Greetings Today November December 2022

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

We found from customer feedback that the love of our artwork and designs used across gifting and home decor would also bring a greeting card to life and so that’s where we started a few years ago. Now we have an extensive collection covering bir thdays occasions, friendship, thank you and our seasonal collections

All of our cards are 6”x 6” square and are blank on the inside. Designed by our in-house design team, some just stand out with their hand painted ar twork whilst others will make you smile or laugh a little harder!

We can look at doing bespoke cards for you, our valued customer...so any enquiries please do get in touch! We can also o er di erent packaging options for our cards to meet your requirements.

Editor Naomi MacKay

This issue marks a full year since I took over the reins of Greetings Today - and it’s certainly been an eventful 12 months, as Covid restrictions finally came to an end, trade shows began again in earnest, and the revolving doors at Number 10 went into hyperdrive!

Since our last issue, the Greetings Today team has had the pleasure of attending the GCA conference in Nottingham, and the Henries Awards - and it was great to meet so many of you at these events.

The people who get out and about more than most are the card agents - who drive up and down the country representing publishers and designers and meeting retailers on a regular basis. We thought that these hard-working folk needed more recognition, so I’m delighted that Richard Pass has written a new Diary column for this issue, so that we can gain more awareness of what is involved in the job.

Someone else who has been busy travelling is Sarah Laker - the owner of two Cheshire shops: Stationery Supplies. She was invited to join an influencers and bloggers tour at Nuremberg’s Insights-X stationery show, and has penned a report for Greetings Today about what she learned there.

When this magazine drops through your letterbox - or pops up online at www.greetingstoday.media - I know our readers will be slap bang in the middle of their busiest time. Retailers will be selling all kinds of festive fare, and publishers will be getting their latest designs ready for the start of the 2023 trade shows, kicking off in January with Top Drawer and Harrogate Christmas & Gift and heading into February’s Spring Fair. We’ve included a handy guide to the key shows in our news section, so you can get out your brand spanking new 2023 diaries and start pencilling in the dates!

Talking of dates, don’t forget about Festive Friday on December 2 - the day when the greeting card industry encourages the public to start sending Christmas cards. We’d love to hear from you if you have something special organised.

I know times are worrying - with energy bills rising, the drop in the pound, and a general lack of consumer confidence - but, as I’ve heard from so many of you over the past couple of months, the greeting cards industry is resilient.

Consumers may cut back on a gift, but they will always choose a special card to send to show they are thinking of their friends and family. And WH Smith, when announcing recently that it is in its ‘strongest-ever’ position, stated that: “The market for greeting cards in the UK is substantial and estimated at £1.6 billion, with online penetration continuing to grow. The market has been stable, with adults sending on average 20 cards per person each year.’’ I hope all our retailers see this come to fruition as we head towards Christmas.

If you do get a few minutes to spare in between customers, do take time to dip in and catch up with the latest products. There’s stories from retailers including Jon May at Mooch, who explains how a Cornish holiday inspired him to start his own shop; The Black Card Company, which is championing creatives from the black community, and not just a shop, which is starting new designers off on their journeys. And, in our artist focus, find out how Alaina Foster’s The Chip Fork and Paws For Thought brands were inspired by one cheeky seagull!

As always, I’m more than happy to hear from readers who would like to take part in our features, interviews and news pages. Contact me at naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk.

It just remains for me and the rest of the Greetings Today team to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a profitable New Year!

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

WH Smith in ‘strongest’ ever position

WH Smith cited the ‘substantial’ and ‘stable’ greeting card market in its preliminary results announcement, where it stated it was now in its strongest-ever position as a global travel retailer.

In its report on results to August 31 2022, the retailer said that its High Street presence had delivered a resilient perfomance and that initial revenue for the 10 weeks to November 5 2023 was up 2% on the previous year.

Its online offering, Funkypigeon.com, had been hit by a cyber incident in April, but, the report said: “Funkypigeon.com is recovering well and we are confident of the substantial opportunities to grow the platform further, and significantly grow revenue and profits over the medium-term.’’

It continued: “The market for greeting cards in the UK is substantial and estimated at £1.6bn with online penetration continuing to grow. The UK greeting card market has been stable with adults sending on average 20 greeting cards per person each year.’’

The retailer has also redeveloped the funkypigeon.com app to improve customer conversion and has launched a next-day delivery service, which operates seven days a week.

Congratulations!

Huge congratulations to Sophie Bylina and Tom Williams at Museums & Galleries, who have just announced their engagement.

The couple have been together for six and a half years, after they were set up on a blind date by Tom’s friend who Sophie worked with at Leicester Tigers. Sophie worked there in corporate hospitality and events and then became relationship manager for partners.

“It was a complete shock to me,’’ said Sophie. “We were on holiday in Parga, a little town on the northwest coast of Greece, sitting having a glass of wine on the beach before dinner, watching the sunset, when he asked me. It was perfect!’’

Sophie has worked at M&G for four years, and Tom will have been there for 10 years next summer (2023 is also M&G’s 10th anniversary).

They have set a wedding date for May 2024.

Danilo ventures into the wonderful world of Comic Con

Danilo ventured into the wonderfully colourful world of Comic Con for the first time at London ExCeL in October.

As part of the company’s ongoing new product development programme, and its business objective of meeting the demands of new consumers, Danilo took the opportunity to sell exclusive products as well as identify trends in the market and research areas for development.

Produced exclusively for the show, Danilo launched two limited edition calendars for Hatsune Miku and Stranger Things. Each calendar was individually numbered from 1 to 100 with a letter of authenticity and presented in a special envelope.

A selection of its most appropriate licences were also on display, including square and deluxe calendars, gift box sets, blocks and diaries.

The company said there was a hugely positive reaction to the Danilo stand with the limited-edition calendars, gift box sets, the advent calendars, anime and gaming calendars as well as Stranger Things, Supernatural and Star Wars performing particularly well. It is also running an online competition for fans to win a limited edition calendar and extra goodies, and the entries starting to quickly pour in.

“This has been a really good step in a positive direction for the business,” said Dan Grant, licensing director at Danilo. “After the feedback we received, I am certain we will broaden our offering and be even more successful on our next Comic Con adventure.’’

Inspiring Post Office sales

Cherry Orchard owner Jackie Collins has been inspiring Sub Postmasters to expand their greeting card offering.

Jackie was invited to the Midlands Regional Meeting for Sub Postmasters at the National Motorcycle Museum next to the NEC, Birmingham on November 6 by Robert Clack, commercial director

the National Federation of Sub Postmasters.

She said: “My message was to show them the possibilities of what they can achieve by creating a card and gift shop with a Post Office, as opposed to the main business being a Post Office with a small offering of cards and gifts. Historically, Post Offices are branded in a very formal and corporate way, and we’re trying to show them what can be achieved with alternative, strong branding.

“My presentation was based around stocking direct-to-retail publisher’s products with a small offering of wholesale, doubling turnover for each pocket and margins. Many of the PO’s believe their position in the market is to offer the lower end of the greeting market, I was there to prove otherwise and it really worked; I showcased two of our top-selling ranges priced at rrp £1.99 and they took away sample portfolios. We have already sent out 10-plus free trials and I will be visiting two of the post offices over the coming weeks.’’

Show calendar 2023

January

Top Drawer

When: Jan 15-17 Where: Olympia, London Web: www.topdrawer.co.uk

Harrogate Christmas & Gift When: Jan 15-18 Where: Harrogate Convention Centre Web: harrogatefair.com

Giving & Living When: Jan 15-17 Where: Westpoint Exhibition Centre Web: givingliving.co.uk

Scotland’s Trade Fair When: Jan 22-24 Where: SEC Glasgow Web: scotlandstradefairs.com

London Toy Fair When: Jan 24-26 Where: Olympia Lodnon Web: toyfair.co.uk

February

CreativeWorld

When: Feb 4-7 Where: Frankfurt Web: paperworld.messefrankfurt.com

Spring Fair When: Feb 5-8 Where: NEC Birmingham Web: springfair.com

The Source Tradeshow When: Feb 8-9

Where: Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter Web: the sourcetradeshow.co.uk

March

The Creative Craft Show When: March 16-19 Where: NEC Birmingham Web: creativecraftshow.co.uk

May

London Stationery Show

When: May 16-17 Where: Business Design centre, Lodnon Web: stationeryshowlondon.co.uk

June

PG Live

When: June 6-7 Where: NEC Birmingham Web: progressivegreetingslive.co.uk

Glee When: June 27-29 Where: NEC Birmingham Web: gleebirmingham.com

July

Home & Gift Buyers Festival

When: July 16-19 Where: Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate Web: homeandgift.co.uk

Sept/Oct

Autumn Fair

When: Sept 3-6 Where: NEC Birmingham Web: autumnfair.com

Top Drawer A/W

When: Sept 10-12 Where: Olympia London Web: topdrawer.co.uk

Brand Licensing Europe

When: Oct 3-5

Where: ExCel, London Web: brandlicensing.eu

Insights-X

When: Oct 11-13 Where: Exhibition Center Nuremberg Web: www.insights-x.com/en

Heartwarming win

Animo was a finalist at the Kelvyn Gardner Licence This! 2022 competition.

Animo is now launching seven new card designs for the Easter Collection to add to the 250 designs already available. As always they feature the characteristic whimsical animals, gentle sense of humour of water-coloured paintings that tell a story in each image.

Animo strives to produce the cards and art prints sustainably, for example by using recycled card and biodegradable non-plastic cellos.

Animo is based on the art of set designer and artist Anna Gisle. It is described as “The art comes together as a magical kingdom where different animals play together. Animo is the world that we aspire to live in. It is a world of acceptance and feeling free to be who you are. The art warms your heart and tickles the child within.’’

Specialist

retail public

relations agency launches

Specialist public relations agency Retail PR has launched to deliver targeted product PR and campaign support to brands and retailers.

Retail PR is the brainchild of entrepreneur, retail, PR and gifting expert Courtney Rogers and, following a soft launch earlier this year, won its founding clients, including the British Toy & Hobby Association, which runs the prestigious annual Toy Fair.

Courtney said: “The creation of Retail PR, the sister company to PR solutions company, CIJ Group, was a natural evolution of our talent and services. In the six years since CIJ Group’s inception, we have seen phenomenal growth and now work with more than 150 brands and retailers, some of whom asked for us to provide a PR service that catered for their needs throughout the year. And so Retail PR was born, an agency whose ethos is underpinned by offering unrivalled value with monthly support inclusive of a bespoke programme of activations and PR solutions, centred around the retail calendar.”

Retail PR has been specifically designed to support high street and online retailers, as well as brands across retail verticals including gifting, food & drink, lifestyle and homewares. Specialisms have developed from understanding the challenges across the retail sector, through working with clients through its sister company, including Freemans, eBay, JoJo Maman Bebé, Buyagift, Prezzybox, Moonpig and many more over the past six years.

www.retailpr.co

for

Carte Blanche announces Greetings Licensing Lounge Spa Day winner

Ghanika Neranjan, from George at Asda, won a £500 Spa Day courtesy of Carte Blanche Greetings at the recent BLE (Brand Licensing Europe) show, held at London ExCel.

The spa day was offered by Carte Blanche, licensor of the Me to You brand and its signature character Tatty Teddy, and its agent Bulldog Licensing.

Visitors to the Informa Markets Retail Lounge were invited to enter a competition to design a range of Tatty Teddy licensed products using a new creative.

The winning entry was designed by Ghanika Neranjan, from George at Asda, who captured the brief with a range of Me to You products for mums and kids. The entry included commercial products supported with physical and digital marketing activation, creative in-store merchandising and promotional ideas.

Carte Blanche marketing manager Grace Elphinstone, said: “A big thank you

to all retailers who entered the competition and huge congratulations to our very worthy winner, Ghanika Neranjan, from George at Asda. The competition was a great opportunity to showcase our new creative for Me to You and inspire our retailers with the versatility of the brand.’’

Ghanika said that winning the competition had “made her week’’ and she “loved the fact that it was a creative task where we could really pull together our imaginary range and visualise how it would look’’.

Ghanika is planning on sharing her spa day with her sister for a much-needed break after an extremely busy and successful BLE.

Cherry Orchard launches eco card range

Cherry Orchard is launching a new eco range.

After talks of wanting to make the move towards a greener future, Cherry Orchard Publishing is now taking an exciting step with its popular range ‘Month You were Born’ and will not only see the 2023 designs taking on a new look but also the range will be printed on FSC board using a carbon offset printer, supplied with an Eco Kraft envelope.

Cherry Orchard owner Jackie Collins said: “As much as we want to make the complete move to a plastic-free future it is very hard with so many customers still requesting cello wrapped cards. However I feel that the industry is shifting in the right direction and end consumers are making more conscious decisions.”

The Month You Were Born Range features a card for every month incorporating nature elements for that month. 01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Jeans go green

ExaClair Limited, the UK subsidiary of the Exacompta-Clairefontaine group, is offering an eco-friendly collection of notebooks, pads and filing products from Clairefontaine.

The Jeans selection includes items with a protective covering that’s made from a combination of 50% cellulose-free, FSC certified, sustainable wood fibres and 50% recycled jean fibres, using offcuts from the denim industry.

Similarly, items from the Cocoa range feature a protective covering made from 70% cocoa shells and 30% cellulose-free, FSC certified, sustainable wood fibres. Clairefontaine uses the parts of cocoa husks that are disposed of by the confectionery industry when producing chocolate.

This collection combines an exceptional feel and appearance with a sustainable production concept. The range of Jeans & Cocoa notebooks, folders, files, magazine racks and memo pads offers a new and exciting twist for those seeking eco-friendly products that form part of a circular economy. www.exaclairlimited.com

Book your spot at Scotland’s Trade Fair

It’s time to register for your free ticket to Scotland’s Trade Fair, which takes place from Jan 22-24 2023 at the SEC in Glasgow. Back to its traditional dates, this Show is Scotland’s only trade gift show so the perfect place to seek out some high-quality, creative suppliers.

Around 500 exhibitors, many who only exhibit to trade here, will unveil their new ranges, network with buyers and display their gifts, jewellery, textiles and homewares.

Central to the Show is the Launch Gallery for new, young suppliers and includes macSoap, The Tale of Ballard & Hill homewares, Victoria Gordan Art Scottish designs, Teeny Tartans, Ballard Homes, Atoms to Astronauts, Lin Pin Crafts and Oir Soap.

Added value

To help develop your business skills the Talking Shop has a rich timetable of talks, panel discussions and masterclasses. Gary Ennis from Digital Boost will educate on elements of social media and ecommerce; Visit Scotland will speak on the visitor experience; Fiona Faint will host a panel of influencers, as well as delivering the latest retail trends; packaging and shop design will be explained by Julie Mills; and the Loves Local campaign will deliver its latest initiatives.

Register at https://register.visitcloud.com/ survey/0gb9v1y1k0n3s

A GIFT RA NG WITH ST

om Jigsaw Puzzles to Drinks Bottles, the M&G 2022 collection is positively brimming with iconic designs and must-have products to make your year a sustained – and sustainable – success. Request your catalogues via-our sales team or visit our website to view.

om Jigsaw ection have and sustaina via our sal

Hot gossip

Cath Tate Cards has added a selection of brilliantly bright and bold male cards to its popular new Hot Foils range. Vibrantly foiled, blank and birthday male cards that pack a punch! Printed on high-quality 100% recycled paper 12cm x 17cm, athey each come with a kraft envelope.

Cath Tate Cards 0208 671 2166 orders@cathtatecards.com www.cathtatecards.com

Something for EveryBODY

In a cheeky range of colourful print and pattern, the EveryBODY range celebrates the gorgeous beauty of female diversity.

This range of illustrated, modern pin-ups, designed by women, for women, is brought to life in a range of paper goods. Curvaceous lines dance together across greeting cards and wrap while touches of metallic gold accent female features, celebrating diversity from rich, dark browns through to the palest peach.

The elegant line drawings highlighted with gold foil sit, dance or simply rest on prints and greeting cards. The paper stock echoes natural beauty with a fibrous feel and exceptional quality.

Inspired by a mix of letterforms and female curves, monochrome shapes have become the EveryBODY logo and leap boldly across wrapping paper with a message that’s subtle, yet strong. There’s room for every woman to see herself, her friends and the strong women in her life at the heart of these designs.

Arnelle Woker

info@arnellewoker.com www.arnellewoker.com

spotlightTales from the seaside

Suffolk-based card publisher The Chip Fork has introduced some new fishy characters to its Fisherhens range.

Meet Slick Fishwhisperer, Captain Longcast, Sharky Crankbait and Salty Drifter.

Read more about The Chip Fork, and designer Alaina Foster in our Artist Focus on page 37.

The Chip Fork 07741 495897 welcomeaboard@thechipfork.co.uk thechipfork.co.uk

Say it with words

Cherry Orchard Publishing has just launched a new Sympathy Collection. The beautiful empathy card designs have illustrations, artistic florals and photographic artwork with a wide range of titles available. The cards have heartfelt verses and messages of condolence.

Cherry Orchard Publishing 01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

That’s funny!

The Comedy Card Company began 10 years ago, when Alan Auld started an online shop from a spare bedroom in his house, surrounded by boxes and drawers stuffed full of the funniest cards he could find.

Now the company sells humorous cards from a variety of publishers, both large and small, to customers all over the world.

More recently it has been dabbling in publishing, creating its own card designs to sell alongside its more established suppliers. Alan says: “To our delight and surprise, these have been selling really well on our retail website and our own cards now make up a decent percentage of our sales. This has spurred us on to offer our own designs to retailers. We’ve dipped our toes into the publishing world by exhibiting at a couple of trade fairs and created a trade-only website.’’

The Comedy Card Company comedycardtrade.co.uk

Go wild

The fabulous new Wonderfully Wild range from Paper Shed Design features super-cute illustrations of wild animals from all over the world. There’s Monkeys, Pandas, Tigers, Parrots, Meercats and more. Paper Shed Design is also working with EastWest and the wholesaler Joe Davies to produce a charming collection of quality china mugs featuring illustrations from the popular greeting card range Absolutely Barking.

Papershed Design 0118 9744283 Ӏ info@papersheddesign.com www.papersheddesign.com www.joedavies.co.uk

Fowl and flowers

North Yorkshire greetings card brand Umbellifer is launching a new range of designs celebrating the beauty and variety of the UK’s wildfowl and wetland birds. The first six colourful designs feature the Grey Heron, the Kingfisher, Domestic White Geese, the Mute Swan, the Great White Egret and the Coot.

Milestone markers

South coast-based card maker lil wabbit is branching into giftware and has entered the arena with its Hand-Me-Down Baby Milestone Cards, which merge style with sustainability and make the perfect present for expectant parents and newborn babies.

The cards are intended to be passed through four families over as many years and have been developed for longevity. The velvet lamination and thick card stock make them tricky for tiny hands to tear or mark.

The pack contains 20 cards, each with a bold and characterful design and a singular poem card explaining the hand-me-down function, with space on the back for four families to write their babies’ name and date of birth before handing them on. lil wabbit hello@lilwabbit.co.uk | lilwabbit.co.uk.

Umbellifer is also launching four new cards that celebrate the beauty to be found in the hardy plants that light up our winter gardens. Starting with Snowdrops, Cyclamen coum, Witch Hazel and Hellebores, the range is printed on responsibly sourced and carbon offset board.

Umbellifer 07510 874363 stephen@umbellifer.co.uk www.Umbellifer.co.uk

Danilo looks ahead to 2023

Danilo’s Dan Grant looks ahead to an exciting new year for the company

What’s 2023 all about for you and your company? 2023 is a great year for Danilo, as it sees our 45th anniversary. We will be commemorating the great success we have seen since our Chairman Laurence Prince created the company with the first official Elvis Presley calendar.

Disney and Warner Bros will also both be marking their centenary anniversary next year. Both entertainment companies will be releasing a whole host of fantastic movies next year, which Danilo will look to create calendar and diary ranges forfrom the likes of Disney’s Elemental, The Little Mermaid and The Marvels through to Warner Bros’ The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Wonka.

Other key movies include Barbie, Dungeons & Dragons, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Transformer: Rise of the Beasts, Paw Patrol and Trolls 3; Danilo will be updating our greeting card, gift wrap and calendar ranges accordingly.

Any major ranges planned?

We also have some fantastic new ranges coming to our greeting card and calendar portfolio in 2023 such as:

Bridgerton – Targeted towards females aged 25-plus, this costume drama series first broadcast on Netflix in December 2020 and has become a worldwide hit. Season 1 saw over 625 million viewing hours in the first month and Season 2 ranked number one on Netflix in 92 countries. As well as impressive viewing figures, an increasing popularity of Regency style on TikTok (#regencycore – 21m million views) has meant a season 3 and 4 have been commissioned, as well as a live event partnership with Secret Cinema. The new range will focus on key characters with a Regency-style design.

Peanuts – Aimed at teens and adults, this classic American daily comic strip was published from 1950 up until 2000. The main characters - Snoopy and Charlie Brown - have been ranked number one and two out of all cartoon characters and have a high 96% consumer awareness with 17+

million fans. Apple tv+ is the new home of Peanuts animated content and Danilo will use the iconic imagery across its range for this top millennial entertainment property

Squishmallows – With more than 1,400 characters to collect and more than 100 million plush toys sold to date, the versatile Squishmallows have grown into an international phenomenon and offer comfort, support and warmth as friends, couch companions, bedtime buddies and travel teammates. Squishmallows have many celebrity fans such as Lady Gaga, Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Charli D’Amelio. Tying in with the gaming trend, Squishmallows on Roblox is the latest success for the popular lifestyle brand, with unprecedented global demand. The new Danilo range will tie in to the sweet look and feel of this brand.

The World of Dinosaur Roar – Aimed at kids aged two to seven, Macmillan children’s books has published 10 World of Dinosaur Roar! Storybooks and sold over 1 million copies. Selected as a World Book Day title this year, a recent survey found that nine out of 10 parents would buy a World of Dinosaur Roar! Book (one pulse 2022). New designs will focus on the key dinosaurs outlined in the book, with captions to match.

Fall Guys - Fall guys is one of the most successful free-to-play PC/console launches of all time. It is the number one game title searched on Twitch and has over 83 million players across PC and consoles. The new season 2 game came out on September 13 this year and there are 30 more in-game collaborations planned across games, movies, music, TV film, personalities and fashion by the end of 2022. The new range will follow the vibrant neon colour palette and feature key Fall Guys characters.

Danilo 01992 702 900 ǀ sales@danilo.com ǀ www.danilo.com

Better by design

In January, design-led retail trade show Top Drawer will be returning to Olympia London for the Spring/Summer edition. This edition of the show consists of brands handpicked to cater for the needs of the savviest retail buyers from across the UK and abroad.

More than 500 of the world’s best brands will come together in one place to showcase fresh design-led ranges across the show’s nine curated sectors: Craft, Fashion, Food Emporium, Gift, Greetings & Stationery, Home, Launchpad, Play and Wellbeing.

Top Drawer is well-known for being the place for the latest product discovery with a line-up including: Aery, Arthouse Unlimited, Atlantic Folk, Belly Button Designs, Bookspeed, Caroline Gardner, Designed in Colour, Designworks Collective, Hot Tomato, Jellycat, Lifeguard Press, Ohh Deer, Powder Design, Roka London, Rosendahl, Shepherd of Sweden, Suck UK, Talking Tables, The Art File, The Wild Botanist and Tilley & Grace.

Over 20% of the floorplan is brand new to Top Drawer. This list includes: A Beautiful Story, Aspen Matches, Atelier18, by Molly & Izzie, Charlotte’s Web Jewellery, Hippychick, Lilly Pilly, Rosie Made A Thing, Risdon & Risdon, We Are Proper Good and Wyle Blue World.

Retailers that are looking for something different won’t want to miss the show’s Launchpad sector, which specifically showcases smaller emerging brands such as Andhand, Àníké TLC, Arcana, Candlemeleon, Dinosuit, Dunked, FableWood, Lucky Ink, Mindful Champs and Studio Lowen among others.

Top Drawer’s compelling Gift and Greetings & Stationery sectors are the ideal place to source next season’s collections. Discover aspirational

products that are guaranteed to appeal to your customer’s needs.

The Paper Awards are set to return in January to provide recognition of some of the finest illustrators and designers in the Greetings & Stationery sector. Plus, RetailFest will be back with a new line-up of speakers giving both brands and buyers the insider scoop on everything they need to know about the changing retail landscape.

Where: Olympia, London Web: www.topdrawer.co.uk

Stormy Knight

Apple & Clover

Anne Davison Studio

Stand: R51

Anne Davison Studio is showcasing its gorgeous, fresh and environmentally friendly stationery, designed by Anne Davison and printed in the UK.

After years in the fashion industry, Anne has now switched her focus to design for stationery, bringing with her a unique design aesthetic.

Anne Davison Studio’s new sophisticated and original range of art prints, wrapping paper, cards, notecards and notebooks celebrate modern, bold and colourful design for all the family. Pop notecards feature 10 individual designs: quirky animal characters; bold flowers; and contemporary patterns printed on gorgeously generous board in a black gift box.

Blok boxed notecards contain five distinct and powerful abstract designs. Individual cards are blank for your own message, 15 x 15cm or A6 and printed on high-quality FSC board and supplied with kraft envelopes and corn starch bags.

The Soho range of 12 patterned wrapping papers are printed with stunning colour combinations with vegetable inks on recycled paper, perfect for every occasion.

A6 and A5 notebooks showcase Anne’s signature patterns on the covers and come either individually or in packs of three with an attractive belly band. Also, check out the new range of fabric covered notebooks, they’re a thing of beauty!

Earlybird Designs

Stand N51

The inspiration behind the stand theme comes from Earlybird’s new collaboration with Bonbi Forest, otherwise known as artist Lee Foster Wilson. The new range is full of colourful, whimsical illustrations and thoughtful sentiments, and features birthday designs as well as key occasions.

As always, the cards are printed in the UK on FSC accredited board, with an emboss and spot UV finish, which really enhances the designs.

And due to popular demand, Earlybird’s Super Fabs have also been extended this season to include an extra 30 new designs. These eye-popping neon occasions, relations and numbered designs will be hard to miss!

Earlybird is committed to sustainability and works with a UK-based carbon balanced printer, using FSC-accredited board and vegetable based inks. www.earlybirddesigns.co.uk | 01227 765372 dom@earlybirddesigns.co.uk

Cath Tate Cards

Stand N60

Cath Tate Cards is launching new ranges and additions to bestselling ranges at Top Drawer. This year, there’s a bumper crop of newness including new humour and art ranges. One of the fabulous new ranges for the show is Piña Colada; 12 designs with hilarious captions. Much like the classic cocktail, the range is 70s inspired, a little bit kitsch and will make you giggle! The cards feature embossed text and are printed in the UK on high-quality 100% recycled board. 170x 120 cm, with a kraft envelope.

Raspberry Blossom

Big Love celebrates colour, florals, and psychedelic funky patterns. The 1970s look and feel is having a huge resurgence and becoming extremely popular in interiors and fashion. Each of the designs will have a spot UV and embossed finish.

Canvas

Happiness was born from its recently launched stationery line of the same name and includes a collection of 16 cards that mix colour blocking and modern contrasting patterns. Each of the designs will have a spot UV and embossed finish.

As well as the three new collections, the bestperforming existing collections have been expandedincluding the patterned, nature-inspired Wild collection, the dreamy die-cut designed Golden Moments, the ever-popular floral Reflections, and the magical children’s collection Fantabulous.

01926 257 757 wholesale@raspberryblossom.com

Roshah Designs

Roshah Designs is a new brand of greeting cards and gift wrap inspired by and for the diverse community we live in today. As well as everyday cards and gift wrap you can also buy for occasions such as Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, Holi, and Hanukkah. Roshah Designs is about remembering familyand friends during special days and making them even more special - and what better way than with a unique collection of captions in cultural languages such as Urdu and Hindi. Words can make a sad moment encouraging or a happy moment even happier and when the captions are aimed at someone specific like Ammi (mum) or Abbu (dad) then it makes the moment extra wonderful. 07375106666 Ӏ 07936433815 roshah002@gmail.com

The Chip Fork

Suffolk-based The Chip Fork ensures its Yapper and Roofus wedding cards are inclusive with Mr & Mrs/Mrs & Mrs and Mr & Mr captions from its Paws For Thought range.

07741495897 | welcomeaboard@thechipfork.co.uk thechipfork.co.uk pawsforthoughtcards.com

Trends:

Looking for something a bit different? Here’s our roundup…

Unusual captions

Coulson Macleod

Coulson Macleod’s Wise Words card range (153 designs now and constantly expanding) covers lots of the more unusual relations, such as sister- and brother-in-law, auntie and uncle, stepmum and stepdad. There are also cards for sons and daughters of single mothers (so no mention of dads in the text) as the company kept getting asked for this.

Coulson Macleod’s Wise Words cards are 15x15cm and come with a white envelope.

01536 419944 | hello@coulsonmacleod.com www.coulsonmacleod-trade.com

Love Layla

Love Layla, based in West Yorkshire, is known for its tongue-in-cheek humour and humorous captions, but the company is also proud of its diverse selection of captions.

Love Layla offers captions such as Happy Anniversary Mum & Stepdad, because the Love Layla team pride themselves on inclusion. Love Layla breaks down any barriers and recognises that the fun shouldn’t stop at your Sister or Brother, but take it one step further to your Sister in Law too: Sister in Law, a great woman who has the courage and strength to live with my Brother. Diversity is Love Layla’s thing and they do it well. www.lovelayladesigns.co.uk

Cherry Orchard

Cherry Orchard Publishing has always been renowned for its more unusual captions and has always been happy to help support customers by bridging the gap with these minor title cards. Some of Cherry Orchard’s bestselling titles include Godmother Birthday, Goddaughter, Birth of your Great Granddaughter, Birth of Twins, Belated Birthday, and Niece and Husband Wedding Day.

01684 295500 info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Davora

Were you born in 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 or 1999? Then 2023 is likely to be your year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, January 22 2023 is the start of the Year of the Rabbit. Your personality traits include being skilful, kind, patient and gentle. You’re alert, polite and very responsible.

Chinese New Year is a fascinating annual festival, and a suprisingly popular greeting card-sending occasion in the ethnic calendar. The Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, represented by 12 different animals, each with their own unique characteristics. It’s an auspicious start to each year for specialist publisher Davora.

The 2023 Year of the Rabbit cards are now available to buy on the Davora trade website. But you’ll need to be quick. The year-specific cards are limited editions and stock doesn’t last very long! They are a great complement to the non-year specific cards also available from Davora. www.davora.cards

Words ‘N’ Wishes unveils new Danilo ranges

Held at Silverstone on Monday September 26, approximately 60 people attended the annual Words ‘N’ Wishes conference event, to see the latest ranges on offer. As part of this key refresh, Danilo and Words ‘N’ Wishes have been working closely to ensure their ranges contain only the hottest, bestperforming card designs and brands.

Alongside some of the biggest entertainment brands, Danilo has also launched some stunning new sentimental card designs with Words ‘N’ Wishes in this latest offering. Captions such as ‘You make the world a lovelier place’ and ‘You are an amazing friend’, are incorporated in the range, with the ever-popular The Bright Side collection by author and illustrator Rachel Bright. This range aims to inspire, encourage and uplift with its fun captions and colourful images, providing a great offering for independent retailers across all occasions.

Gaming is still a hugely popular trend, with total global spending now expected to exceed $200bn by 2023, according to Newzoo. With this in mind, a selection of

gaming themed cards have been included in the latest range launch, covering popular gaming brands such as Xbox, Minecraft and Super Mario.

• Xbox is one of the leading gaming consoles and appeals to the global gaming community. The Xbox greeting card range has been designed using cool blacks and whites, neon pinks and greens – all in a popular graffiti style in keeping with the brand.

• Minecraft is the bestselling video game of all time with 200 million copies sold, more than 100 million monthly users and played by all ages. The official Minecraft card designs

familiar grey, blue and green blocks, synonymous with

“Danilo has also launched some stunning new sentimental card designs with Words n Wishes in this latest offering’’

feature renowned characters and the

the Minecraft game.

Words ‘N’ Wishes, distributor to UK Independent retailers in the UK for Danilo, launched its latest phase of new designs at its recent annual conference

• Super Mario celebrated its 35th anniversary last year and has sold more than 300 million games since launch. The cards feature main character Mario as well as his brother Luigi with a vibrant, fun red colour palette.

For juvenile ranges, as well as launching fantastic brands such as Baby Shark, The Gruffalo and Paw Patrol, Danilo’s refreshed range includes new additions such as Bluey. This Australian animated preschool show follows the adventures of the six-year-old puppy, who lives with her dad, mum and four-year-old little sister Bingo, and is ranked number one on CBeebies. Using a colourful and uplifting blue, green and yellow colour palette, Danilo has developed a selection of captions and formats for this popular brand.

• Peppa Pig remains one of Danilo’s most popular juvenile brands, which is why updated designs are being added to the new Words ‘N’ Wishes offering. The hugely popular animated TV series targeting preschool kids is broadcasted daily on Nick Jr and C5 Milkshake.

• Appealing to both a young and older audience, new Barbie designs are also included in the new juvenile age cards range. Barbie is the world’s most iconic doll with 99% global awareness as well as being the number one fashion doll property in the UK. Barbie focuses on diversity, inclusivity and leadership, and the cards reflect this sentiment combined with fun and colourful designs.

• Danilo has new juvenile open caption updates for Mr Men and Little Miss cards using popular characters such as Little Miss Princess and Mr Happy. Launched in 1971, Mr Men and Little Miss have sold more than 100 million books worldwide across both series. The brand has a strong nostalgic appeal for adults who remember the books and TV series as well as a new generation of younger fans.

• Minions has remained a popular evergreen brand for Danilo, and Words ‘N’ Wishes showcased the updated juvenile age and birthday designs, featuring those lovable yellow characters, who recently appeared in latest movie Minions 2: The Rise of Gru.

The newly launched offering from Danilo provides the independent retail channel with a fresh collection of greeting cards, featuring the hottest licensed properties that will appeal to all ages.

Rod Brown, Words ‘N’ Wishes MD, says: “During the past four years we have enjoyed a good working relationship with our partners Danilo, and during this period it has been a real education in the world of licensing. As we have developed, the product has also been focused and tailored to the requirements of the independent retailer. The latest release of designs is exciting for our salesforce and customers, with substantial increases in design distribution. We are expecting to continue our growth with the Danilo team.’’

Angela Anderson, sales director, Danilo, adds: “We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Words ‘N’ Wishes, and we work continuously with them to make sure that our independent customers have the best selection of cards. We are delighted to have launched our new ranges at the Words ‘N’ Wishes annual conference and look forward to receiving feedback from agents and independent customers.”

“As well as launching fantastic brands such as Baby Shark, The Gruffalo and Paw Patrol, Danilo’s refreshed range includes new additions such as Bluey’’

Celebrating Down Memory Lane

If ever there was a time to celebrate nostalgia with the recent passing of our beloved Queen, this is it. Millions of us reminisced and were so proud to walk down memory lane to remember Queen Elizabeth II. It highlighted the power that nostalgia and emotion has on us and our lives.

One range continues to amaze greeting card company Cherry Orchard year after year (10 years in fact !). When Cherry Orchard first launched its ‘Down Memory Lane’ range they knew it was something special, but managing director Jackie Collins never imagined it would quickly become the most sought-after and highest-selling range to date within the portfolio.

The Down Memory Lane range features reminiscent facts and images from the year that the card receiver was born. There are 28 male and female milestone birthday designs plus five anniversary designs - and the new 2023 collection is finished with eye-catching fluted foil.

The design team always have great fun putting these cards together, reminiscing and looking

the good times, the tough times and the shifts and changes in society over the years the range has spanned - from 1913, which is the oldest year that they have covered to 2010, the most recent year, which will be featured in the 2023 collection.

It’s hard not to look back on the years past and reflect on how different everything is now. Internet and technology, television and movies, Prime Ministers and average wages... a lot has changed and these interesting facts are an integral part of the design’s popularity.

While the team at Cherry Orchard is busy launching the new 2023 designs they will also be celebrating as its 10 years since they first started creating Down Memory Lane. Ten years of many milestone birthdays, 10 years of creative paths and a decade of special years!

So it came as no surprise to the award-winning customer care and design team that Jackie wanted to celebrate with some fun nostalgic charm at The Goodwood Revival, which is staged entirely in a period theme.

The girls dressed up for the immersive celebration and enjoyed the live music, flash mobs, singalongs, vintage cars and the party atmosphere.

From the rarest, most beautiful cars to the chicest of vintage fashion, it all came together to create a quintessentially Goodwood mix of automotive highs and sensational glamour and a perfect celebration for Down Memory Lane’s 10th Anniversary.

Bright new finds for 2023

“We are all committed to offering our visitors, thousands of the UK’s brilliant retailers, the most accessible, diverse, and inspirational marketplace for discovering their shop’s bright new finds. The show offers an incomparable destination for sourcing newness, innovation and your next bestsellers’’

Nicola Meadows portfolio director Spring Fair

Spring Fair, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale Home, Gift and Fashion, returns to the NEC Birmingham from February 5-8 2023, hosting an even more dynamic and inspirational offering.

As the biggest showcase for greetings and stationery in the UK, the Greetings & Stationery sector at the show 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, gifting 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, Museums & 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.

The Greeting Card Association Debut edit returns with a host of new exhibitors including black & white illustrations from Wildlines, and eco-friendly collections from The Little Green Paper Shop.

As the largest and most accessible ‘shop for shops’, Spring Fair is the UK’s trusted platform for discovery and innovation, putting the most sought-after products, bright new finds, and industry-leading creative thinkers, under one easy-to-navigate roof while giving retailers unparalleled cross-buying opportunities.

Almost 90% sold out across the show, 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; 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.

12 Br and New Pi za zz des ig ns

The Orig al and still the B t !

Let’s hear it for the boys!

According to the latest Market Report* from the Greeting Card Association, the value of Father’s Day card sales rose to £44.3m in 2021, up from £38.7m in 2020. So as a category that is on the up, it’s worth taking a look at your offering for the men (and boys) in our lives.

At Danilo, it’s a category that is continuing to expand, says licensing director Dan Grant: “We have been continuing to grow our Father’s Day card range as more opportunities open up around new captions, designs and new trends.’’

It’s a trend that Damilo is on top of, says Dan: “We are continually incorporating more gaming brands into our portfolio – popular brands include Minecraft, Pokémon, Super Mario, and Xbox. It’s also worth noting that, according to a report by WGSN, #DadsonTIkTok is a trend that has grown significantly since January 2021. Keeping a close eye on Generation Z language and use of humour on social media channels such as TikTok, will also help guide us for future captions and design ideas.’’

Many of the retailers we speak to say that they are always looking for something a bit different in their male offering, and suppliers are taking that on board.

Cherry Orchard Publishing has been focusing on it male ranges - its stylish Grayson range has proved popular, and has now been extended with Male Ages and Titled Ages. The new designs have the signature grey board, gold foiling and gold envelope.

And as families change, extend and blend, the opportunities also widen: “We’ve seen that generational changes in family situations are altering the type of captions required for seasons such as Father’s Day. So, as well as main Dad/Daddy captions, we are also looking at supplying Stepdad/Husband/Daddy to be/Dad from captions to name a few,’’ Dan adds.

It’s a trend seen at Love Layla too, which has expanded its range to include more unusual names for grandads - such as Papa, Poppy or Grandfather. It has also seen an opportunity to personalise for other pet names too, with its Personalised range.

Take a look at our Unusual Captions Trends on p17, to see some more examples.

And It’s not just the two-legged members of the family who are getting in on the act, says Dan Grant: “With a recent increased demand for pet cards, we have also added in more designs for Father’s Day cards from the pet!’’

Male interest cards have had to move with the times too - although the classic interests such as gardening, fishing, football and drinking will always be popular, the technological age is taking hold. According to Statista, gaming penetration is at a surprising 62% for men aged 45-54 and a massive 79% for males aged 2534, and 88% in the 16-24 age group.

Danilo, meanwhile, is doing the same - and thinking outside the box, says Dan: “We are consistently evaluating our ranges and designs to ensure that they are adapted in line with changing interest. This can be via new brands that we take on board - for example, popular preschool TV Show Bluey, which has huge appeal to little ones to give to their dad - or gaming cards such as Xbox, which resonate more directly with the newer generation of dads.

“In addition, recent movie trends such as the growing demand of superhero movie franchises, have also been reflected in spring season designs with hero captioned and themed Father’s Day cards.’’

*Available at www.gca.cards/gcamarket-report-2022/

www.lovekates.co.uk

The value of Father’s Day sales is on the up - so it’s worth taking a look at this sector of your business and ensuring you have something to keep the male population happy!

Kate Malt CEO, Love Kate’s

Alljoy Design

Cherry Orchard

Cherry Orchard

Danilo

Danilo

Cherry Orchard

Raspberry Blossom

Alljoy Design

Alljoy Design’s new Father’s Day/Male Pop-up cards come from the winner of Gift of the Year 2021. For something different to receive and keep, the Message in a Bottle pop-up card range is handmade, in a sixlayered laser and die-cut format. They simply pop open, with space on the back to write a message. Flat-packed, with full image and information, they will grace any card display.

Raspberry Blossom

Raspberry Blossom’s Father’s Day offering for 2023 includes three new cards; two of those are from the die-cut and rich-in-colour Golden Moments collection. The first one is perfect for Grandads, with the design featuring a gorgeous greenhouse kitted out with pots, plants and even a gold foil-enhanced shovel to mark the happy occasion.

The other Golden Moments card is for the slightly more refined Dad, featuring a board stacked full of mouth-watering cheeses, succulent grapes, buttery biscuits, and a bottle of rich, full-bodied red wine. Finished with luxury gold foil touches and a die-cut shape around the bottle and board – this card is truly a treat for the eyes.

Love Layla

Father’s Day is a massive deal for Love Layla, based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire; people always turn to them for the humour and hilarious part of Father’s Day. But the card company is also finding that demand from the not-so stereotypical 2 point 4 children family is becoming more obvious. Stepdad is a huge part of its Father’s Day season; as important as Grandad or Dad.

Love Layla has expanded its range as there has been a call for more unusual names for Grandad too, such as Papa, Poppy or Grandfather. Because of the demand on the unusual theme, Love Layla has also expanded to allow personalisation too. Directly for the customer to add their chosen pet name for the Old Man, customers can select a card from the Personalised range and add their name in to make the joke more personable.

Sticking with the usual theme of cheeky humour, Love Layla aims for everyday relatable topics with Father’s Day. Topics include lots of unusual quirks including travelling early to the airport to be prepared, the classic Resting My Eyes theme, the obvious DIY approach - and a new one is Beards and Tattoos.

The third and final new addition is from the most recent Male oriented collection, Midnight. The abstract and modern card features simple Happy Father’s Day messaging, with the masculine colour palette and geometric design enhancing the blind emboss and spot UV luxury print techniques.

Also continuing are the bestselling Father’s Day cards from 2022; these include the modern yet luxurious Good Vibes collection; a simple yet stunning gold foiled collection, Whimsical; the glossy 3D fold-out Treasures’ and a fun and playful collection, POP!.

The Father’s Day curated box is also returning with bestsellers and newness. The seasonal box contains 15 designs picked from the awardwinning collections mentioned above.

01926 257 757 wholesale@raspberryblossom.com

Cherry Orchard Publishing

Cherry Orchard Publishing has definitely been focusing on its Male offerings and has launched a fantastic extension to its popular Grayson Range to include new Male Ages and Titled Ages. The new designs have the signature grey board, gold foiling and gold envelope and the new artwork is definitely a credit to the range!

It has also launched a fantastic collection of Father’s Day cards as part of its new Spring Season Package 2023. The range has been extended to include more designs in the package. The 16 new designs feature popular artwork from The Grayson Range and stunning artistic cards featuring popular hobbies and pastimes. Plus the new addition for 2023 are modern style and ‘daddy’ title cards. This year Cherry Orchard is providing the package as a firm sale but has given customers extended terms.

Embracing

It’s been a whirlwind year so far for Kingfisher Cards, and despite all the headwinds in the economy, an incredibly successful one so far, with sales up again by over 20%.

Not only has the company introduced hundreds of new designs for the year so far but it has squeezed in a spur-of-the moment move to a new 4,000 sq ft warehouse.

“It’s been a real battle to be honest,’’ says managing director Paul Urban. “We have been looking to expand for some time and this warehouse was perfect but the move was extremely fast. I was offered it on a Friday morning, viewed it at lunchtime, and signed in the afternoon. We then had to buy over £45k of new racking and overall, the move has probably cost us £70k. We can already see the results in efficiency though, with virtually all orders going out the same day. We much prefer to do all our distribution in-house as we feel there is far more control over the customer service aspects.’’

It’s because of the desire for control of all aspects of the business that Kingfisher Cards continues to produce everything in the UK, even while trying to keep prices as competitive as possible.

“I’m extremely aware of how difficult the retail environment is at the moment and the last thing we want to do is make things more difficult by raising prices,’’ says Paul. “To keep prices down we have had to be really proactive in doing deals with our printers

including such measures as buying board direct from the mills to keep prices and quality stable.’’

While the warehouse is new, the commitment to great products is still at the heart of the Kingfisher Cards operation. Having already launched an Autumn collection of 84 code 50 designs, the sumptuous new Embrace range has been added to the portfolio.

Covering relations, and adult ages, these code 75 botanical themed cards have words and sentiment firmly at the core of their design.

“The words were really the heart of this range,’’ says Paul. “Sentiments are still the strongest platform for greeting cards and these will hit this market right in the sweet spot with lovely artistic designs surrounding heartfelt sentimental verses.’’

At code 75, they are bound to add to the growing reputation of this insurgent company.

In addition to the code 75 cards there are also 12 code 50 open birthdays to complete the range.

Embrace will be available from the end of November.

The new 2023 brochures will be available soon so if you want to see what Kingfisher will be doing for the first half of next year, drop them a line.

An insight into Nuremberg

It’s not every day you get invited to a trade fair in Germany as an influencer! In fact when I received the email I replied straight away that I thought they had the wrong person. But apparently they didn’t, so October 6 saw me flying off to Nuremberg to Insights-X expo to take part in a ‘bloggers and Influencers’ tour.

I was a little apprehensive as I don’t speak any German. However, I needn’t have worried as I soon found that there are no language barriers when you bond over the mutual love of stationery or greeting cards.

The 12 ladies on the tour were made very welcome by the Insights-X team; nothing was too much trouble for them. During a general introduction over coffee and sandwiches I quickly bonded with two lovely ladies from Portugal and Poland who not only spoke English but were also fellow stationery and card geeks.

The tour lasted for over two hours, taking in seven stands including cards, filing, pens, rucksacks, marker pens, gifts, and notebooks. I found not only the exhibitors interesting but also my fellow tour companions as I watched, and learned, from the way that they approached recording the tour. I was the only ‘old school’ note taker there.

One hall of the show seemed to be almost full of stands selling rucksacks; this intrigued me and I was told that in Europe school children all need their own rucksack, whereas here in the UK most primary schools have their own book bags. Trends in rucksacks seemed similar with pastel shades and licenced products. There were also many ranges of brightly patterned paper cones (called Schultüte),

When the organisers of stationery show Insights-X asked Greetings Today if we knew a stationery fan who was active on social media, we knew just who to recommend! So Sarah Laker, who owns two shops in Cheshire, jetted off to Germany to report for us…

“The highlight of the tour was visiting the ABC greeting card stand; founded in Switzerland in 1905 it produces more than 3,000 designs of cards’’

ABC’s grass paper card

Online Pens

which I found out are filled with treats and stationery to be given to the children when they first start school in Germany. How I’d love that to be a tradition in the UK too!

The highlight of the tour for me was visiting the ABC greeting card stand. The company was founded in Switzerland in 1905; it produces more than 3,000 designs of cards, with the range I most liked being made from grass paper with plastic-free packaging.

It was good to see that sustainability was on the agenda for many of the suppliers we visited on the tour, with products shown being made from recycled materials such as the 2nd life range by Online Pens, where the pens and notebook covers are made from recycled bottles and cups.

Edding is also very committed to minimising the effects of its products on the environment while also producing modern, attractive products that are on trend, such as neon acrylic markers that blend like watercolours, pastel ranges and keeping its well-known metallic range of pens bang up to date

with a rose gold version. Packaging is minimal and recyclable, and it was a joy to see a company so committed to its environmental responsibility that 70% of its products are refillable.

Neon was also trending among many of the exhibitors, with Herma having a new range of neon filing, including pink - one of 2022’s hottest colours in fashion.

While talking to a couple of the suppliers I was impressed to hear that they were taking their corporate social responsibility seriously by using home workers to pack or finish products. A range of Sheep World’s cards were handmade at home by single parents, while another company’s pencils were packaged by survivors of domestic abuse.

All exhibitors were so proud to show us their products, and by the time we finished we had bags bulging with free samples and had even been indulged with mocktails and snacks.

The tour ended with a group photo at the stationery throne, and then I split off with my newfound stationery-loving friends to visit a couple of exhibitors we spotted on the way round including Zieler, a UK-based art supplier that I stock in both my shops.

A good day was then made even better when upon checking my emails I heard that I’d been shortlisted for the Boss Federation Independent Stationery Retailer award! This deserved a celebration so my husband and I headed to one of the oldest sausage houses in the city centre to try the local beer and the famous Nuremberg sausage, which I can report is absolutely delicious

Nuremberg is perhaps best known for the war trials held in 1946 and the Nazi rally grounds, however we also found that it is a beautiful city to explore with old city walls and a wonderful medieval castle, along with a bustling vibe and great places to eat and drink. Trams, underground trains and buses are all easy to navigate and tickets are available via an app. However public transport is free on the days Insights-X is open, with your show pass.

Stein in Nuremberg is also home to one of the oldest family-run businesses in the world, and a legend in the stationery world, Faber Castell, which was founded in 1761. Sadly it was closed at the weekend so we couldn’t take the factory tour, however it was well worth a short underground ride to have a look at the buildings.

“A good day was then made even better when I heard that I’d been shortlisted for the Boss Federation Independent Stationery Retailer award!’’

Edding

Faber Castell in Stein

Faber Castell

Sausage celebration!

Herma

Alljoy Design

Raspberry Blossom

Raspberry Blossom has recently launched its new stationery collection, Happiness. This collection is jam-packed with 15 fabulous products ranging from colourful, luxurious notebooks and ‘to do’ list pads with rainbow stripes, to vibrant daily and weekly planners and even tearable food shopping lists, perfect for families who love to be organised (and those who strive to be).

The Happiness collection is all about bringing joy and life to the stationery Raspberry Blossom has created. Colour is embedded within each design as the company believes it can lift moods and make us more focused, engaged and feel ready to take on the world! The colour blocking nature of the designs are trend-led and consist of beautiful, curated colour palettes while remaining functional for each shopper.

Each item was lovingly designed and made in the UK. The punchy patterned planners and notebooks were printed by a family-run book-making business, and as a family-run business Raspberry Blossom loved supporting this fabulous UK-based manufacturer. 01926 257 757 wholesale@raspberryblossom.com

Fox & Butler/ Pigment Productions

Luxury greeting cards purveyor Fox & Butler has unveiled a collection of notebooks, journals and jotter pads, marking the brand’s arrival into the premium stationery sector.

The new collection of stationery is the first of its kind for Fox & Butler and has been developed in response to customers wanting ‘luxurious yet understated paper goods that embody both sophistication and a modern design sensibility’.

The range will launch with an initial drop of four items featuring three notebooks and a jotter block - all made from fine Italian papers and faux leather: a pink faux leather A5 notebook featuring an envelope-style front cover and a brass press-stud closure, containing 208 cream lined pages with lie-flat binding; a lilac wire-bound A6 notebook with a pink elastic closure, featuring an embossed bee design with gold foil detail, containing 192 cream unlined pages; a slim gold faux leather notepad with a brass press-stud closure, containing 192 cream lined pages, which is suitable for shopping and to-do lists; and a pink and white candy-striped square jotter box, containing gold gilt-edged cream paper, which is suitable for phone messages and shopping lists.

A selection of boxed notecards is also available, providing a great pick-up item for shoppers who like to be organised with their social correspondence.

Fox & Butler cards and stationery are distributed exclusively by Pigment. Amy Thirkell, head of product management at Pigment, said: “Inspired by our love of all things paper, we’ve taken the quality and opulence of Fox & Butler cards to design this new range of beautiful stationery. The collection is perfect for retailers looking to elevate their gift and stationery offering, while also providing a great upsell for their shoppers - all with great profit margins. We are confident that these new additions to Fox & Butler will be just as successful as the greeting cards, and we look forward to extending the range very soon.”

Heyyy Cards

Check out Type Dreams - the new notebook collection from Heyyy Cards. A selection of fun and functional notebooks ready to capture your big dreams, master plans and crazy ideas. Printed in the UK from FSC sustainable sources, each notebook features 196 leaves of 80gsm cream lined paper and a brightly coloured elastic closure.

07488 283524

hello@heyyycards.co.uk www.heyyycards.co.uk

VENT for Change

Social and sustainable stationery brand VENT for Change has launched its new refillable, recycled and sustainable weekly planners. Available in seven colours to match the rest of its bestselling Make a Mark collection. Covers are made from recycled leather with refills made using 100% sustainable paper. Supplied as standard with two refills, a non-dated weekly planner with to-do list and a lined notes section. retail@ventforchange.co.uk www.VENTforChange.co.uk

ExaClair

ExaClair, the UK supplier of Rhodia notebooks, has added the Goalbook Creation range to its popular offering of journals.

The Rhodia Goalbook range was designed to bring a sense of positivity and well-being and give artistic journalers the opportunity to enhance their drawings on premium quality dedicated paper.

The Goalbook Creation range is available in 11 colours and contains premium-quality Clairefontaine black or white fine art papers, for ultra-creative journaling.

The black 120gsm Maya paper is deep dyed and perfectly smooth on both sides and features a light dot grid. It lends itself to precise drawing with pencil, felt-tip pen, graph liner and fountain pen in light or metallic colours.

The white 200gsm pen and ink wash plain paper has a very light grain and can be used for a wide variety of techniques although it is particularly suited to line drawings using pencil, felt-tip pen, charcoal, ink, graphic pen or gouache.

These A5 size Goalbooks feature Italian leatherette hard covers for durability.

lil wabbit

Love a list? So do the folk at card and gift makers lil wabbit. That’s why they are thrilled to have produced a whole line of list notepads.

Each list notepad features an intricate watercolour design and a bold block colour border, making them a stylish staple on a desk.

All five animal characters, whether it be the cowboy budgie, or the penguin on a pogo stick, feature a small note at the bottom encouraging the list-lover to ‘remember to smile’ and ’remember to have lots of fun’ etc. The small details on these products make them joyous to use.

Lil wabbit list notepads feature 50 easy-tear sheets and are manufactured by an FSC accredited, UK based printer.

hello@lilwabbit.co.uk lilwabbit.co.uk.

Combine these with the Rhodia writing instruments for a stylish gift.

The brushed aluminium hexagonal body gives an air of sophistication. Both the ballpoint pen and the mechanical pencil are supplied in colour matched packaging. The pen has a high-precision 0.7 mm ballpoint tip, which is retractable with a simple click.

The pens and pencils are available in a choice of eight colours, the traditional Rhodia colours Black and Orange plus Sage Green, Turquoise, Navy Blue, Red, Rose Gold and Silver. Rhodia also offers notebooks in these colours.

www.exaclairlimited.com

In Robin Hood country!

Greeting Card Association members gathered at Nottingham Trent University at the end of September for the organisation’s annual conference.

Along with a chance to meet up with old friends and make new contacts within the industry, attendees were also treated to talks by a number of inspirational speakers.

Darren Cave, UKG and GCA vice president shared some highlights from the GCA annual Market Report to give an insight into the current state of the market.

The GCA’s annual Market Report is a useful tool for anyone in the industry, casting a spotlight on what’s happening within greeting card publishing and retail.

A new question in this year’s

questionnaire, which forms the basis of the report, focused on the environmental efforts being made by the industry - and showed a whopping 88% of respondents are taking/will take action to renew their supply chain for more sustainable alternatives and are making/will make their cards fully recyclable.

The report showed that greeting cards retail has come out of the pandemic stronger than before, with consumers spending more than £1.5 billion on single cards in 2021, an increase of 11% on the previous year.

Everyday (Birthday / Blank cards / Occasions / Age / Relations ) card sales account for 79% of total retail value of all single card sales, with an Average Retail Price (ARP) of £1.93 (up from £1.92 in 2019). The overall value of Everyday card sales increased by 12.6% in 2021 to £1.2 billion.

Consumer behaviour

Meanwhile, shoppers’ behaviour insights came from consumer specialist Kantar.

Alex Bandini and Ni Wang pointed out that gifting still remains important to consumers - and out of everything they would cut back on in light of the current economic climate, buying gifts for family and friends comes 12th on the list behind the likes of takeaways, eating out, clothes shopping and subscriptions such as Netflix.

They also stated that the average price of a card (£1.71 according to Kantar data) was far less than other giftables such as a bottle of wine, flowers or toys.

It’s also important to note that Kantar’s information comes only from retailers that have an EPOS system, so is skewed towards

the bigger retailers (including supermarkets and discounters) and that many independent stores’ data is not recorded. Which explains why the GCA Market Report shows the average cost of a card at £1.92.

Alex and Ni also pointed out that value and discounted shops are thriving at the moment, so retailers must dial up the value of their product, not just the price pointfor instance while flowers will be dead in a week or two, a beautifully produced card keeps for ever.

The good news is that gifts are still a ring-fenced spend… and cards are inexpensive gifts!

They finished on another positive note… nine out of 10 households buy cards, almost once per month, though Alex

The good news is that gifts are still a ringfenced spend

Geoff Sanderson

Lucy Creed, Poet & Painter, and Rebecca Green, Raspberry Blossom

identified a possible stream of revenue for London-based retailers, with only eight out of 10 households buying cards, seven times a year. “Those living in London come from a wide range of cultures. Could it be that the cards available do not reflect these?’’ he questioned.

Goodbye and hello…

The GCA also said thank you to longserving Council members Ged Mace and Raj Arora, and welcomed new Council members Rebecca Green co-owner of Raspberry Blossom, Sarah Jackson owner of Bristol based publisher Stormy Knight, and Nick Carey, managing director of Abacus Cards.

Rebecca told Greetings Today: “I am thrilled to be a part of a wonderful organisation. What I feel I can bring to the table is the perspective from a smaller scale business that has organically grown and has to compete with the larger more established companies out there.

“With smaller publishers and boutique store owners you really have to wear many different hats! One morning I am designing, then writing copy for newsletters, then checking stock in from our suppliers, banding cards for our customer orders… the list goes on! I want to bring this perspective and help other people in a similar position.’’

Graduation Open Call

Geoff Sanderson, of Celebration Nation, has spent many years recruiting and developing greeting card designers in businesses such as Tigerprint/M&S, Hallmark and Moonpig. He spoke passionately about creative innovation and how to use it to build your business, and introduced the conference to the GCA Graduation Open Call project. This will support recruitment into the industry and raise the profile of the greeting card industry with fledgling designers.

The project aims to develop a pathway for graduates who want to come into the greeting card industry, and allow GCA members to connect with new arts

graduates. A selection of graduates were able to present their portfolios to GCA members during the day.

Raspberry Blossom’s Rebecca Green said: “This initiative is something that I will be involved in going forward and add my voice and experience to. Studying graphic design at Loughborough University then graduating and going into marketing and advertising, it would have been fantastic to know that the greeting card industry was a viable avenue to find work.

‘’I feel this is such a great initiative for both the students and the industry. It can ultimately help nurture the students and their talents and then energise the publishing companies who get involved in this. Raspberry Blossom will definitely be looking at taking on a graduate next year through this initiative.’’

My Time in Print

Richard Bacon, MD at Sherwood Print, entertained the audience with some local facts - who knew that the French Bulldog, traffic lights and HP Sauce all originate from the city!? He went on to recount how the company had evolved over the years, and his own part in it - starting with rejecting a chance to join under the YTS scheme! Throughout, he imparted the 10 things he had learned about being in business, including: it’s all about relationships, work hard but enjoy yourself, treat people with respect and finally, love what you do, and if you don’t, do something else.

50 Shades of the GCA

Props must go to Adriana Lovesy, GCA membership marketing coordinator and owner of greeting card publisher Mrs Lovesy, who managed to give a rundown of 50 benefits of the GCA in under two minutes! A few mentioned included Local Meetups, guides to licensing and brokerage, Toolkits for events such as Valentine’s Day, Dragons Speed dating and many more!

GCA support

GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson highlighted the work the GCA has done over the past year to promote and protect the industry, as well as sharing key information, resources and support.

This included the Thinking of You Week campaign, which reached more than 260,000 consumers, while the Thinking of You Week School project saw more than 3,000 children in the UK and Ghana exchange cards, as well as the GCA’s continuing to work with stakeholders, especially the Royal Mail in light of the current round of strikes.

Sir John Peace, businessman, Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University and Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, spoke about the opportunities for the industry, while Jon May, co-owner of Mooch Gifts and Home described how he and his business partner took the leap into owning their own shops, and offered useful hints on how to market your business for free (read our interview with Jon on page 46).

‘’We have had so much great feedback from the 2022 GCA Nottingham Conference. It was so good to see so many members there. The GCA Graduate Open Call has generated much excitement, and with so much engagement from members already there is clearly enormous scope for this initiative to grow’’

Amanda

Ferguson, GCA CEO

Don’t forget Festive Friday!

Encourage your customers to buy and send Christmas cards early, by taking part in Festive Friday.

The initiative, from the Greeting Card Association, aims to spread the word among consumers to start getting festive and buy cards early - especially with the recent raft of Royal Mail strikes.

Festive Friday is the day when everyone in the greeting card industry, and card lovers everywhere, send their Christmas cards. Receiving Christmas cards reminds people to send theirs; so Festive Friday starts the annual exchange of Christmas cards!

The branding and design for this year’s events has been created by GCA member Sarah Best from Mrs Best Paper Co, in collaboration with The London Studio - an art licensing and design studio led by Soula Zavacopoulos, which represents artists and publishers worldwide.

Share your initiatives with us here at Greetings Today and with the Greeting Card Association, so they can be shared online.

Keeping green

As mentioned in the conference report, sustainability and eco issues are hugely important to industry members. If you want to find out more about how to make your own business greener, there’s a useful blog on the GCA website, which covers packaging, recycling and the use of sustainable materials. See www.gca.cards/greetingcards-and-the-environment-into-a-greener-future

Flying the GCA flag

GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson attended the Genesis Senate at the Houses of Parliament in October, to fly the flag for the greeting card industry and speak about the challenges it is facing.

The Genesis Senate is an ‘umbrella’ organisation that harnesses the collective strength of trade associations, institutions and other groups representing the SME sector in the UK, sharing information and raising issues with MPs and others.

Amanda spoke about the size and health of the greeting card industry, and raised with Craig Williams MP the challenges of the Royal Mail strike, the impact of delays at port for seasonal product and the ongoing challenges of exporting into the EU for the greeting card industry.

Karen Finegold, Amanda Fergusson and Tina Knight

“It all started with a cheeky seagull!’’

Tell us a little about The Chip Fork, its history and where it is now.

I set up The Chip Fork to sell my nautical illustrations in 2021 with five designs and a whole lot of hope. Fast forward a year and The Chip Fork now has 37 general titles and 19 Christmas titles, plus a loyal band of retailers amassing sales from Lowestoft to Canada. The seagulls have truly spread their wings! I run The Chip Fork from my studio on the Suffolk Coast.

Tell us about your designs.

The Chip Fork’s products feature my exclusive watercolour illustrations. I’ve been a professional artist and illustrator for many years but it was only recently while dropping off the new seahen (seagull) range at an art gallery that the owner exclaimed “oh my these are so wonderfully naive!’’. At first I was offended, but then when I looked up naive in the dictionary (of or denoting art produced in a style which deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold directness, typically in bright colours with little or no perspective)

I couldn’t have found a more apt description for my work. But to be fair, either way I couldn’t choose a different style, I have always drawn this way, it’s like my signature.

Where did you get inspiration for your designs?

It all started with a cheeky seagull while I was down at the seaside sketching. I tried to capture his personality and imagined if seagulls

were to go on holiday - and the Bougard family seahen range was born!

From there I studied dogs - having fostered some greyhounds - and tried to capture their idiosyncratic personalities, the cheekiness, peskiness and quirks we all adore them for!

And what about the Paws For Thought range?

The first dachshund ‘yappy’ card was created at a retailer’s request, which resulted in the Further Inland collection. The range became so large that I decided to split the paws from the fins and Paws For Thought Cards was created in 2022, dedicated to our favourite four-legged companions. The Chip Fork will feature solely nautical designs from January 2023 when the new spring/summer catalogue is released for both businesses. Tell us about your new ranges?

I am now working on the spring/summer catalogues. The new ranges include happy birthday mum/dad/daughter/son/aunty/niece, Valentines, new baby, good luck, best wishes, Mother’s Day and thank you cards.

How many ranges do you offer?

I have expanded from 37 general titles and 19 Christmas titles to more than 60 general titles for the spring/summer 2023 catalogue and plan for 45 Christmas titles for autumn/winter 2023.

What are your bestselling ranges?

The seagulls and crabs sell tremendously well both in general card shops and in seaside shops; the greyhounds and dachshunds are popular with dog lovers everywhere.

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

I work with printers who share my environmental ethos. My print company and I are committed to protecting the environment and to continual improvement. My products are proudly designed, printed and manufactured in the UK. All cards come packaged in compostable PLA (vegetable starch), biodegradeable EN13432 film. I’m currently looking at supplying cards with a card catch as opposed to

the biodegradable plastic sleeve to further improve my environmental impact.

How do you support retailers?

I supply high-quality, bestselling products, and offer quick delivery times and extras to make retailers’ lives easier including professional photographs of products ready for their website and social media. I personally check and pack each item to ensure quality standards are met. As an independent artist and business owner I know time is our most valued asset and offer a simple business to business professionalism. If a retailer needs to change their delivery date last minute or wants to add one more thing to the order I understand things change and I have the flexibility to support their business needs.

Any plans for the coming months/year?

For autumn/winter 2023 I am in discussions with various suppliers regarding upselling opportunities and looking at gift wrap and tags, notecards, calendars, puzzles, mugs and coasters.

Be prepared for 2023

Looking ahead to Spring/Summer 2023 can be quite difficult right now when you have to be laser focused on having a good Christmas trading season and not be too distracted by the state of affairs in the wider UK and World economies. However, the transition into the new year is a really crucial time to set out your stall for the year ahead and the whirlwind of seasonal events that starts with Chinese New Year in January, Valentine’s in February and finishes with the Dads on Father’s Day in June.

For many, January and New Year mean resolutions, oftens based on things that people are going to stop doing or change about themselves. Many larger multiple retailers hone in on this and the perpetual ‘New Year New You’ slogans rebound. While the excesses and gluttony of the festive season will always no doubt rebound for many into a period of enforced wellbeing, I for one would rather see the gloomy month of January abound in more of a celebration of the person you are rather than the one you could be.

The mindset of the spring clean, however, is a good place to start, not only in appealing to your customers but also in your approach to your business at this time of year. The first and most important thing to consider is how well you have dealt with any Christmas residual

token to whomever might receive it.

This year it will only be just over a month before Mother’s Day follows hot on its heels and for many this can be the biggest peak in sales of the first half of the year. There is an element of continuity in the stock that can work well for both Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, with overarching themes of love combined with florals and pink/red appearing in both, however if you want to be clever with your stock management just ensure that how you present and merchandise elements like this for each event dramatically differs, to give your customers a unique point of view on both.

Likewise, for both events personalisation always adds a different dimension to people’s gifting and allows you to take generic items and give them a unique meaning. For a relatively small investment there’s a variety of techniques you can now use in store and offer online to do this that create easily applied lettering and sentiments.

In the background of all of this will be the fact that supermarket retailing in particular will have had Easter stock on shelf as soon as Christmas cleared the seasonal aisles. While many may bemoan this, these retailers would not give over significant amounts of valuable space and stock investment to these categories if they didn’t start selling it. Many of us are no doubt guilty in rejoicing at the return of Mini Eggs or a Creme Egg.

present us with an unexpected trading opportunity to bridge the gap between Easter and Father’s Day? It has just been announced that the coronation of King Charles III will be on May 6, so stand by with the mugs and bunting.

Overall, to survive through a Spring/Summer season, trading agility has to be key as you leap from one event to another, with many only peaking on the few days before the big day itself. Being there for all of life’s moments - as one particular large retailer has just declared itself - will see customers return to you and encourage loyalty in key gifting categories and the associated products such as cards and wraps.

stock. It would be Nirvana to think that anyone comes out the other side with nothing hanging around, but the most important thing is to have a plan on how to deal with it, be it through compelling reductions or the ability to re-merchandise it into new displays if generic enough. The ability to do this well allows you to be clear about your strategy for the year ahead.

Valentine’s Day comes first through the gates in terms of a large sales opportunity in the year and while the fact it falls on a Tuesday this year holds back its full potential, the reality that many dogs and cats now receive a Valentine card shows that many people love the excuse to send a card or small

Outside of food retailers, the lead into Easter is best taken as a spring and newness theme, using the lighter and brighter colours of the season to drag us kicking and screaming out of the January blues. The trend for decorating homes in the lead into Easter is still growing year on year, and many a front door is now graced almost year around with a different themed wreath.

Who could have foreseen that 2023 would

Writing in a November/ December issue it would be remiss of us not to touch on the season and we would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. All the best from Team Retail100.

Prior to Retail100 Consulting, Sara worked in buying roles at John Lewis & Partners for 18 years, predominantly for home and seasonal categories, including eight years leading gift and home fragrance buying. She has specialised in brand relationships and growing small emerging brands into market leaders. Sara is also experienced in own-label sourcing across multiple categories and countries.

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

While we are all busy with Christmas, Sara Allbright at Retail 100 reminds us that we must also keep an eye on what will be happening in 2023

“The transition into the new year is a really crucial time to set out your stall for the year ahead and the whirlwind of seasonal events that starts with Chinese New Year in January’’

Eclectic dreams

Tell us a little about Earlybird, its history and where it is now.

Earlybird is husband and wife team Dom and Heidi Early.  I (Dom) graduated from Central St Martins Art College in the late 90s. While freelance illustrating, I designed a selection of cards to sell at Spitalfields Market in London. What was supposed to be a sideline to generate some extra cash became a successful small business. Heidi, who was a journalist at the time, soon started working with me and we have ended up creating a thriving publishing and retail business together. We now supply a large selection of UK stockists, multiples and export.

And how has the company changed in that time?

Apart from the obvious things like lots more designs, we have got a far better grasp on what it takes to produce a successful card range. In the beginning we only really designed what we liked! We soon learned that a balance of our style, along with consumer demands and trends, is vital.

We concentrated on our own retail shop for many years but the upward trajectory for the company as a whole really started when we began exhibiting at the trade shows.

We have also become very aware of our carbon footprint. Sustainability is now an essential consideration in everything we do, and Heidi has recently completed a course on the subject with the view to achieving a business sustainability accreditation.

Major achievements recently would be our retail shop winning two RETAs. Heidi and Hannah (Earlybird’s superstar assistant) deserve a lot of credit for that as they have worked so hard in the past few years on our London-based shop in very difficult trading times.

Tell us more about the shop. The shop is integral to the success of the publishing. It’s a perfect sounding board. We design a range and it will be put into the shop for a month before a trade show. We then select the bestsellers for the trade catalogue, which really helps when chatting to customers at the shows as we have confidence in the sales. We can also spot trends in the market and listen to any gaps our retail customers suggest need filling. And I think it really helps that we can see the whole industry from both sides.

Tell us about your artists. We work currently with seven artists who all have their own ranges with Earlybird. I wish I had space to speak about all seven!

Our most recent collaborations are with Emma Jayne Designs - the artist whose kitsch, fun animal illustrations are behind the incredibly popular Buddy and Betty designs. It has been one of our bestselling ranges in the past 12 months so we’re going to extend it in the near future.

Linsey Kelly is a fabric artist and the talent behind our beautiful nature range called Honey. We had a gap in our portfolio for a new ‘Art’ range and as soon as we spotted her work we knew it was the perfect fit for us.

Tell us about your new ranges?

We are launching Bonbi Forest for 2023, it is in collaboration with artist Lee Foster-Wilson (in conjunction with Jehane Ltd).

Inspired by nature and the stunning colours of the natural world, Lee has produced a range for us that is delightfully contemporary, illustrative and beautifully painted. Covering birthday and occasions, with a spot UV and emboss finish.

Also we have added 30 new designs to our bestselling neon Super Fabs, which span ages, relations and occasions. They are eye-popping, funny and also embossed and spot UV finished. We know these will be popular as the Super Fab range has been the fastestselling range we have ever produced.

What is special about Earlybird’s designs?

I think the fact we have quite an eclectic design-led offering really helps our customers - they can select a number of different looks by ordering from us.

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

Our printers Hartgraph are now carbon balanced. So all our print runs are now offset.

Also all of our cards are designed and printed in the UK on FSC accredited board (recycled board, where possible) and we use vegetable-based inks.

We offer the cards plastic free (nesting) or with a compostable cello. Our thank you packs are also now free from plastic and come presented in a recycled craft fleck hanging box.

Eco - how are we doing?

For many years now companies in the card and gift industries have been working really hard to improve their eco credentials and reduce their impact on the planet, and pre pandemic there were some big changes being made including the widespread use of card clasps in preference to bagging cards.

The impact of climate change on weather systems, food production and the melting ice caps is constantly in the news but will the worsening economic situation take our eye off the environmental ball? I caught up with some leading industry figures to ask their opinions.

Sue Morrish, co-founder of The Eco-friendly Card Company, which launched in 1993, has built the whole business around its eco commitments, which apply to every card they publish. These include: FSC certified; 100% recycled card; 100% recycled envelopes; Alcohol-free print technology; Powered by green energy; Vegetable based inks; Naked cards with card clasp or compostable bags; Free of foil, glitter and plastic-laminate; Made in the UK; Carbon Balanced

paper (With the World Land Trust), and Carbon Zero Company (Through the charity C02 Balance).

The company is quite clear that its cards should not cost more than any other card so they work very hard to ensure ranges are competitively priced, ‘so retailers can make positive green choices without breaking the bank’.

James Stevens, founder of James Ellis cards, has been producing cards for 25 years and for a lot of that time was worried by the amount of plastic they were using. It was a trip to Thailand where he saw a beautiful coral reef surrounded by plastic bags that gave him the impetus to reinvent his Glitter Shakie range and create the award-winning Paper Shakies we see today.

The glitter became paper confetti, and the plastic window was swapped for tracing paper, so now the confetti sits behind the image and still moves around within the card; cello bags were ditched for clasps and at the same time the white textured board was replaced by coloured board, which marked less obviously.

In the warehouse, glassine bags, which are biodegradable and recyclable, are used to pack the products to protect them in transit. James, like Sue, is quite clear that these products should not be more expensive than the previous cards: “If enough thought is put into the evolution of the new product it doesn’t have to cost more.’’ While James is pleased with these first steps in reducing the company’s use of plastic, he wants to do much more to make the business sustainable. 2022 is its 25th anniversary and it has a target to plant 2,500 trees in Glen Affric through Scottish charity Trees for Life.

And suppliers have been busy in the gift industry too, with businesses such as Talking Tables working hard to reduce its use of plastic to the point that now most of its products are plastic free – a huge achievement. Its recent Jubilee range was ‘right royally recyclable’ so any customer could recycle it in their kerbside collection. Clare Harris, MD of Talking Tables, is not sure that this necessarily drives additional sales but she knows it makes many

customers, retailers and the Talking Tables team far more comfortable about using the products.

They too do not charge a premium for recyclable one-use products as they do not feel customers would pay extra for them. However, when it produced organic cotton bunting for the Jubilee it sold out and Clare sees this as a clear indication that there is demand for reusable products; it will be part of the Coronation range for May 2023.

One of the biggest challenges for retailers and suppliers of all sizes is how to protect products adequately in transit and storage. As a small retailer with relatively low sales on occasions cards, damage in storage and on display are a concern and I don’t think customers accept that this is the trade-off for the reduction in the use of plastic packaging; they want to send a card for a special occasion and they want it to be pristine.

Overall, the consensus from these three suppliers seems to be that there have been significant changes made already but they recognise that there is still plenty more to do; many customers are happy and pleased to be part of this journey but won’t pay more to participate.

I believe that we are past the point of ‘a nice thing to do’; the re-engineering of products and their packaging to reduce their environmental impact is something we need businesses to do, and as retailers and consumers we have to learn to work with and love the changes.

Henri Davis considers how far the greeting card industry has come on its eco and sustainable journey - and how far it still has to go…

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

Glitter Shakies Paper Shakies

Happy’s

In 2012 we launched the Happy Jackson brand, hoping that we would add a shock of colour and immediacy to our established humour collections. Its meteoric success quickly opened many doors, brought a new breadth to our product offer and, in short, doubled the size of our business. All of a sudden we had a hit line with a super-bright palette and a simple, distinctive aesthetic that really shouted from the shelves. We discovered the huge hits of colour were not only energising and fun for customers and sales staff, they were also great retail theatre. A lot of shops put big displays of Happy Jackson merchandise in their windows simply because it made them look so alive, vibrant and exciting. The range advertised itself.

The creators Giles Andreae and Heather Flynn had employed the kind of language for the brand that you might use with your best friend... casual, easy-going, conversational, playful. Rather than being clever and ‘out there’, they really focused on trying to nail exactly what you might want to say for any specific occasion. In that way, the cards were very much conceived as greeting cards from the ground up.

As the Pigment creative and sales directors, Steve Baker and I won some kudos but, in truth, we just published the full range of captions without much interference. Aware that we were working with an experienced duo with a strong track record, we left Giles and Heather to their own devices.

I suppose our best contribution was in the decision to go big quickly and not to skimp on the quality of the publishing. The best materials and specialist finishing we brought to the products really

elevated them into something very attractive and tasteful looking. Little details such as introducing a new matt board that held colour well and could take a deep emboss were relatively expensive, and remain so, but were well worth the indulgence.

All of this resulted in a kind of alchemy that gave the card range both enormous shelf appeal and a charm in its tone and voice that people really warmed to. Happy Jackson is a very easy purchase and send – both for male and female customers, and across a hugely wide age range and variety of captions. This is rare.

The originality and quality of a parallel gifting programme, much of it unashamedly self-referential, really added to the ubiquity of the brand. After five years of growth, we reworked the entire collection with new updated editorial and super fluoro 6 colour print, which immediately boosted sales.

Sometimes hits like this can be like shooting stars – a meteoric rise with an equally quick fall - but that hasn’t happened. Ten years on, the performance of Happy Jackson cards remains really high. It’s an evergreen line for many shoppers.

Giles says: “The range’s longevity is perhaps due not least to the fact that we think so rigorously about this one question with every design... ‘what would you really really want to say here?’ and then, ‘what is the most playful, interesting and conversational way of saying that?’ If you can marry that with an individual and eye-catching aesthetic, you’ve got a really strong greetings proposition.

“Creatively, the very rough division of work is that I do the editorial and Heather does the design work. Due to recent circumstances, we’ve had to do a lot of creative brainstorming over Zoom. After one session, my youngest son looked at me completely gobsmacked. ‘I had no idea how much work can go into saying happy birthday,’ he announced. ‘You two are weird!’’’

Diary of a sales agent

The life of a sales agent is a precarious one. We have to balance the wishes of the companies we represent and the requirements of the retailers we supply. Fortunately, all the companies I work with understand the role of the sales agent and find ways to help us, which in the long run helps them to achieve more sales. The retailers too are very understanding and appreciate the efforts the sales agent goes to in order to help them increase their business.

Sales, while our life blood, are not the be all and end all. Working with the retailers to increase their footfall and profit is key to a long-lasting partnership, and a bonus to that is the genuine friendships that are formed.

The retailers have had a punishing couple of years. Some have fallen by the wayside, which is always sad, while others have taken the opportunity to look at new ways to do business. This has taken many forms - from websites and social media to simply looking at their product ranges and what their bestsellers are. This is where the sales agent comes into their own. We can advise on bestsellers, make sure the retailer has the latest information about products, and perhaps suggest the retailer looks at new products that previously didn’t suit. We can also give an overview of other retailers’ feedback on the current trading climate.

The publishers and distributors have all equally faced tough times. Often the cash flow hasn’t been available to introduce the new products or to increase the ranges, but we all have to keep moving forward to stay in the game. Again the interaction with sales agents can really bring fresh eyes to this. As the agents speak to the retailers they find out the new trends, the bestselling products and we can feed this back, helping to complete the cycle that keeps everyone going.

This time of year is interesting for a sales agent, especially with the difficult trading times. Retailers have swapped out everyday for Christmas and they are less keen to see sales agents as the festive season kicks in.

Appointments become harder to make, understandably, while the publishers are pushing

last-minute Christmas and promoting the new Spring ranges. We have lists of everyday products that are discontinued to remove from the sample box while finding space for all the new designs. I find that I have three sample boxes on the go: everyday, Christmas and the new Spring ranges.

Retailers are finding new ways to create space to fill with stock, even using window sills and making creative use of point of sale. The retailers have the constant battle of having lots of stock with limited space, while still allowing room for pushchairs and so on. Again, sales agents visit diverse stores and can offer hints and tips to help with this. For example, a retailer in the North West was unsure about notebooks and stationery as an additional line. After an initial trial they now have a counter display of A6 notebooks in each store.

Spinners are a bone of contention, with many shops having a natural dislike of them. However, greeting cards definitely sell much better from a spinner, because the consumer can see the whole of the design. Undoubtedly spinners generate extra card sales but they have to work within the restrictions of each store layout. They are always worth considering just from the increased turnover viewpoint. One

in Yorkshire trialled the Alljoy Design Message in a Bottle cards in one store and now has a spinner in each of their three shops.

Sales agents have a challenging workload but the benefits far outweigh any downsides, and each day is different. I for one would not change my working life.

Alljoy Design at Salts Mill, Saltaire

Alljoy Design; Dandelion Stationery; Redback Cards (Yorks & NE only); Two Little Monkeys; Giftwrap UK (Yorks & NE only), and FlameTree Publishing.

Contact: 07790 844342 or richard.pass@yahoo.co.uk

retailer

In the first in a new series, Richard Pass talks about the role of sales agents in the greeting card industry

“We can advise on bestsellers, make sure the retailer has the latest information about products, and perhaps suggest the retailer looks at new products that previously didn’t suit’’

Richard Pass is a sales agent (STL Agency), who covers the North of England except where listed below. The companies he currently represents are:

Redback Cards at Betty Loves...

Betty Loves... Leeds

Jesmond Beauty Clinic

Richard Lang & Son, nowadays affectionately referred to by its customers as Langs, started trading in 1949 by the then owner Rolf Lang (the son of Richard). Over the years the mainstay of the business concentrated on soft toys, changing over the years to where it is today, offering gifts and home decor.

Now it is headed up by Steve, Keith and Jane, all who have been long-serving employees of Langs, who took on the challenge of driving the company forward after taking the reins in early 2020.

Langs is a supplier that creates its ranges around customer feedback and focus, mixing gifts with décor - all lovingly designed by the in-house design team and artists to offer something truly unique.

Due to the increasing customer recognition of how fresh the designs had become, it seemed a no-brainer to add greeting cards within existing gift ranges, allowing customers to add cards to their orders for giftware.

Sales of cards have since gone from strength to strength and there’s now a range of more than 400 different designs to pick from. The card ranges cover every occasion, and Langs also has the capacity to create bespoke designs for customers if required, as well as offering various packaging options.

All cards are designed in Derbyshire as well as being printed in the UK, and Langs can also supply display stands if required.

Langs has a helpful and friendly team of agents who cover the UK and Eire, and of course a website that showcases everything the company has to offer.

Name: Carl Dunne

Owner and general dogsbody!

Shop: Cards & Gifts of Dronfield

Address: Derbyshire

Please describe your shop.

It’s a greeting card and gift shop based in an affluent township of North East Derbyshire with a mix of wealth, families and those in their third age. The shop itself, while medium-sized, is packed to the rafters with stock to offer customers as many options in every category of card possible. Winner of the 2019 RETAS Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch – North

How did you get into greeting card retail?

I’d worked in retail most of my life when I wasn’t driving buses and coaches. I started with Smile and worked in a number of other retail outlets before starting in greeting cards in the mid-2010s when I found myself out of work and wanting to be my own boss.

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

Customers, suppliers, staff and customers, suppliers, staffI It’s always a lovehate relationship across the board. From one day to the other when you love the customers who shop well and appreciate you being open, to the suppliers that visit you and boost you, to the staff that work hard and deliver what you ask of them. The flip reverse; customers that complain you don’t stock ‘To son and his best friend’s dog’ as a specific card, to suppliers that go back on deals or don’t understand that it’s not a customer-supplier relationship and that it’s actually a partnership, to staff that let you down and don’t realise that they always get paid but some days I have to go without.

What cards are selling well in your store at the moment?

Barley the Bear from ICG, Woodmanstone in general, and Pizzaz from Nigel Quiney. Our main supplier is UKG and the relations across the board are hard to keep up with of late (Word Portrait).

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

Dean Morris is always a fun brand and we always have a fair few options stocked. Word Portrait from UKG. Generally relations and ages are the staple of our sales with age 16 being the new 18!

What’s in your window at the moment?

Barley the bear from ICG and Halloween. ’ Tis the season for All Hallows Eve, and with ICG finally launching the cuddly plush, it’s front and centre with a spattering of Xmas.

What’s by your till at the moment?

Toblerone Keepsake bars, artisan chocolates, foil balloons, gift wallets, and Xmas UKG Charity Packs.

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

“Have you got a card with a picture of a horse that is smiling”! My response“no madam, all ours only have horses with a long or resting bitch face, sorry!”

What do you think makes your shop stand out?

Colour, it’s bright, pink, airy, the door is ALWAYS open, it’s warm and welcoming and, I’d like to think, me and my staff. We’re always helpful and approachable and nothing is too much trouble for us.

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

My Mum – she was taken from me suddenly and far too young and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of and miss her. Also our baby doggy, for exactly the same reasons.

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

They allow me to see what the new trends are, who’s new, who’s trying something different, checking out the competition, seeing if I’m getting in right or not and whether I should be trying something different.

Mooching about

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

Mooch was born following a trip to Cornwall and, [co-owner Luke Jacks] and I having a case of the holiday blues. We knew that locally there was nothing that matched the unique home and gift stores often found in the many quaint Cornish towns. Our initial thought was to bring a taste of Cornwall to the Midlands by opening our own home and gift store featuring goods from Cornwall and from other artisan makers.

So, in April 2015 we began our search for premises and found a shop to rent in Stourport on Severn. We had £5k to invest to renovate, fit out and fill, which we knew would be tight but we knew if we didn’t just take a risk and go for it we would regret it.

In May 2015, Luke left his employment with Next retail where he was a store manager, while I continued initially to work

as a buyer at Asda, and work started on renovating the store ready for a June opening.

All the work was done by us; the shop was painted, carpeted and shop fittings fixed for less than £2,500. We were lucky to have found on eBay a gift shop selling all its fixtures and fittings, which helped us out no end; the couple even gave us a till and our very first card spinner – we never thought about selling cards initially!

We opened in June 2015, and a week before opening we realised we had nowhere near enough stock to fill the shop so ended up maxing out our credit cards purchasing stock from a local cash and carry simply to fill the shop out. The shop was well received, we actually smashed all sales forecasts we set and soon developed a loyal group of moochers!

In June 2016 following a shop opportunity in the neighbouring town of Bewdley, we opened our second store. Then in December 2017 an opportunity arose to buy a shop two doors away from our Stourport store - our lease was coming to an end and we were so short of space we just knew we had to buy it.

An offer was made and we eventually sourced funding and the keys were ours! After three months of renovations - again carried out by us, including 5 tonnes of rubbish cleared off site - we opened the doors to our new store over three floors in April 2018. So now seven years on we are many local people’s destination for gifts, cards and home accessories.

Why ‘Mooch’?

We chose mooch as our trading name as we both loved days out having a ‘mooch’ around.

Both of our stores are located on the local high streets of the towns where we operate.

While our Stourport store trades over three floors our Bewdley store is a postage stamp sized store but it packs a punch when it comes to sales.

From one spinner in 2015, now 30% of our stores’ retail space in both locations is dedicated to cards.

How do you source card/wrap/ stationery products?

Initially we found suppliers at trade shows and trade publications, however as we have become more known in the industry many contact us directly or via social media.

What is your selection criteria?

We always look at design, quality and price; for our cards British is key!

How is trading for you at the moment?

Trade is good at present with our stores trading slightly up YOY so we must not complain; card sales in particular are up around 20%.

What’s your demographic?

Our stores appeal to a cross-section of shoppers from yummy mummies, retired individuals to millennials. I think this is down to the range of products we sell plus the love of our brands brings the kids in buying gifts for mum from her favorite store.

How do you get word out there to potential customers?

We use all channels of social media, we tend to

“We ended up maxing out our credit cards purchasing stock from a local cash and carry simply to fill the shop out’’

Jon May tells Greetings Today how the award-winning Mooch stores began, and what their future holds…

Shop dog Winston

always look for channels with low or no cost.

The use of press releases to local media has always helped us spread the word about us, and we are often the port of call from our local radio station for comment on retail issues.

What makes your shops stand out?

We pride ourselves with the appearance of our stores inside and out; in particular we ensure our window displays are always different and where possible magical – we try to bring a taste of London to Worcestershire, particularly at Christmas. On top of this our stock is unique and different, making us a destination for certain lines.

Tell us about your online offering. Our website launched when our first store opened; it’s designed and managed by us. During the first lockdown we added lots of new products including cards, we also added a feature to add a handwritten message and send direct to the recipient. We now sell more than 1,300 cards online. Because we control every aspect of the site we can change and adapt very quickly.

Our website probably equates to 25% of our stores’ total sales, with November being our busiest month.

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

We have seen price increases across all categories, while initially we absorbed these we now have had to review this and start increasing across all products especially with the rise in our utility bills, which even with the government support recently announced will see our bills treble.

Do customers ask for eco-friendly product?

We haven’t seen the demand for eco that some retailers have, but we are aware customers are becoming more savvy and we will always address this. For us, sustainable paper, British design and made in the UK are far more important to our customers than for example ‘naked’ cards.

I’m sure in years to come the industry will come up with a better solution but for us

having cards in cello certainly hasn’t affected our sales. I do think sometimes suppliers tick the box in regard to less packaging or plastic their end but simply then shift the problem on protecting goods/ purchases to the retailer who then has additional costs for bags and/or packaging.

What brands (cards/wrap/stationery) have been particularly popular with your customers?

Rosie Made a Thing – our customers simply love Rosie and often laughter from the card area is due to these cards.

Wendy Jones-Blackett – quicksilver foils are perfect for any occasion.

PaperSalad – Jumbo Jamboree are a great addition to the large card market.

Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find?

Gift wrap printed in the UK would be a great addition but unfortunately the market seems to be dominated with imports from China. What challenges have you faced over the past few months?

The cost-of-living crisis will have an impact on everyone, but we remain positive that we can survive the storm ahead. Card sales remain strong; we have tweaked our gift offering to include more gifts under £30 and we have increased ranges within our home departments to offer more candles and cosy throws for those reducing their energy usage at home.

Card sales for us have increased by 20% so I do feel this growth will continue as consumers look at other ways to mark an occasion, not necessarily with a gift but with a nice, unique, quality greetings card.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I do feel that the media focus on the doom and gloom on the high street, and what is happening in major cities isn’t always the case in the towns where we trade. We have seen increased footfall and more people shopping locally as they are now working from home or stay-cationing so it’s not all doom and gloom and there are success stories.

Christmas – The Art File – beautifully designed cards. Birthday – Rosie Made a Thing for humour or Papersalad for its bright quirky designs

Other occasions – Wendy Jones-Blackett –as there is a card in the Quicksilver range for every occasion.

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

“We ensure our window displays are always different and where possible magical – we try to bring a taste of London to Worcestershire, particularly at Christmas’’

Retail IntervIew not just a shop

University challenge

Can you tell us a little about the shop?

Not just a shop was launched in 2017 and as well as being a retail shop it exists to support students and graduates from University of Arts London (UAL) who want to run their own product-based businesses; providing related opportunities, supporting their business and production needs, and teaching them about working with retailers.

Run by the Careers and Employability team, we saw a gap in support in this area, and having run a few successful Christmas pop-up shops in the space, we thought it was a great opportunity to turn it into something more permanent.

We are a street-facing, medium-sized space in High Holborn, and with lots of local workers in the area it tends to have its busiest footfall during the lunchtime rush. This allows us to operate as a retail space during peak shopping hours and as an enterprise learning and events environment outside of them.

Tell us about your products, makers, illustrators and designers.

Not just a shop is the place to discover unique home, fashion, giftware and artwork.

Our makers are University of Arts London (UAL) students and alumni, from across all six University colleges, coming to product design from a wide variety of disciplines.

With this in mind, not just a shop product includes ceramics, illustrated prints, greeting cards, photographic artwork, ceramics, fine art, home textiles, fashion accessories and jewellery. As most of our makers are in the early stage of their career we are often their

first retailer, so pieces are handmade and small batch produced and you won’t find them in many other shops.

How do you decide which students’ work goes on sale?

The majority of our makers come through an open application process, which happens twice a year, and is selected by a panel of UAL staff and industry experts. We also run student competitions throughout the year and live briefs, supporting students to get their designs turned into commercial products such as notebooks, greetings cards and gift wrap as well as tea towels, aprons and napkins.

How does pricing work?

We purchase all of our products as any normal retailer would, upfront and at wholesale price in agreement with the maker. Quite a few of our makers have never priced their work for retail before, so we work with them on a oneto-one basis to agree prices. Because makers are often just starting out and hand-producing work in small batches, their costs are quite high and we support them through lower retail margins. We operate a not-for-profit model, so all proceeds are reinvested back into running the shop and supporting students and graduates with their businesses.

How is the shop staffed?

The shop is managed by a small team of paid staff, both permanent UAL staff and students and graduates employed through the Universities temp agency, Arts Temps.

How is trading for you at the moment?

We are still on reduced opening hours since the pandemic but sales have improved as the footfall has grown and people have returned

Top 5 bestsellers

• Relax candle by London Refinery, made with essential oils and soy wax

• Cat and Dog tea towels by Garudio Studiage, always a stiff competition between the two!

• Sustainable cork card holders by Mind the Cork in a beautiful bright colours

• Flower power single drop earrings by Kam

one of our newest

• Cats come out on top here, Emily Nash’s cards

to their working and education spaces, so we are excited to be opening more frequently in the lead-up to Christmas. Our online shop is doing really well and widened our customer reach across the country, which is exciting.    How do you get word out there - do you use social media, local advertising, word of mouth...?

Marketing is key to the success of the shop and we are always trying new methods to spread the word and profile all our makers.

We use social media most days, primarily Instagram (@notjustashopual), to connect with our customers and makers and to share any shop updates.

“With lots of local workers in the area it tends to have its busiest footfall during the lunchtime rush’’

Natalie Stevens is manager of not just a shop, a retail outlet that supports students and graduates of the University of Arts London. Here she tells us more about its retail offering...

Creates

designers

are our most popular

We also promote our shop using our internal communications at UAL. Usually, word of mouth among UAL staff and our customers is super-effective in converting sales.

Finally, we have a monthly shop newsletter, where we share shop updates, new products, and exciting news to our subscribers. We can track email open rates and conversions using the in-built analytics function on the platform.

What’s your demographic?

The customers at not just a shop vary from staff and students in the UAL building, to people who work in the area, as well as tourists. Holborn is home to big businesses and law firms, and our customers are often visiting from nearby businesses on their lunch breaks for cards and gifts.

You sell both online and in store - how do they differ?

As lots of our sales come from UAL staff working in the building as well as those working in the area, our physical shop performs better than our online shop. This is also true of greeting card sales, as those purchasing in the physical store can pop in quickly to purchase a card on their lunch breaks and don’t have to worry about postage costs and time.

However, online sales are growing year on year and the online shop has the advantage of being open 24/7. We offer a click-andcollect service, which has proved popular for our customers working in the area who want to make a purchase outside of shop hours.

Tell us more about your commitment to being eco-friendly and how that manifests itself in your shop

As a team, we are committed to being as eco-friendly as possible and are continually working to improve our working practices to be more planet conscious. We are working on developing a sustainability policy for the shop.

We are currently phasing out plastic bubble wrap, replacing this with an alternative recyclable paper wrap. All our packaging is recyclable or biodegradable. We also reuse packaging materials where possible.

We encourage our designers to think about the impact of their products and packaging.

Many of our greeting cards are plastic-free and fully recyclable.

We also ask about ethics and sustainability in the application process and favour applicants who have considered this as part of their production and business operations. Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so how have you dealt with it?

We have noticed a small increase in wholesale costs for our products, but our margins have always been quite low to accommodate and support our makers’ early-stage businesses so this hasn’t yet had a huge impact on us. One of our main aims is to widen our reach and increase support to students from all backgrounds and across all the disciplines taught at the University, so this tends to be more of a focus.

What is particularly popular with your customers?

Greeting cards are by far the most popular product we sell in store, making up 46% of unit street shops so it is a big draw for our customers.

Greeting cards are also a popular product option for our makers - they are easy to produce and have relatively low production costs and our students and graduates can transfer their unique designs and art works onto them as commercial products.

What challenges have you faced over the past few months and how have

dealt with

Like many retailers, our challenges have been getting back on our feet after the pandemic and supporting our students and graduate makers through that difficult period as best we can.

As central London has become busier again we have been able to open regularly, but footfall is still lower and it is a balancing act between opening hours and optimising turnover. During the pandemic we shifted our focus to online and that continues to grow.

Unlike traditional retailers we are fortunate to have the support of the University, knowing the wider value of the shop to the institution and to our students. Therefore we have channelled our energies into finding new ways to engage and teach students further, and support and employ our makers within our work and offer.

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

I love cards that have been hand printed or have an extra detail like foiling or scratch and sniff (yes the 90s are still here!), so I would choose either a Crispin Finn card or something by Yes! Paper Goods.

“We offer a clickand-collect service, which has proved popular for our customers working in the area who want to make a purchase outside of shop hours’’

you

them?

Retail IntervIew the Black card company

Celebrating

diversity

Tell us the story behind the company.

The Black Card Company was launched in 2020 to acknowledge and celebrate diverse greeting card and gift wrap designs. As black women and card designers, we knew that our community rarely saw cards that represented us or our culture. This is what drove us to become greeting card designers - we are passionate about positive representation. We think it’s important, especially for children and milestone events.

We knew other diverse card brands which, like us, had limited reach. This lack of visibility galvanised us to create our own multi-vendor platform and The Black Card Company was born. We offer customers an extensive range and style of diverse cards and gift wrap, authentically designed by more than 50 brands.

All communities should be seen and celebrated when we connect with each other through cards. We are doing our bit to help make this happen.

How many cards do you have online and what categories do they cover?

We have more than 2,000 cards online covering 30 categories from anniversary to weddings and including Kwanzaa [an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1].

Tell us about your pop-up shops. Since launching we have been invited to be the primary card and gift wrap provider by some great pop-up shops. In spring we had a bank holiday weekend placement in Urban Outfitters clothing shop in Westfield’s Stratford shopping centre. We spent three months in the summer at Book & Kulture, a book and gift shop at Wembley Arena. Our longest and ongoing placement is at Pop-up United, a gift shop in Brent Cross Shopping Centre in North London.

We first started there for Christmas last year, were invited back early this year and have been there ever since.

We have been privileged to cover special cardbuying seasons such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas at these shops, which was well received by the customers. This has been great exposure for our brand and has allowed vendors to showcase their products in a shop, sometimes for the first time.

Explain your business model. Our business model is that of a multi-vendor marketplace. Each brand runs their independent shop on our platform.

What is your selection criteria for products?

For us, the designer should identify as black. Our customers want authentic cards reflecting their community, and black creators are best able to provide this. Also, our aim is to amplify the visibility of black creators who often have less exposure, resources, funding, or the infrastructure of other communities.

We select vendors who have strong card designs and concepts. We’ve been amazed at the range of creativity - from inspiring art to dextrous wordsmiths.

The Henries introduced a diversity category for the first time last year - do you think the card industry is starting to recognise the need for cards such as those you sell?

The mainstream greeting card industry fell far behind other creative industries in becoming inclusive. After the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, diverse card designers started being invited into mainstream spaces. The Henries diversity category and similar initiatives followed soon after. This encouraged some mainstream card designers to create a range of diverse designs.

Things are much improved. Some of our vendors are now in mainstream spaces, have won competitions and an international contract! However, diverse cards on the shop floor or on a platform are just the customerfacing part of the industry. The industry itself should also be diverse and inclusive at all levels. This way it can properly embrace different perspectives.

Diverse cards are now more widely available but it’s important to note that they generally come in two categories. One is generic: e.g. with a diverse group of people in it, celebrities of colour, cultural phrases or ethnic patterns. The other is specific: e.g. an inter-racial wedding card or a black princess card.

Mainstream spaces tend to carry more of the generic diverse cards. Our platform is a place where we can meet the specific needs of our customers.

What is your bestselling product?

Women wearing African headwraps and wedding cards.

If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive?

A well-chosen card says that you care – one that accurately represents the recipient shows that you see and value who they are.

“The industry itself should also be diverse and inclusive at all levels. This way it can properly embrace different perspectives’’

Directors Elise Markham and Tanya Luke explain how The Black Card Company supports the black community and creatives

Christmas is fast approaching and both consumers and businesses around the UK are already thinking about what’s needed to make the festive season a success. But despite the current challenging landscape, what’s clear is that Christmas remains an important event for the majority of shoppers - they are just exploring different approaches in the run up to the big day.

Our latest research of 2,000 UK consumers1 found that shoppers are taking steps to manage their festive spending, with six in 10 (61%) saying they will be budgeting in some way. Yet, this isn’t stopping people wanting Christmas to be as normal as possible, as nearly half (48%) plan to spend the same this year as they have done previously. A separate survey we undertook found that, as of the end of September, a staggering 16.2 million British consumers had already started their Christmas shopping – something which may come as a surprise to merchants.

With Christmas just a matter of weeks away, our research identified evolving shopping behaviours that give merchants key pointers to help capture customer spend.

Year-round shopping

To minimise the financial brunt of Christmas shopping in one go, shoppers are being savvy with their finances, with more than one approach being taken. We found that over four in 10 (42%) consumers admitted to saving up throughout the year to ensure they have enough financial firepower for the festive season, with a similar proportion (38%) saying they stagger gift shopping across the year to try and minimise the financial hit in December.

A changing Christmas wish list  In addition to spreading out their Christmas spending, the types of gifts shoppers purchase may look slightly different this year. Due to the current economic climate, gifting priorities have

The shopping trends shaping retail this festive season

Dan Edelman, Vice President & UK General Manager, Merchant Services at American Express, on the opportunity for retailers that tune into specific needs of Christmas

understandably changed for some people. For example, approximately one in five (21%) shoppers say they’ll be gifting ‘essential items’ this year, with a quarter (24%) saying they’ll gift money.

Sustainable gifting remains important for some consumers, as they consider the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions and steer towards buying ‘greener gifts’. However, our research found just one in seven shoppers (15%) are planning on purchasing sustainable gifts for their nearest and dearest. Gift cards are another popular choice this year, with a fifth (21%) of consumers saying they’ll be opting for these.

A customer-first Christmas

It’s going to be a very competitive environment this year, but there’s opportunity for retailers that tune into the specific needs of Christmas shoppers to build an advantage over the competition. Our research found four in 10 (42%) consumers are more likely to shop with a retailer that offers a personalised service, and three quarters agree that great customer service is important to them when shopping.

Checkout is another part of the customer journey that can help make or break the shopping experience. With three-fifths of consumers citing convenience as a number one priority when shopping, the payments experience is a good place

to start if merchants want to meet these demands. A majority (60%) of shoppers said they would abandon a payment if they couldn’t pay with their preferred payment method, while a fifth (22%) think they shouldn’t have to enter payment details when making a purchase online. It’s clear that now more than ever, customers will be looking for retailers offering convenient and rewarding shopping experiences – whether in-store or online – to make their Christmas shopping as hassle-free as possible.

By accepting a wide range of payment types at checkout, such as American Express, merchants can engage and draw in new customers by giving them something extra this Christmas. Our Cardmembers earn Membership Rewards points on every pound they spend, and we partner with merchants large and small with a range of Amex Offers that help to drive additional spend from this loyal customer base – helping make Christmas a success for consumers and businesses alike.

It’s clear that there remains a strong desire among consumers for their Christmas to be successful, and merchants have an important role to play in making that happen. Responding to changing shopper behaviours and preferences is integral to winning share of wallets this festive season, and those adding greater value will be the ones to drive loyalty over the long-term.

This year marks 10 years since the American Express Shop Small campaign (www. americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/shop-small) launched in the UK. Returning this winter, Shop Small helps independent businesses attract customers through their doors, incentivising Cardmembers to spend at participating erchants across the UK. The campaign is just one of the ways American Express champions small businesses all year round; the company is founder and Principal Supporter of Small Business Saturday, which celebrates its 10th year in the UK on 3 December 2022.

1 All figures are based on fieldwork conducted by Opinium on behalf of American Express. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14 – 20 July 2022, amongst 2,000 consumers in the UK.

Article reprinted with kind permission from Retail Times www.retailtimes.co.uk