Reaping rewards…

Comedy Card Company’s Alan Auld says being an awards finalist has been a real boost for the fledgling publisher…

Alan Auld at the Comedy Card Company says he almost keeled over when he heard that his photo caption range had been shortlisted for a Henries Award. He now plans to tell everyone he meets for the foreseeable future . . .

It’s been a real boost for the fledgling publishers. Having specialised in selling humorous cards for 12 years, stocking a wide range of funny cards from lots of different publishers, they took the step of creating their own designs a couple of years ago. To their delight, their own designs sold really well amongst the established players. Alan says “by some miracle, they are now the bestselling range in our shop. All we want now is for other retailers to give them a go.’’

“We had a great time at the PG Live show, met some lovely retailers and got some orders but it can be hard to get people to stop and look at your stand when you are new. (Apparently rugby tackles are a faux pas in such settings.) Being a pretty useless sales person doesn’t help either! We did meet an agent at the PG Live show, which has been great for us. We would love to meet other agents as we really need their help and expertise to branch out.’’

In a previous life, Alan was a landscape photographer, selling large panoramic photographs in art galleries. He also had a spell taking photos around London, trying to capture the movement and energy of the city. “I had a bunch of panning shots of taxis and Routemaster buses, whizzing around London landmarks.’’ These old photos have given rise to a new (aptly named) Taxi!’ range. “It’s great to put these old photos to work and also to give us a little break from the high cost of licensing images!’’

A little while ago, the Comedy Card Company also created a hot foiled range. They took some of their best selling captions and had them hot foiled onto extra thick board for a posh, luxurious look! These have proved popular, particularly the Flamingo one.

What’s next? “We’re expanding our Christmas range and we’re also working on a brand new range with a completely different look and feel. Watch this space!’’ says Alan.

Comedy Card Company

07885 027381 info@comedycard.co.uk comedycardtrade.co.uk

Melinda Cooper

Thinking of You, Denby Dale, West Yorkshire

What did you do before you went into retail?

Before opening the shop I was mainly a mum (to two obviously beautiful children!), and did a little bit of office work.

Tell us a little about Thinking of You…

The shop was originally in Skelmanthorpe for 18 years, we moved to Denby Dale six years ago, where we are on the high street directly opposite a car park. Where do you source products and how do you choose them?

I go to Spring and Autumn Fairs and Harrogate Home & Gift. Many of the agents and reps I know will always bring new products to show me.

If I like it, many others will, I’m not unique. I find it very difficult to buy items I don’t really like!

How has business been?

This year has been difficult, especially with hikes in energy prices and minimum wage. We still sell lots of cards, but the gift/jewellery section has reduced. Tell us about your customers. They range between kids spending their pocket money on parents etc. and youngish adults buying gifts for friends and family - but mainly I would say it’s middle-aged women.

How do you promote the shop?

We use Facebook regularly, occasionally Instagram. We have been trading for over 24 years so are well known in the local area. We have a huge selection of cards (much to the staff’s dismay!) so customers always know we will have something to suit. We also have a list of customer emails and let them know when we have special days and so on.

How have you dealt with price rises?

The majority of things have gone up. l have had no choice but to follow suit with my prices.

You were a finalist at the Retas (Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North East England). What makes your shop stand out?

I’m thrilled to have been nominated, it makes me proud. I do try to find something a little bit different. There will always be some lines that are sold in many places that we couldn’t do without, but I’m always on the lookout for something new. We have a lot of handmade cards, and we try to have unusual titles in cards too, i.e. relatives with ages.

We have lovely staff here who always help customers (without being pushy) as well as the usual meet and greet. We also give away gift bags or wrap if the cost of the gift/s exceeds £25. This is something I have done since opening,