nights and the orchestra performing four to five charity concerts per year. There are approximately 40 members and they have raised more than £100,000 for charities over the years with special support at each Christmas concert toward the M.S Society as they have a good friend with this condition. So far they have raised over £18,000 for the local M.S Society, helping to build new facilities.

‘’David and Ruth have seen musicians start in the orchestra and go on to become professional musicians, one of whom is currently a member in the Household Guard and played at Her Majesty’s Funeral.’’

They also founded, and continue to work with, the Hawthorne Meadow Trust which seeks to build and provide affordable sheltered homes for the elderly within the local community. • Paul and Helen Southgate are this issue’s Diary of a Card Shop columnists - see page 56.

Card Factory appoints new CFO

Greeting card, gift, wrap and gift bag retailer Card Factory has appointed former Costcutter Supermarket boss Matthias Seeger as Chief Financial Officer. He is expected to join the company on May 22. Matthias has been CFO of Ambassador Cruise Line Limited since February 2022, following his role as CFO at Costcutter Supermarkets Group from 2015 to 2021. Previous roles throughout his 31-year career include senior finance roles with Procter & Gamble, in Germany, the UK, Belgium and Switzerland, between 1991 and 2013. He has a Master’s Degree in engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas.

Current CFO Kris Lee will leave Card Factory on January 31, at which time he will step down from the company’s board.

Simon Comer, currently group financial controller, will be appointed as interim chief financial officer, until Matthias joins. Simon has been Group Financial Controller since June 2021, having held previous senior finance roles, including CFO roles, in private equity and listed companies.

CEO Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive officer, commented: “Matthias has extensive financial experience and I look forward to working with him again, confident that his expertise and values will support Card Factory’s strategic projects and significant change programme over the next few years.

“I am grateful to Kris for his tireless work over the years, including successful management of liquidity, steering the business through a series of refinancing through covid lockdowns and supporting our ‘Opening our new future’ growth strategy. We offer Kris our very best wishes for the future.”

Paperchase up for auction

Greeting card and stationery retailer Paperchase has been put up for sale just four months after it was bought by retail investor Steve Curtis.

Curtis took over the chain in August 2022, and Sky News reports that he has asked accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to auction the company.

The chain has a troubled history; following the pandemic, the company - which then had 125 shops and almost 1,300 staff - went through a pre-pack administration deal, which left some greeting card publishers picking up the tab for thousands of pounds as it failed to require them to be paid for their supplied goods, which could still be sold by the new owner.

Paperchase currently has around 100 stores.

Sky has reported that it has been told by several sources that “an insolvency process may be required to expedite a transaction”. Reports suggest that Curtis wants to close a sale in the coming weeks.

Cherry Orchard goes green

Cherry Orchard has produced its first eco-friendly range Nature’s Diary. This stunning birthday month collection explores and features the wonders of the UK’s nature and wildlife through the months. The 12 new designs are printed on FSC recyclable board using a Carbon Neutral Press and come with an Eco Kraft envelope. The company says the range has been well received by customers, paving the way for a greener future in the greeting card industry.

www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Pic: iStock

Royal Mail rocks latest stamp release

Royal Mail has revealed images of 12 new special stamps celebrating one of the most legendary rock bands of all time, Iron Maiden.

The main stamp set celebrates Iron Maiden’s live performances, featuring a selection of photos from their world-wide tours across the years, internationally and at home - and features all current members of the band.

Images range from the 1980s until 2018, and include Dave Murray, Bruce Dickinson and Janick Gers in Rio de Janeiro, January 2001, Iron Maiden at Twickenham Stadium, London, July 2008, and Bruce Dickinson sword fighting with band mascot Eddie in Birmingham, August 2018.

A further four stamps pay homage to the band’s long-serving mascot and pop-cultural icon in his own

show four notorious Eddie artworks, including the latest addition featuring Eddie as a Samurai

Founded in east London in the mid-1970s by songwriter and bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden’s

revered and influential bands of all time. With over 100 million record sales, almost 2,500 live performances across 64 countries and 17 studio albums – including their latest, Senjutsu, released in 2021 – Iron Maiden have remained fearlessly creative and dedicated to their legions of fans for almost half a century.

Iron Maiden founder member and bassist, Steve Harris said: “We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way! - when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honour the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way,”

The band will be back on the road in 2023 with its new The Future Past tour, with dates across the UK and Europe.

www.royalmail.com/ironmaiden

Hyve appoints event director

Spring and Autumn Fair organiser Hyve Group has announced the promotion of Alejandra Campos to event director of Spring and Autumn Fair. With a focus on Autumn Fair and Moda, Alejandra will work alongside SAF event director Daniel Mayhew, whose focus is Spring Fair.

Spring and Autumn Fair portfolio director Nicola Meadows said: “I’m thrilled to promote Alejandra to event director of Spring and Autumn Fair. Since joining Hyve, she has shown immense talent, passion and drive, and we are confident she will bring enormous energy and expertise.

“Alejandra and Daniel make a remarkable team and bring many years of invaluable experience in the industry and a combined vision to drive progress, innovate, and develop the shows to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our community and deliver return on time and investment. They take the helm at a very exciting moment in the history of the shows.”

“As Hyve drives our portfolio of exhibitions into a revolutionary new phase with the launch of connect@, I feel privileged to have been given the role of event director for Spring and Autumn Fair and the opportunity to help lead our incredibly talented and motivated team at such an exciting time.”

Alejandra Campos

Alejandra, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the events industry, joined Hyve Group in July 2022 as event director of Moda, one of the UK’s longest-standing fashion trade shows, which is now an integral part of Spring Fair and Autumn Fair.

During her career, Alejandra has worked on pioneering and successful trade exhibitions, consumer shows, conferences, and awards ceremonies across a variety of countries and sectors including homeware, fashion, wedding, giftware, healthcare and automotive.

While heading the National Wedding Show portfolio at Ocean Media, Alejandra launched the Luxury Wedding Show. She went on to found London Bridal Fashion Week independently.

More recently, she was the event director of award-winning design-led trade event Top Drawer London.

Hunter Price appoints new director

Consumer products business, Hunter Price International, has announced the arrival of Ben Cornwell as the new sales director for its stationery, arts and craft division.

Ben joins the business from art materials specialist, Daler Rowney, where he was responsible for managing the UK and EU mass market retailers, for fine art and kids craft.

Hunter Price International is the product developer and supplier of innovative and design-led consumer products for some of the UK’s leading retailers. The business has three core divisions, home & lifestyle, toys & activity and stationery, arts & craft.

Stationery, arts and craft is a key division for Hunter Price and, following Ben’s arrival, he has set out his mission to become a category-defining pillar within the business.

Storigraphic sees red

Storigraphic has launched a full design collection of its new Boho Red series, an extended range of its popular Seventies Series and Boho colour editions, coinciding with the recent announcement of Viva Magenta, Pantone’s colour of the year for 2023.

Available

https://storigraphic.com

right, Eddie, with his own miniature sheet. The stamps

warrior from the recent Senjutsu album.

decades-spanning career has made them one of the most

Age and beauty

Cherry Orchard has launched the perfect addition to its female adult ages. Ten beautiful, illustrated designs celebrating milestone birthdays. The artwork for the female range features florals with a bright background and foil detailing. All are 210mm x 143mm in size and come in ages from 40 to 100!

Cherry Orchard 01684295500

info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

spotlight

Show a leg!

Along with several other 90s staples, anklets are seriously resurging for Spring/Summer 2023 as a foot adornment; if you’re looking to nail this trend, look no further than the new Equilibrium adjustable Anklets from Joe Davies. Whether you opt for dainty dangly charms such as stars, dreamcatchers, daisies and leaves, or more subtle heart chains, they all act as instant fashion elevators to whatever outfit you are wearing. Each anklet is fully adjustable with the aid of a sliding ball, ensuring that anklets work for everyone, regardless of ankle size… so if you are wondering if wearing ankle bracelets for 2023 is still stylish, the answer is definitely yes!

Anklets are just one of the exciting new Equilibrium collections that will make its debut on the Joe Davies stand at Spring Fair (Hall 4 Stand C10-D11). Everything will be available to order in its signature ‘little and often quantities with free nationwide delivery.

Joe Davies 0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

Born to be fab

Kingfisher Cards is launching a fun and fabulous twist of the Year You Were Born cards with a range of unisex cards covering milestone years 18-90. The Blast from the Past range features fun facts from each milestone year and the bright and colourful tri-fold designs will really catch the eye. With a code 75 price point these are bound to be popular. Kingfisher Cards 01803 431515 sales@kingfishercards.co.uk

A very tiddly birthday!

Kali Stileman Publishing is thrilled to introduce its latest birthday Tiddly Widdlies! These cute and quirky mini cards take inspiration from popular children’s toys, from a sweet and smiley elephant to a gorgeous birthday bunny. This collection features on-trend colours and is printed on lovely linen textured board. Perfect for children and the young at heart alike!

Kali Stileman Publishing 01305 848899 info@kalistileman.co.uk @kalistileman_publishing

Sophisticated elegance

Rosanna Rossi has released a sophisticated new collectionNovella. All 37 designs are hand-illustrated with delicate detail and elegance. The collection is printed on a luxury 300gsm soft white board and beautifully enhanced with emboss and satin gold foil. Alongside this are vibrant additions to the ever-popular Fiori Rosa collection with new age 16-80 birthday titles and further extension to the Odyssey range with male birthday cards to suit all tastes.

Rosanna Rossi 07900 698522 Ӏ www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk https://linktr.ee/rosannarossi

Smiles and style

Big sentiments, vibrant sends, it’s hard not to smile at Studio Blom, the latest hit line from Pigment Productions. Helping celebrate special moments big and small with a collection of diverse, joyful expressions, playful illustration and bold use of typography, Studio Blom is characterised by its eclectic, feel-good design and optimistic colour palette.

Launching with an initial drop of 13 open sends, Studio Blom’s greetings card collection creatively uses super sensory eye catching and tactile finishes, and features the brand’s signature maximal back page print designs and recycled kraft envelopes. Look out for a full range of captions being released throughout 2023 as well as a funfilled emporium of gifting lines currently in the works.

Also, the luxury greeting card brand Fox & Butler was re-launched in 2021 with a wide range of general birthday and occasion cards. Designed and produced locally in Yorkshire the collection features subtle hues, lustrous foil stamping and traditional die-making with luxury gold burnished envelopes. The collection has since been widened to include all major captions, milestone ages and anniversaries.

Pigment Productions 01423 520098 Ӏ admin@pigmentproductions.com www.pigmentproductions.com

Culturally creative

Roshah Designs is a creative publisher of cultural greeting cards and gift wrap for occasions such as Eid, Diwali and Hanukkah. New designs will be added throughout the year for everyday in various languages. The publisher had a great response at its firstever pop-up shop in John Lewis at the Trafford Centre in December, which has given good insight into where it can fill this huge gap in the market for ethnic and cultural cards with a twist.

Roshah Designs 07375106666 roshah002@gmail.com www.roshahdesigns.co.uk

Making a splash

Paperlink is making a splash with new ranges and updates to its bestselling lines.

One new range, Picture Pawfect, combines the UK’s renewed love of pets (2022 saw the highest ever level of pet ownership), and tactfully finds the humour in modern topics, like social media, video meetings, and even the cost-of-living crisis.

Another addition is Florentyna, which combines baroque styles with hand-drawn sketches to create an ethereal, dreamlike style that captures the eye. At Meraki, there’s a bold new range, Midnight Garden, which contrasts vintage botanical illustration styles with vibrant unexpected elements and colours. Paperlink

Danilo brings big brands…

As we welcome in 2023, Danilo is excited for the year ahead – with more brands, innovation and of course, the upcoming trade shows.

Danilo will be attending Spring Fair in February with two stands this year - one showcasing its award-winning greeting and gift wrap range and the other exhibiting official calendars and diaries. So there will be

TV show became an instant hit when the first series aired in 2020. A Bridgerton-themed calendar as well as greeting cards will be published using imagery and captions from the series.

2023 also sees some much-anticipated movies coming to our screens, and Danilo will create fantastic calendar ranges and update greetings card ranges for Dungeons & Dragons, Super Mario, Transformers The Rise of the Beasts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie and Trolls 3, to name a few.

plenty to see. Plus Danilo will also be heading to Frankfurt in February for Paperworld 2023, showcasing products for the export market.

This year sees some popular new brands coming to Danilo, such as critically acclaimed drama Bridgerton. With season 3 coming to Netflix in March 2023, this Regency-style

2023 also marks the 10th anniversary year of Paw Patrol as well as the centenary celebration for both Disney and Warner Bros, which Danilo will celebrate with official calendars to mark these special occasions. As well as a special Paw Patrol movie, we will see plenty of releases this year from Disney and Warner Bros, such as The Little Mermaid, Elemental, Wile E. Coyote, The Flash and more.

In relation to ranges for younger audiences, Danilo is delighted to introduce new brands such as Gabby’s Dollhouse. This new animated

A Bridgerton-themed calendar as well as greeting cards will be published using imagery and captions from the series

It’s full speed ahead at Danilo in 2023 with a host of brands including Bridgerton, Barbie, Disney and more being revealed at both Spring Fair and Paperworld

TV show is aimed at preschoolers and is filled with mini-worlds, irresistible kitty characters and super fun adventures. It has been broadcast on Netflix and YouTube with Season 6 launched in November 2022 and Season 7 set for March 2023. Danilo’s new greeting card and gift wrap range will target the core audience of kids aged four to seven.

Danilo will also be updating its Barbie card collection, creating bright, eye-catching new designs targeting two audiences, girls aged six to 12 and the young adult females who grew up with the brand.

Squishmallows is another new addition and has many celebrity fans such as Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and Charli D’Amerlio.

Having sold more than 100 million plush toys to date, Danilo’s new greetings card range will reflect the colourful and vibrant look of the Squishmallows characters. Other new brands include The World of Dinosaur Roar, the children’s storybooks, and Peanuts, the renowned classic comic strip from the 1950s that is proving to be just as popular today as it was then.

So why not pop along to see the full scope of Danilo’s collection and say hi to the team, at either Paperworld (Hall 6.2 Stand E32) or at Spring Fair (Hall 3 Stands N20 and L01).

Squishmallows is another new addition and has many celebrity fans including Lady Gaga. Danilo’s new

card range will reflect the colourful and vibrant look of the Squishmallows characters

Spring Fair preview

All together

Spring Fair encompasses 14 sectors within four destinations across eight halls – Home, which includes Living & Décor, Housewares, Everyday, and The Summerhouse, Gift including Christmas, Floral and Seasonal Decorations, and Moda fashion featuring its own Catwalk as well as Jewellery & Watch, Womenswear, Fashion Accessories, and Footwear, and the newly launched responsible sourcing show Source Home & Gift - all offering thousands of much loved and established favourites alongside an array of sustainable and new brands showing for the first time. The show creates a compelling and unmissable platform for buyers to touch, feel, and experience the latest products, trends and innovations.

As the biggest showcase for greetings and stationery in the UK, the Greetings & Stationery sector goes from strength to strength and the renewed trend for writing cards and stationery items continues. A vibrant collection of every kind of greetings and stationery, look out for the most creative, fun and

colourful greeting cards, wrapping papers, stationery and paper decorations. From pen to paper to partyware, it’s all here, with VENT for Change, Cardgains, Ling Designs, The Great British Card Company, The Art File, Wrendale Designs, Dandelion Stationery, Museum & Galleries, Paper Salad, Louise Tiler, Emotional Rescue, Five Dollar Shake, Out of the Blue Studios, The Seed Card Company, Crumble and Core, Dyson Designs, and many more showcasing their latest designs.

Listed below, and on the following pages, you’ll find a whole host of suppliers, old and new, who will be bringing their wares to Birmingham for you to peruse and plan to visit.

Alison Gardiner is is known for her colourful designs of heritage buildings, playful characters, and festive scenes. She has created a range of traditional advent calendars that are inspired by British heritage.

Award-winning card publisher Alljoy Design specialises in pop-up cards, paper cut cards and gifts. Its message in a bottle cards won 2021 Gift of the Year awards, the 3D art card are shortlisted for the 2023 Gift of the Year awards, and the Children’s pop-up card was also shortlisted for the 2022 Gift of the Year awards and Henry’s Awards 2021.

The Art File is a multi-award winning publisher, specialising in designing and distributing greeting cards, stationery, gift packaging and gifts to retailers worldwide. The Art File also has a multi award-winning Christmas collection.

Roger la Borde is a creator and publisher of charming, eclectic and wonderful stuff including greeting cards, notebooks, journals, gift wrap and more.

Cardology focuses on producing popup and premium licensed cards

Jonny Spears, owner, Jonny Javelin

What do you enjoy about the show?

It’s another great chance to meet up with the sales agents, the suppliers and more importantly, as many customers as possible.

The big plus of course is getting those enquiries and hopefully orders from new customers!

It’s also a great chance to catch up with fellow publishers both professionally and socially. No one knew how last year would go after the pandemic but there was actually quite a buzz about the place as the industry decided it was time to get up and moving again.

This year, there are pressures on everyone for economic reasons, so attendance and results from the show are again somewhat uncertain. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed. The good news is that the main show is only four days so ‘hanging around’ Thursday is hopefully a thing of the past!

Bexy Boo is a multi-award winning, eco greeting card company specialising in quirky, colourful and contemporary designs. Launching three new ranges at Spring Fair 2023; pop by to see by the new fashion-forward range The Fifi Labelles, which has been hand finished with a real woven name label.

Dandelion Stationery is an independent publisher of greetings cards and stationery as well as a range of home and gift items. New for 2022; Earth friendly 100% recyclable plastic free collections. Plus an extended range of coasters and notebooks perfect for gifting throughout the year.

The world is full of magical things, including the latest collaboration between Earlybird Designs and Lee Foster Wilson. The 2023 Bonbi Forest collection is a range that takes you on a whimsical journey of animals, botanics, sun and soft colours.

Ginger Ray designs partyware for all occasions including weddings, hen parties, birthdays and baby showers - new ranges include Baby Shower,

The GCA Edit

The GCA Debut edit returns with a host of new exhibitors including striking black-andwhite illustrations of unusual and endangered animals from Wild Lines, eco-friendly collections from The Little Green Paper Shop, as well as the latest designs from Eat The Moon, It Takes Heart, KDee Designs, Say it with Songs, Not at all Jack, Angies Folk Art, and T’ART Designs.

Wedding & Hen, King’s Coronation, Engagement and Anniversary.

Glick has new designs and 2023 Christmas collection of gift wrappings, bags and accessories to brighten up your gift wrap displays, as well as fun designs from its new designer.

Letterbox Love’s vast range includes a variety of bracelets mounted

Rachel Ellen

now…

Cottrill, marketing & product director, Enesco

What do you enjoy about the show?

I love trade fairs, seeing our product at its best, months of hard work all coming together and of course spending time with our wider Enesco team and customers is always good.

Any tips for newbie visitors?

Paul Urban, managing director, Kingfisher Cards

What do you enjoy about the show?

It’s got to be meeting all my lovely customers, old friends and making those all-important ‘first contacts’ with prospective new customers.

Any tips for newbie visitors?

I have done this show as both as an exhibitor and as a buyer for over 30 years and I would honestly say that my top tip is don’t rush. The aisles are meant to be ambled along; have a look at every stand and even if many of them may not be for you, rushing means you could well mean you miss a couple of gems. (I particularly advise not rushing past the Kingfisher Cards stand, lol).

Any special offers we can tell our readers about?

All readers of Greetings Today can ask for ‘Buy now pay end of April’ on any order placed at the show. We’ll also be running a special ‘pick a card win a prize’ draw with one go for every order placed.

I would suggest that visitors plan their visit and allow time to look at suppliers they do not already buy from, walk the aisles. Do not assume you know what a company sells without visiting their stand; you might be surprised.

What’s your most memorable story/experience from previous shows?

I have been attending Spring Fair for 34 years now, so many memories; most of my memorable ones involve stand build dramas, like the time we had to completely repaint a large, licensed feature area because the colour was not quite right, and the licensor rejected it on site. It was a replica building and we had to paint every brick by hand! Any show offers we can tell our readers about? We will be offering launch packs at Hall 4, Stand C61 & C60/D61, with free point of sale, discounts, or gift with purchase products, all designed to encourage consumer sales.

upon cards with a sentimental poetic message, a new eco-friendly Seeded Card and Sympathy Pet Loss gift, which was nominated for Gift of the Year 2023.

Ling Design will show its new Christmas 2023 range of more than 400 Christmas boxes, single cards, advent calendars and charity packs. Penny Kennedy gift packaging for Christmas 2023 will be on show, plus spring collaboration with licences such as William Morris, Emma Bridgewater and Sara Miller.

Paper Mirchi focuses on creating luxury artisanal papers that are handcrafted, recyclable and sustainable. It uses 100% tree-free recycled cotton paper and combines this with traditional textile processes such as hand block printing, tie dye and techniques such as hand marbling, to create an exceptional range of gift wrap sheets and greeting cards. Reusable fabric gift bags offer a time-efficient and zero-waste alternative.

From super galactic to painterly florals, Paper Salad designs and publishes greeting cards that are bursting with bright neon inks, luxury foil and deep textured emboss! All cards are produced by hand using paints and pencils.

Humour, style, and wit are at the heart of the Redback business. Whether the fabulously

foiled Cloud Nine range is your bag, or you prefer the funny, slightly rude humour of Holy Flaps, the award-winning charm of Zeppelinmoon, or the eyecatching sequins of Shine.

The Seed Card Company was founded by three individuals who share a love for print and want to play their part in creating a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment for us and future generations. Greeting cards and personal stationery are all made entirely from post-consumer upcycled paper waste, and are recyclable, biodegradable and embedded with wildflower seeds.

Wrendale Designs is an award-winning card, stationery, gift and homeware company featuring artwork by artist Hannah Dale. Launching for 2023 is the new ‘Little Wren’ baby range, including babygrows, blankets and beautiful gifts for new arrivals or expecting parents. Plus a new colourful kitchen textile collection with matching aprons, tea towels and oven gloves.

What: Spring Fair

When: February 5-8

Where: NEC Birmingham Web: www.springfair.com

Jackie Collins, managing director, Cherry Orchard

What do you enjoy about the show?

Catching up with everyone in the industry along with showcasing our new launches with Team Cherry Orchard – always makes me very proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new customers and keep in touch with existing ones. The atmosphere is always great at the show and the Cherry Orchard team always enjoy being part of the event. It really is such a friendly industry to be in!

Any tips for newbie visitors?

The space is big and you will do a lot of walking! If you are planning on tackling it all, wear comfortable shoes and try to have some idea on halls you want to visit and key suppliers you want to see. The Spring Fair app is always a handy tool.

If you are travelling to visit the show, you can’t beat the Premier Inn. It does what it says on the tin and we’re always that tired... it’s really handy to eat there too!

What’s your most memorable story/experience from previous shows?

The best one is me leaving my car keys in the back of a taxi on the way back to the car park – that was fun retrieving them!

Also, having Miss Worcester there a few years ago wearing a greeting card skirt made, of course, from our lovely cards, was very special.

Any show offers we can share?

Cherry Orchard has always been praised for its show offers and this year is no exception! If you place an order with the Cherry Orchard team during the show then you will be in with a chance to win many prizes including the top prize of a £250 weekend break voucher.

Helen

Cinnamon Aitch returns to Spring Fair after a 16-year absence - and it will be worth the waitwith two new launches, Primrose Hill and Skylark, taking centre stage

It’s been a while (16 years!) since Cinnamon Aitch exhibited at the NEC but 2023 sees the company return to the Spring Fair armed with an abundance of fantastic new launches. Amid many new additions to favourite ranges there will also be the release of two new stunning greeting card ranges Primrose Hill and Skylark.

Both ranges have been beautifully and sensitively hand painted, printed on gorgeous heavyweight FSC board and

range She has also seen some bright, new additions. A shoutout too for the men who now have their own He designs spanning ages and skin tones; a range that promises to be as popular as its female counterpart.

All cards and gifts are beautifully

supplied with a bespoke FSC printed envelope. The similarities end here as Primrose Hill has a pretty, contemporary feel with flowers, cakes and bottles of bubble delicately illustrated and carefully finished by hand. The format is 140mm square and there are 18 designs.

Skylark nods to the beauty of nature and characters within it. You will find otters with birthday hats, a squirrel offering cake and a balloon-adorned pig to name but a few. The 30-strong range includes birthdays, occasions - and spills into the cutest collection of children’s ages. Skylark has been sensitively translated into stationery products including little card packs and notebooks, while handmade soy wax candles and handmade eco soaps continue the story into gift.

Fantastic new designs have also been added to Bloom, which now sees milestone age cards in the range while contemporary

designed, environmentally kind and proudly made in the UK with love. This continues the Cinnamon Aitch story into its 28th year of trading and demonstrates the strong signature of contemporary design alongside its enviable reputation for fine quality and friendly efficient service.

See the loveliness at Spring Fair Stand 3P44.

Fair preview

First-class male

Hall 3 Stand M10-N11

Cherry Orchard will be exhibiting in the Cardgains Village in Hall 3. Displaying the popular and extended collection of Grace and Grayson, Down Memory Lane (which will be celebrating 10 years since its launch), Nature’s Diary (the new eco-friendly launch) and its impressive new Male Relation collection.

Cherry Orchard has welcomed 19 new designs to its Male Relation titles. With vibrant designs featuring artwork from the popular ‘Timeless Moments’ and ‘Carnival’ ranges.

The eye-catching artwork features popular hobbies and pastimes and includes options for Uncle, Brother, Dad, Son and Brother-in-Law, Nephew, Husband and Grandson. The handpainted artwork also features striking foil detailing, making the designs really stand out from the crowd! If you place an order with Cherry Orchard during the Spring Fair you could be in for a chance to win a fantastic £250 weekend break voucher plus many more prizes that can be won! Cherry Orchard 01684295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Top of the pop-ups!

Hall 3 Stand R3

Alljoy Design Ltd will launch 20 new designs of its award-winning Message in a Bottle pop-up card collection at Spring Fair. The Message in a Bottle collection now has more than 300 designs to choose from, covering everyday and seasonal occasions. It is also introducing a new children’s cut-out card - and has been shortlisted in the 2023 Gift of the Year awards. Each card is laser cut from recyclable paper in this bright and cheerful collection, and finished with gold foil details. All cards are blank inside for your own message and are presented with a kraft envelope. Card size: 125mm x 175mm.

Alljoy Design +353 (0)1 630 1213 info@alljoydesign.com www.alljoydesign.com

Spring Fair preview

Packed with interest

Spring Fair is always the most exciting event in the giftware calendar due to the sheer variety of new products on offer. The Joe Davies stand (Hall 4, stand C10-D11) is no exception and is always one of the busier stands at the show.

Joe Davies recently acquired the brand, stock and assets of East West (Europe) Limited and all the popular East West favourites will be on display on the stand including the popular Bree Merryn, Emma Lawrence and Lovelilly collections. New for Spring/Summer will be the Citrus Bun collection of gin glasses, wine glasses, mugs and coasters, all with quirky tongue in cheek humorous artwork… it’s sure to make you smile! The new Rush Design will also feature; this eye-catching range is perfect for card shops and independent retailers and consists of mugs, coasters, gin and wine glasses and glass tankards and has all the milestone ages covered in both male and female designs - this is definitely one to look out for at the show.

If you’re looking for modern sentiment gifts with a quirky twist then look no further than the Fab-ewe-lous Friends new range of cute sheep carrying sentimental messages. These cute sheep are guaranteed to make you laugh and cry happy tears at the same time! The collection is available in a range of captions including mum, nan and friends; these cute little characters are a real talking point and will create a really eye-catching display in store.

The trend for miniature houses in home décor continues and Joe Davies is already well known for its highly successful and popular Village Pottery collection of ceramic houses - and you’ll be pleased to hear there will be plenty of new additions to this range at the show. Following this trend, Joe Davies will be launching its charming new Pebble Lane collection of adorable houses, each perched on a softly coloured pebble and featuring messages relating to friends, family and the home.

Joe Davies is proud to be the UK’s largest distributor of the Leonardo collection from Lesser & Pavey, and all the best ranges and new Spring/Summer lines will be on display on the Spring Fair stand.  Joe Davies is also the distributor of the popular Xpressions ranges to independent retailers and all the well-loved Xpressions favourites will be at the show including Pots of Dreams, Nordic Lights and Feather and Grace.  New for 2023 will be the Best Eve range of ceramic photo frames, mugs, coasters and plaques in various captions including grandma, mum, teacher and many more, all designed in a naïve style - cute and very appealing

The Equilibrium jewellery and fashion accessories collection is a huge draw for Joe Davies and a must-have for many gift and jewellery retailers. Perhaps it’s the luxurious, crisp, clean packaging, the affordability without compromise on quality, and the hundreds of modern, up-to-the-minute designs that make this range one of the UK’s hottest fashion jewellery brands. New for Spring/Summer 2023 is the Equilibrium Paua Shell collection; colourful and sparkly, this range of necklaces, bracelets and earrings taps into a number of current trends… 90s kitsch, the 1970s revival in fashion, and the oceanic, beachy vibes dominating the catwalks. Each piece is unique; what’s more the beautiful irridescent colours of paua shell; blues, greens, violet and black make perfect accompaniments to any summer outfit.  Flowers have been an integral part of jewellery design for many years but the sheer detail of the new Equilibrium Calla Lily collection makes it absolutely irresistible!  Plated with real silver and gold, it’s fitting that ‘calla’ means ‘beauty’ in Greek and this collection really does deliver as each piece is truly beautiful in every way.

New designs of the popular Nuzzles range of slipper socks will also make their debut at the show. Nuzzles are machine washable and come complete with a cosy Sherpa lining to ensure your feet stay toasty warm. New designs include penguins, owls, hearts and much, much more; don’t miss out on the opportunity to place your order in advance as these are a treat your feet will not want to miss!

And don’t forget the Joe Davies’ ‘little and often’ ordering quantities and minimum order value of just £100 for a carriage paid order.

Gift specialist Joe Davies promises a stand packed with new and exciting ranges, including gin glasses, Fab-ewe-lous sheep and charming ceramic houses at Hall 4 Stand C10-D11

Hall 3 Stand L30-M31

Top tableware

Reflecting its increasing importance in its product offerings, M&G created a new section for tabletop and gift products in its 2023 catalogue, containing some exciting new developments, all of which will be on show at the company’s stand at the NEC.

This show will see the launch of M&G’s new range of paper napkins. An all-new collection of printed paper napkin packs feature imagery from across the M&G collection.

Alongside the paper napkins will be a select new range of organic cotton napkins. Beautifully printed organic cotton napkins from M&G’s V&A, British Museum, Catherine Rowe and Classics ranges.

M&G’s organic cotton luxury Tote Bags and Pouch Bag collections have been expanded with new designs.

Later in the spring, M&G will launch new insulated Travel Tumblers. A new range of high-quality, printed double wall insulated hot/cold drinks tumblers with classic and colourful prints and matt accent colour lids. Perfect for drinks on the go!

The new travel tumblers are from the same family as the company’s existing Drinks Bottles, which have been refreshed with new designs including from the Natural History Museum and Catherine Rowe. The travel tumblers will preview at the NEC, with availability late February/March.

M&G’s jigsaw puzzles launched last year and were a huge hit

with retailers. M&G has doubled this range in size with some exciting and challenging new puzzles; all available now and on show at the NEC.

M&G now offers a huge range of sheet wrap, roll wrap, gift bags, and gift tissue packs. Sheet wraps come in single sided, double sided, and foiled formats.

All M&G core greeting card ranges have been majorly refreshed with bold, eyecatching, classic and sometimes quirkily amusing new choices.

Tate Contemporary

This new card range for 2023 showcases some of the Tate’s boldest, most colourful artworks – and renowned artists – in a modern gallery-style art card format with an eye-catching neon green accent envelope. This new range stands alongside the existing Tate range of cards - but whereas that range explores all sides of the Gallery’s art holdings, Tate Contemporary aims at showcasing bright and colourful contemporary art for a discerning audience of art lovers.

Artists featured include Mary Fedden, Julian Trevelyan, Nicholas Munro, and Barbara Hepworth. The range was developed in close consultation with the Tate itself and is a bold new venture for 2023, particularly suited to Independents and art-focused retail environments. There are 12 cards in the launch collection.

Notably, M&G has completely transformed its Transport For London range with a host of new designs transcending the story of the world’s greatest capital city. Museums

Jonny Javelin Chris tmas

Caring at its heart

Tell us a little about IC&G’s background.

In early 1991 Clive and Glynne Wagstaff started trading from their garage, producing Christian greeting cards. In 2004, their sons Ian and Simon formed their own company trading as International Cards and Gifts Limited servicing the general High Street market.

IC&G is now recognised as one of the fastest-growing UK greeting card publishers in the industry, having become both a friend and well-known trusted supplier of greeting cards to independent retailers.

Throughout years of trading, the company has always focused on supplying quality products to independent retailers and working with them, to develop products of the highest quality at competitive prices.

With this achieved, the company has been awarded the Henries Gold Award for Best Service to the

few sweets or a thank you note with packed orders and a chocolate Advent calendar leading up Christmas. What about new ranges?

Having launched our lovely Barley Bear greeting cards five years ago, International Cards and Gifts has now created a range of wonderful fluffy cuddly teddy bears [find out more in our gifts for card shops feature]

October 2022 saw the arrival of the company’s first gift product, and we look forward to seeing how our gift ranges develop during 2023 and beyond. For January 2023 we released eight new card collections that were on display from the New Year onwards, and we plan to continue to launch new card products on a regular basis.

What are your best selling ranges?

Our key products are Relations cards and Relation Age cards. Alongside the caption cards we enjoy success with our Year You Were Born and Month You Were Born card ranges. The details and information in each card really resonate with all our independent retail customers and card buying general public.

Tell us about your religious cards colletion. Religious cards are still published under the larger umbrella of IC&G and the range covers the most popular everyday and seasonal captions as well as traditional Christian occasions such as Baptism, Christening, Confirmation and First Communion.

Balanced logos on the back page. We are also reviewing our waste management strategy and are very prudent when it comes to stock control. We carefully plan our print runs, in order that we rarely need to write off obsolete stock.

How do you support retailers?

We have worked hard to supply appropriate eye-catching POS and have developed content across the seasons and for Confirmation & Communion too. We also provide personalised POS for any customer that selects IC&G as their Planning/Stock Control Partner.

Independent retailer for a total of six successive years - something that the whole IC&G team are immensely proud of. There’s also a dedicated sales team to support and visit customers and we strive to deliver orders within 24 hours of receipt. The design department constantly work to produce regular new and exciting designs, including seasonal products to promote sales. The head office in Ferndown, Dorset, employs more than 50 members of staff, and all designs are artworked, printed and finished in the UK.

Tell us about the aims and values of IC&G. As a family-owned and run business, we endeavour to include our family values in our business model, so it’s important to us to listen to our staff and our customers. We include both in our business journey and keep moving forward as a publisher that supplies cards for the independent market.

Being polite and caring is also at the heart of what we do, which is why we often include small gestures like a

As the Christian bookshops are predominantly located away from the main footfall of the towns and busy shopping areas, many of our customers are stocking these specialised captions and including them within their general market range to cater for this niche market.

What about eco-friendly credentials?

International Cards and Gifts Ltd is proud to be a part of the World Land Trust’s Carbon Balanced Initiative, encouraging organisations to strive towards a more environmentally friendly way of working. By using Carbon Balanced Paper, we are helping to protect the world’s most threatened habitats, by funding World Land Trust’s ecosystem protection and restoration projects.

So far, this brilliant initiative has enabled brands and organisations to balance more than 200,000 tonnes of CO2. This has helped the World Land Trust to protect 19,000 acres of threatened habitats. We are also supporting responsible forestry, so when you purchase one of our FSC-labelled products, you will be helping to ensure forests thrive and biodiversity is preserved.

From January 2023 all reprinted and new greeting cards will carry the FSC and World Land Trust Carbon

In October we shipped our long-awaited Barley Bear cuddly teddy bear range to stores that had placed their Starter Pack pre-orders. A totally free POS kit shipped with our Starter Pack of bears along with notes on how to personalise Barley with our unique range of Gift Tags. Are you planning to exhibit at any shows this year?

We will be displaying our wide range of designs at Spring Fair, exciting new lines, our support services and of course Barley Bear.

Past, present and future

Hall 3 Stand N24

Kingfisher Cards is back at Spring Fair hoping to follow up on its fantastic 2022 experience. With an even larger stand, loads of new product and one of the most competitive ranges around, it’s well worth a visit.

There are some great new ranges to view for 2023:

Blast from the Past is a great twist on the successful ‘year you were born’ arena. A tri-fold card with bright and fun artwork, these show fun facts from each of the milestone years from 18-90 years old.

Embrace is a beautiful floral range encompassing both male and female relations as well as ages. They feature lovely sentimental verse and stunning artwork, which is shown off with a five-colour printing process that really makes them stand out. Owner Paul Urban says: ‘‘I think this is our best range yet and if this range doesn’t fly then I don’t know anything!’’

Also new is Tres Chic, a compact range of 12 glitzy female open birthday square cards with solid coloured flitter, which will be a lovely addition to the Kingfisher range and perfect for accompanying that special gift.

The 2023 Spring Seasons and Xmas ranges will also be on show as well as highlights from the extensive 2023 range, including the fabulous range of more than 200 special titles

You can request the 2023 brochures by emailing sales@kingfishercards.co.uk

Signature designs

Hall 3 Stand N40-P41

Jonny Javelin will be showing off 88 new titles to kick off 2023.

Velvet: Velvet is over 10 years old now but it still has a phenomenal following. The company is bringing out 50 new titles in this range between two price codes. This year the release is heavy in both major and minor relations but it also contains several long-awaited occasions titles too.

Signature: Four years ago, Jonny Javelin introduced a range called Signature, and now there are more than 200 titles within that range. January 2023 sees the release of 12 slim code 65 minor relations titles but a further 21 designs will be ’springing’ into the marketplace in March as part of JJ’s Anniversary package. These 12 slim cards are punchy and colourful with the usual enhancements of foiling, flittering and embossing.

Fudge and Friends: Everyone knows that Jonny Javelin’s little doggy is ‘Not Just for Christmas’ and so 2023 sees the release of more gorgeous everyday cards in the Fudge and Friends range. Mainly younger relation titles this time, but also including some Open Birthday for the first time.

Christmas: As well as the everyday release, Jonny Javelin is also showing off its Christmas 2023 package. A bundle of 230 titles across five ranges and six price codes, the company has enjoyed many successful years when it comes to the Christmas Season as it puts considerable effort into getting this portfolio right. Christmas Velvet and Signature are the mainstays of the package. but Mistletoe adds a bit more tradition, Fudge gives the cute factor. and Twingles supplies some kiddy quirky fun!

Jonny Javelin is offering a one-off 15% discount for any new customer order placed at the show. If customers cannot get to the show, then sample packs, brochures and other information can be requested by contacting the office team on 01423 563740.

Hall 3 Stand P11

As is tradition, Nottingham-based greeting card company The Art File will launch its full Christmas 2023 Collection at Spring Fair.

Recognising the importance of the Christmas trading period for retailers up and down the country, The Art File dedicates months to its annual Christmas collection to ensure customers have plenty of high-quality produce to ensure they can capitalise on the increased footfall across the vital festive season.

Featuring a comprehensive blend of Christmas cards and accessories from the multi-award-winning in-house design team, as well as licensed ranges from some of the most talented freelance designers in the country, The Art File’s 2023 Christmas catalogue is its most complete collection to date.

Each year, The Art File’s Charity Packs increase in both variety and popularity. The Art File donates 50p to one of four charities with each sale of its Charity Packs; the RSPCA, Young Lives vs Cancer, Dementia UK and MNDA (The Motor Neurone Disease Association). Visitors of Spring Fair will be able to browse the returning and new collections that help to make a real difference to these incredible causes.

Also on display at the NEC will be The Art File’s new collection Luxury Christmas Boxes, which have been awarded Best Christmas Box at the prestigious Henry awards every year for the past four years. Additionally, the new Christmas Gift Wrap collection is well worth a browse - with yet more designs added to the range, retailers will find everything needed and more to fill their shelves for next Christmas.

Launching alongside Christmas, The Art File will also be showcasing its new 2023 Everyday Collection, which features 180+ new cards as well as stunning new gift wrap collections.

Highlights include Soleil, Wild World, Story Book and more.

Soleil is an eye-catching, vibrant collection that celebrates the beauty and colours of tropical wildlife. Each design was hand-drawn and digitally enhanced by The Art File in-house designer, Beth.

Wild World takes you on a journey through the ages, featuring animals from every walk of life. The curation of stylised illustrations, bold colours and playful characters are simply captivating.

Storybook has blossomed from a popular Valentine’s Day range into a beautiful everyday collection with nine new designs. These fantastical illustrations have been hand drawn by Lucie Cox before being digitally enhanced. These showstopping cards are a must-have for this year.

The Art File also has a host of other exciting releases, including new designs from Sara Miller London and Kate Heiss.

The Art File 0115 850 7490 sales@theartfile.com | theartfile.com

Festive File! Going wild!

Hall 3 Stand R02

The Holy Mackerel team is bringing more than 150 new card designs to Spring Fair, kicking off with a new collaboration with Ailsa Black. Based in beautiful Scotland, Ailsa takes her inspiration from the wildlife she meets on her walks with failed sheepdog Jack, and you’ll find sunbathing seals, lazy cats, Highland coos (and Jack of course!) among the designs. As Holy Mackerel Director Katie Meeke points out: “Ailsa’s gorgeously vibrant artwork is a fantastic fit for our range, which is already known for its rainbow of colours as well as its little tweaks of humour.’’

And talking of splashes of colour, it wouldn’t be Spring Fair without a host of new Erica Sturla cards, featuring her brilliant polymer clay figures. There are 33 new designs launching in January, with new 35th, 45th, 85th and 95th birthday cards, cards for snowboarders and kitesurfers, and lots of fresh new relations birthday designs.

The Alternative Image range of retro black and white photographic cards is brimming over with new cards too, in both rectangular and square formats. Watch out for some iconic 20th century images – from dinosaurs out shopping to female footballers booting up, and the ever-elegant Fred Astaire, mid-leap!

Rosie Brooks has added to her Whole Lotta Rosie collection with new wedding cards and some gorgeous new GCSE exam congratulations cards, all ready for summer.

And if it’s mini cards you’re after, check out the new designs in the Small Fry range of 10cm greetings cards, with bumble bees, bouquets and a beautiful little puffin!

Holy Mackerel 01395 578571 sales@holy-mackerel.co.uk | www.holy-mackerel.co.uk

Chin chin!

Hall 3 Stand P45

Cath Tate Cards is gearing up for an exciting Spring Fair this year. Rosie Tate and the team are itching to share their new products for 2023 and to catch up with all their lovely customers. With lots of hilarious new humour cards, art cards, and new collaborations, it’s a bumper crop of newness this year! New for the show is Lucy Loves This, a range of eight elegantly foiled designs by designer and printmaker Lucy Stephens. Each card features a classic cocktail with the ingredients listed within the image. The range is foiled with complementing matte colours and comes with an ivory envelope. Cocktails are a bit of a theme this year with another new range70s-inspired, Piña Colada. These 12 designs with hilarious captions featuring an embossed retro typeface and 70s colours - but with a twist of modern humour. Chin chin! They come with a kraft envelope and all cards are printed in the UK on 100% recycled paper.

Fresh and floral

Hall 3 Stand S31

New for 2023, Laura Darrington Design presents the latest round of new designs in its Utopia Collection - a beautifully modern collection featuring eclectic florals and fresh contemporary design - all bursting with colour.

Comprising everyday captions including male/female Birthday, Congratulations, Age Cards, Sympathy and Thank You.

Every design features a heavy emboss and spot UV glosscomplemented with a bespoke printed envelope as standard.

As part of the collection, there are also new pack cards featuring five cards/envelopes all lovingly presented in a fully recyclable brown craft box.

In a fight to eradicate single-use plastic, each card comes packed without a cello-bag but held firm with a Kard-Klasp to keep the envelope in place.

Come and see them in glorious technicolour at this year’s Spring Fair. Laura Darrington Design 0116 2849660 | info@lauradarrington.com www.lauradarrington.com

Patel, director at The Seed Card Company, charts the company’s success, explains its planet-friendly aims - and reveals some of its latest ranges - see Hall 3 Stand P15

Tell us the background of the company. During Covid, Lewis, Jit and I found ourselves going from running two successful companies to twiddling our thumbs overnight. Not ones for just sitting around, we came together and The Seed Card Company was born.

Jit and I have worked with Seed Card with our other company for over eight years and we always were in awe of this incredible material. It was our corporate clients, who are always striving for positive environmental impact, that spurred us to work with the material back then.

Initially our aim was to set up a successful brand with a compelling product

contains a mix of six wildflowers seeds, which include Bird’s Eye, Black Eyed Susan, Catchfly, Clarkia, Snapdragon and Sweet Alyssum, and we recently launched carrot seed cards.

We’re also developing a whole host of new blends but they take a lot of R&D so watch this space!

We’ll be launching The Wet Lettuce collection plus our new basil and parsley collection at Spring Fair, as well as a very exciting collaboration with Emily Smith Designs, who is awesome!

Alongside notecard sets we launched our seed card gift tags and coordinating post-consumer waste wrapping paper towards the end of 2022. We will be showcasing our new thank you card sets too.

What are your best selling ranges?

We have 15 ranges; Plant Pot People (PPP), Continuous and The Doodlings are easily our bestsellers. PPP is so popular as the plant pot characters are relatable - it’s just such a perfect fit with seed card. Continuous appeals to our more discerning clients and The Doodlings to the more cheeky ones!

Talk to us about your eco-friendly credentials. Seed card is made from other people’s waste, they are biodegradable and we print the truly sustainable material with vegan-friendly inks. Our envelopes are made from recycled materials and biodegradable too. All of our packaging is recycled, and can be recycled.

Any

plans in the pipeline?

More seed types is definitely the first and foremost development – we want people to be able to grow an entire meal from our cards! But we are not stopping at greeting cards. We have some exciting new product ranges in development (sorry - I’m not allowed to say what just yet!).

Anything in particular you are especially proud of?

Building The Seed Card Company from just an idea to being stocked in a number of independents and chains within the two years of being launched just makes us so grateful and appreciative of each other. Being recognised in the industry by some of the major publishers is humbling, and being featured in national newspapers that your family and friends pick up and read is just so rewarding.

to keep a roof over our heads, but the focus became doing more for our planet. How could we change the game of the humble greeting card –change the script and create a brand that stands for something rather than the bottom line being the sole focus?

Tell us about your artists/designs. Being in design and print for over 30 years collectively, we are fortunate to be able to create all of our artwork in house. We’ve all had a hand in designing our collections and products, but as the business has grown, we’ve all found the roles which we excel at. What can people grow from your cards? We launched with the wildflower seed card. This

We use zero plastic and plant trees for every order we receive. We also print on demand, which has been well received by our stockists when needing urgent topups. These rules trickle down to our POS stands – all made from upcycled wood.

Do you support retailers in any particular ways?

We try to be as flexible as possible. We understand that one shoe doesn’t always fit all so try to accommodate most requests, no matter how small. All of our products have custom-made POS stands and signage to help retailers get our message across to consumers, and we even provide offcuts for them to create their own living displays.

Are you planning to exhibit at any shows this year?

We are at Spring Fair, PG Live, Harrogate and Autumn Fair this year, so pop by to say hello. Lewis and Kay, especially, love a good chat!

We also launched a new point of sale wrapping paper, tag and card stand, which Lewis likes to call ‘The One Stop Seed Card Shop’. The reception it received at Autumn Fair not only from stockists but also fellow peers within the industry was such a proud moment for us three, as the project was truly blood, sweat and tears and a real show of what we can achieve.

Reasons why retailers should stock your cards?

If there is one thing the three of us know, it’s every little thing about seed card. The do’s and don’ts - from how to ensure we provide the best seed card, to ensuring the seeds germinate before and after it has been printed. The industry is being flooded with this beautiful card but it is really important to us to ensure that the products we supply to our stockists actually do grow and it’s not just a gimmick.

Kay

‘’We want people to be able to grow an entire meal from our

A warm welcome

Hall 5 H34-J35

Warmies is back exhibiting at Spring Fair again for 2023; this is a huge part of its business calendar, and something the team look forward to year-round.

Spring Fair has been an integral part of the business for well over 25 years; warming the hearts - and handsof its customers is what Warmies strives to do, so having the opportunity to meet customers both old and new is an integral part of Warmies as a company.

From soft toys to hot water bottles, boots and neck wraps, as well as children’s books, Warmies offers something for everyone. With its ever-growing collection expanding more each year, the friendly sales team will be on hand to take you through the ranges and show you why they are loved worldwide.

This year, Warmies will be showcasing more than 30 new plush designs, from a Sealife collection, to Fruit, and a range of Dinosaurs; these new lines are something completely different for the company, and they can’t wait for you to see the designs.

Spring Fair will also see the launch of 12 new Supersized Cushions. You can expect to see designs including a Baby Penguin, Octopus, Frog, Sloth, and a

Lemon, to name but a few. All furry designs will mirror the already popular Warmies Plush products.

You’ll be able to look through the soft toy collections and flick through the new children’s books, and even feel the quality of the fabric used for the luxury collection that your customers are sure to love.

Stop by and say hello to the friendly sales team, who will be ready and waiting with answers to any questions you may have.

Intelex

Group (UK) 01933 679 777  sales@warmies.co.uk  www.warmies.co.uk

Boxing clever

Hall 4

Stand E81

Cotton & Grey is launching a new ‘A little box of’ collection that includes 16 great titles. All pure beeswax, these relaxation candles come wrapped in a life-affirming message to lift the spirits and enhance mental health. Each candle burns for 20 minutes, allowing a period of calm in the beautiful flickering light, enabling you to reflect on the words you have been gifted. For Card Shops, there’s a ‘Just to say…’ collection that has all the sentiment of a greeting card, combined with relaxation candles that encourage people to take 20 minutes of guilt-free time out of their day. Each set contains 12 pure beeswax candles and a ceramic holder, presented in a stylish monochrome or coloured gift wrapped box, which includes a ‘With Love’ card that can be personalised with a handwritten note if desired.

Classic characters

Hall 3, Stand M10-N11

Rainbow Designs will have many of its much-loved and inspiring nursery and gift collections on display in the Cardgains Village, at Spring Fair. Showcasing some of the most nostalgic and cherished characters from children’s literature, Rainbow will launch exciting new additions to its Disney’s Classic Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Peanuts’ Snoopy, Paddington, and the ever-popular Guess How Much I Love You ranges, as well as two exciting new Disney Mickey Mouse collections and a new distribution collection; Animal Adventure.

The Animal Adventure Soft Toy Collection, which will be available this summer, includes an extensive range of adorable soft and squishy cuddly toys for all ages and features the mini collections of Little Luxuries Plush, Puppy Pals, Dangle Bears, Dinoriffics, Barnyard Buddies and Puddle Jumpers as well as the Squeeze with Love Collection, including the Little Dumplings.

In a spin

Hall 3 Stand L31

The luxury greeting card brand Fox & Butler (exclusively available from Pigment) was re-launched in 2021 with a wide range of general birthday and occasion cards. Designed and produced locally in Yorkshire, the collection features subtle hues, lustrous foil stamping and traditional die-making with luxury gold burnished envelopes. After a great reception from upmarket independents up and down the country, the collection has since been widened to include all major captions, milestone ages and anniversaries.

All designs are now available on a new boutique style Fox & Butler branded spinner, crafted from natural wood and painted in off-white hues to elevate the look of the cards perfectly.

In response to customer demand, Pigment has now further expanded the brand into the premium stationary sector. The stationery range includes notebooks, journals, jotter pads and notecard sets crafted from the finest materials and featuring fine Italian papers, faux leather finishes and fine emboss detailing.

The full greeting card and stationery ranges will be on display for the very first time at Spring Fair, where retailers will be offered a special 20% reduced introductory package with a total RRP value of over £500.

A focal theme for Rainbow is Bedtime Cuddles and Stories, an important aspect in establishing good sleep habits and that essential bonding time. The playfully mischievous Peter Rabbit, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Guess How Much I Love You, Elmer and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt soft toy collections, along with new additions, Maisy, Bagpuss and Giraffes Can’t Dance, all coupled with the adored character storybooks, makes a wonderful gifting combination for those bedtime cuddles and stories.

Rainbow’s iconic and contemporary Peanuts collection showcases the coolest Beagle on the planet, Snoopy. The Everybody Loves Snoopy range features Charles Schulz’ much-loved iconic characters in a range of cuddly soft toys and a new for 2023, a series of lifestyle cushions, perfect gifts for any Snoopy fan.

Super seven at London Stationery Show

This spring sees the return of the London Stationery Show, the UK’s only event dedicated to the paper, arts and crafts, writing instruments, and greeting cards sectors. Take a look at seven of the most exciting features taking place this May:

1. 150+ brands

Presenting a uniquely curated collection of more than 150 brands, ranging from internationally renowned suppliers to independent boutique designers, London Stationery Show unites the very best in the industry. Alongside hosting legacy brands and global empires such as Manuscript Brands, Leuchtturm1917 and Edding UK, London Stationery Show also champions some of the newer names on the scene in the dedicated Boutique Collection.

2. Boutique Collection

The Boutique Collection is centred around innovation, as unique, independent suppliers present their product offerings to allow retailers the chance to discover something original for their shop. If looking for your next hero product, the Boutique Collection is designed with retailers in mind.

3. Business Advice Clinics

To ensure the retailer experience at London Stationery Show is the best that it can be, the Indie Matters Business Advice Clinics will return, offering the chance to boost your business potential with one-to-one sessions with the most knowledgeable experts within the industry. Whether you need advice on marketing, social media, sales strategy, or financial planning, the Indie Matters clinics are an unmissable opportunity to take away actionable steps from a panel of professionals.

4. Live Talks

The Retail Matters Live Talks are a fantastic opportunity for retailers to learn from the best and brightest in the industry. Aimed specifically at helping stationery retailers enhance their business, the seminar content is tailored specifically to the needs of stationery business owners. With topics ranging from sales techniques to mastering PR, creative content strategy to trade show exhibition advice to name but a few, retailers will have more than just new stock to take back to their business.

5.

Creative Matters Workshops

Sponsored by Jakar International, the Creative Matters Workshops are an opportunity for retailers to get hands-on with the products they’re looking to stock. Exhibitors will hold interactive demonstrations, allowing retailers to try before they buy.

6. LaunchPad

LaunchPad is an exciting competition for new stationery suppliers looking to break into the dynamic, design-led stationery market. Winners will showcase their products alongside top brands at London Stationery Show. LaunchPad is judged by leading names from the sector who are looking for innovative and exciting stationery that stands out from the crowd.

7. Stationery Matters Awards

Each year, the Stationery Matters Awards applaud the finest achievements in the stationery sector and shine a light on the hero products of tomorrow. Encompassing a wide range of categories including arts and crafts, sustainable stationery, gift packing and wrap, notebooks and journals, writing instruments, diaries and calendars and more, the top products from each category will be displayed on the Mezzanine level of the Business Design Centre, where retailers can interact with what could be their next best-selling product. Entries officially close on March 6, so apply today.

What: London Stationery Show

When: May 16-17

Where: Business Design Centre, Islington Web: www.stationeryshowlondon.co.uk

All aboard the Skylark!

Cinnamon Aitch is launching a further 12 designs to add to its popular skinny notebooks range.

Skylark nods to the beauty of nature and characters within it. Handpainted animals and scenes include an otter, badger and birds, prettily illustrated with flowers and blossom. The bestselling Gypsy range has proved popular with its bright colour and collage designs, which include flowers, bees and the occasional hedgehog. Each 40-page notebook is bound with an eco, kraft paper belly band and all are made entirely in the UK. Sold in sixes, at pocket money prices, if 12 designs are bought there is the option of a complimentary counter top display.

The Skylark designs have also been sensitively translated into little card packs; five packs of cards perfect for small notes, ‘just to say’, or simply ‘thank you’. The packs complement the notebooks and cards perfectly, while handmade soy wax candles and handmade eco soaps continue the story into gift - all new for January.

See the loveliness at Spring Fair Stand 3P44.

Cinnamon Aitch 0121 773 6833 hello@cinnamonaitch.co.uk www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk

Metal jacket

The Exacompta Clairefontaine Group has added metallic colours to its Rhodia soft cover Goalbook and notebook ranges - gold, copper, bronze, titanium and white, each having a metallic sheen.

The A5 size Rhodia Goalbook is perfect for journalling as each book contains 240 pages (224 numbered pages, six page index and two perpetual calendars) with a choice of white or ivory paper printed with a subtle dot grid. They also feature an expanding pocket for tickets, receipts etc, elasticated closure, two ribbon bookmarks and a pen loop.

The Rhodia notebooks are a handy A5 size and contain 160 pages of lined ivory paper, an expanding pocket, ribbon bookmark and elasticated closure.

ExaClair 01553 696600 enquiries@exaclair.co.uk | www.exaclairlimited.com

Making a note...

One for our stationery lovers. Notebooks, journals and more to make that home office a nicer place to be!

By the book

Every format of M&G’s notebook and journal collection has been refreshed with new designs, including new mini notebooks and mini notebook sets. There are new Password books, Address books, and Perpetual planner diaries. M&G’s popular year planner and calendar ranges have both been expanded with a wider selection of designs.

M&G’s Notecards and social stationery hang-packs have been thoroughly refreshed, and the company has also now eliminated plastics from its construction.

New products on show at Spring Fair include Luxury Square Notecard Wallets with branded aperture outers and containing six each of one design, and Everyday Theme Packs – by popular request, an everyday version of M&G’s Christmas theme boxes. A launch range of 12 boxes featuring iconic designs will be on show. Museums & Galleries 01373 461455 | sales@mgml.co.uk | www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Bringing joy

Raspberry Blossom’s stationery edit Happiness is full of dreamy and brightly coloured notebooks, tear-off planners and other luxurious paper goodies.

Happiness was born out of the desire to bring joy and life to the writing materials we use every day. Colour is well and truly embedded throughout the stationery as the folk at Raspberry Blossom believe it can help us to feel more engaged and focused and feeling ready to take on the day.

Raspberry Blossom 01926 257757 www.raspberryblossom.com

Photo finish

Exacompta has added the beautiful Ellipse range to its collection of premium-quality photo albums.

The soft leatherette covers with a metallic rose gold Ellipse design offer a sophisticated look to the albums, which are available in three subtle shades – celadon green, grey and old pink. The heavyweight paper used in both album styles is FSC certified, making them an eco-friendly purchase.

The traditional book style album (29x32cm) contains 60 white pages and will hold up to 300 photos (10x15cm) and features crystal interleaves for additional protection of the photos. The wire-bound version (32x22cm) has 50 white pages and will hold up to 150 photos (10x15cm).

Ellipse guest books are also available in the same colours with a metallic rose gold Ellipse design and feature 100 premium quality Clairefontaine 100gsm plain pages, which are gilt-edged for a luxurious look.

Exacompta has also launched the new Ellipse range of filing products, which includes display books, ring binders and filing boxes.

ExaClair 01553 696600

sales@exaclair.co.uk | www.exaclairlimited.com

Festive feeling

With the Christmas season still fresh in retailers’ minds, now is a great time to think about what you want to add to your offering for the last quarter of the year. We unwrap some of the designs for Christmas 2023…

Bewilderbeest

Bewilderbeest has added to the load of old baubles that make up its Christmas card selection. It now has a daft card design for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, as well as a pack for the whole set.

Richly detailed illustrations, coupled with a creamy textured cardstock thick enough to spoon brandy butter with, give the cards a premium festive feel. These best-selling, genuinely absurd and funny Christmas cards will be sure to outlive the other cards on the mantlepiece!

07742895283 info@bewilderbeest.co.uk www.bewilderbeest.co.uk

Cath Tate Cards

In addition to its popular and bestselling humour ranges, Cath Tate Cards’ Christmas offering is complemented by new 2023 ranges that are bright, bold, and foiled with festive fabulousness. New in the Hot Foils range are eight Christmas editions – foiled designs with cheeky messages and Christmas greetings. The Bring on the Sprouts! design is a firm favourite this year for the office team. The bestselling Max Made Me range has also expanded to include Christmas designs; six hand-painted Christmas foliage designs with gold foiled text and borders.

The Modern Icons Christmas selection features wellknown famous characters with a Christmas twist, and the brilliant Terrific Humas range includes more hilarious new designs this year. All cards are printed in the UK on 100% recycled paper and come with red envelopes.

0208 671 2166 orders@cathtatecards.com www.cathtatecards.com

Cherry Orchard

Cherry Orchard has extended its range in the Christmas 2023 collection catering for those hard-to-find but popular titles. Having a great variety of traditional, cute and modern designs gives plenty of choice to customers. Getting Christmas stock on display earlier has proved to be a great success for retailers, so plan ahead so you’re ready for the Christmas rush.

If you would like to find out more about Cherry Orchard’s Christmas 2023 designs then contact the Customer Care Team, who can send you a brochure with more information.

01684 295500

info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Museums & Galleries

Museums & Galleries has announced a new range of cards and gift wrap featuring Robin Robin from Aardman. This is Aardman’s first stop-motion musical, first broadcast on Netflix and created and directed by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, about a sweet-natured and curious Robin who is adopted by a family of burglar mice. The M&G team think everyone will be charmed by this delightful new Christmas classic, which has been translated to cards, boxes and wrap. 01373 461455 sales@mgml.co.uk www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Roshah Designs

Roshah Designs has a fabulous collection of Xmas designs available to stock for AW2023. The Cat collection is inspired by the naughty duo Oreo and Dobbi, whose antics are documented in Roshah’s cards throughout the year - and all cat lovers will know what they can get up to!

The Balle Balle Xmas collection features a lovable turban-clad Santa wishing all a jolly Xmas. Roshah’s balle balle Santa has a big belly, white beard and jolly character that will brighten anyone’s Christmas. Please contact Robina for all enquiries. 07375106666 roshah002@gmail.com www.roshahdesigns.co.uk

Disney magic

The Walt Disney Company needs no introduction - and as it celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, interest in all things from the house of the mouse is bound to be heightened. As CEO Bob Chapek said at a launch event for the celebrations: “Ten decades of creativity, innovation, and determination created The Walt Disney Company you know today - the most enduring and beloved name in entertainment.’’

Gift company Enesco’s marketing & product director Helen Cotrrill commented: ‘’Disney is so special, loved worldwide by collectors and fans of all ages. A love of Disney tends to flow through the generations of a family, with the anniversary films being as popular now as they were when they were launched. It’s so special to be able to work with Disney, across several collections, each one with their own unique traits.

‘’We have added anniversary product to our main product offerings, so there will be product within Disney Traditions, Disney Britto, Enchanting Disney, and Showcase. It was a global collaboration with our US team with weekly meetings for many months, to ensure we had the right product for all markets.’’

Danilo

A number of experiences, exhibitions, concerts and new products are set to come to the UK this year, increasing consumer interest. Disney100: The Concert will bring to life Disney 100 Years of Wonder in May and June with a live multimedia experience, while Disney100: The Exhibition will take guests on a journey through Disney’s past, immersing them in the beloved stories that have been entertaining the world since 1923. The Exhibition will come to the ExCeL in London in autumn 2023.

Wonder of Friendship – The Experience is an immersive multi-sensory experience coming to London in May and targeted at Gen Zs and young adults, with 1,000 square metres of different experiences and installations set across four rooms, including Alice in Wonderland, Lilo & Stitch, The Lion King and Mickey and Friends.

Disney’s Wonder of Play celebrates 100 years of characters, stories and product, and is a global campaign that will encourage families to play more by helping parents and guardians integrate imaginative play into everyday moments and make the most of time together.

There’s also a host of new product (some included on these pages) and Disney will also be encouraging fans to share their favourite Disney moments on social media using #ShareTheWonder and #Disney100.

Celebrating its centenary year in 2023, Danilo will be joining in the jubilations by including a wide variety of Disney titles in its calendar and diary portfolio, ranging from Disney Classics to live-action movies. Danilo will be adding new calendar titles for movies such as The Little Mermaid, Elemental, The Marvels and more. Plus, with the Star Wars brand growing significantly in recent years, building on the classic movies, there will be new additions to the franchise such as Visions, Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. Marvel will also be returning to the 2024 collection, where different calendar formats will be created for characters across the Marvel Comics universe for the likes of Loki, Groot, Ant-man and The Wasp, Blade, X-Men, Spiderman and more. 01992 702 900 sales@danilo.com www.danilo.com

As global giant The Walt Disney Company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, retailers can ride on the coat tails of a number of celebratory events…

Enesco

Contemporary gift retailer Enesco is going for gold with new presentations of figurines inspired by Disney’s best-loved characters in its ever-popular Britto collection.

International pop art sensation Romero Britto has interpreted some of the world’s favourite Disney characters in figurines through his signature style.

Now, for the first time, Britto is bringing splashes of gold to his bold popart designs. Pieces in Disney’s Midas Collection by Britto include figurines of Mickey Mouse, Sorcerer Apprentice Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Stitch, as well as fun and funky mugs featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and another showcasing everyone’s favourite little blue alien – Stitch.

New to Enesco’s licensed collection, Disney Showcase, is Aloha Stitch Figurine.

Fans of the 2002 film Disney’s Lilo and Stitch will love this figurine, with Stitch wearing his tropical print red and white swimming shorts in a pose as if he is taking to the waves and riding the ‘Hawaiian rollercoaster ride’.

Meanwhile, a new storybook figurine has been introduced to Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Carefully created in the form of a 3D storybook, Jim Shore’s artistry brings some of Disney’s best-loved tales to life, with iconic scenes depicting heroes and villains.

The Maleficent Storybook draws on original artwork from Disney’s 1959 animated movie Sleeping Beauty and sees Maleficent in her dragon form engage in a fiery battle with Princess Aurora’s very own knight in shining armour, Prince Phillip, with the castle in the background.

Carefully created using a palette of greys, purples, and blues to depict Maleficent’s dark nature, Shore’s synonymous design style is clear, through the use of intricate carvings and motif patterns inspired by American folk art.

Another new Disney Traditions by Jim Shore figurine, features a grouping of six Disney Princesses in one standalone figurine.

The Princess Group Castle figurine sees Tiana, Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Mulan and Aurora huddle together as if posing for a photograph in front of a Disney castle.

Each princess is depicted in her iconic costume, such as Tiana’s dress

presented in shades of green and adorned with white lilies and Belle’s beautiful yellow gown from the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast.

Finally, Enesco is launching a new range of lithophanes into its Enchanting Disney Collection.

A lithophane is an etched or moulded piece of artwork in very thin translucent porcelain that can be seen clearly only when backlit. Lithophane pictures have three-dimensional characteristics and change their appearance as the light source angle is changed.

The first lithophoane is Never Land’s Waiting, inspired by the scene from Disney’s Peter Pan where Peter, Tinker Bell and the Darling children leave the confines of their nursery and soar across the London skyline as they head off to Never Land.

The second lithophane is Beauty Within, inspired by the iconic ballroom scene from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, bringing to life the image of Belle in her beautiful ball gown as she dances in the arms of the Beast.

Rainbow Designs

Rainbow Designs is launching new additions to its Disney’s Classic Pooh, as well as two exciting new Disney Mickey Mouse collections.

To celebrate Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder, on display at Spring Fair will be the adorable new Mickey Memories collection, a beautiful, luxury collection of fun forever toys and gifts delivered in stunning packaging that features the iconic Mickey Mouse vintage artwork. The range includes a Mickey Mouse Wooden Ring Rattle, Comfort Blanket and Activity Toy, as well as an adorable Musical Lullaby Mickey Mouse Toy. 01329 227300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Tell us about you!

I’m Iain (with two ‘I’s, put ‘em wherever you like). My business is Bewilderbeest, and I run it from sunny Suffolk, with my wife Maddy.

Our cat, Colonel Mustang, is head of comms, and our dog, Major Ajax, is head of logistics.

Tell us a little about the story behind you becoming an artist and starting Bewilderbeest.

I started Bewilderbeest with the unorthodox approach of falling off a (very small) ski jump and injuring my leg. While recuperating I did some painting, got asked by a gallery to sell my art through them, refused in shock, and then decided to see if I could sell it myself. After that, I printed some cards on my home printer, took them to an agricultural show, and now, several years later, we’ve won a Henries award (2022 Most Promising Young Designer) and make a living from my daft cards.

Do you have any artist ‘heroes’ that inspire your work - and why?

I love people who have a few bats loose in the belfry, such as Spike Milligan, Edward Gorey and the poet Tim Key. They just make you think about things from a different angle. As much as I love them, I do also regularly curse them for coming up with so many good ideas before me.

What was your very first card design?

The first one that I sold was our How Now Brown Cow card (below). It’s very silly, and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but then the same could be said of me.

Talk us through how the process works when you design a card.

Once I have an idea that I like, I’ll make a ridiculously small sketch of it in my sketchbook, leave it a few weeks, then see if I still like it. I then gather up some reference images, think of any odd details

I’d like to try to include, and set pencil to paper... then pen to paper, then paintbrush, then pen once again.

Once the painting is done, I scan it in, pop it on a 5 x 7 inch card, and then bully my local printer into doing multiple variations for me, before declaring it done.

In case you haven’t picked up on this, I’m not very quick at drawing, which is why most of my designs tend to be evergreen, rather than ‘on trend’. I mean, I’m only just finding out about Line Of Duty now!

There’s a lot of humour in your cardshow do you get inspired to make things funny?!

There are lots of jokes and puns that have been done many times before, so I do my best to think of something a bit offbeat where I can.

I’m always playing practical jokes and look out for weird signs, misspelt adverts, odd sayings taken out of context, and anything that, to my mind, just seems a bit ‘off’. I then leave my brain to simmer, giving it the occasional stir, to see if it comes up

with something absurd. As my wife Maddy will confirm, a lot of the things I come up with are less ‘funny, haha’, and more ‘funny, that’s a bit weird’. Thankfully, enough ideas are considered ‘funny, haha’ to allow me to make a living!

What’s your favourite subject to draw and why?

I love drawing animals because people relate to them so much. If I draw them in clothes, or have them do ‘human’ things, then so much the better. I’ve never heard anyone turn down a drawing of a cod in a flat cap walking two pet pollocks (the cod’s pollocks).

Also, and possibly more importantly, I’m rubbish at drawing people. Top tip – if you can’t draw faces well, never agree to draw someone’s child. It’ll all end in tears.

Any designs you have in the pipeline or would like to do in the near future?

I’ve more ideas than you can shake a disturbingly big stick at. Several dog designs are on the way (people love their pets), along with some historical figures, and a drunk koala. I’m also gradually working my way through an alphabet of animal collective nouns – suggestions for the letter Y welcome!

Slay the dragon!

The Dragons Speed Dating event is always popular - and two more retailers have recently confirmed their attendance - greeting card retail chain Scribbler, and Presents, gift shops based in East Sheen and Barnes, London. They’ll be joining WHSmith, Stationery Supplies, Card Factory, and Tesco.

The event, on March 2 at the Business Design Centre in London offers a good opportunity for established publishers to show new products and build on established relationships. New businesses can get feedback on designs and learn more about what buyers are looking for - and hopefully get some orders!

Publishers can also attend a zoom pre-meeting to help you prepare to Slay the Dragon on Tuesday 31 January 2023. Sarah Laker from Stationery Supplies and Giraffe Gifts will be joining the zoom to let you know what she’ll be looking for from publishers in 2023, and sharing her advice on how to prepare for, and get the most out of, Dragons Speed Dating. Carolyn Verderame, sales director at Caroline Gardner Publishing, will also be on hand to offer help and advice.

Members can find out more on the GCA website.

Seeing the wood through the trees

Following a meeting with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the GCA has produced a blog outlining the various requirements of FSC certification.

The Forest Stewardship Council is an organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.

To be able to use the FSC logo on products, companies must adhere to a strict set of guidelines; the card publisher does not have to hold its own certification, but to display the FSC label, it must use an FSC certified and be printing on FSC-certified materials. It is, however, according to recent research, worthwhile, as the public are now familiar with the certification.

Research conducted in 2022 on behalf of FSC UK, revealed that six in 10 people in the UK reported becoming more conscious of the sustainability of both products and packaging, with 35% saying they keep an eye out for certification labels when shopping for forest-based products. And 76% of people in the UK now recognise the FSC logo, while two thirds of those are also confident they understand, at least roughly, what it means.

Danilo’s Daniel Prince chairs the GCA Sustainability sub-committee. He told Greetings Today: ‘’The importance of sustainability work by the GCA cannot be understated. Today, more and more publishers are implementing sustainable practices for their business and their products. They are aware of the threats posed and want to make a difference.

‘’Additionally, pressures from retailers have increased due to growing sustainable regulations, buyer sustainability requirements and the increased demand for environmentally-friendly products and services.

‘’These pressures have begun to trickle down to greeting card publishers, leading to many becoming curious about how to transition to a more sustainable business, which the GCA is providing guidelines for.’’

For more see www.gca.cards/fsc-greeting-card-publishing

GCA continues fight to protect USO

GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson presented the card industry’s case in a high-powered meeting about Royal Mail’s threat to cut deliveries to five days a week. The Royal Mail’s USO (Universal Service Obligation) requires it to deliver letters to every address six days a week, however, the Royal Mail has requested release from the obligation.

With the current turmoil in government, and recognising that power may land with the Labour Party after the next General Election, Amanda met with Adam Terry MP, Labour’s head of policy department, as part of the GCA’s membership of the Independent Retailers’ Confederation.

Amanda told Greetings Today: ‘’We put the case to Adam Terry that we need to plan ahead and work the USO into Labour’s policy, so that there’s a chance of it being a focus in their general election campaign.’’

Adam Terry shared a letter written by Jonathan Reynolds (Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) to Business Secretary Grant Shapps, which was sent six days after the GCA had written to Reynolds with its concerns.

In it, Reynolds said: ‘’The ability to send and receive letters and parcels from any part of the UK for the same price is a public service we should rightly cherish, and one many members of the public and small businesses rely on. It is therefore important that your Department considers the potentially substantial implications for the taxpayer.’’

Amanda also received an email from Reynolds’ office, stating: ‘’We share your worries about the future of the USO. As well as being of crucial importance to sectors such as yours, the USO is vital for connecting local communities and is, for us, a key pillar of our union. We are in very regular contact with Royal Mail and CWU to monitor the situation and we can assure you that we will continue to press the Government at every opportunity to protect the USO.’’

Wonder wall

Spring Fair organiser Hyve has agreed to provide GCA members with a freestanding card display, in the entrance to the card hall, to promote and celebrate card sending - a great marketing opportunity to both direct buyers to your stand and promote card sending.

The large feature block wall will promote New Occasions and Diversity cards on one side, demonstrating to retailers the breadth and diversity available in the industry.

The other side of the wall will be devoted to Feel Good, general friendship, and Thinking of You, encouraging everyone to ‘send a card and deliver a smile’.

Members have been encouraged to contribute up to six cards, along with their company name and stand number, to direct show visitors to their stands.

The wall this year has been designed by Rebecca Green, creative director at Raspberry Blossom, and a GCA Council Member.

Dress for the seasons

The GCA offers toolkits that retailers can use to promote seasonal products - and at this time of year there’s plenty of events to plan.

The free toolkits have been designed by card publisher Raspberry Blossom, and you’ll find free-to-download social posts, bunting, posters and more to support your in-store marketing.

So whether you’re getting loved up for Valentine’s Day, egg-cited for Easter, marketing for Mother’s Day or firing up for Father’s Day, there’s free help available. Find links to them all at www.gca.cards/blog.

Sarah Laker of Stationery

Supplies will be helping publishers to Prepare to Slay The Dragon

‘Independent retailers - the bedrock of greeting cards’

Steve, can you share why indies remain the foundation of your business?

Pigment was born with an aim to serve independent retailers with affordable, high-quality greeting cards and so much of what we deliver is done with ‘local’ and ‘community’ in mind. It has been a challenging time for our independent retailers –lockdowns; the growth of online sales; the rise in the cost of living; and supply chain issues – but they continue to show their strength and resilience and find new ways to thrive. We share those same values.

Consumers still want a hands-on shopping experience with excellent customer service and that is always found when shopping local. All our cards are made locally, which means we have full control of the whole process, and we can design, develop, and deliver to our customers pretty quickly! We know that these are important factors as we are always listening to our independent retailer’s feedback. We get the best advice on our business approach and products from our customers, which we then share with the whole Pigment team to ensure that we are always getting better and producing cards that we know shoppers will love. We believe that the entrepreneurial spirit of our customers will win through and make the high street a pleasure to visit and spend time in. What do your independent customers look for from you as a publisher?

Great cards at great prices that

sell! That, alongside fantastic customer service and a constant stream of newness in design. Our customers are essential to our innovation and understanding of what makes our cards sell (or not) when competing against all the other amazing publishers we have in the UK right now. Having this valuable feedback alongside our sales analysis, gives us the very best ‘testing’ system to make sure we continue to adapt and keep producing great cards.

to any other ‘testing’ system that we have tried. As already mentioned, our customers really appreciate great customer service. This has been a challenge through the pandemic for everyone and so we have been really delighted to see the fantastic reception one of our new Reps, Jubel Ahmed, has had in our home county of Yorkshire and the North.

Are there any recent examples that demonstrate this way of product testing?

We have found having an employed sales team is key to all of this as they are our brand ambassadors and give us that great connection with our customers. No one can bring new concepts to the market as authentically as the creative, surprising independent. They are quick to spot a hit with their shoppers. They are essential to innovation in greetings. Most of the best brands begin in an independent shop.

Why did you go down the employed rep route rather than the agent route? Agents are fantastic, especially when you are a start-up publisher, or you are looking to open new territories. However, we have found that, because our business is built around our studio and the fast pace at which trends and ranges change, a singularly focused and employed sales team enables us to always present new ranges and concepts while also learning what is working, or possibly more importantly sometimes, what’s not. Six months of selling across the whole country gives us the most accurate read on which designs shoppers prefer. It’s foolproof and is superior

Last year we released Life in Pencil … a perfect fit for us and a lot of our independent customers. It had already been well road-tested by the artist, Shaun Vickers, at country  shows and craft fairs so we were confident there was a gap and an audience. We knew we had a hit quite quickly based on our indies’ sell-through and the reps’ and retailer feedback. This gave us the confidence to quickly increase the breadth of themes, especially designs with more male relevance.

What other support do you offer customers?

Our Humour Spinner has probably been one of our most successful platforms for selling cards with our independent customers. Pretty much any retail space can be successful with our spinner as it covers every humour sending scenario. Customer feedback has always been that having laughter in their stores is the best thing ever! However, in recent times we seem to be selling more and more of our wooden ‘Trend Spinners’ (Trend with a smile) which also raises a chuckle or two. Other than the spinners, we also offer a ‘rack planning’ service where we plan all the racks including all the publishers that the customer wants to work with. Increasingly, this is a much-appreciated service for a lot of customers who are working with less staff. We know their time is so important!

Pigment Productions’ sales and marketing director Steve Baker, on the importance of independent retailers

“Consumers still want a handson shopping experience with excellent customer service and that is always found when shopping local’’

Written with love

Tell us a little about Roshah Designs and how it started.

Roshah is something I had been meaning to do for many years now but I never had the confidence or belief I could do it. My husband Najaf always encouraged me to just go for it but, as you may have heard many times, life happens and dreams are put aside. I eventually started to create designs of ethnic greeting cards in 2013 with the help of my husband who provided me with some amazing hand calligraphy to use for my Eid collection. Unfortunately, in 2014, Najaf was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) on Valentine’s Day, and everything was put on hold.

He lost his battle with the illness the same year - six months after being diagnosed - and I packed away his beautiful calligraphy along with my dream.

Then in 2019 I was made redundant from my 10-year career designing socks and, while trying to find some paperwork a file fell into my lap; it was full of all his calligraphy he had created along with one of his anniversary cards he had given me, and I took that as a sign to make a start. I wasn’t sure how to do this so started my research and knew I wanted to offer ethnic/cultural cards from the high street as there was a lack of choice available.

So I set off emailing retailers and got a response from The Card Factory, and by January 2020 I had my first collection of cards available online. Then in March 2020 when Covid hit, like many others I was in lockdown and getting depressed and wanted to get myself motivated. So I started creating unique mandala designs and sharing them on my Instagram. This was my way to help others to relax while in lockdown. There was a huge request for the personalised sheets, and I must have sent out hundreds of colouring pages that could be downloaded at home.

Then followed requests for colouring books, which gave a massive boost to my confidence. The greeting

cards developed more and gift wrap was added too - and we then exhibited for the first time at PG Live in March 2022. It was a great experience and helped build my confidence to put the brand and products out further, and has given me opportunities to get my brand in magazines like this one and work with UK Greetings on introducing a range to be sold in Tesco this year, which was both amazing and surreal to see.

in John Lewis at the Trafford Centre, Manchester, which was a great success and confirmed the demand from a variety of customers/communities. Our cards are available online at Card Factory, Moonpig, Wuzci, Thortful and very soon on Scribbler online. We also sell wholesale via Faire & Ankorstore as well as through independent local stores, and hope to expand the offering in 2023.

Tell us about your new ranges?

We have a wonderful array of designs available for all occasions and I am working on some designs all the time. We are expanding our worded ranges that offer specific occasions for ethnic communities using cultural words such as Ammi (mum), Bhai (brother) Shaadi (wedding) etc.

Does Roshah have a particular style when it comes to design?

Not really. I have been a designer of a variety of products for over 25 years, so I have a varied style from ethnic mandala to cute characters and am always experimenting with new styles.

I design all my cards and gift wrap but am currently looking to introduce new talent in 2023 that brings in variety and creativity, so watch this space…

Why should retailers choose to stock ethnic designs?

There is definitely a huge demand for ethnic greeting cards and especially gift wrap and following my research I found the demand is there, but the product variety is very low. I would like Roshah to fill that gap in all the major high street retailers by 2025.

Tell us about who already stocks your designs and your pop-up shops.

In December we did our very first pop-up shop

How many ranges do you offer? We offer Mandalas, cats, cute animals, and wordings, and are constantly adding to this. The bright mandala patterns have been a favourite, along with the cats range.

Do you have any eco-friendly credentials you would like to mention?

Yes, all our products are manufactured in the UK and FSC accredited and recyclable.

Anything else you’d like to add?

It would be great to get more stockists of our cards and gift wrap and I would love to hear from anyone wanting to do so. We are also updating our website and will be relaunching in the new year. In the meantime please check out all our links on https://linktr.ee/roshah02

Present and correct Egg-citing!

Enesco will be offering a chance to see new gifts galore on its Spring Fair stand (Hall 4 Stand C61 & C60/D61).

New egg cups have been added to the popular Beatrix Potter collection. Ideal for Easter gifts, the egg-citing Beatrix Potter Egg Cups feature a figurine of one of four different characters from The World of Peter Rabbit, peering into a basket next to them, where the egg sits. Characters included in this collection are Jemima Puddleduck, Benjamin Bunny, Flopsy and of course everyone’s favourite bob-tailed bunny and main mischief maker, Peter Rabbit.

The company has a new collaboration with EttaVee - a lifestyle brand that expresses optimism and joy through the expressive use of colour. Created by American artist, designer and social media influencer, Jessi Raulet, her hand-painted, colourful and bold designs will be applied to homeware, décor, and ladies accessories. The new EttaVee collection includes acrylic storage trays, stainless steel water bottles, mugs, cooling wine bags, wall art, multifunctional trays, phone stands, aprons, square and curved pouches, keyrings, umbrellas, scarves and compact mirrors.

Two different designs - In The Groove and Jessi’s Garden - feature bright, bold and totally cheerful colour pallets; In The Groove with its psychedelic wave pattern, and Jessi’s Garden with a big and beautiful abstract floral print.

Enesco offers new homeware pieces from clocks to ceramic planters in the popular collection Allen Designs collection from American artist, Michelle Allen (pictured left).

The new Panda Clock features a black and white furry friend complete with a vibrant turquoise and yellow spotted neckerchief. This show-stopping piece uses a stick of bamboo as the time hand.

The new Panda Planter is the perfect bamboo-chomping companion for the Panda Clock, with the same wonderfully whimsical design bringing a quirky yet super stylish touch to your customers’ homes.

Fans of the boy wizard Harry Potter and his arch-nemesis, will also love the Voldemort Figurine, added to the ever-popular Wizarding World-inspired collection in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.

We ask Helen Cottrill, Enesco marketing & product director…

Have you expanded your product in this category over the past couple of years?

Card shops are a key part of our distribution, so we always make sure we keep them in mind when creating product, thinking carefully about packaging, size, pricing, and POS. Our new Etta Vee collection is perfect for this sector. We can’t wait to launch it at the shows.

What do you think we can expect to see from this category in the future?

In a tough economic climate, we always see an increase in functional gifts, mugs, votives, candles and umbrellas. Design, quality, and perceived value will be vital during 2023.

If a retailer could only stock one item or range from you - which would you recommend and why?

That’s a tough question, I think I would have to say Beatrix Potter; we have such a wide range of giftware, from soft toys, home, adult accessories, figurines, and general gift. Peter Rabbit is such an evergreen licence, loved by all generations and the brand recognition is extremely high. Plus, we have won awards for Baby, Home and Soft Toys in recent months.

The gifting range for greeting card shops continues to expand, and card retailers who add to their offering can expect to increase customer spend…

Bear necessity

Meet Barley Bear Plush from International Cards & Gifts (IC&G). Barley is a little Brown Bear who’s warm hearted, extra fluffy and has a smile and cuddles to share with your customers.

Barley Plush is available in 13 designs, and two sizes. There are 10 general bears, and two Christmas bears plus one super cuddly extra-large original bear.

Not only can customers choose their favourite designs, but they can personalise Barley by choosing one of many gift tags, with captions such as: To A Special Mum, To A Wonderful Daughter, For A Special Grandson, Get Well Soon, plus a range of ages.

Starter packs contain two of each of the 12 smaller bears, one Extra Large BarleyBear and free promotional point of sale display materials. This includes shelf talkers, A2 window posters, ‘Official Stockist’ door vinyls, foil balloons and a unique Barley Gift tag display stand.

To help drive and increase retailers’ awareness of Barley, IC&G initiated Barley’s

own social media profile hello.barleybear on Instagram. This has also been used to create and run a retailer window display competition, encouraging initial stockists to post pictures of their amazing displays using the hashtag #BarleyDisplay2022. The three best display winners were announced in December, and awarded a premium XL Barley Bear to add to their stocks free of charge.

In addition to this, IC&G has made available a lifesize Barley Bear suit, which can be booked via the sales team and shipped to and from stores. This can be used to launch Barley Bear promotions locally to help them generate local media interest, thus broadening Barley Bear’s exposure.

01202 897494 email customerservice@icgcards.com www.icgcards.com

Gifts of love

An Animal Adventure

The

Headlining the Baby Collection is the stylish Safe & Soft Collection, including beautiful My First and Baby Comfort Toys. Expanding the baby line further is the appealing aquatic Under the Sea Collection with a Soft Book, and adorable My First Plush Collection.

The Animal Adventure Cuddles Collection for Kids is an extensive range of soft toys in a wide variety of themes and formats, including the Little Luxuries Plush, Puppy Pals (including an adorable Corgi), Dangle Bears, Dinoriffics, Barnyard Buddies and Puddle Jumpers Plush. Completing the line-up is the oh-so-cute and squishy Squeeze with Love Collection, featuring the Little Dumplings.

Rainbow Designs 01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

We all love celebrating milestones, especially when it comes to ages and whether it’s an 18th or 60th birthday (or anything in between) these attractive Equilibrium milestone ages necklaces from Joe Davies, (Spring Fair Hall 4, Stand C10 – D11) are the perfect gift to treasure forever. Available in 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th, plated with real silver and packaged in a unique, modern ‘wardrobe’ style giftbox, there’s no denying these extra special gifts are just perfect for your special day.

One of the key trends in home décor continues to be miniature houses and the new Love Lane collection from Joe Davies has this look nailed! This pretty, shabby chic range of wooden home décor includes photo frames, table plaques, tea-lights, coaster sets and much more. Each piece features a row of softly coloured pastel houses and carries a special sentiment message… a fitting addition to any home.

Joe Davies 0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk

Gifts are all wrapped up!

Belly Button Designs has added to its giftware for Spring 2023 with items such as trinket dishes and ceramic pots to appeal to interiors-savvy consumers.

Another growing trend is the demand for organisational products, and Belly Button continues to expand its notebook, planner and padfolio offer.

With gift wrap, new this spring is an expanded collection of Eco gift wrap - designed to complement Belly Button’s wide range of stylish greeting cards, stationery and giftware - and provided as flat wrap in a paper wallet.

There are 19 new luxury eco flat wrap packs (pictured, top right), each with four beautifully printed sheets of high-quality, uncoated FSC certified paper and two co-ordinating pop-out gift tags. The paper is thick enough to re-use and is printed using vegetable inks. It’s 100% plastic-free, designed in-house at the BB studio and sustainably made in the UK.

As an added incentive to get organised this spring, Belly Button Designs has a gorgeous selection of bright and beautiful designs in giftware and stationery. Pen pots and pen sets, to-do lists planners, notebooks and notelets, all in matching vibrant designs.

Giftware also includes the new Tulip Mr & Mrs mugs shortlisted for Gift of the Year.

New card collections

Hue is

Nature’s hues give contrast and depth while tactile emboss engages both sight and touch, everything you need to enhance the sincerity of card giving.

Elle - the power of celebrating the everyday! Includes 26 new Everyday and Milestone Age designs. Henries Award Winners 2022 for Best Occasions & Relations Range, Elle has been at the heart of Belly Button Designs for over 25 years. The best-selling signature range goes beyond the ordinary with a little luxury, elevating the everyday, rekindling friendships - helping everyone stay connected, celebrated and nurtured.

Intricately hand drawn with delicate highlights of foil and emboss. High-quality, elegant, unique design... and a bit fabulous!

Designed and sustainably made in the UK. Printed on beautiful FSC certified board and 100% plastic-free. Carefully crafted to be both beautiful, kept and treasured forever.

Heyyy Cards

Alljoy Design

Alljoy Design’s children’s pop-up cards have been shortlisted for Gift of the Year, and Henries awards. There are more than 80 designs, from kids’ ages to general birthday and celebration occasions. These cards are flat packed and simply pop up to create a stunning card. The cards are 155mm x 155mm.

+353 (0)1 630 1213 info@alljoydesign.com Looking

Heyyy Cards would like to introduce Tiny & Terrific – a collection of bright, fun and genderneutral, childhood-themed age cards. This nostalgic collection features 22 designs (ages one to 11), depicting toys and games that will pull on the heartstrings of both children and parents alike. Henries finalist 2022. 07488 283524 hello@heyyycards.co.uk www.heyyycards.co.uk

Trends:

Child’s play

Paperlink

There’s nothing quite as special as a first birthday, but every juvenile year is a real cause for celebration. If you’re looking for something to really stand out, Paperlink’s 3D Hopscotch range. Sunbeam catches the eye with its bold foiled numbers, Bangers and Flash’s striking colours cause a stir, and Tutti Frutti is often flavour of the month with customers.

Cherry Orchard

Cherry Orchard’s cute range

Buttercup and Friends are the most adorable range to send to a child on their special birthday. The collection of 14 Open Birthday cards have beautifully-drawn woodland animals, and each design shows their birthday adventure. Having a birthday picnic, dancing with balloons and birthday wishes are all popular designs from this range. The Code 60 cards come with a pretty lilac envelope and have a subtle gold foil finish. 01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

020 7582 8244 info@paperlink.co.uk www.paperlink.uk

You’ve Got Pen On Your Face

You’ve Got Pen On Your Face has expanded its children’s gift wrap and card selection. Ever bold and graphic, the new creations offer lots of simplicity to convey happiness to the little people that matter most. The new card range covers ages one to 10 based around an eye-catching cupcake and candle image. The gift wrap is seriously colourful and guaranteed to make your present a standout on the big occasion. The company is currently working on a birthday card range to take you through the trickier teenage years. Watch this space!

hello@youvegotpenonyourface.com www.youvegotpenonyourface.com

Retail100 consulting director and co-founder Anna Berry discusses how buyers can get the most out of trade shows

Best laid plans...

While planning may not be the most exciting topic, it’s absolutely vital when it comes to making the most of a trade show - and will pay dividends for both you and your suppliers.

Planning will allow you to make connections and discover new opportunities, which is the joy of any trade show. As American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison said: “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”

Before you attend a show, prepare and plan ahead. Exhibitions now have comprehensive websites and apps to enhance this.

Early arrival at a show can be really helpful in catching suppliers - particularly if it’s a popular company that you have not made an appointment with. Late in the evening can also be useful when the day is winding down.

Do, however, contact key suppliers that you know you need to see and make appointments. Allow enough time - but not too long. Perhaps send an agenda of what you want to cover so they can prepare.

Don’t spend too much time with your current suppliers who you can see in the office. Do say hello though; shows are about connecting and building trust and relationships - and they may have something new that you didn’t know about.

“A show is a learning opportunity”

If you have lots of categories to cover, plan each individually. Meet all the suppliers who cover each category in a block, so you have clear comparisons of what they offer. Plan your route covering the most critical categories first if possible; it helps to tick these off early on in the day.

Using a Google document (or a notebook) in advance can be incredibly helpful. Plot all your appointments in - leaving times for overruns - and then plan your route around the appointments. You can then add notes about the meetings, which means you have clear actions you can follow up on. And leave time for new suppliers (which is a key reason why many buyers attend shows).

Seeing products in real life all in one place is such an efficient way to look at market trends and innovation.This is particularly useful for new buyers, as it allows them to learn about a new market at pace. It also allows more established buyers to ensure enough newness to move ranges on.

Quite often, shows host Top Trend Showcases where new suppliers are grouped together, which is helpful. And look out for innovation awards, which will highlight new opportunities. Sustainability awards are also a key area of interest.

When you approach a stand, always introduce yourself and highlight what you are interested in. Offer a business card and listen to what the exhibitor has to offer.

A show is a learning opportunity, particularly if you are new to the category. It is absolutely worth talking to suppliers about what makes their product special. You will get a sense of the market, and sometimes, just having a conversation can crystallise that maybe that supplier is not right for you, and can help you focus on what you actually need.

If you’re interested in placing an order with a new supplier, be clear about what you want/need from them. What is the scale of the opportunity? A short company presentation is helpful, particularly if you are talking to a manufacturer or supplier from overseas.

Post-show, follow up with suppliers to move the conversation on at pace. This is as critical as pre-planning. Update your notes on meetings while they are fresh in your mind and follow up the next week. You will have left a business card and they will get in touch with you if there is some perceived value in it for them.

Follow-up close to the show is important, particularly as there may be time constraints for getting new products in, and the total buy needs to be managed. It will also highlight where there may be gaps that need to be sourced.

And make time to connect with other buyers and suppliers. If a more senior buyer in your organisation attended the exhibition, ask their advice on the most effective way to get value from the show.

Finally, it’s definitely worth attending some of the show’s networking events - whether a presentation by an industry speaker or an evening function. The benefits of meeting in real life cannot be overestimated.

A trade show can inspire you. It’s the perfect opportunity to build networks, learn about the industry, and make useful, often long-term friends and colleagues.

Anna Berry is a director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting, which is a consultancy firm with 100 years of retail experience that helps retailers and brands grow.

With more than 33 years of retail experience - both on the shop floor and in the head office - Anna was head of buying for gifts, cook and dine at John Lewis, with a team of more than 60 and sales of close to £400 million. She has also covered many buying categories in menswear, sport, fashion and beauty.

A driven leader, Anna is strategically agile and known for her passion for people and product, with trust and mentoring at the heart of her leadership style.

Email: hello@retail100consulting.co.uk

Visit: www.retail100consulting.co.uk | www.linkedin.com/company/retail100-consulting

Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Diary of a card shop

Cards n Things in

Phew! That’s the Christmas Season done. And thankfully after all the doom and gloom in the media it’s still been a busy one. So much scaremongering made it a nervy wait to see if customers would buy, and as the weeks went on through October and November, there was no drop in customer spend. In fact, we had record sales in October, November and December. We found our greeting card sales were on a par with last year, but what made the difference was our gifting range. We are very fortunate that we have a separate area in the shop for ‘Seasons’ so we never have to reduce our everyday offering to fit Christmas in.

Items from Gainsborough Gifts, Widdop, Rachel Ellen and Kikkerland have also been very popular, and all helped with sales. Our favourite customer comment to hear after buying quite a lot is “I only came in for a card!”.

We had a very successful launch of Katie Loxton and Joma Jewellery in October, which has proved a great addition. We had a special day in store with 20% off all Katie Loxton products, a giveaway and champagne customer evening including themed ‘handbag’ biscuits!

We also re-launched our customer loyalty card at the same time, which was very well received. Customers collect stamps on each spend and then can redeem the card for 20% off any purchase.

Our confectionery offering also performed well with local (Norwich) supplier GNAW and Candyhouse with great Christmas gifts such as a chocolate Xbox controller and Vegan Chocolate Christmas Tree lolly. We also still stock Thorntons Chocolates, which are very popular, but unfortunately the range is getting smaller despite huge customer demand.

With news of Royal Mail strikes throughout December we again thought it would influence sales; to be honest I’m not sure they did, with card sales holding up it’s hard to say. The most disappointing thing is loved ones and friends not receiving their cards in time.

On a lighter note, Boris (our Sealyham Terrier) very much enjoyed roaming around the shop during our Wednesday late nights running up to Christmas, welcoming customers in and showing off his Christmas jumper!

The most popular titles in Christmas this year were again Grandson and Granddaughter together with partners titles. ‘From the dog’ was also another popular title! Assorted boxes of cards and charity packs were a little slower this year but certainly we found customers still buying the special individual title cards.

At the end of the year we had a decision to make… does the perspex Covid screen come down at the till?! Although it feels like a protective barrier for hygiene reasons, we just felt it also blocked that communication with the customer and let’s face it, that’s what sets independents apart - customer engagement. The screen came down and it’s made a world of difference and we have that connection back.

This year we’re planning to visit Spring Fair and PG Live. Unfortunately, we can’t make Top Drawer in January. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s new and meeting our existing suppliers. We’ll be looking into increasing our giftware alongside hopefully another soft toy range.

Our Christmas department has now become our Sale room but it will soon be all change again for the start of the spring seasons, and we’re definitely looking forward to those lighter, warmer days ahead!

In other news, my parents (Paul’s) David and Ruth Southgate, who started the business back in 1984, have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours list. It came as a complete surprise to them but is in recognition of over 50 years of continuous charity work and support for their local community. They started a local church back in 1975 that has seen hundreds of children and young people supported through youth clubs, thousands of meals for the elderly through luncheon clubs, and they have raised over £100,000.00 for charities through an orchestra they started, which is still going strong. All of this while running their own business. True heroes.

After a nice few days off after Christmas it’s all gone straight back into business. Already the to-do list seems rather daunting, from repairs to sorting utility issues and many decisions to make. As shopkeepers we may look like the swan gliding on the water to the customers, but behind the scenes there’s lots happening!

We want to thank our customers for shopping local and we wish all our cardie friends a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023.

Paul and Helen Southgate, who run

Hellesdon, Norwich, are celebrating record Christmas sales but already looking to introduce new ranges for 2023…

‘’Boris (our Sealyham Terrier) very much enjoyed roaming around the shop during our Wednesday late nights running up to Christmas, welcoming customers in and showing off his Christmas jumper!’’

Cheeky blinders

Scribbler’s head of design Aisling Crosland talks to Greetings Today about the retailer and how it sources its ranges - including its renowned cheeky offering!

Can you tell us a little about how you got into greeting card retail?

I initially got into greeting cards by chance, applying for a temporary role at Watermark Publishing (UK Greetings) to work on its Asda ranges. It wasn’t a career path I ever intended to go down after finishing my Masters degree in illustration, even though I’d always loved cards and sending them for no reason to make friends and family smile. Once I was at UKG though I completely fell in love with the industry. Then five years ago I moved to London and landed my dream job at Scribbler and have been here ever since.

And can you tell us a little about the history of Scribbler.

It was 1981 when John and Jennie Procter launched their first-ever Scribbler store. The world seemed to love that first shop full of cheeky cards that broke away from the norm and tradition of other greeting card shops on the high street. People loved it so much, in fact, that Scribbler now has multiple stores across the country, as well as a successful online business. And since 2020 it has launched wholesale ranges into major supermarkets across the UK (and even as far as Australia) and has just launched a first-of-itskind instant greetings card kiosk in collaboration with Fujifilm.

Tell us about your ethical/sustainable stance.

Back in late 2018/early 2019 we started becoming more aware of our impact on the environment and looking at how we could do better. We were proud to be one of the first to

market with biodegradable bags, which we later swapped in favour of going fully naked. We use FSC certified boards and work with the best printers to educate us on what else we can be doing.

John has always been passionate about reducing the amount of cards that are wasted and has pushed for years for what we call ‘print on demand’, where we print not only our cards,

but our small publishers’ cards digitally. This means we can produce what stores actually need, reducing the old method of warehouses full of stock. This has gone one step further in our collaboration with Fujifilm to bring the first instant greeting cards kiosk to the market.

How do you source products?

Our products come from a mixture of places. Over time we’ve built up a list of publishers that we work with year in, year out. These come through directly to our buying team with their latest catalogues and designs.

I run what we call Scribbler Studios internally, which is made up of our in-house team as well as an ever-growing group of regular amazing freelancers. We also work with a huge network of independent designers, most of whom come to us via our supplier upload portal, where you can submit designs directly to the website. And of course we always love to head out to trade

“As a challenger brand within the traditional greetings card market we’ll always be known for our cheeky/rude humour, which appeals to a younger modern audience’’

Aisling Crosland

shows, university shows and market stalls to discover new products and people. I am personally really keen to attract more designers to our industry so have also started running competitions with universities, such as the Arts University Bournemouth, to find new talent.

How is trading for you at the moment?

Like everyone else it’s a tough time out there; prices are rising, rents on the high street are high, and with the costof-living crisis, people are more selective over what they spend their money on. As a company, however, we have focused on other key areas of growth to help support the business through tough times like these, such as our wholesale and online sides of the business. And as I write this, we are very much hoping that, like every year, we will see that last few weeks peak in Christmas sales. People are buying later in the season and this is a pattern we’ve seen across the year but I’m pretty confident giving cards to loved ones is something that will stick around.

You sell both online and in store. Explain how that works.

Over the past few years we’ve seen our online sales really increase, which has been fantastic. We’ve set up a supplier upload portal so designers can upload their creations to be signed off by our online buyer and team, and we’ve also been working hard on our customer journey and UX (user experience). Stores are still our biggest driver for the business but we’re definitely seeing online close the gap a little bit.

Describe your demographic. We have a varied demographic, and try to provide something for everyone. However, as a challenger brand within the traditional greetings card market we’ll always be known for our cheeky/rude humour, which appeals to a younger, modern audience.

What brands have been particularly popular? Pop culture, and particularly politics has been popular with our customers for quite some time now. Although all-time

bestsellers still come from our own-brand retro humour range and our punny food cards.

Through print on demand we’ve also been able to discover really popular designs from all over the independent design community, including my personal favourite designs at the moment from Studio Boketto.

Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so how have you dealt with it?

We’ve seen, just as everyone else has, cost prices go up everywhere. Board is more expensive than it was and ever increasing, so that naturally carries over into the products we buy in as well.

On our own brand and print on demand products we’ve been fortunate enough to work closely with our printers on things like board types, making sure we have something cost effective and readily available without compromising quality. This is something we’ll

And finally...

need to continue to do, and having good working relationships with experienced print partners has really helped.

What challenges have you faced over the past few months and how have you dealt with them?

The biggest challenges for me particularly, on the creative side, have been rising costs of materials and design. I’ve done more visits to our printers and held more calls with external designers and freelancers than I have in quite some time.

This has meant working closely to plan in advance and make sure there are larger holdings of the types of boards and envelopes we want to use. I’m feeling confident that longer term these new lines of communication and ways of working will help us stay on track into next year.

I’m also really excited about some of the conversations started, new relationships and innovation that have come out of the past few challenging years of retail.

If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion?

I’m a big fan of a funny card and am loving the Studio Boketto ranges at the moment that I mentioned earlier. I also love ‘the little world of Liz’ cards from Redback – both of which I discovered via the Scribbler website. But I also love just beautiful, well-designed cards. My partner usually gets me something great from Ohh Deer, and my best friend just brought me the nicest card

over it!

“Print on demand means we can produce what stores actually need, reducing the old methods of warehouses full of stock’’

by Noi Publishing with cute dogs and flowers all

Scribbler founders John and Jennie Proctor

Prints of Wales

What is your background?

I’ve always worked in the retail sector, usually as a small part-time job while at school or studying for my degrees (I’d planned on teaching!). I had a bit of management training and was always progressing. I took time out of work when I had my first child and stumbled across this route in life purely through a chance conversation with a friend!

How long have you been running the shop?

I have had the shop five years. There’s lots of areas: childrens section, art supplies, giftware section - before you get to stationery and greeting cards. The cards are my biggest department - they really fly out with all the other things that go with it. If you don’t have cards you don’t have much of a shop because people don’t shop.

How did you come to run the shop? After having my first child and becoming a stay-at-home mum, I became friends with a group of women at a local Homestart group in Lampeter where I live. We used to go on a regular weekly walk and cake meet (cake being very important!) and my friend mentioned that she was putting her shop up for sale. I literally told her to wait and legged it home to my husband to see if it was something we could do. Being in Wales and not speaking Welsh meant that our choices were limited. I had wanted to teach but obviously language was an issue if I wanted to stay here, which I very much did. I’d moved here at the age of 18 to study and was so in love with the place that I really didn’t want to leave. And I was never content with just doing a job. I always wanted

to go further. This was perfect; my own business, being my own boss. It was literally a dream come true.

How is trading for you at the moment? Card sales are phenomenal for me at the moment. It is my biggest single department in the shop and in November compared to 2019, I had taken £10k more in cards this year. The pandemic has absolutely changed what people shop for; cards being the biggest victor in that shift. My Welsh language selection has more than trebled in size and people have come to recognise that the selection I have is as good as the English ones.

How do you source products?

These days it’s mostly through trade shows. I used to sit up for hours at night desperately searching for new suppliers (usually trying to keep myself awake while feeding a grouchy child!).

Which trade shows do you attend and why? Do you look for different things at different shows?

Top Drawer – this is a lovely and classy trade show. It is small but beautiful. The products on show are really exquisite. I’ve usually only searched card suppliers here.

Spring Fair – I do this one to cover nearly all aspects of the shop – greetings, stationery, arts and crafts, and giftware.

London Stationery Show – for stationery and greeting cards. This is my favourite as so many of the group of stationer friends I have come to know go to this one!

What is your selection criteria?

It has to be modern and classy. I have really moved away from the generic tat that is out

there. If you want that, then you can go to the chain stores and bargain outlets. The supplier has to offer exclusivity – if they don’t, I won’t go near you. I’ve been burned before when investing in a company and then find them in the other shops in town (we’re an extremely small town, rural and miles from anywhere). So if it’s not exclusive, I walk away. I have to know that who I buy from will be giving me their best and then I can give that back.

What are your key brands?

Art File, Cinnamon Aitch, Paintbox Designs, Museums & Galleries, Little Dog Laughed, Two Bad Mice, Art Angels, Relieftprint Press, Driftwood Designs, Max Rocks, Claire Giles, and Draenog.

What is your best-selling product?  Blank cards, sympathy and Welsh language sell more than anything.

Have you introduced anything new to your offering recently?

Reliefprint Press has a blank card range, printed in Wales and offering lots of Welsh scenes. They are absolutely stunning. Rebecca Robinson Designs is my most recent addition. Her cards are again, designed and made in Wales. Simple but exuding elegance. They are flying off the shelves!

Is there anything you have seen coming up from suppliers that you are particularly excited about?

Art File has produced a small range of Welsh cards. It’s a relatively small selection but I really hope that they build on it.

They released Welsh language charity packs - and I bought loads of them. I got in touch and I put some ideas to them, they came back with

‘’My Welsh language selection has more than trebled in size and people have come to recognise that the selection I have is as good as the English ones’’

Sandra Jervis, owner of Creative Cove in Lampeter, Wales, tells Greetings

Today about her mission to source more Welsh language cards

the proofs - and they sent them out in their new catalogue.

Everyone thinks the same range - the same amount of occasions and relations. You need more than one or two - people really need to think about how little they offer the Welsh language. I follow so many shops online. For me, having a modernised range - and the Art File ones are beautiful - is important. I’d like to offer that quality in both languages - the same card but in a different language. Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find?

Welsh Language charity packs for Christmas! Please can someone consider doing them?! We don’t need lots and lots of designs but a small offering would be much appreciated.

Cards are my biggest passion in the shop. My heart is with the cards, if I was only allowed to keep one section for some reason, it would be my cards. Without a second thought!

Cards are so personal, they say something, they speak to the person buying it in a really deep and meaningful way, and hopefully that sentiment is then conveyed to the recipient.

So my time is reflected in that; the hours and hours spent searching for new and beautiful cards. The first thing I tackled when taking over the shop was the selection of Welsh cards. The suppliers already used weren’t very modern and I felt only spoke to one type of customer – the older ones. I wanted to change that so that the cards suited everyone, of all ages. Eventually I found Paintbox Designs, by the lovely Emma, based in Cardiff. Her range was the first splash of colour and fun in the Welsh section.

I also brought in Claire Giles, Max Rocks, Draenog and most recently, Rebecca Robinson Designs. These artists and suppliers show that Welsh language cards are not meant to be boring! They are as classy and beautiful as the English ones I do. It was my biggest frustration that you could have all the choice you wanted in the English offering, but to buy Welsh, it had to be cheap and tacky. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t speak Welsh themselves (my three children do though!). Why do Welsh language cards have

to be second class? Well not in Creative Cove they’re not. Not a day goes by where I don’t get complimented on the quality of what’s on offer, and I get a real sense of pride having brought that to the shop and town. Tell us more about the stationery side of the shops.

The stationery side of the shop has seen a massive change, particularly in the time since the pandemic started. People have really moved away from the office and boring stationery and are looking for the pretty and attractive lines, things that brighten their desk, especially if they’re now working from home.

Which are your key brands and what sells well?

EcoEco is my main supplier for the functional stationery, this is because the company uses mostly recycled plastic for its products, which is important to me.

Flametree is my biggest supplier of notebooks, I have two stands. Noi publishing is a great little company for really beautiful planners and notepads. Toasted Crumpet, Roger la Borde and Legami also offer the pretty stationery lines that people seek.

For our greeting card retailers, who might include a small/add-on selection of stationery, - what would you suggest stocking?

Look at Noi, Roger la Borde and Toasted Crumpet – you’ll see a beautiful selection of lines, all stunningly designed and the perfect accompaniment for a card. Often the stationery will match the cards and sell themselves.

Have you been affected by price rises and stock shortages - if so how have you dealt with that?

I’ve had to stay away from letterpress and embellished cards as they really push the price up and customers don’t want that. By sticking with printed designs that are quality, I have been able to keep the prices fairly stable. Do customers ask for eco-friendly product? Is this something you try to stock?

Glitter on cards is something I have stopped doing. For a while people were asking for

biodegradable glitter but I found that people didn’t realise it was biodegradable and complained about it. So I just stopped with glitter full stop. I try to source cards that are printed in the UK to be environmentally conscious.

Finally…

If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion?

I would always choose a blank card. So much more can be said with a blank card, you’re not limited to words and designs. There are always blank cards appropriate for the season and it means the person

‘’The pandemic has changed what people shop for; cards being the biggest victor in that shift’’

sending can put in writing anything they want!

Name: Kate Malt, CEO

Shop: Love Kate’s Address: www.lovekates.co.uk

Please describe your online offering.

Love Kate’s is an online card shop specialising in handpicked cards for moments worth celebrating; our customer-friendly website is bursting with cards and gift ideas, with plenty of exclusive designs. We also offer a card handwriting service and gift wrapping.

How did you get into the greeting card industry?

Way back in 2008 after buying cards in a card shop, I saw a gap in the market and decided an online card shop would be a great business idea. I’ve always had a passion for words and poetry; greeting cards sparked an interest and I’ve not looked back since! Love Kate’s now operates from two warehouses in Cornwall and we employ a team of eight people full time.

What are the best and worst things about working in retail?

As a customer-focused business, there’s nothing better than reading the lovely reviews from our shoppers. We love to hear their feedback on the cards, why they’re sending them and how they have made someone’s day. It’s so rewarding for us all as a small team.

The worst part has been growing a retail business online in an industry that is so very focused on bricks-and-mortar shops. Thankfully things are changing, but historically as an online business, there has been a lack of understanding surrounding our business model.

What cards sold well over Christmas?

We offered a very wide range, including Advent Calendar cards, which were a little bit different and seemed popular.

What card range or category do you always ensure you keep in stock because of its popularity?

Rosie Made A Thing cards are always a winner with our customers; they can’t get enough of them.

Have you ever considered opening a bricks-and-mortar shop?

Yes, I have, but it is completely different to what we do so would be a fun learning curve. I do love a challenge though, so watch this space!

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has said or done or asked for!?

Our customers often ask us for help and card recommendations. We used to be surprised when they’d ask for special cards for dogs, but not any more. We have quite a range of cards for dogs, whether they are the recipient or the sender.

If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why?

I moved house last year, and looking back over the cards my Mum had kept from my first birthday, it was incredible to see how much cards had changed over the years. I’d love to send a card to my late grandparents to showcase the changes and to tell them about Love Kate’s.

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

I like to discover new card ranges and read about hot topics within the industry; it keeps me in the loop.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Buying cards online is a different experience from card shopping in store. Our focus is on creating a customer journey on our website that helps our lovely customers find exactly what they are looking for. Using the technology available to us we create exciting ways to help ensure their experience is personal to them. We also have lots of developments planned for the website in 2023.

“Rosie Made A Thing cards are always a winner with our customers, they can’t get enough of them”

Boufle

Rosie Made A Thing

Woodmansterne

Creative categories

This is the moment that the gift industry has been waiting for - the announcement of the shortlist for The Gift of the Year 2023 Awards, organised by The Giftware Association.

Despite the challenges faced globally, the gift industry has shown no signs of slowing down, and this year’s competition is the biggest yet!

With an incredible amount of innovation and creativity on display, the judges had a tough time choosing their favourites for the first round of judging, which took place throughout December.

This year’s contest was judged by more than 100 retail experts, and the consensus was that it was the hardest to judge to date, because of the amount of quality on display.

As a result, the shortlist has been expanded due to demand from our panel, and to reflect the scale of some of the most popular categories, such as Ethical and Sustainable Gift.

We are hugely grateful for the time and expertise given by our judges, who worked though the Christmas break to select the shortlist in each category.

This year has been a fantastic year for us, as we have grown the competition, attracted new companies to the awards, and refined our categories.

Some of the products that have been entered are very exciting and we can’t wait

to showcase this year’s shortlist to you and celebrate the incredible entries.

The shortlist reflects all the hard work and innovation from our industry, despite all the challenges being faced with staffing, logistics, rising costs and so on.

Our Gift of the Year blog (www. giftoftheyear.co.uk/blog) shares some of the stories from our entrants this year, as

well as some of the success stories from past years’ competitions.

Congratulations to our shortlisted companies and a huge thank you to everyone who entered our competition this year. The next round of judging will be the live round, which will be held for the duration of Spring Fair, where the products will be on display at the NEC in Birmingham.

You can view the complete shortlist on the Gift of the Year website under category shortlists at www.giftoftheyear.co.uk/2023-entries.

In the meantime, here are the shortlisted entries for the Cards, Wrap & Stationery category:

• Painting with words, Nicole Elders

• Dinkies, Paper Salad

• Wildlife Botanical wiro-bound notebook organisers, Lola Design

• Wonderful Fun, Citrus Bunn

• Just to Say…, Cotton & Brown

• VENT Refillable & Recycled Weekly Planners, VENT for Change

• My Magical Journal, Essential Choice

• Boxed Sterling Silver Jewellery Greeting Cards, Crumble & Core

• Happy Birthday In A Matchbox - World Is Your Oyster Range, Marvling Bro

• Eco Plantable Seed Paper Crackers, Little Green Paper Shop

• Eco Plantable Seed Paper Calendar, Little Green Paper Shop

• Nebula - Gift Wrap, Wendy Bell Designs

• Fabulously Flat Paper Pens, IF

• Acid Drops, Wendy Jones-Blackett

• Miniature World pop up cards, Alljoy Design.

the

and

Tel: 0121 236 2657 Web: www.ga-uk.org

Giftware Association chief executive Sarah Ward highlights the creativity and innovation found in the shortlist for the Gift of the Year 2023 Awards

‘’This year’s contest was judged by more than 100 retail experts, and the consensus was that it was the hardest to judge to date, because of the amount of quality on display’’

CEO SARAH WARD

Sarah Ward is chief executive of the Giftware Association, which is at the heart of the gift industry supporting members by offering invaluable advice and assistance. Coming originally from a retail background, she then worked at Penny Kennedy gaining extensive knowledge in

card, wrap

stationery sector, and now uses these skills across a broader environment.

Shop Talk

Name: Debbie Davis, Owner

Tell us about your shop.

We are a small independent retailer selling greetings cards, handmade cards, balloons and gifts. Our demographic is middle-aged women and the older generation, although I do get quite a few young mums due to having two infant schools in close proximity.

How did you get into greeting card retail?

I grew up with a love for retail. My Nan and Grandad had a shop and I would often stay with them during the school holidays, and when I did this meant that I would go to work with them. They were very well known in the community and when people came to shop they would also stay and chat for a while; when customers knew I was there I’d often be brought cakes or a treat, which I thought was fantastic. I loved helping to restock the shelves and fetching things and, coupled with customers bringing me goodies I thought this was the best job ever!

I was a very creative child, always making something, drawing, sewing or crafting, and this carried through to my adult years. I studied fashion design, art and textiles at college and got into making handmade cards when I had my children. I would sell them at school fetes and shopping evenings the schools ran. Then when I was 40 I started a new big adventure and opened my card and gift shop selling my handmade cards along with many greeting card manufacturers’ designs. This enabled me to combine my two passions of retail and crafting. I had my first shop for around five years then changed location by moving up the high street. I’ve been at my current shop now for nearly nine years.

What are the best and worst things about working in retail?

The best thing about working in retail is that I get to meet so many people and I’ve made great lasting friendships with some of the people that have worked for me. The worst things about retail are definitely aching legs and cold tea!

What’s selling well? As it’s Christmas obviously we are selling loads of Christmas cards at the moment but I always make sure I have Nigel Quiney pizazz in stock as that sells literally on a daily basis.

I also sell a lot of Wendy Jones Blackett large cards and their Quicksilver range, Talking Pictures large cards and this year I discovered Rush Designs and my customers are loving their designs too.

What’s by your till?

My windows are jam-packed with gorgeous Christmas decorations and at the till we have a lot of pick-up items such as money wallets, pocket diaries and sticky tape, along with two stands of ceramic and glitter wooden sentiment hearts. The wooden hearts I buy in plain but make up and personalise myself.

My staff and I put a lot of work into the windows, which I think makes us stand out on the high street. They are always changed with every calendar event and we try to keep them vibrant and eye-catching, which helps draw people in.

If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why?

If I could send a card to anyone past or present it would definitely be my Nan and Grandad. They put me on this path and I’m grateful for all I learned from them. Their customer service skills and knowledge of their products were great lessons I carried forward.

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

I think reading the trade magazines is really important, especially as it’s often not possible to go to trade shows. They help you keep an eye on new trends and designs and what’s going on in the industry.

Shop: Cherry Cards Address: Upminster, Essex

‘’I got into making handmade cards when I had my children. I would sell them at school fetes and shopping evenings the schools ran’’

Christmas by the sea

This is my third Christmas in Coverack, a small Cornish fishing village on the Lizard.

I had expected it to be the first ‘normal’ one without a Covid influence, and in the main I think it was ‘more normal’ than recently in that we all had many more options about where we could spend our holiday break; what I hadn’t anticipated was the cost-of-living crisis and the postal strikes.

We are primarily a food shop but all the gift shops in the village are closed over the winter so we step in and offer a small range of Christmas cards and gifts for our local shoppers and visitors. This year we had two ranges of Christmas cards - Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) packs of charity cards and packs of cards, wrap and calendars from The Heart of the Garden, our Cornwall based card supplier.

Being a fishing community, the RNLI are close to all of our hearts and we rely on them to keep us and our visitors safe.

Our Christmas card customers can be divided into three distinct groups this year. Those who bought and sent early, who were probably unaffected by the strikes; those who left sending until later and may have posted first-class to try to get their cards to their destination in time, and those who ended up not bothering because of the strikes.

The RNLI cards are hugely popular here and always get off to a strong start, with customers seeking them out and travelling from other villages to make sure they can get what they want. The sales of these cards were good during November and we were optimistic that it was going to be a strong Christmas card year for us. We were not selling

many stamps at that point so these cards were not necessarily being written straight away.

With the Heart of the Garden range I am always really careful to select the designs I believe will sell well and at the right price points so our percentage sell-through is high, and for the past two years we have only had a few packs left after Christmas, which is always good. The initial reaction to the designs we had was pleasing and I was confident I had chosen another good cross-section of images so we should do well again, fingers crossed.

Chatting to customers, I found a lot of our card senders use Christmas as a way of keeping in touch, putting a brief note in each card with news relevant to the recipient. We only have a mobile post office in the village two afternoons a week so we know that these are usually sent second class because we sell loads of stamps with our cards; this was even more noticeable given people’s restricted budgets.

This year, the phased announcement of postal strikes definitely had an impact on our sales, the first announcements brought forward people’s buying and posting timings as they began to realise that the last posting dates they would normally be guided by were unlikely to be relevant. As we got into December and we were told about the series of strikes to follow later in the month, customers just stopped buying stamps and only bought cards for those they were going to hand deliver.

Not only that but my customers who normally buy a calendar of Cornish images to send as a gift to a friend elsewhere just didn’t this year.

As I write this on January 3 I have just received a Whatsapp message from someone whose card I posted first class on December 12… I’m sure there will be many cards still arriving throughout January.

Henri Davis’ hopes for a ‘normal’ Christmas after Covid were dashed thanks to the postal strikes - and she noticed this in her card and calendar sales…

Henri Davis is an independent retail advisor to businesses in the cards, gifts, stationery and heritage industries with more than 35 years of retail experience. She worked for Habitat, Next, WHSmith and the National Trust and now advises retailers, visitor attractions, manufacturers and suppliers. A past chairman of the Giftware Association, during lockdown she has taken over a village stores and moved to Cornwall. For more information visit www.henridavis.co.uk

‘’Chatting to customers, I found a lot of our card senders use Christmas as a way of keeping in touch, putting a brief note in each card with news relevant to the recipient’’

RNLI

The Heart of the Garden