Progressive Greetings Worldwide April 2017

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On The Cards We have another good reason to thank our mums for... Mother’s Day! By all accounts it was a cracking one for card and gift retailers of all shapes and sizes. The longer lead time of almost six weeks after Valentine’s Day was a great bonus which retailers (and all businesses for that matter) made the most of. This bigger run up and the steadier sales stream of purchasing certainly helped to calm retailers’ nerves, with that final days thrust being the icing on the cake rather than the cake itself.

The industry did itself proud with the diversity of design styles and captions. I cannot recall ever having seen so many additional Mother’s Day captions stocked by retailers large and small.

Even stellar retailers with mature sales patterns had there expectations surpassed. Fiona Fabien, owner of Papyrus in Glasgow, was “delighted” by a 12% surge in its Mother’s Day card sales, while Card Factory stated that one day in the run up to Mother’s Day was a record breaker for the value retailer, taking more at the tills than it had ever before in the retailer’s history.

Admittedly, you would have to be a pretty hard-nosed person to poo-poo Mother’s Day, but it was great to see all the positive coverage and thirsty media appetite to fanfare the special day. The tabloids for example, lapped up the suggestion made by Clintons that as only 3% of people refer to their maters as ‘mother’ that the day should be renamed ‘Mum’s Day’ as this is by far the most common reference. Nice work Clintons ‘Mum’s the word’ that this was a great PR generator!

Above: It was cause for celebration in Greenwich London when Postmark opened its fourth shop.

(Left to right) co-owners Mark and Leona Janson-Smith, PG's Jakki Brown and Paperlink's Bill Greeno.

Left and right: Maisie Grayson, the gorgeous 'almost three year old' daughter of Mark (PG's creative director) and Kathryn Grayson (who works for Danilo) writing her first ever Mother's Day card by herself to her mum. She picked a Paper Salad card.

Below: Clintons' Tim Fairs with PG's Jakki Brown in the retailer's offices explaining all about its PR and marketing activities.

With this month being the run up to National Stationery Week (organised by National Stationery Show) the positive coverage is likely to continue, of which handwriting is bound to be a part. The day before Mother’s Day I was in the Harriet & Dee gift and card shop in Manchester’s Didsbury, where the lovely owner Irene Bailess had enlisted a local calligraphy artist to write special gift tags for those shopping for their mummies. I watched a little toddler selecting what will probably be the first ever Mother’s Day card and then proudly holding the work of art that the calligrapher had beautifully scribed. OK it got rather smudged in her hot little hands, but it is the thought that counts!

Mums forever!

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Writing and paper products have never been so popular with consumers, and are a major sales opportunity for greeting, gift and lifestyle retailers.

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Contents

What’s Inside Within This Issue:

FOCUS ON MALE CARDS

40

39

46

9-19

36-37

45

News

Jeremy’s Journal

A Trend On Male Cards – Urban

Retail Learnings

Urban Development

Blue Eyed Sun’s Jeremy Corner reveals what he has discovered about retail from his YouTube project.

Urban, the design trend that’s been beautifully ‘constructed’ on male cards.

20-21 Over The Counter

Paper Back Writer Independent card and gift retailer, Cathy Frost, owner of Loveone in Ipswich, reveals how stocking cards has opened new retailing doors.

46-47 38-39

Retailer Face To Face

In Conversation With…Tim Fairs

Branching Out

Emotionally Charged

Enter the wonderful world of Postmark’s new Greenwich store.

Tim Fairs, vp marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, discusses the multiple’s newly launched Emotional Index.

22-23 Cardsharp

Give Us A (Coffee!) Break!

Cardsharp muses over topical events happening in the industry.

Art Source

40-43 New Male Card Range Launches

Strap(ping) Lines PG spotlights some ‘belting’ new male card ranges.

25-27 Viewpoints

A Flaming Great Way Of Learning

49-51

Left: A design from Jelly Armchair.

Card buyers at the recent GCA ‘Speeddating with Dragons’ event share what they learnt from the experience.

52-53

What’s Hot? 55-57 Lynn’s Lines

Let There Be Dragons 58-70

Classified

29-35

71

Innovations

Appointments Progressive Greetings is a monthly business magazine.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: UK subscription: One year £50 Two year £85 Three year £110 Overseas subscription: One year £75

Jakki Brown

Warren Lomax

Gale Astley

Editor

Advertisement Director

Deputy Editor

jw@max-publishing.co.uk

warren@max-publishing.co.uk

galea@max-publishing.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTIONS ENQUIRES: maxsubscriptions@marketingreinforcements.co.uk Tel: 020 8943 9541

PG is the official magazine for the Greeting Card Association GCA: Sharon Little 020 7619 0396 Email: gca@max-publishing.co.uk www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk Use your smartphone app to scan the QR code to visit our website.

Copyright© 2017. While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of publication, the publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text. Views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.

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NEWS TOP STORY

Mum’s the word Long lead-up boosted Mother’s Day sales With Mother’s Day falling later this year, the longer lead-up meant improved sales for many retailers, with a greater selection of extended captions also improving till takings.

Cardzone reported a 3% growth like-for-like across its chain of 100+ stores. “The longer lead time definitely helped!” stated Paul Taylor, md.

Paperchase reported a “decent like-for-like growth”, with performance “exceeding expectations”, buying director Frances Burkle revealed.

“Given the later date compared to last year, the sales were more evenly spread, but as ever we still saw that rush in the last few days. What really stood out this for us this year is how much people wanted to celebrate their Grandmas too - we introduced a full row to the offer this year and were rewarded with strong sales on these lines.”

Likewise Clintons enjoyed a good Mother’s

Below: The Between the Lines’ poster for Mother’s Day. Below middle: Cards for Grandma/Nana were popular for Paperchase.

Day, supported by a heavyweight PR campaign (see separate story). “We offered over 400 different Mother’s Day designs this year, across 36 different captions,” Tim Fairs, vp of marketing & e-Commerce revealed.

In the 13 Between the Lines stores in the South of England, managing director Florian Kleinlercher reported a 4% increase in sales of Mother’s Day cards.

“While Spring Seasons are always a little difficult to compare due to them falling on different dates every year, 2017 has shown solid growth for Mother's Day. As a whole, the stores are 7% up on target so far for March. Mother's Day card sales started quite slowly but accelerated strongly towards the end of the season, and the Saturday before Mother's Day showed a 7% increase compared to 2016. Particularly strong card ranges this year were Tracks, Woodmansterne and Hammond Gower Publications.”

Views on the News How did indies fare on the Mother’s Day front? l Mother’s Day coming later in the month was a relief for Lesley Dunne, owner of Feathering Your Nest in Rayleigh, giving her more time to set the shop up after Valentine’s Day. “With such a long run up though, it seemed to me that customers were leaving it later to buy,” says Lesley. “I needn't have worried though, the build-up started the week before and by Saturday the queue was practically out of the door for most of the day. Saturday staff wrapped gifts in pink tissue and cello all day as the tills rang out. Everyone was patient and good humoured and the Haribo sweets helped stave off any hunger pangs! Best sellers for cards included Hearts Designs, Caroline Gardner, Janie Wilson and Laura Darrington.” l Glasgow-based retailer, Fiona Fabien of Papyrus was "delighted". "We had an excellent Mother’s Day - our Mother's Day card sales were up by 12% and we finished 9% up overall on last year. I do believe the increase was due to a late Mother’s Day on 26th March compared with 6th March last year. I think we were particularly fortunate in Glasgow as we had beautiful weather in the week running up to the event. The brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures brought Glaswegians out in droves to the parks, cafes, and attractions, driving footfall up in the West End." l Sales were also strong at the three Calliope Gifts shops in Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire.

Director Philip Downer said: “Thanks to our Haywards Heath store maturing nicely, we saw a 9% increase in unit sales on Mother’s Day cards this year. However, the overall feeling in the market I think is more cautious than this time last year. We saw less last minute shopping, with stronger sales of Mother’s Day in the (longer than usual) run-up to the big day.”

Left: The Mother’s Day display in Feathering Your Nest.

A spring clean with Clear Creations As a thank you gift to its customers, Clear Creations sent out a limited edition tea towel printed with a Jersey cow from the Elly Jane range with every Mother’s Day card order from its website. “The response was fantastic and we saw an immediate increase in Mother’s Day card sales,” said Tanya Darling of Clear Creations. “Some customers even suggested we should introduce a new line in homewares! Watch this space.”

Above: Customers received a tea towel with purchases from Clear Creations.

Happy Mother’s Gay Sainsbury’s made The Sun newspaper on the lead-up to Mother’s Day with one of its Mother’s Day cards for same-sex couples.

It follows the success of the supermarket’s same-sex Valentine’s Day cards in February. The card was welcomed by customers with one customer tweeting: “This is great. It is so hard to find LGBT cards in shops.”

Above: The story in The Sun about Mother’s Day cards for same-sex couples in Sainsbury’s.

Hallmark is a super brand Hallmark has been awarded Consumer Superbrand status for 2017 from The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA), being feted alongside top names of British Airways, LEGO, Rolex, John Lewis, Apple and Coca-Cola. Each year since 1995 the TCBA releases its list of Superbrands as judged by 2,500 British adults against three criteria: quality, reliability and distinction.

Alison Kildunne, head of brand and marketing at Hallmark UK, added: “Being voted a UK Superbrand for the second year running is a massive achievement for us and recognises the work we have been doing to reinvigorate our brand and make it timely and relevant to modern-day card shoppers.”

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NEWS TOP STORY

Tony Roberts to leave UKG IC&G to welcome industry stalwart as sales director Tony Roberts, the very popular director of independent sales at UK Greetings, is to leave the company to join IC&G in a newly created post as sales director, but he will take with him lots of happy memories of his many years with the publisher.

“I have loved being a part of the UKG team and owe so much to the company.

Joining IC&G gives me a great opportunity to work with the co-owners

Simon and Ian Wagstaff to help develop the business that has independent retailers at its heart,” commented Tony.

Tony joins IC&G in June, but is looking to ensure a smooth handover with whoever takes up the role at UKG. “I have really loved working with Tony, he’s such a great operator and we will miss him,” commented Jayne Myers, commercial director of UKG. “We are

currently recruiting to find the right person to be the next Tony Roberts and head up the independent sales team.”

Tony started his career in the industry with Celebration Arts (a fore-runner to UKG) in 1984 as a Birmingham area sales rep. “Apart from five years when I joined Ling, followed by a few years with Minds Eye, I have spent the majority of my time with the same company. I thought I would be here until I retired but hey ho, at the ripe age of 59 an opportunity with IC&G came up that I could not resist,” says Tony.

“I will of course miss the UKG team, but I feel privileged to become a part of another team.” At UKG Tony headed up a team of over 70 people - 32 sales reps, 14 sales coordinators, six area managers and 23 in the internal customer care team. At IC&G, he will be working with the codirectors as well as the company’s team of agents that cover the UK. Simon Wagstaff, co-owner of IC&G, is very much looking forward to bringing Tony into the fold. “Tony will be a welcome addition to our team, his experience will help us to develop IC&G without losing its ethos as very much a family-run company which has its focus on providing strong products and great customer care to our independent retail customers.”

Above left: Tony on the UKG stand at last year’s PG Live.

PG Live countdown Proof that the greeting card industry has plenty of fresh ideas from new talent coming into the fray, PG Live's Springboard section has been further extended for the 2017 dedicated greeting card show (which takes place June 6 and 7 at London’s Business Design Centre).

In addition to all the leading brands exhibiting, visitors looking for emerging talent at PG Live will be treated to an even greater varied mix with a new area of the show opening up to accommodate an additional 30 new publishers and artists, meaning there will be over 160 Above: Only a couple of months before PG Live 2017.

Springboard exhibitors – and over 280 exhibitors in total.

“For the third year running, demand for space in the Springboard section of PG Live has outstripped supply,” comments joint show director Warren Lomax. “We're so excited that visitors will be able to see even more fantastic publishers, further cementing PG Live's position as the largest collection of greeting card publishers in the world.”

Known for its high energy, artistic vibe and friendly atmosphere, PG Live 2017 attracts greeting card buyers from over 40 countries as well as major UK retail multiples and leading independents.

Retailers can register for tickets on +44 (0) 1635 297070 or visit: www.progressivegreetingslive.com.

Tours are also on offer for publishers, suppliers and artists by booking in with Tracey Arnaud on traceya@max-publishing.co.uk or 01234 740051.

Cards are tops for gift shops Greeting cards have been a sales saviour for many independent gift retailers over the last year. The findings of the Progressive Gifts & Home Retail Barometer, a survey undertaken by PG’s sister publication, show that despite challenging economic and political conditions, gift retailers are on the whole positive about the future. The Retail Barometer, now in its 11th year, is the only dedicated research into the health and wealth of the independent gift retailer, providing invaluable insight into this important sector.

Greeting cards were fanfared as a real hero product, with 55% of respondents citing them as having had a really positive effect on their bottom line over the last year.

Encouragingly, some 80% of respondents are expecting to grow their business or keep it steady this year, although only 11% are planning to open another outlet.

Above: Greeting cards are good business for gift shops.

This is America calling Two British-based card publishers have had greeting cards shortlisted in the US Greeting Card Association’s Louie Awards (the US equivalent of The Henries) which take place during next month’s National Stationery Show (May 21-24) in New York.

Daphne Diamant, owner of Purpose & Worth, is a finalist in the LGBT $4 and below category for her Mr and Mr wedding/partnership card, and Laura Darrington Design, entered a Christmas card which is a finalist in the Christmas/Seasonal $4 Above: A Christmas card and below category. The from Laura Darrington. winners of the Louie Awards are announced at a gala dinner on 21 May in New York. l The American National Stationery Show (NSS) is celebrating the journey and experiences of more than 35 stationery store owners, buyers, designers and exhibitors on its website in its ‘Stationery Stories’ in the lead up to the show (May 21 – 24) at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. “These stories put a face to dozens of wonderful people we may know, and give us history and context as to how the stationery industry has shaped their lives,” said Kelly Bristol, NSS show director.

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NEWS TOP STORY

Doors close on M&P Cards Paul Taylor’s Cardzone takes on half the shops Having reached great heights with its trailblazing approach to greeting card retailing, M&P Cards, which traded under the Occasions fascia in many of its 16 card shops, has gone into voluntary administration.

The company, owned by Terry Harvey, managing director, and Jane Chandler, buying director, had been trading for almost 11 years when it reached what Terry describes as a “sudden end”. The directors had been exploring ways of saving the business, but these plans were faltered.

Cardzone, owned by Paul Taylor, has taken on eight of the stores thereby safeguarding 50 jobs. These are the shops in Didcot, Warminster, Melksham, Gillingham, Royal Wootton Bassett, Locksheath, Hungerford and Plimstock.

This means that Cardzone is now trading from over 100 stores.

As announced in last month’s PG, M&P closed the large stores that it had opened in shopping malls in Bradford and Newport a couple of months ago, declaring its exploration into opening sites in shopping centres “a dismal failure”.

Saddened by the outcome, Terry told PG: “Jane and I feel privileged to have worked in the industry. It was our goal to innovate rather than emulate and we were always committed to pushing the boundaries wherever possible; undoubtedly a high risk approach in business.”

He takes comfort in that they leave a legacy of “several truly exceptional

Hot off the press

Above: Terry Harvey and Jane Chandler outside the Occasions store in Bradford, which closed a few months ago.

stores” that will trade on “in the safe hands” of Cardzone.

“We would like to pass on our thanks and good wishes to all the companies that have travelled this journey with us and provided exceptional support and kindness. It has been an experience…”

Commenting on the addition of the Occasions stores to the Cardzone estate, Paul Taylor, md, said: “Terry and Jane created some good stores. Perhaps their mistake was that they wanted to take on the world.”

Paul says the eight stores will continue to trade under the Occasions fascia for the time being. “They are a very good fit for us, especially as all except one includes a Thorntons franchise. And we are delighted to be able to save the jobs of so many of the staff, including the area manager Paula Whalley”.

This means that over a third of Cardzone stores (35 shops) now include a Thorntons area.

From Scotland to Wales Greeting card publisher Pink Pig may be based in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, but it is extending its good wishes to Wales as 70 designs from its Blooming Gorgeous range are now available in the Welsh language. It all started with one card that had the title ‘Mam’, as Pink Pig’s owner Mabel Forsyth explains: “I had included this particular title because for years - long before I published cards - I could never find a 'Mam' card to buy for my own mother (I'm from the Highlands in Scotland and Mam is used more than Mum). When we were exhibiting at Spring Fair this year, several Welsh stockists noticed this Mam card, and told me that Mam was much more appropriate in Wales too, and several ordered it.

Then Gemma, one of our lovely Welsh stockists, suggested doing more cards in the Welsh language as she has been asked for them in her shop. The greeting cards have been proofed and we have a new Welsh brochure, and though it's very early days, the initial response has been very encouraging.”

Specialist greeting card printer (and Henries Awards sponsor) Offset Print and Packaging has invested a cool £2.6 million in the latest KBA printing press (above) and will take delivery in June. The new six-colour KBA Rapida 106 with coater will enable a broader range of substrate handling, as well as the ability to use both conventional and UV inks and coatings. Vince Brearey, managing director of operations for Offset, says: “We have invested in this new machine to make further advances into the latest generation of colour, waste management and quality assurance - a prerequisite for our customers and good for the environment.”

Some fairy action Fiona Bishop from The Porch Fairies has been out and about in March personalising greeting cards for customers in Jarrold department store in Norwich (right) and Bentalls in Kingston. “It is a lovely way to meet customers face-to-face and adds to the retailer's sales events, making their customers feel extra special,” says Fiona. “I write messages in (or on) cards, sometimes adding a fairy illustration with a touch of glitter. Customers not only have a unique and personal card, but have the chance to have a chat and usually leave with some extra free goodies from The Porch Fairies.”

Wrendale investment Greeting card and gift company, Wrendale Designs is sharing its success by helping those less fortunate. Working with Build Africa, a charity that helps provide children in Africa with the best opportunity to learn, Wrendale Designs is funding a project at Kiatuni Primary School in Machakos District, southern Kenya.

Wrendale’s support will provide vital facilities and resources for learning, including a purposebuilt Early Childhood Development (ECD) classroom, children’s desks, teachers’ furniture and textbooks and a block of toilets for girls and sanitary provisions.

“We feel very privileged to sell our cards and gifts all over the world and it is important to us that we are able to give something back,” says Wrendale’s Hannah Dale.”

Below: The classroom at Kiatuni Primary in Kenya is starting to take shape.

Left: Happy birthday Mum in Welsh.

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NEWS TOP STORY

An emotional surge

Below: Tim Fairs in a video for Retail Week.

Below middle: For Mother’s Day Clintons did a tie-up with flowersdirect.

Clintons ups the PR ante Clintons has pledged to raise the profile of greeting cards with the public and in the media through a whole programme of initiatives.

Since engaging PR company Houston PR in February, Clintons hasn’t been far from the spotlight. During March the retailer secured coverage on Retail Week, BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme and coverage in the major press with its Mother’s Day survey and an innovative Emotional Index (see pages 38-39).

“Our work with Clintons is all about promoting the quality of its products and the exceptional level of service on offer, driving customer footfall and brand

awareness in the process,” says James Horne, account director for Houston PR. “The depth of range is absolutely key.

Clintons had 400 different Mother’s Day cards on offer this year and an increasing number reflect social change. They have cards for same sex families and step-mums as well as cards in Braille. This is indicative of their approach to all occasions and important life events.”

On the week prior to Mother’s Day Clintons released a survey showing that just 3% of the public use the term ‘mother’, prompting whether it should be renamed

Getting social ‘Mum’s Day’. This story was picked up in the Daily Mirror and The Sun as well as numerous online news agencies.

The previous week Clintons had released another survey, unveiling the emotional index of the country by analysing the sentiment of greeting cards sold in its stores. The data was produced by looking at the basic sentiment or emotional message for those greeting cards not focused on a calendar event. The data shows that we are at our most negative in January and most positive in July. The story was picked up by The Daily Express.

Tim Fairs, vp marketing & eCommerce for Clintons was also busy during March with an interview for Retail Week, putting an end to rumours of shop closures for once and for all, saying: “We turn over £200m and serve 36 million customers over the course of the year. There’s a definite need for Clintons on the High Street. We’ve overhauled the card range, the price point, the gifting range and all aspects of the store environment. The brand now has a new lease of life. There’ll be some openings, very few closures and we’ll modernise a few of the stores as well.”

Clintons also reacted quickly to a customer taking exception to one of its designs by removing it from the entire estate to avoid any negative publicity escalating (See page 18).

Hallmark’s new trade portal Hallmark is ramping up its commitment to its new trade webstore on the back of feedback from its retail customers. Over 30% of customers have already registered since the site launched in January. The webstore allows trade customers to browse through Hallmark’s ranges by keyword, collection, category, caption, season and SKU and can easily place an order whenever they want.

“The big advantage of this new system is that all of our customers can view and order from over thousands of products in their own time when it’s convenient for them,” says Ellen Harrison, marketing and events manager for trade. “For our customer it is convenient, gives them greater control over their account and they can see at a glance what they’ve ordered in the past and when.”

Left: New SKUs are highlighted in the Hallmark webstore.

Cardgains members were treated to a crash course in social media with guru Jason Squires at two training sessions over March sponsored by the Great British Card Company (GBCC) in Gloucester and Borehamwood. As a result, many more members and suppliers are now interacting with each other via Twitter and Facebook.

“After hosting three courses for suppliers and members at Cardgains’ head office in Sheffield over the last couple of years, we always wanted to take the seminars on the road and encourage more members to get involved and see the benefits social media can bring to their business”, said Penny Shaw, marketing director.

There is another training day scheduled for April 25, sponsored by UK Greetings, to be held in Dewsbury at the publisher’s head office. Any Cardgains member interested in attending should contact cyril@cardgains.co.uk.

Above: Learning more about social media at GBCC in Gloucester.

SOS - save our swans!

An offspring of swans depicted on several of Wendy Jones-Blackett cards is now safe, thanks to a mercy mission by the card publishing couple, Wendy and Steve Jones-Blackett. Wendy and Steve took part in a daring mission to rescue a cygnet who had been exiled by other swans living in a lake local to the couple in Leeds.

Steve and Wendy, along with other volunteers from the Friends of Gledhow Valley Woods, caught the young cygnet and chauffeured her to another lake where she has settled in nicely.

“The two swans, which feature in lots of my cards, live on a lake near our house,” says Wendy. “Every year they have cygnets, but then evict them come the mating season, sometimes with disastrous consequences. So this year we decided to catch the last cygnet and take her to another lake.”

Top: Steve Jones-Blackett keeps the young cygnet calm in the back of the car.

Above: The swans are inspiration for some of Wendy’s cards.

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Immerse yourself in the greeting card world PG Live 2017 is an inspiring celebration of the exciting greeting card industry. Thousands of original designs, exciting ranges and exclusive show launches will be on offer at the UK’s only specialist greeting card show, thanks to a packed exhibitor list comprising the top 280+ publishers, designers and suppliers from right around the globe.

“Last year’s PG Live was as good as ever, plenty of new fresh talent in my favourite area: Springboard, where I always visit looking for something different.

An enjoyable and productive couple of days; this year’s show dates are already in the diary!”

Liz Killiick, owner, Calladoodles, Carshalton

A Creative Journey PG Live takes you on a creative journey to the very heart of the international greeting card industry.

Book your free tickets now to be part of the fun. www.progressivegreetingslive.com

PG Live 2017

Tuesday 6 - Wednesday 7 June Business Design Centre, London

BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW!

+44 (0) 1635 297070 @PGLiveLondon www.progressivegreetingslive.com

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NEWS TOP STORY

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hubbard’s cupboard fills up Good growth reported for Card Factory Card Factory’s preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2017 show a 4.3% increase in sales for the value card retailer, taking its turnover to a heady £381.6million. Like-for-like sales grew by 0.4% in the last year, with improvements in quality and range of both card and noncard products cited as a main reason. There were 51 new stores opened in the period bringing the total estate to 865.

Just over a year into the post, Karen Hubbard, chief executive officer, commented: “Over the last year, it is our established strategy which has allowed us to deliver a good performance in a challenging retail market. Our store LFL sales remained positive and our business continued to deliver best-in-class margins while remaining highly cash generative.”

Among the growth opportunities cited are the possibility of expanding into Ireland where some 100 locations are understood to have been pinpointed, with further expansion also on the cards in retail parks.

(See Cardsharp pages 22-23) Left: Karen Hubbard spoke at the recent Retail Week Live event, during which she banged the drum for sexual equality in boardrooms saying there was still room for improvements.

Evolving giftwrap A new British innovation in giftwrap is about to hit the shelves this month. Instawrap is the brainchild of Gary Hoffman and is a self-adhesive giftwrap, doing away with the need for sticky tape – you simply lick and stick. It’s easy to use, saves time on wrapping, but perhaps most excitingly for the industry; it’s 100% recyclable.

“Every year just after Christmas we get the articles across the media about how bad giftwrap can be for the environment”, says Gary. “Headlined recently by the Daily Mail as the ‘Christmas Recycling Shambles’, the newspaper quoted millions of tons of wrapping paper will end up in landfill because it cannot be recycled. It states that giftwrap with glitter or metallic finishes or contaminated with sticky tape is being rejected by paper mills with the potential fate of landfill or being burnt.

Instawrap is made from paper with no plastic or lamination, however the key difference is that Instawrap does not need sticky tape. The advice from Recycle Now, the national recycling campaign for England, is that sticky tape is non-recyclable and needs to be removed from giftwrap before going in recycling bins, but that’s a lot of hassle.

Instawrap removes the need for sticky tape once and for all.”

Instawrap has been specially developed with zero taste, you just lick and stick anywhere on either side of Instawrap to activate.

Jane Means, ‘the giftwrap guru’, is product ambassador for Instawrap and produced a number of videos to show how easy the product is to use.

“There’s been a lot of interest from independents in Instawrap,” says Gary.

“And we’re in talks with some multiples as well. We’ve got some great designers on board; it’s a very exciting time for us right now.”

l Pulse, the trade show for gifts, modern living and accessories’ announced its six speaker line-up for the show taking place at Olympia, London 14 - 16 May. The 2017 talks programme includes speakers from Heal’s, The Design Museum, MADE.com, Future & Found, Simple Shape and Skandium. l Rosie Harrison from Rosie Made a Thing was recently excited to hear that This Morning’s Ruth Langsford had received one of her cards for her birthday from Rylan Clark-Neal, from the X-Factor. Ruth posted the Leopard Skin card on social media with the message ‘Thank you Rylan for your fantastic birthday card… ain’t that the truth babe!!’ She later tweeted Rosie that she loved it.

Above: The card that Ruth Langford received.

l A woman’s Twitter post about a lost birthday card posted by her father was retweeted over 8,000 times. Why? It turns out Claire Fuller and her dad have been exchanging the same birthday card since 1984 and the card is nearly completely full with 33 years of birthday messages squeezed in.

Her father posted the card in Thame in February this year and unfortunately it never arrived at Claire’s.

Above: This birthday card has been exchanged between father and daughter for over 30 years.

l The winner of Enveco’s Spring Fair notebook competition is Judy Lumley.

Visitors to Spring Fair were able to request a bespoke notebook sample. Over 100 publishers took up the offer with one lucky person winning 100 notebooks of their own design, manufactured by Enveco.

Right: Judy Lumley’s winning notebook from Enveco.

l Splimple has taken over the publishing of the popular Alec’s Cards, featuring Barry the penguin.

Artist Alec McCarthy will still be doing the artwork.

Right: Instawrap comes rolled in packaging with two 100gsm sheets (495 x 700mm).

Left: A design by Finnish illustrator Nadja Sarell.

Dyson DNA connection Although both creating high-end product, card publisher Dyson Design has been at pains over the years to explain they are not related to Dyson the vacuum manufacturer. But it turns out they may well be! DNA research into family names has revealed that because Dysons have made the most faithful partners over the past 800 years, the majority of the 11,000 Dysons now living in Britain hail from the same ancestor; a female cattle rustler from West Yorkshire.

Dyson Designs' owner, Helen Dyson (right) said: “We’re always asked about the name at trade shows and get regular calls to our offices about carrying out repairs. We even had The Independent newspaper call once asking if they could arrange an interview with James Dyson. But I can confirm that we’re not related; not in recent times anyway! But we are very proud of our name, and we were established long before it became synonymous with vacuum cleaners!”

The company, which has just released a new catalogue showcasing their latest ranges, is still keen to point out that they can create beautifully designed greeting cards for all occasions, but they cannot fix your vacuum. And unlike James Dyson, they manufacture everything in Britain.

Above: Widdop’s bake off raised £1,600 for Comic Relief.

l Staff from gift company Widdop and Co raised £400 for Comic Relief at the end of March with a bake off. This total was quadrupled by the directors to an impressive £1,600! l As a new benefit, GCA members can now receive a 30% discount on monthly subscription to HR:4UK. HR:4UK offers specialist HR and employment support including payroll and pension services. Monthly subscriptions start at £27.30 with the GCA discount.

See more at www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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NEWS TOP STORY

Christmas trends start here

Rude awakening

Below: Scribbler shops came under the spotlight over rude cards, but it has had the PG signs in its shops for eight years.

Parental guidance recommended?

‘Rude and offensive cards’ were in the news last month which offered an opportunity for the industry to defend itself without offending sensibilities.

The BBC reported on the PG (Parental Guidance) signs displayed in Scribbler stores and other retailers warning customers of the adult nature of some of the cards. It meant the GCA’s ceo Sharon Little was in hot media demand again, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Drive, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC West Midlands. The BBC London News film crew also went on location to Scribbler’s Islington store filming the retail group’s md John Procter and Sharon on the matter.

Talking with Tony Livesey on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sharon said: “There are really a huge variety of cards that cater to all tastes and yes, some of these are rude. But this risqué humour is nothing new. Us Brits have always liked a bit of smut, just look back at the seaside postcards of the past or even Wicked Willie back in the 80s. There is a demand for these types of cards and a lot of people love them and, of course, there

Below: Urban Planet is set to be a trend for 2018.

will be some people who find them offensive. I completely understand if retailers want to put warnings in windows.”

Joining Sharon on BBC Radio Scotland was Mike Pretious, lecturer in marketing, retailing and consumer studies at Queen Margaret University. Mike said he thought the stickers were a bit of a gimmick and probably acted to draw more curious people into the store. “There is an audience for these cards and while it is not a universal audience, they have a market.

We’re not talking about sexualised imagery or pornography, the humour is normally a play on words.”

Bearing up to criticism Clintons came in for some criticism on the grounds of sexism over one of the cards it stocks.

The birthday card features a photograph of a grizzly bear lying on its back with its legs in the air, with a caption: “After a few birthday drinks… she was up for pretty much anything!”

Lucy Dunn, deputy editor of The Pool, took to social media after spotting the card in Clintons’ St Albans store with the message ‘Happy birthday to any woman who ‘deigns’ to have a drink on their birthday.

Found this in my local card shop #disgusting.’

Clintons responded immediately, apologising and within hours had instigated the removal of the design from all its stores.

Above: The card design that has now As Tim Fairs, Clintons’ vp marketing & e-Commerce, told PG: “Unfortunately been withdrawn from Clintons’ stores. this design slipped through our net. While humorous cards are important to us and the market, we do not want to in any way be seen to degrade women and cause offence.”

The story was covered extensively in the media, including in The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Huffington Post. l As reported in last month’s issue, Paperchase was in hot water over its offensive Valentine’s Day cards after customers complained on social media and it took the decision to remove these cards from sale.

Lessons with Imogen Imogen Owen, card publisher and calligraphy expert, appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch on 19 March, showing the hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer the finer art of calligraphy. Imogen is passionate about educating people about the art of writing. “Calligraphy in the UK in a more modern form is starting to really take off. People appreciate the difference between something created digitally and something made by hand, the imperfections of something made by hand are part of its appeal. I think calligraphy and hand-lettering are re-enforcing a trend that stems around traditional skills and techniques in much the same way as letterpress printing. It’s the quality, the intimacy and the beauty of the imperfect in an age of Photoshopped perfection and we can’t seem to get enough of it.”

Right: Imogen Owen on Sunday Brunch with Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Trend forecasters Scarlet Opus will be returning to the London Stationery Show, which takes place at London's Business Design Centre from April 2526. Trend analyst Phil Pond will be revealing two main looks: Homeland for Christmas 2017 and Urban Planet for 2018. Both trends have evolved from previous seasons with Homeland featuring a handmade, crafted aesthetic, and Urban Planet showing off a metallic colour palette based on a futuristic space aesthetic. "Both will appeal strongly to stationery buyers and retailers alike," says Phil. "It's time for the retail network to focus on the consumer of the future."

Writing across the world Toby Little, aged nine from Sheffield, is on a mission to write a letter to a person in every country in the world. Inspired by a book about how the postal service works, Toby started writing letters at the age of five to learn more about different cultures and experiences across continents. The first letter Toby penned was to Volcano, Hawaii in 2013 and since then Toby has written more than 1000 letters to various locations around the globe.

Toby began the project by writing to friends and family, before it became much bigger, and now, with only a few countries remaining on his list, the youngster says he still isn’t bored of putting pen to paper.

“I’ve discovered some amazing places, just by Above: Toby Little is on a letter-writing mission! the power of writing,” says Toby. “We never forget the first letter we ever receive. I know I certainly haven’t.

Writing means a lot to me. It means I’ve got to know the world and people better.”

There are only 29 countries Toby hasn’t written to and he is asking for the help of National Stationery Week and its community of stationery lovers to complete his quest. Toby is looking for names and addresses from the following countries: Angola, Armenia, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tonga, Tunisia and Tuvalu.

If you can help Toby, please contact Dan Shorthouse from National Stationery Week at dan@smallmanmedia.com.

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NEWS PEOPLE

TOP STORY

Mixed ratings

Below: There is some relief for Little Paperie.

Cardies weigh up where they stand on business rates Depending on where they’re based and how well the area in which their shops are located has fared over the last five years since the last valuation, card retailers have either been pleased or shocked by the revised business rates bill that they have received over the last few weeks.

“Thankfully we’ve ended up pretty neutral as we have more shops in the north than south,” commented Paul Taylor, md of the Cardzone retail chain of 100+ stores, about the company’s new business rates bill. “I imagine for some greeting card retailers in good locations down south they will looking at big cost increases.”

For those in the south hoping that the Chancellor's Budget on March 8 would offer some salvation on the business rate front their fears were not quelled. The Chancellor stated that there are no plans to abolish business rates, which annually make some £25bn for the Treasury. But there will be £435 million of further support for businesses facing significant increases in bills due to the business rates revaluation from April 2017.

Mark Janson-Smith, co-owner of the Postmark group of four specialist card shops in London, was less than pleased to receive the new costs. “Business rates on our Chiswick shop have gone up 60% and there is nothing we can do about it. Very frustrating,” he said.

Philip Hammond’s promise that the government will be reviewing the reevaluation process before the next rates re-evaluation has been viewed sceptically by retail associations.

"In 2014, the Chancellor announced a full structural review of business rates," pointed out Alan Hawkins, chief executive of bira, in advance of the Budget. "All that has happened is a change to the appeals system and sticking plasters to the antiquated and unfair structure. We need fundamental reform and quickly. The government has clearly stated their support for the great British high street in these tumultuous times, but they have to demonstrate it."

Independent card shop owner Paul Jarman of Creased Cards in Brighton recognises that things could be better and they could be worse: “We’ll be within the capped rise process, so while we see a 16% increase in our rateable value, we are at least protected from an immediate huge hike in rates. We will still though be paying an extra £600 a year in what is a very small property.

I’m yet to find anyone in the Brighton area that isn’t going to be paying more – so the government’s facts about the majority not paying more does not ring true for us here.”

For some retailers, help is at hand with small business rate relief. Lucy Sticka and Heidi Richardson, owners of Little Paperie in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, said: “Our rateable value has increased slightly but we will actually be in a better position as we are getting small business rate relief this year. “

Braving the elements for charity Cherry Orchard’s owner and co-founder, Jackie Collins and director of creativity, Beverley Fisher, braved the elements on top of the Brecon Beacons in March during training for their Three Peaks Challenge. They are part of a team of 50 trekkers taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge in July to summit the three highest mountains in the UK - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon - all within a weekend to raise money for WellChild children’s charity.

Said Jackie, “Tackling two mountains over rocky, steep terrain, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but what kept me going was the support and encouragement of a group of lovely Above: Jackie (left) and Beverley (right) looking soggy but happy. people and knowing that it's all in aid of an amazing charity WellChild”.

Jackie and Beverley have set up a Just Giving page to help their fundraising efforts at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jackie-Beverley.

Sad goodbyes l Kevin Nolan (right), co-owner of Maddy Moos in Totton, Hampshire sadly passed away in March. The announcement came via the shop's Facebook page where the post was signed by his wife Karen, Scott, Hayleigh and the Maddy Moos team, and said: “It's with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce a loving husband, fantastic dad, brother, son, friend and awesome boss (not forgetting a cracking golfer), Kev, unfortunately passed away late Saturday night. Although our hearts our broken, we are glad he is no longer suffering. Kev was such a big character and we will all miss him so very much.”

Ladder Clubbies cards hit the shelves Three sympathy card designs

by Ladder Club members have gone on sale in six House of Cards stores across the Home Counties. Lynsey Pearson Pearl of a Girl, Graeme Hall of Uniquely Yours and Laura May of Laura May Designs won the opportunity with House of Cards through a competition exclusively for ‘first day’ Ladder Club members to design a sympathy card. As part of the competition prize The Sherwood Group and Enveco produced the cards for free and the designers will be paid for all cards sold at House of Cards over the 12 month period.

Lynsey Pearson said on winning the competition: “As a newcomer to the greeting card industry, to win this was a fabulous confidence boost. I hope that being stocked in House of Cards will give me a better understanding of selling to business rather that direct to the customer. I hope the exposure will be the stepping-stone I need to help me break into the industry.” l The dates for this year’s Ladder Club seminars have been announced as Tuesday 19 September (for newbies) and Wednesday 20 September (for those looking to move up the rung of the greeting card ladder). Among the speakers who have been confirmed include John and Jennie Procter of Scribbler, Andrea Pinder of Unit 7, Aussie distributor Jenny Cummins of McMillan Cards, Ged Mace of The Art File, Megan Purdy of Megan Claire. To book a place (£60 a day) contact Clare Davies on clare@createvents.co.uk or 01183 340085.

Above: Tracy Hunnisett of House of Cards, Wallingford, puts the new sympathy cards on display.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Over The Counter

Paper Back Writer

Below: Some lovely and unusual stationery at Loveone.

Below left: Cards sit beautifully with gifts and can help create a theme.

In the run up to Stationery Week this month, independent retailer, Cathy Frost, owner of card and gift shop Loveone in Ipswich, shares her insight as to how retailing greeting cards and stationery opened up new avenues and opportunities for her business.

The retailing of greeting cards has been a revelation to me. My retail journey started 10 years ago and back then selling cards did not register on my radar. It was something other retailers did. I was very much rooted in my homewares emporium and cards seemed a distraction, taking up valuable space. How wrong I was proved to be.

When the recession took hold in 2008, I was forced to completely re-evaluate the products that I was selling. Faced with a sink or swim scenario, in January 2009 I took myself off to Top Drawer in London. I kept an open mind - my relationship with all things stationery had begun.

It was odd really because I had always loved stationery, sending it and receiving it. I can still remember the thrill of cards arriving on my birthday, loving the glitter that fell off the Christmas cards (it was the 1970s), a new notebook waiting to be filled, and the anticipation of all those beautifully giftwrapped presents under the tree.

The recession was definitely a time for reflection. I now find myself buying 1000’s of cards every year, happy days!

Loveone became a gift shop.

Reassessing customer expectation and the 20

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

inevitable reduction in spending presented me with obvious challenges, but also new opportunities. We became a onestop shop, offering the full gift buying experience. From the selection of the present, wrapping the gift and, of course, choosing the right card. I now find myself wrapping gifts purchased in my neighbour’s shops. I rediscovered the joy of crisp mitred edges and perfect folds!

Our greeting card selection started with a small collection covering all the major highlights of the 'gift calendar' and consumer occasions. I came to realise that cards offered an affordable purchase to many customers who were apprehensive about coming into a small independent shop.

At the very least a customer could purchase a card, it was still an opportunity to come into the shop for a browse. It was often the case that far more money was actually spent, once customer confidence had been gained in terms of product price, range and customer service. It had all started with the humble greeting card placed strategically at the front of the shop.

Loveone now has a reputation locally for stocking designs from the quirkier end of the card market. In fact, I now actively seek out the smaller publishers, new artists or start-ups.

These ranges are then worked in among more established ranges, this helps build customer acceptance of some of the edgier products.

Over time I have listened and observed my customers. I have noticed quite a shift in my shopping tribe, to a much broader customer base, less age or gender specific.

This has led me to take a few risks and try out many new brands, in fact some recommended by my well-informed regulars.

One particular customer shared his love

of letterpress cards, and these are now a permanent fixture instore.

By watching customers make their card selections it has made me reassess my own thought processes when I purchase a card: It is a very complex interaction, with considerations including sentiment, occasion, image, text inside and out, typeface, colour, size, branding, with price often being an afterthought. For many there is a real emotional attachment to selecting the appropriate card, especially when considering events such as the loss of a loved one or the expression of first love.

Loveone now utilises many avenues to discover new card ranges. The annual trips to the trade shows are still an important part of the buying process. I focus on Top Drawer and Pulse, both are London based. This is partly a geographical consideration, but it has the right level of content for me as a small buyer.

And of course the Progressive Greetings Live show has now also been added to our buying calendar, especially as it is a dedicated greeting card show.

20-21_Grid 28/03/2017 12:56 Page 3

Over The Counter

I find that my focus has shifted to the new publisher/designer areas at trade shows, such as Spotted (Top Drawer) and Springboard (PG Live). These specially curated areas provide valuable exposure to new card publishers. Often there is more flexibility with minimum orders, which is great news for a small independent retailer. It is also exciting to be at the start of a card publisher’s journey.

A good example of this was meeting Jot Paper Co. I met the founders, Daniel and Becks, in 2016 at their first trade show. I was drawn to their stand by the strong neon text on their cards, which really stood out. It was a small but effective first card collection, and I knew instinctively it would suit Loveone. Jot specialises in letterpress cards and its products are all hand-finished. The branding is simple but effective and the cards have proved popular with the Ipswich market.

The local art scene has proved to be a successful resource for Loveone. In 2012 I was fortunate to be involved with a pop-up shop, a creative art project funded by Recreate, a European Arts initiative. I joined forces with I Make Fun Stuff, a local craft collective, and through the shop we were able to support many local artists. The pop-up shop was situated in Ipswich town centre and provided much needed space and exposure for these start-ups. The project supported them through the retailing process, as well as branding, packaging and merchandising artists’ products.

Some of the artists, such as Lauren Kelly (madeincolchester.wordpress.com), Hello Pushkin (etsy), Floating Forest Studios (Instagram), Rebecca Pymar (Rebeccapymar.co.uk), Ella Goodwin (etsy, shopmissella), have now become established suppliers to Loveone, and our seasonal visitors really appreciate the locally sourced products.

Increasingly, social media is becoming an invaluable tool for research, both for me to find new card and gift products, but also for producers and artists to find Loveone. Social

media provides a great window into the artist’s world and equally into mine. Trends can be spotted quickly and therefore reacted to. It has really helped with the merchandising of many of our products, helping to create a story across multiple product ranges.

A large proportion of my buying is done directly with the creator of the cards. I like to establish the back-story to their business, as this really helps to sell the cards to a customer.

A connection to the card publisher provides added value, which seems ever-more important with today’s consumer.

I have had some limited experience with card reps and agents, although this seems to be increasing as Ipswich’s profile is improving.

By and large most have been helpful and enthusiastic. However, my personal bugbear has always been about exclusivity. An example of this happened to me last year. I placed a large order with a card publisher, I was promised exclusivity (within a postcode area) and a 30 day account from the start. The cards sold well, but I was surprised to see the very same cards in a gift shop less than a 10 minute walk away. The company blamed the rep's lack of local knowledge. I thought it was very unprofessional. As a small independent I trade on a USP that is about being unique and quirky, it really is very important to me. I am not naïve to think I can have exclusivity in everything I sell but I believe there are enough shops and products to go around in order to avoid replication in a small town. I strive as a retailer not to purchase from companies already supplying in my area. I appreciate a reciprocal approach from producers. For a small retailer, retaining its uniqueness will become even more significant as we face challenges ahead, most notably from online.

Merchandising greeting cards is incredibly important to us, with cards now forming an integral part of the retailing strategy - currently our best-selling ranges are from Art Angels, Wrap (wrapmagazine.com), Chase and Wonder, with new ranges just introduced from Card Nest and Jade Fisher. We strive to include cards at any opportunity in displays, especially in the window. This is important during Christmas, but increasingly so for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, where the story-telling across many product ranges

Above: Meet the artist at Loveone – Dick Vincent was one of the artists that signed prints and cards instore.

Below left: Cathy found Jot Paper Co at Top Drawer (left) and she was contacted pre-show by Card Nest (right).

Below: Chase and Wonders’ cards and wrap are striking as a Mother’s Day display at Loveone.

reinforces our one-stop shop approach.

One recent success story has been the use of Chase and Wonder’s cards, matching wrapping papers and gifts. We used its Flower Lady image in our window display for Mother’s Day. It provided a strong and eyecatching window.

Another idea that worked well was a ‘meet the artist’ event. Loveone has been successfully selling cards and prints from a Manchester based artist called Dick Vincent.

Dick visited us instore and signed prints and cards purchased by our customers. This was turned into a great story for social media.

My foray into the card market so far has been very rewarding and profitable. By constantly listening to customers and responding quickly to their feedback I have been able to create an unusual and unique collection of cards. There are numerous challenges out there, and these are indeed interesting times for the small high street retailer, but by protecting our Unique Selling Points and working together with suppliers to ensure fair exclusivity, I hope this will go some way to preserving the unique experience a small high street store can offer.

Lastly, I feel it really should be the card that has the final word. I treat all my cards as little works of art - they have been personally chosen and creativity curated to be part of the Loveone experience. They are also important vehicles to convey a whole host of emotions and messages: A hand-written message in a well-chosen card can speak volumes, and is as important now as it has ever been.

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CARDSHARP

Give Us A

(Coffee) Break!

Cardsharp’s comments a couple of months ago on publishers’ card pricing certainly seemed to generate a lot of interest. Since then there has been a flurry of price activity. Some greeting card publishers have increased their prices, justifiably citing the inflationary pressure bought about by the fall in the value of the £pound. Some have moved more surreptitiously, taking certain designs up a price band to gain an increase by stealth, while others have tried to make a virtue of not increasing prices at all.

As Cardsharp supped on a skinny cappuccino, he mused on what all the froth was about.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Cardsharp’s recent article on pricing referred to the £3 barrier and asked how crucial that was as a ceiling for a greeting card. He compared it to a cup of coffee going over the £3 mark, which it has already in motorway service stations, at venues like the National Exhibition Centres and certain very chichi establishments.

Cardsharp was brewing on this recently when he came across a report from a national purchasing consultant called Beacon. In it the research said that 66% of people questioned would not pay more than £2.99 for a hot drink. With high street coffee shops already close to that big price point, and their raw materials prices rising rapidly, something will have to give soon.

And, as Cardsharp mused, this same discussion has percolated through about greeting cards at the moment.

So should we be worried about breaking this symbolic price £3 point?

Perhaps if the industry commissioned similar research would we get a similar response?

Cardsharp suspects we would.

So should the industry worry about breaking through this price barrier?

Cardsharp thinks not. Researchers often make the mistake of asking consumers how they plan to behave rather than looking at how they actually behave. We all get in a ‘coffee froth’ about rising prices, but will we all shun Starbucks and Neros in an ‘expresso’-like manner when they raise their prices? The £3 coffee

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CARDSHARP might feel ridiculous for a day or two, but will it really dent our daily caffeine fix.

Cardsharp thinks not.

And it will be the same with greeting cards, Cardsharp suspects. For a day or two there will be squeals, but as long as quality greeting publishers and retailers continue to keep the public excited and engaged the UK female consumer will continue to want to continue with her greeting card ‘habit’, even if it does ‘Costa’ a bit more!

Interestingly enough, Cardsharp well and truly smashed the barrier this Mother’s Day, spending £6.49 on a beautiful large Belly Button card. Did Cardsharp flinch at the price? Not a bit given the quality of the card.

Yet, having said all that, Cardsharp also acknowledges that the value end of the market is thriving. After a miniscule wobble at the beginning of last year, Card Factory seems to defy all the doom and gloom about retail. Its preliminary results for the year ending January 31st 2017 saw it report another record year.

Karen Hubbard, the retail group’s chief executive of one year standing, must be delighted. Card Factory recorded a 4.3% increase in overall sales and even managed

an increase in like-for-like sales. Revenue was only a smidgen off £400 million and it remarkably made a pre-tax profit of £85 million. A net profit of over 20% of turnover is incredible for a retailer of that size, especially given that it operates in the supposedly low margin value sector.

It even managed to open 51 new stores in the last year, bringing its total estate to 865 stores, although Cardsharp think it must be nearing the limit on the amount of stores it can operate from in its current format, though there have been rumbles of

Far left: Will the rise in a cup of coffee get the public 'frothing'?

Left: Just like a cup of coffee, the price of a card is breaking the £2.99 barrier.

Below left: Card Factory goes from strength to strength.

additional concepts being trialled. With a 7% increase in the dividend payment, there will be many in the trade wishing they had invested, especially when the share price dropped quite dramatically after the initial flotation to the City a few years ago.

There is one little fly in the ointment to its sparkling sales sheet - its online personalised card division Gettingpersonal,

continues to struggle, with sales down 2.8%. Further evidence perhaps that unless you throw masses of money at advertising a la Moonpig, it is hard to generate a big turnover from online personalised greeting cards. But in the grand scheme of Card Factory’s results this is a minor blemish.

Cardsharp had wondered a year ago whether Card Factory had peaked. He is quite happy to eat a large slice of humble pie with his caffeinated hot drink and admit he was wrong! Yes people will pay handsomely for their extra shot mocha, but they will also be partial to a mug of Asda own brand instant as well.

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity Considering we all live in a digital world, these days Cardsharp has noted an awful lot of coverage on the good old-fashioned analogue greeting card in the media quite recently: some of it good, some of it bad and some of it in between, whatever way you want to look at it. The good was Mother’s Day. There certainly seems to have been a record amount of media coverage prior to this year’s event. It wasn’t just advertising (although there was plenty of that from all and sundry), but editorial features galore in newspapers with celebrities talking positively about their relationship with their mums.

To Cardsharp’s mind, the industry did itself proud this year, and not just with the diversity right across the price spectrum of design styles and captions. Cardsharp particularly liked the ones that eschewed syrupy sentiments and focused on the modern funkier aspects of being a mother, recognising that for many mums, 70 is the new 40!

There was also a positive story picked up by the national papers about Sainsbury’s stocking Mother’s Day cards for lesbian mothers. How times have changed in a very short while? Some 20 years ago the press would have had a totally different view on such cards, but it does demonstrate how greeting card reflect changing social attitudes.

Then, we had the storm in the teacup over supposedly obscene greeting cards sold in the likes of Scribbler and to a lesser extent Paperchase. Why this suddenly became a big media issue is obscure, given that rude cards have been in abundance in high street shops for years? But once the humbug ‘shock horror’ headlines in the less reputable end of the national press had abated, it gave Sharon Little of the GCA the opportunity to do a round of media interviews explaining rationally that there was a real demand for greeting cards such as these and how retailers are mindful of the potential upset they could cause to sensibilities, with Scribbler, for example, including a PG (Parental Guidance not Progressive Greetings!) sign in all of its outlets. The ensuing coverage also demonstrated that a younger, possibly more male than its typical demographic are buying greeting cards, something the media often overlooks.

Then there was ‘the bad’, the ‘fake news’ story in The Sunday Telegraph, claiming that Clintons was looking to close 120 stores of its 400 store portfolio. Unfortunately there was little to take comfort from in this, despite a statement from Clintons, which the Telegraph did not publish. To Cardsharp’s mind, all those in the greeting card industry have to take the good with the bad, but as long as there is no ugly then we are doing well.

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Light Up

Glass Plaques

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VIEWPOINTS

A Flaming Great Way Of Learning The recent GCA Speed-dating with Dragons event gave 60 card publishers a great opportunity to pitch their greeting cards to leading greeting card retailer buyers. PG entered the lair to find out what the ‘dragons’ had learned from the experience; their ideas for ways of how the two sides of the trade could work together to grow the industry; as well as what ranges they saw got them all ‘fired’ up.

The Dragons’ Questions

Right: Some 18 retail buyers from multiples, small chains and indies participated in the GCA Speed-dating with Dragons event which involved 10 minute pitches from publishers.

Publisher’s helping hands: What could card publishers do better to aid the job of card buyers?

A dragon’s learnings: What did you learn/get out of being a ‘dragon’ at the recent event?

All fired up: Of those that you met, what publisher(s)/ranges most impressed you and why?

Two way traffic: In what other ways could retailers and publishers work together to grow the industry?

Louise Helyer-Prydderch

Andy Adamson

owner and Nicky Walker, manager of Forget Me Not, Stubbington:

director of Calliope Gifts, Dorking, Alton and Haywards Heath:

Publisher’s helping hand: “It would be incredibly helpful for all the publishers and the GCA to work off one price code format… ie alpha or numeric. Also to try achieve some sizing standardisation for envelope purposes.”

A dragon’s learnings: “It was such a pleasure to meet so many great publishers who went out of their way to do an amazing job of showcasing their products and, given the time, we could have happily placed three orders.

We are all so lucky to be working within an industry that is both supportive and nurturing to all. It was so useful having some individual time with each designer to explore their ideas and learn what inspires them.”

All fired up (Louise): “My favourites were Anna Victoria and Ilona Drew of I Drew This.”

(Nicky): “I loved Lucy Ledger and Ezen Designs’ humour cards.”

Two way traffic: “I think more events like this would improve the industry. Also, maybe we should invite the publishers to spend some time instore interacting with customers and researching the end consumer. Also, possibly doing some merchandising workshops to help the publishers understand how different displays work - ie sizing and skylines.”

Publisher’s helping hands: “Look at what everyone else is doing... and do something different! There are so many card designers out there and we are spoilt for choice by the beautiful designs, but there are too many that are similar. There's nothing wrong with them, but once we have a selection of bird/dog/unicorn/Prosecco cards we don't need anymore.

Also, please be a bit more creative with male cards - we're not all beer swilling, motorbike riding sports fanatics.

Importantly, do get the logistical side right: barcode your products, have captions in the upper part of the card so that customers can read them in a browser, think about how this will look in our shops and how it will stand out among all of the other cards.

Finally, have a big enough range so that we can make up a reorder without paying carriage.”

All fired up: “What stood out for me were Twizler for its strong children’s range and the humour cards; Coulson Macleod, who I remembered from its prints but wasn't aware of the move into cards; Jessica Hogarth as we stock her wrap and bags so it was great to see the cards, plus Jellyarmchair for its quirky humour.”

Two way traffic: “I’d love to have some of the publishers who were involved in the recent event work in the shop for a day to see how customers shop.”

Top: Forget Me Not’s Louise Helyer-Prydderch (left) and colleague Nicky Walker.

Above left: Anna Victoria’s designs (including those from its Esme Collection, pictured) were a winner as far as Louise Helyer-Prydderch was concerned.

Above right: Ilona Drew’s creations for I Drew This were Forget Me Not for the Stubbington-based retailer.

Above: Andy Adamson with publisher Lizzie Chancellor just after a pitch.

Left: Twizler was highlighted for its strong children’s designs and humour ranges.

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VIEWPOINTS

Lisa Gilbert buyer for the central warehouse of House of Cards, six shops in the Home Counties:

Nicola Miller head of cards at Clintons: Publisher’s helping hands: “Anything publishers can do to make the lives of a retailer easier and more straightforward in terms of simplicity in range presentation, ordering process and reaction to sales trends would be helpful.”

A dragon’s learnings: “What the event taught me is that there is still a wealth of enthusiasm and new product ideas in the industry.”

Two way traffic: “Anything that can be done to improve the engagement in upcoming/relatable trends and how these could translate into new product ideas would be mutually beneficial.”

Above: Nicola Miller (right) clearly enjoying this 10 minute pitch.

Miles Robinson partner in House of Cards, six shops in the Home Counties: Publisher’s helping hands: “Publishers could help by producing less!! It is getting more and more difficult to choose! In an ideal world it would be helpful if they furnished us with a catalogue, samples, their story and, most importantly, top sellers info.”

A dragon’s learnings: “I’ve learnt that greeting card speed dating is very intense (actually that probably goes for any speed dating!). I got to meet some great people with so much enthusiasm, which was lovely to see. I also learned that many publishers at the recent event didn’t actually know or could tell me what their top seller was!”

All fired up: “Of all those that I saw four stood out: Recards, Kali Stileman, Lizzie Chancellor and Jessica Hogarth Designs, who were all very strong.”

Two way traffic: “To grow the industry? That’s a big question! We have to send more greeting cards, so initiatives like Festive Friday, Thinking of You Week can encourage do this, but perhaps we all need to look at ourselves first. Should I be writing this feedback in a greeting card rather than an email?!”

Top: Miles sharing his knowledge based on many years of retailing.

Above: Kali Stileman’s designs hit the spot for Miles Robinson.

Right: Jessica Hogarth’s designs impressed the House of Cards’ camp.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Publisher’s helping hands: “It was a great afternoon event.

Bonkers or not it was a fantastic idea!

I think it is helpful if a publisher can keep a range up to date by not only introducing new designs but also getting rid of slow selling designs as well. A huge range Above: Lisa Gilbert (right) is all ears to what the pitcher has to say. of cards which keeps growing is Below: Several buyers went gaga over Go La La’s designs. not necessarily better than keeping the range quite tight but up to date. Any information the publisher can provide on top selling designs can also help when trying to put ranges together for the first time or trying something new.”

A dragon’s learnings: “Being a ‘dragon’ highlighted just how hard it is to create all of these lovely cards we are surrounded with every day. It isn’t as easy as some might think it is, but that doesn’t stop the enthusiasm or creativity of all the publishers that are out there.”

All fired up: “I saw some great cards on the day, including lovely handmade cards from Laura Sherratt Designs, with quite a few ranges so plenty of choice, all slightly different and beautifully finished, and also offering relations, occasions and Christmas cards.

Go La La had some great humour ranges, offering something a bit different and that made me laugh out loud, which is always good, (even if maybe just a bit too naughty for our shelves?!). Jupp Illustrations also had some very unique and interesting art cards.”

Emma Cove senior buyer, seasonal cards, Clintons: Publisher’s helping hands: “Publishers can help by providing samples and product information, in detail and in a timely manner, without us having to chase.”

A dragon’s learnings: “It was lovely to get ‘back to basics’, and it actually felt almost indulgent to have an afternoon purely devoted to looking at great new product! So often our days get taken up with other elements of the job, which perhaps aren't always as enjoyable!

It also reminded me how daunting it can be for brand new publishers, and gave me a greater insight as to what it's like to be on the other side.”

Two way traffic: ”In order for greeting cards to stay relevant we need to also cater to the future generations, using language and design that resonates with younger customers. We need to continually bring great product innovation, design and sentiment to consumers so that engaging in cards remains strong within the marketplace.”

Above: Emma Cove (right) listening to Laura Sherratt of Laura Sherratt Designs’ pitch.

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VIEWPOINTS

John Procter co-founder of Scribbler: Publisher’s helping hands: “As we look for unusual/edgy content it would make sense for publishers to gain more of an understanding of our ethos through research and store visits. They could call us prior to going to print if they are really targeting us as a customer.

As ever, it is good to reinforce that great humour always sells!”

A dragon’s learnings: “We realised that there are plenty of small publishers out there that cannot afford to be represented at trade shows. What about a PGVirgins.com offshoot to The Ladder Club as a curated online forum that would allow publishers the opportunity to exhibit digitally?”

All fired up: “I especially liked: Always Sparkle good lines, typography and simplicity’; Bexy Boo innovative and inspired interpretation of a popular board game with added value!; Coulson Macleod great humour, strong graphics, notably 'Spot It Shout It' and the fish.”

Top: John Procter listening intently to a pitch.

Above right: Always Sparkle hit the spot for Scribbler.

Above left: Bexy Boo’s cards, including those form its new Inky Alphabet range (pictured) caught John Procter’s eye.

Left: Coulson Macleod’s Fishy Business range was defo ‘in the swim’ for Scribbler.

Alexis Hayward group buying, supply chain head of Frosts Garden Centres:

Below: Frosts’ Alexis Hayward (left) and Karen Verall both took part in the event.

Publisher’s helping hands: “The industry is fuelled on new designs and so rapidly updating the ranges will always help with successful sales.

Having reliable representatives or agents with a real enthusiasm for achieving sales is vital. We see such a difference in performance where a good rep is involved.

Publishers could also help by being super responsive to orders, especially where timeframes are a bit tight – this is especially pertinent to seasonal sales such as Easter or Mother’s Day cards.”

A dragon’s learnings: “I saw a much wider range of cards designs than I would normally see. Reflecting on why this is, I think sometimes at trade fairs we attend with our ‘blinkers’ on – we can become a bit ‘snowblind’. It was refreshing to see the newness.”

All fired up: “ We were so impressed! We will be bringing in a display of ‘NEW’ into our Woburn card area as a result of this event. It will have four or five of the suppliers from the event as a test to see how well they perform in a commercial environment.”

Two way traffic: “Both sides just need to keep talking!”

Andrea Pinder co-owner of Unit 7, Manchester and Birmingham: Publisher’s helping hands: “It would help at times when ringing orders through to publishers that the person taking order over the phone are up to date with ranges and products, as this is not always the case.”

A dragon’s learnings: “I learnt from the recent event that not all publishers understand the importance of naming ranges and card coding which would help with reorders from the retailer.”

All fired up: “There was several publishers that impressed me, including Catherine Kleeli for her beautiful wildlife illustrations; Deckled Edge for its Prancing Myths range; IIona Drew of I Drew This’ cards; Cardology for its fantastic pop-up laser-cut cards, as well as Clare Maddicott’s ranges. There were many that I will be taking a closer look at when I visit PG Live in June.”

Two way traffic: “Working together in order to grow the industry of cards is all about sharing knowledge that we can impart to the end consumer.

We have found that by giving information to our customers about the publisher, the design etc encourages engagement, adds to the enjoyment of sending that card and makes them want to come back to us.”

Top: Andrea Pinder was all smiles at the event.

Above right: Catherine Kleeli’s wildlife designs scored highly with Andrea Pinder.

Below: Cardology’s cards had that extra dimension for Unit 7.

Bottom: Three designs from Deckled Edge’s new Prancing Myths range.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Innovations

London Stationery Show A selection of products launching at London Stationery Show, Business Design Centre, London (25-26 April 2017)

Light My Fire

The Eagle Has Landed

Flame Tree is adding six new designs to its gorgeous notebook range including new images of Alice in Wonderland from the British Library, Only Love Remains by the wonderful Anne Stokes, Nel Whatmore’s Tender Loving Care, Waterhouse’s Ophelia and a quirky circuitboard!

Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are foiled and embossed and include a pocket at the back for receipts, two bookmarks and a magnetic side flap.

Flame Tree Publishing 020 7751 9644 www.flametreepublishing.com Stand M531

Eaglemoss has launched a brand new range of recipe diaries with six gorgeous cover designs.

These unique A5 week-to-view diaries are packed with information as well as 53 delicious weekly recipes, each with a colour photograph. Practical as well as pretty, the recipe diary has concealed wiro-binding so that it lies flat when open and a pocket for all those loose bits of paper.

Eaglemoss 01270 270050 www.eaglemossdiaries.co.uk Stand G226

By Scott!

A new launch on the Portico stand at LSS is the Alice Scott range of gift stationery, featuring the artist’s signature playful mix of vintage illustrations, contemporary typography and casual editorial. This 20-product collection ranges from quirky beauty products to beautifully designed gift stationery.

Portico Designs 01225 329494 www.porticodesigns.com Stand M615

Ideal Wedding

Taking Note Museums & Galleries will preview its new V&A and Matthew Williamson luxury foiled notecard boxes at LSS, each range with three different sized boxes. These presentation boxes feature beautiful gold foil detail, 16 gold-foiled notecards (eight each of two designs) and envelopes tied with a coloured ribbon bow.

Once the cards have been sent, the box becomes a delightful keepsake box.

Museums & Galleries 01373 462165 www.museumsgalleries.co.uk Stand M448

The new The Bride to B luxury wedding range from Busy B has everything needed for organising weddings: from sticky labels to the ultimate wedding planner, taking brides-to-be step-by-step to their perfect day. Add personal touches with guest coasters for messages to the happy couple and a handy keepsake box for mementos - the elegant way to plan and remember the perfect wedding.

Busy B 0131 556 4394 http://busyb.co.uk/trade/ Stand M631

From On High Building on the success of its initial notebook collections, A Gift From The Gods is launching a new 12-piece stationery range. This comprises four distinct but complementary slogan design stories: goddess white, pretty pink, fresh aqua and rich blue, all new and on display at the London Stationery Show.

A Gift From The Gods 020 79873844 www.agiftfromthegods.com Stand G124 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Tomcat Cards

Proudly present our BRAND NEW, ever so fluffy range

"BLUE EYES" a stunning collection of 16 highly glossy, delightfully indulgent cards w: www.tomcatcards.co.uk e: info@tomcatcards.co.uk t: 01243 837300

We'll be at Spring Fair in Hall 3, stand W31

Polypropylene & biodegradable bag specialists Over 40 years quality service to the trade Hotfoiling also available

GREETING CARD

FRIENDLY, EXPERT ADVICE DEDICATED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE TEAM FAST AND EFFICIENT SERVICE HIGH QUALITY FILM BAGS

(T) 01223 207 080

T 01206 396209 E sales@badgerconverters.co.uk www.badgerconverters.co.uk

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(F) 01536 401 031

(E ) SAL E S@R E AL ANDE XCITINGDE SIG N S .C O .U K

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Innovations

London Stationery Show A selection of products launching at London Stationery Show, Business Design Centre, London (25-26 April 2017)

A Fine Line

Ch-ch-ch-Changes After huge success of the original colouring book, Pomegranate is launching Tim Jeffs’ stunning Chameleon imagery as a beautiful set of notecards and a travel size 100-piece jigsaw puzzle in a presentation tin. The decorative notecard box contains five each of four designs with envelopes.

Pomegranate Europe Sales: 02476 214461 www.pomegranate.com Stand M339

Zebra Pen is very excited to be introducing an extended range of vibrant colours of the SARASA range at this year’s London Stationery Show, with 14 new and excitingly bright colours on offer. Housed in a stylish pearlised casing, the pens’ quick dry ink technology mean no smudges or smears, making these funky pens ideal for card writing.

Zebra Pen 020 8974 2202 www.zebrapen.co.uk Stand M601

Take A Seat

Summer Blooms Beautifully bright for summer, BrownTrout’s new Chic Collection brings together its best selling gift stationery formats in a coordinated floral set. This range includes a hard-bound journal, a pocket notebook, flat notes and boxed notes, all featuring gold foiling for that extra touch of elegance.

BrownTrout Publishers 0117 317 1880 www.browntroutuk.com Stand M621

Musical Chairs is a brand new collection of stationery and giftware from Laura Stoddart.

From a young age Laura collected chairs and has always been fascinated by them. She has created this new range of notecards, giftwrap, flat notes, notebooks and gift tags all with illustrations of some of her favourites.

Laura Stoddart 07780 993 223 www.laurastoddart.com Stand M635

Wonder More

Cult Following

Making its London Stationery Show debut, Chase and Wonder is excited to unveil the Floral range, a new vintage inspired range of greeting cards and wrap featuring vibrant colours and imagery. This collection comprises eight designs and six luxury giftwrap sheets created by the company’s founders, husband and wife team David and Faye Aspinall.

Chase and Wonder 01829 720011 www.chaseandwonder.com Stand M529

With top British designer Lulu Guinness’s fashion accessories popular around the globe, Quadrille is launching The Lulu Guinness Spring/Summer 2017 range. The range features a luxury address book with four die-cut pockets interspersed throughout to hold essentials, a slimline notebook with a die-cut cover in Lulu's signature lip design, and a striking pencil set.

Quadrille Stationery 020 7601 7500 www.quadrille.co.uk Stand G100 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Out now!

NEW

COLOUR ME HAPPY

S TE P HANI E

D YM ENT

PUBLISHER S OF BE AUTIFULLY FINISHED CAR DS studio@stephaniedyment.com | 01494 581775 | www.stephaniedyment.com

LAUNCHING TWO NEW CHRISTMAS CARD RANGES AND STATIONERY FOR 2017

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Innovations PG Showcases A Collection Of New Product Launches

A Collector’s Eye Edinburgh based illustrator Camilla Seddon is publishing a distinctive range of high quality blank cards and stationery. The card range comprises 46 designs inspired by wildlife, food, architecture and decorative collectables often presented in original formats such as maps and charts.

Camilla Seddon 07945 451849 www.camillaseddon.com

Well Hello There!

Cherry Pie

Fancy Animals from Hello Geronimo is a new range aimed at mums and dads. The A6 cards all feature a cool monochrome animal head that have a handmade felt accessory: a Fox has a bright bow, a Bear a classic blue hat, and a Cheetah a striking crown. Each card has a little saying associated with the nature of the design.

The cards for fathers come with a luxurious midnight blue envelope and the cards for mothers a stylish pewter envelope.

Hello Geronimo 07867 585965 www.hellogeronimo.com

Cherry Orchard has a spring in its step as it launches 32 brand new designs into its Spring Collection 2017, and a totally new range of relations captions. With an assortment of design options, ranging from text-based and contemporary styles to the ever-popular more traditional ones, this is a collection that offers something for all tastes and budgets.

Cherry Orchard 01684 295500 www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

The Joys Of Spring Bright colours abound in the new Spring range from Tattersfield Designs. All five designs are taken from elements of one large metre square painting by Jane Tattersfield inspired by La Primavera, and feature the wildlife found in the artist’s garden. The envelopes are in spring colours too - grass green, sky blue and pink.

Tattersfield Designs 07980 122515 www.janetattersfield.co.uk/tattersfielddesigns

Feline Explorations Meow from London is the latest humorous range from Stardust Greetings. There are 10 designs printed on postcards, notebooks and fridge magnets starring George the Ginger Cat exploring and having fun in London. He guards the Buckingham Palace, goes to a pub with the Queen’s Corgi, rides a motorbike on Tower Bridge (but not after the pub), impersonates Sherlock Holmes and has many other exiting adventures.

Stardust Greetings 077455 02952 www.stardustgreetings.co.uk

It’s Cool To Be Kind Linen Prints has expanded its Lino Cut and Mixed Media range to 82 designs. These individual floral and animal card designs are based on linocuts and mixed media images created in watercolour, pen and ink by Jacqui Watkins, all in a cool fresh colour palette. All the cards are blank, sized 155mm square, printed on textured board and sold wrapped with white envelopes.

Linen Prints 0117 3732632 www.linenprints.co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Innovations PG Showcases A Collection Of New Product Launches

Pop To The Top Cardology has launched a new range of intricate pop-up cards. Designed by combining innovative engineering skills and art, there are 60 hand-assembled pop-ups in this innovative range. As well as covering the main occasions, there are titles for same sex relationship cards and an Under the Counter range focusing on adult humour. All the cards come wrapped with a white envelope and are sold in a premium, eye-catching record style sleeve.

Cardology 07475 128 780 www.cardology.co.uk

From Tiny Seeds...

The Springtime Seed range from Hannah Marchant comprises lovely hand-drawn illustrations printed onto card embedded with seeds. Once the card has been enjoyed the receiver can then plant the card to create a mini garden. The cards are sized 95mm x 120mm and sold wrapped with kraft envelopes with a little sticker saying the card is made with seeds.

Hannah Marchant 07736 246 033 www.hannahmarchant.co.uk

A Fine Balance Just Like Sophie is launching Balancing Acts, a capsule range of four animal cards featuring stacks of cats, dogs, jungle and woodland animals. Created by Bristol based artist and illustrator Sophie Swindells, these playful, feel good cards have a touch of the fantastical.

Printed on 100% recycled board, the cards are sized 115mm x 160mm and come wrapped with jolly orange envelopes!

Just like Sophie 07989 799005 www.justlikesophie.uk

Lay Me Down New from Wraptious is the Este MacLeod range from its latest design competition winner. With a background in textile design, Este lays on the brightest paints, then uses scraping techniques to create her vibrant work. There are six designs in the range available both as 150mm square and 120mm x 170mm cards, sold with either a silver or recycled kraft envelope and on gorgeous vegan suede cushions.

Wraptious www.trade.wraptious.com 0161 221 0109

Food For Thought Whimsie Watercolour is a new range from Whimsie, with 11 designs featuring yummy food and beverages, floral shapes, bright, fresh colours and lovely witty messages. This range is printed on luxury textured card and comes wrapped with quality kraft brown envelopes.

Whimsie Greeting Cards 07702 589 006 www.whimsie.co.uk

Cracking Characters Introducing Dotty Dog Art’s Canine Contemplations, a very appealing range of watercolour dog portraits merged with modern digital graphics and quotes. There are cards for everyday, seasons and occasions, all sized 125mm x 160mm and sold wrapped with recycled kraft envelopes.

Dotty Dog Art 07968 121930 www.dottydogart.co.uk

Life Of Leisure Adagio is a brand new range of 12, 160mm square unisex birthday cards from Abacus. Featuring the sweet and naive artwork of artist and illustrator Ag Jatkowska, the cards reflect life at a more leisurely pace with scenes depicting favourite pursuits such as cycling, golf, gardening, walking the dog and coffee with friends. Printed on art board, the cards feature debossing as well as foiled captions and text.

Abacus 01638 569050 www.abacuscards.co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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JEREMY’S JOURNAL Business blogging by publisher Jeremy Corner of Blue Eyed Sun.

Retail

Learnings Jeremy Corner, owner of greeting card publisher Blue Eyed Sun, looks at what he’s learnt about retail from his YouTube project.

At the point of writing this column I’m 12 weeks into The Greeting Card Project, my YouTube channel where I’m sending more cards each week to try and feel closer to my friends and loved ones. I’ve visited a different greeting card store for each video and I have been learning a lot about retailing with each visit.

Here are some of my key observations I’ve learnt about retailing so far:

Websites People are already talking about your shop online so you have to make it easy for them to share and recommend you digitally. Most customers that visit your shop will connect to the internet every day. You need to be there for them too.

Under each video that I post I add hyperlinks to all the retailers and publishers that appear in the videos so that viewers can easily click through and visit their websites or social media pages. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do this for all the shops I have visited as some don’t have websites or any social media presence.

If you don’t have a website, people like me can’t hyperlink to your business and you aren’t able to maximise your business presence online. Remember that these links add value to your website over time. They’re like road signs on the digital information super-highway, all pointing to your business.

You need these signs and you need a website. You can keep it really simple and it doesn’t have to cost more than a couple of £hundred. Using software like Wordpress you can use templates that are predesigned to be mobile friendly. You can always add the shopping functionality later. For now you just need a web presence, even if it’s simply a single page 36

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

with nice photos of your store saying who you are, where you are and links to any social media accounts you use.

Above: London based card retailer Postmark has an easy to navigate website but it also drives traffic to and from its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Below: There will be no mistaking which shop you’re in when Pozzi in Buckie opens: A sneak preview of its new jewellery section.

Your Brand

name. What a missed opportunity that may be happening countless times a day. To be honest, I still don’t know the name of that coffee shop either. Don’t assume that all of your customers know the name of your shop.

Make it easy for your customers to know your brand so they can share it. Have it up on the shop walls, on your bags and even on your pricing labels. Add your web address to your till receipts and to your bags so your fans can rave about you online to their friends.

Shops with their logo on their bags have benefited most from their brand featuring in the videos as I pay for the cards. I love being able to share the shop brands and so do your happy customers. For instance, the other day I overheard a lady on her phone nearby telling her friend that she was in a lovely coffee shop and didn’t know the

Get Social You don’t have to be on every single social media platform that’s out there. Not all your customers will be using these tools. A lot are though and the majority of the next generations of consumers will be using them in some form or another. We all need to plan for the future of our business.

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JEREMY’S JOURNAL I recommend Facebook, Instagram and Twitter primarily for strong engagement on social media. I’m also getting a lot of shares on LinkedIn at the moment due to my large network of over 1,300 connections, with people from diverse walks of life that I’ve met over the years.

The people who get the best results tend to post daily and have a planned schedule of what they are sharing and how they are engaging. They are not just blasting out their sales messages. They are helping and engaging with others. Always listen first before posting. Choose the right type of engagement for your followers and your fans before starting.

Initially you’ll benefit most on social media from improved relationships with suppliers. Most of your card publishers are using these platforms and want to share you with their followers. Tag your suppliers in relevant posts so that they can help you to leverage and grow your presence online with their fans. Make sure you allow yourself to be tagged. Some businesses don’t do this and I think they are missing out.

Encourage your employees, friends and family to follow and engage with your brand online to help get it going in the digital domain. Each ‘Like’, ‘Share’ and ‘Follow’ adds to the importance of your business to the Facebook, Google, Twitter and Instagram algorithms that favour the most active businesses online.

I have to say that businesses with a website and active social media presence are a lot more attractive to me when choosing who to visit and promote for The Greeting Card Project. I spend a lot of my time and energy on each video so I’d much rather visit shops that will help my YouTube channel reach a wider audience and get more people around the world sending greeting cards.

The Customer Experience Having said that, I’m glad I’m staying open, random and supportive when visiting card

Left: A beautiful Aladdin’s cave of cards and gifts, Arrowsmiths in Broadstairs, Kent, was a chemist for the first sixty years of it's life after it opened in 1911, and it was one of the stores that Jeremy visited for his Greeting Card Project.

Below left: Who wouldn't want to visit card retailer, Little Paperie in Ashbourne, after seeing this post on its Instagram page.

Below: Celebrating Really Good’s 30th birthday at the recent Spring Fair, (right to left) the Gift Associations’ chief executive, Sarah Ward, PG&H’s editor, Sue Marks, Really Good’s sales manager, Lisa Marcuccio and creator of The Bright Side range, Rachel Bright. The GA has a Twitter feed that highlights forthcoming and current events for gift suppliers and retailers.

retailers for this project. That’s because some of the most interesting shops have not had any digital presence. Ironically, these are the ones that I think would benefit most from being online as their back-stories are so interesting and their shops are so marvellous.

My favourite shops have a mixture of cards and gifts. I prefer trade shows that mix these categories up too as I think you can zone out if looking at too many of the same type of thing. Personally, I prefer the Aladdin’s cave experience where you feel like you can hunt out treasures for yourself or your loved ones.

One of the most interesting retail experiences for me was at the Tate Modern in London, which has several different shops that all work in different ways. For example, they have Tate Edit, in which they sell fine art prints and home accessories. As an art collector it was so lovely to be met be a well-trained staff member who talked me through the various items with a soft sales approach. Given that purchases in this shop are hundreds if not thousands of £pounds, a more refined lifestyle, interiors type of space with a knowledgable sales assistant worked well. It felt more special, exclusive and nurturing.

Having a mix of products and price points zoned in the right way appears to be a strong way of maximising sales in retail, as are well-trained staff who can help customers enjoy their experience.

Be Open Online The people who are thriving online are those that aren’t hung up on protecting their own interests and just looking out for themselves. Marketing is different in the digital domain. You are more

likely to be following and engaging with everyone in your digital community these days, including your competitors.

For some this is hard to get their heads around, yet in our industry we all have an interest in encouraging people to send more greeting cards. It doesn’t matter if you are a publisher, supplier or retailer. It’s one of the reasons organisations like the Greeting Card Association and Giftware Associations have been working so hard to include retailers.

If you are not a member of these associations, I’d encourage you to have a look at joining them. It’s relatively inexpensive for retailers to get involved and they are doing some fantastic work online. Look out for the video I shot of the recent GCA Dragons' Den style pitching event as a great example of what lovely things we can do if we work together to help one another.

I’d love your support for The Greeting Card Project too. I need 30 more subscribers to get the vanity URL, which makes the channel easier to share online. For now you can easily find the videos on my blog. l I’m visiting Sage Summit in London April 5-6, which has some amazing speakers lined up. I have two spare tickets for anyone interested in attending. Just message me @JeremyCorner on Twitter or via my blog.

Read more on Jeremy’s blog at www.blueeyedsun.co.uk/blog PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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In Conversation With... Tim Fairs

Emotionally Charged It will be five years next month since American Greetings bought Clintons from the administrative receiver and took it back into private ownership, away from the prying eyes of the City and the short-term demands of being a PLC. Now though, it has launched its own FTSE Index - based on Feelings, Thoughts, Sentiment and Emotion - which tracks the nation’s mood through the sales of greeting cards.

PG met up with Tim Fairs, vp marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, to hear more about this innovative ‘emotional state of the nation’ address.

Emotions have been running especially high at Clintons of late. Firstly, as reported in last month’s PG, there was quashing the unfounded, irresponsible journalism in the Telegraph that made false claims that the specialist card chain was planning to close a quarter of its stores. Then, a few weeks later, there was a social media outcry that also made it into the press, sparked by a customer taking exception to one of the 4,000 cards the retail chain stocks on sexist grounds. Full credit to Clintons, it responded swiftly, acknowledging that the card had over-stepped the taste barrier and removed the design from all stores.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Now though, its latest emotional outpouring is proactive rather than reactive.

Instead of responding to highly charged accusations about its business, the major card retailer has gained the emotional upper hand, revealing findings of a major research project which shows how the nation’s emotional psyche reaches peaks and descends into troughs at different times of the year, reflected in the card buying patterns of the general public.

In what Clintons aims will become an ongoing Emotional Index, it has tracked the sales of its occasions greeting cards by

Inset: A Clintons’ window fanfaring how there were over 1,000 greeting card designs on offer, as well as a major Disney Beauty & the Beast competition, plus some of the new bath and body products.

Left: Tim Fairs is spearheading a major PR thrust to promote Clintons as well as card sending in general.

Bottom: Clintons’ FTSE Index will track how consumers’ emotions change over the course of the year.

sentiment. The cards were allocated into headings of Happiness, Excitement, Compassion, Sadness, Gratitude and Worry. Cards relating to specific events, such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries, or calendar events such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were not included in the study.

The first batch of results (that covers the the period June 2016 - January 2017) show that the nation was happiest in August last year, saddest in January this year, were most worried in October and November, the most compassionate in December, showed the most gratitude in July and were the most excited in September.

‘Compassion’ was expressed through sympathy cards, and cards of sorrow or regret were used to track ‘Sadness’. ‘Happiness’ was tracked looking at sales of congratulatory cards, while ‘Excitement’ included cards with a good luck message. Thank you cards showed ‘Gratitude’, while ‘Worry’ included get well soon cards.

Tim Fairs, vp marketing & eCommerce at Clintons, who has spearheaded this survey, summed up: “We like to think of it as our own FTSE Index - Feelings, Thoughts, Sentiment and Emotion. It’s a way of judging the mood of the country and tracking that across the year.

Following the dramatic series of world events last year, we wanted to find out how the nation was feeling, which is why we have decided to track the country’s emotional stock exchange.”

While Clintons is not positioning this survey as a ground-breaking medical discovery,

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In Conversation With... Tim Fairs

with the official press release being peppered with some quirky explanations – ‘Cards were grouped together under a set of core emotions developed by examining the work of Aristotle, Paul Ekman, Robert Plutchik and watching Inside Out on DVD’ – it nonetheless does have real merit and should garner some decent column inches in the press for Clintons and the greeting card sector as a whole.

As Tim points out: “Greeting cards reflect society in so many different ways - the words that are used on the cards, the colours and motifs that appear in the designs and most importantly, the sentiment and depth of feeling which has prompted the card’s purchase in the first place.”

He is in no doubt as to the positive role greeting cards continue to play in society in helping to reinforce relationships, aid happiness and stave off loneliness and sadness.

“Everybody’s quest is to be happy. And while we in the greeting card industry are not able to solve the world problems, we can and do at least help promote happiness. There is so much evidence to prove the direct correlation between happiness and relationships. You can have a bank account full of money, a great car in the garage, but unless you have a good network of friends and family, relationships with people that matter to you and you to them, you are unlikely to be truly happy,” he said, before bringing it into context. “Greeting cards are one of the few products that totally harness these

Left: A graph depicting how the UK population’s positive emotions peak in July while the negative emotions remain virtually on a par, but reach new heights in December and January.

Below: Some of the branding for the new Herbie and Friends collection, which has been developed exclusively by Sooshichacha for Clintons.

Below right: The Yankee Candle brand chimes well with Clintons’ customers, with 23 stores now having Yankee ‘concessions’.

Bottom left: Gift products make a grand entrance on tables in Clintons stores.

relationships and in doing so help to encourage happiness.”

He also confirmed that Clintons will once again be supporting Thinking of You Week, building on its activity it committed to for the 2016 event, which saw window displays installed across the estate, and is currently considering ways of enabling more of its store staff to become involved.

“Sometimes even those of us in the industry do well to be reminded of what a great trade in which we are all involved and what good sending a card can be.”

Looks like the Clintons’ FTSE Index is on course to track pretty highly this year!

A Five Year Plan Back in May 2012 the news broke that American Greetings had acquired Clinton Cards from the administrative receivers in order to recover at least some of its debt, as well as protect a route to market for its brands. Fast track the ensuing five years and Clintons has been a story of revamping and repositioning the brand as “the place to come to find a wide selection of cards to suit every relationship,” sums up Tim Fairs.

This repositioning process has involved a total overhaul of the shop environment, the products it sells as well as the marketing communication with customers.

While the store overhaul has not kept up the frenetic pace when the ‘new look’ was first introduced six months into the AG ownership, some 300 of the 400 stores have now been treated to the refresh “and the refurbishment programme will continue this year,” assures Tim. New retail concepts have been introduced as well as stores reconfigured. Its upmarket Jolie Papier concept was not developed beyond the two trial stores, while its value Simply Clintons concept is now operational in 15 stores. Meanwhile, logical diversification has seen it move into party (there are now two Party Delights party stores in Glasgow and Romford under a joint venture with Amscan) and more instore party concepts are now being rolled out. And, there are now sizable Yankee Candle departments within 23 stores, which are proving successful.

On the greeting card front, Tim explains that while UKG (which is also owned by American Greetings) provides 80% of the greeting card designs (including exclusive own brand ranges and designs), the retailer has also keen been to work with other publishers to ensure that it offers its customers a broad selection.

A case in point is Herbie, a brand new quirky cute collection of cards and gifts that has been developed with design-led publisher Sooshichacha that is now gracing the stores’ windows.

“It is not just the different design styles that we need to continue to present to our customers, but the captions and editorial diversity too. For Mother’s Day alone, for example, we offered 36 different card captions, covering everything from cards grandchildren can to send to their grandmothers to designs from the cat to their ‘mummy’. These are all important relationships and we need to have the cards to reflect them,” says Tim. Clintons has also been ever mindful that it wants to offer choice, but without overwhelming and confusing the customer.“We used to have cards at 47 different price points, now we have reduced that down to 14 – ranging from 99p to £15.00 - and each card in individually priced.”

While greeting cards remain very much a major footfall driver, it is gifts that have been tasked with upping the average spend. Dominique Schurman, ceo of Clintons stated her aim soon after taking over the helm that she was aiming to double the “basket value from £5 to £10. We are not quite there yet, but we are heading in the right direction,” reveals Tim, citing the move into more lifestyle products, be it a self-purchase journal or as a gift, that are tantalisingly displayed on tables, encouraging pick up sales, as working well.

Although ‘sentiment’ or ‘relationship’ gifts are still in evidence these are joined by a new breed of “stationery, home décor, bath & body, jewellery and licensed products,” says Tim, who is also excited by the beautifully packaged CoCoa Paradise chocolate bars graced with Turnowsky designs that are a feature at till point.

“These additional products are not only adding new reasons to shop at Clintons but also lend themselves to being promoted on social media and online - our web sales now notch up £1million and are growing,” says Tim.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Strap(ping) Lines Tattoos, time-pieces, vinyl and vintage vehicles, these are just a fragment of the visual motifs currently gracing male card designs.

PG lines-up some strapping new male card ranges. l Rocky by Lola Design offers

buyers a contemporary selection of male card designs ranging from tequila shots and other party-time inspired imagery. Lola was keen to break away from male traditional stereotypes, realising that there are many men out there to whom a golf, rugby or football-related design just isn’t relevant. The cards are finished with a matt gold foil and come with a manly grey envelope. l With one in three adults in the UK now sporting at least one tattoo, Abacus thought it was about time to reflect and acknowledge this growing obsession.

And so A Touch of Ink, a stylish range based on the art of tattooing was created and launched at the recent Spring Fair.

This range of birthday cards presents both male and female figures in the style of loose, watercolour, inky, illustrations, created by two renowned fashion illustrators, Tracy Fennell and Laura Tinald.

The cards, which are presented in a 5” x 7” format, are printed on art board, and finished with foil details. l Following on from the success of their

very popular Carnival Celebrations range, Cherry Orchard has now launched a collection of brand new male caption designs as part of its Spring Collection 2017. With their bright spritzy feel, the Code 60 cards, with white backgrounds and colourful foiled fun images, offer a contemporary choice of male designs, with captions for son, husband, brother, nephew, granddad and godson.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

l Steam Fair is the latest addition to the Vintage Transport range from Clanna Cards by top selling artist Richard Partis. The range is inspired by vintage travel posters and includes Air Travel, Great Ships, Steam Trains, Brooklands, Le Mans 24 Hours and Isle of Man TT. There are over 40 7"x5" Happy Birthday or blank transport cards available, together with sport and hobby designs which are all particularly suitable for men of all ages. The cards are reasonably priced at 70p each with an RRP of £1.75. l Everyone loves a pub quiz, so Coulson

Macleod has put a pub quiz on a greeting card! Basically it’s say what you see, a fun quiz card that you'll be talking about (and disagreeing about) long after it's been opened. The new Spot It! Shout It! range of six 17cm x 12cm cards (with a bright yellow envelope) has been launched with songs from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s so they make fantastic birthday cards.

Coulson Macleod have kindly put a website link on the back of each card where you can find the answers! l Really Wild Cards has launched an exciting new Locomotives sound cards range. The new six card collection, produced in conjunction with the National Railway Museum, features fabulous locomotion imagery but then, open the card and listen to the sounds of days gone by with the sounds of The Flying Scotsman and other iconic trains, such as Mallard and Stephenson’s Rocket!

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New Male Card Range Launches

l Vinegar & Brown Paper by Holy

Mackerel is a range that’s spot-on for men. Created by artisan glassetcher Andy Poplar, Yorkshire-based Andy produces and sells his signature etched apothecary bottles, test-tubes, decanters and other gems from his workshop, and he’s worked with the team at Holy Mackerel to turn them into this witty range of 40 greeting cards. l Buoyant Birthdays is a

hot off the press new range of sophisticated, special age cards launched

by Laura Sherratt Designs.

This range comes in new rectangular size for Laura Sherratt, with the addition of embossing and shimmering cold foiling!

The new 12cm x 17cm cards are all made by hand in the Staffordshire Moorlands and hand-finished with gems and bow embellishments.

The cards are available for ages 16 to 70. l Country Cards has many suitable

male designs in both birthday and blank. There is a wide range of artistic and photographic designs, covering such subjects as cats and dogs, farming, florals, sports and transport. Country Cards’ traditional 7” x 5” card format range is published to the highest quality and all cards are bagged.

l Just out from Meany-Bo-Beany is the expanded MC Tarquin range. This well dressed gentleman rapper delivers his messages from direct from the street, Sloane Street to be precise, and the range now includes male and female birthday messages in his exhortation to ‘Partay!’ Printed on 300gsm board, there are now 18 A6 cards in the range and all come wrapped with an eco kraft envelope (www.meany-bo-beany.cards).

l Eventually! A Made Hand has launched its latest male card additions to its bestselling Eternity range, with 18 new designs covering male ages, relations and open birthday.

Eternity is A Made Hand’s large card format designs, 210mm x 210mm, and are available in packs of three. Visit www.amadehand.com to see the range in its entirety. l Megan Claire's recent launch of the

male range Black Jack is proving popular with it's distinctive yet sophisticated masculine style. This typographic range consists of 12 smart designs using simple black and grey brush lettered phrases on luxury cream stock, and each card is complemented by a stunning black and cream striped lined envelope.

l Nigel Quiney Publications has released Pizazz for Men, a brand new masculine range of 20 male open birthday designs with a perfect blend of traditional watercolour and contemporary design styling. A collection of cars, bikes, wine and lovely sentiments combine to create a range for the modern man. With full colour reverses, die-cut corners and matt gold foil, printed on ultra white board, this amazingly range is coded at 45/HH RRP £1.75, the same as Pizazz! l Classic Collection is a new range from Paper Rose featuring iconic motorsport designs painted by Martin Tomlinson. Tomlinson is renowned for his skill and experience in motorsport art.

His work has been exhibited at galleries and motorsport events all over the world, and is privately owned by some of the top names in the industry.

The card range comes in six eye-catching designs, all 160mm x 160mm and wrapped with a coloured envelope.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

41

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New Male Card Range Launches

l Recards has launched a new card based on an iconic 1970s vinyl sleeve design. The original 1960s version of Recards had a gramophone looking part of the card that transmits the sound but this has now been replaced by a small guitar amp-looking transmitter to fit in with the 1970s look. This new Recard is available from www.recards.co.uk. l Winner of the Best Male Range award at The Henries 2016, the Geronimo collection from The Art File has just become even more super futuristic with the introduction of 16 brand new designs. These cards are for men, so they are finished with hot copper foil, thermo finishing, rounded corners and neon inks - very stylish indeed! Geronimo cards come with very smart grey envelopes.

l Hotchpotch has two new wonderful male ranges: Typo - is both classic and cool with a hint of nostalgia.

The de-bossed panels add to the letter-press feel of the 120mm x 170 mm designs, and the collection includes male captions and general birthday cards. Morty – features a hippo with a boom box, a ukulele playing spectacled bear and a roller skating koala! Puurrrfect and punderful, the Morty range is the life of the party, and is finished with gold foil. l Reflecting a very modern attitude for the modern male, the Simply Tags range from Cinnamon Aitch offers new male birthdays, relations and a host of occasions titles. These contemporary designs, in a slim-line format and neutral colour palette, showcase simple geometric patterns with embossed detailing and die-cut message tags.

l UKG’s Brushstrokes range is a

celebration of ‘old school’ illustration, which depicts subject matter that is very of-the-moment. Hints of foil, a subtle play on words and rustic kraft envelopes make this range a perfect choice for the more discerning gentleman. There are seven designs at a code of 50 (£1.89) size 159mm x 184mm. l Card Nest's Pennants range features six designs with a male focus - from Father's day cards to bold birthday cards in addition to congratulatory greetings.

Designed with pennant flags used in American sports as inspiration, each design has been debossed for a luxe finish and paired with a luxury deep red envelope. l Black Tie is a new collection of male cards by Hearts Designs. There are 15 smart, stylish and contemporary designs in cool muted colours, embellished with a matt black jewelled bow-tie, finished with gold or silver foil and presented in a luxury white envelope with a black and white striped envelope liner. See Hearts Designs at PG Live.

l From a Dapper Fox to a DIY King, Maurice and Maude have bought sophistication and fun together with its male card collections for birthdays, moving home and same sex marriages and engagements. These divine and distinctive cards with a high-end finish are being snapped up by department stores and boutiques nationwide. l New are 12 Man Shed cards from the extended Vintage Chap range from Siobhan at April Rose. A quality range printed on textured watercolour style board, they are a perfect send for the vintage chap in your life. Cards are 150mm x 150mm square, supplied with a kraft envelope and cello wrapped.

Man Shed decorative metal signs also available (65mm x 90mm) with a rope style handle. All cards and gifts are designed and made in the UK. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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A Trend On male Cards - Urban

Urban Development The term 'Brutalist architecture' originated from the French word for ‘raw’, and it is one of the inspirational foundations for this year’s Urban design trend that strips down city shapes and forms and harnesses industrial textures. It is a trend that has also been ‘constructed’ on male card design for 2017.

In hipster hangouts and coffee shops we’ve sat among the exposed brickwork and pipes, vintage industrial lighting with Edison bulbs, dark wooden floors and smooth concrete surfaces, well, it’s a look that’s not going away soon, so you can still enjoy your latte in a gritty industrial milieu, but this Urban trend in interiors and graphics has evolved for 2017. Drawing inspiration from city landscapes and textures and 1950s Brutalist architecture, the Urban trend combines strong graphics and silhouettes from the city environment and softens them, and this visual vessel is bubbling onto male card designs.

As a carpenter’s daughter, Sara Burford from Cinnamon Aitch has explored the aesthetics of wood and combined this with a masculine edge in the Veneer card range.

“Inspired by modern architectural form and its strong geometric planes and facets, I was also influenced by interior trends of minimalism and deconstruction. In this striking range, recognisable form has been reduced to simple geometric shapes and rearranged into unique abstract compositions. Using beautiful wood grain in warm and rich tones for pattern and contrast, and a delicate but controlled use of stitch, Veneer makes a bold visual statement,” explains Sara.

Tough stone, angular architectural lines and pared down cityscape forms, evolving into dramatic geometric shapes, contrast with vibrant metallic foiling on a plethora of this year’s male greeting card designs. Rosanna Rossi’s new Debonair range of 24 masculine birthday, relations and age cards is a stunning example of the Brutalist architectural form deconstructed, with its cubes and geometrics and metallic foil. And Saffron’s Dapper range strips back the substratal form of city buildings further with its dramatic geo patterns and tonal designs in black, teal and turmeric yellow.

Top left: Cube and geometric shapes “The Dapper range explores a variety of feature in Rosanna Rossi's Debonair range.

Above left: A striking Knight design from themes and lifestyle trends suitable for the Hammond Gower.

Above: Noir from Belly Button unearths a modern gentleman; the city explorer,” luxurious marbling effect. explains the range’s artist, Gurinder Bahia.

Right: Rush Designs' Fossil range will be launched in May. “Paul Smith’s use of colour blocking and

Above: Stripped-down urban forms on Saffron's Dapper range.

Left: Cinnamon Aitch's Veneer designs have architectural planes.

Below: Gritty and masculine, a design from Real & Exciting's Panache range.

monochrome with highlights of bright colours has inspired this range, as has popular city imagery of Paris and New York, and its skyscrapers, to form bold and strong geometric graphics,” Gurinder adds.

Knight, a brand new male card range from Hammond Gower, captures the Urban trend’s raw aesthetic with its stripped-down and edgy representation of classic male lifestyle themes and textured gold foiling. Hammond Gower’s marketing manager, Bryony Lancaster says: "We wanted to create a range that would be reminiscent of traditional masculine aesthetics, and used a rich colour palette which would evoke dark wood and full-bodied red wines.

At the same time, we've given the range a contemporary twist with gold foil detail, which also hints to the chrome and brass finishes that are so popular in the Urban trend in interiors for 2017.”

Textural rock, smooth cement or stone, combined with hexagonal, rhombus or cube shapes, enhanced with metalic foiling, is at the visual heart of the Urban trend. Belly Button Designs’ new male range Noir has ‘quarried’ opulent textures and materials, such as marble, for inspiration, accompanied by a palette of copper, and Rush Design’s new Fossil collection of 30 male cards, have an earthy feel with accents of industrial materials like concrete, copper and rivets: they’re surely collections that are going to ‘boulderover’ male card consumers.

A little industrial, a little gritty, Urban is a developing graphic composition on current male card designs with capacity to build on.

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Retailer Face To Face

Branching Out Mark Janson-Smith’s wife and business partner, Leona, describes her husband as the “Willy Wonka of the card world”.And, as soon as you enter the couple’s fourth shop, which opened in Greenwich, London, last month, you get her drift.

It’s a wonderland where giant rulers are used as shelf spacers, an enormous tree is festooned with plush creatures, pens are displayed on a ‘candy floss cart’; it’s a place where you can adorn your post with an exclusive Greenwich Mean Time postmark and once a month cards are given away for free.

PG caught up with a card retailing entrepreneur who has turned his ‘pure imagination’ into a reality.

A

Inset: The Postmark store in Greenwich packs a punch in this historic London area due to its commanding corner position and retail execution.

Above right: The already much talked about tree in the Greenwich store.

Below right: (Right) Mark and Leona Janson-Smith with Mark’s father at the store’s opening party.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

t a time when the trade is bemoaning the demise of independent stores in the UK (and especially in the heart of London), let alone the paucity of new stores opening up, along comes a fabulous exception Postmark Greenwich.

This is the fourth store in the Londonbased Postmark group, and its largest by far, thereby providing plenty of room for the extra flourishes which set this independent card retail operator apart. While 70% bigger than its sibling stores (located in other London enclaves of Balham, Dulwich and Chiswick), the new store, in an impressive Victorian building on a corner unit, remains true to what the Janson-Smiths call the “Postmark brand” in that it is very much a greeting card and stationery store. The large collection of Jellycat plush is in fact the only range that is not either made of paper or related to paper products. As the ‘outsiders’, these furry additions make the most of their preferential status, hanging in and sitting around the

trunk of an enormous tree, which (though actually fake) appears to have grown up through the floorboards of the shop.

As for the business ‘branching out’ to become what is now a ‘small multiple’, Mark says: “I always had plans to expand, and we have the systems and people in place now for that to happen, but I will never rush into things. They have to be right and at a justifiable rent”. He admits that having initially rejected the Greenwich site on cost grounds, having sat in a café across the road from the unit and counted not just the number of people walking past but also the type of people, that he then went back and made “a risky offer”, that was happily accepted.

“As I watched the pedestrians I just kept saying to myself “she’d be a Postmark customer”, “he’d be a Postmark customer” or

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Retailer Face To Face

Left: Customers are encouraged to buy, write, frank and post their cards in the store – and of course they can carry the exclusive postmark.

Below right: Retail designer Jon Isherwood with one of the giant rulers that are part of the Greenwich store’s fixtures.

The idea will also form part of the Dulwich store’s overhaul planned for this summer.

Below: A leaflet promoting the store’s exclusive postmark.

Inset: The idea for the pen dispenser was inspired by a weird candy floss cart Mark spotted.

“that family would be Postmark customers”.

There were too many of them to ignore!”

Determined to make the most of the wide wraparound windows which envelope the shop, Mark pooled his many ideas with those of well-respected retail designer Jon Isherwood (of Isherwood Design).

“We wanted to create a real ‘wow’ when people came in, but it also has to work as a shop. My initial plan was to incorporate a living wall of plants, but Jon persuaded me to have the tree which customers love,” says Mark. Innovative display approaches include giant wooden rulers that intersperse the wall card units that display a wide selection of cards full facing. Meanwhile, inspired by a candy floss cart he spotted, Mark translated the idea into an engaging way of merchandising different coloured pens, elevating the prosaic to something akin to what you would find in a cosmetics boutique.

Being in a popular tourist spot – in between the Cutty Sark and the walk through the park up to the Greenwich Observatory, Mark estimates that 90% of the customers are visitors, both from the UK and overseas, and so the shop’s card selection includes more London-centric designs than the other stores.

Something that has gone down a storm with both locals and visitors alike is the franking service that Postmark offers to customers in all its stores. In the new store this has been taken a step further by creating an exclusive Greenwich Mean Time postmark, that celebrates its meridian line location. This is printed onto the cards and parcels that are franked and then popped into the postbox inset into the shop’s front wall. Posters and leaflets inviting customers to ’Post it from the start of time’ are given prominence in the shop close to an area where customers can use to write their cards.

“It is amazing what ideas come to you late at night after the kids have gone to bed and you can relax with a glass of red!” admits Mark. Another of his inspired ideas that is now

On Your Marks PG prised some personal revelations from Mark Janson-Smith Like father like son?: “No. My Dad ran the Black Swan imprint at Random House and my grandfather was a literary agent for Ian Fleming, but as I don’t really read books it was not a route I ever considered.”

When did you realise the potential of retailing greeting cards?:“Some 14 years ago when I was 16. I started working in a shop called Zeitgeist, based in Clapham Common, which had a very small area for cards. I couldn’t believe that we took £120 from a tiny display.”

What is your view of shopping?: “I really don’t like shopping. I find it too stressful. I went into Primark once, but after a few minutes of frantically tidying up the stock I had to leave. I really don’t like sales and think they demean a retailing experience.”

What retailer do you most admire?: “I have a huge respect for Oliver Tress, co-founder of Oliver Bonas. He has given me lots of pieces of advice, including his view that ‘no good member of staff is ever too expensive’.”

Who would your Best Landlord Award go to?:“That would have to be the one for our Balham store. He was on the verge of giving the shop unit to someone else and his wife had a dream about us and so he gave it to Postmark.”

Do you have a lucky mascot?: “It would have to be PG as I was judging The Henries when we clinched the lease on our Dulwich store and was at PG Live when I heard about the offer on the Chiswick store, and then again was at PG Live last year when I heard that our audacious offer on Greenwich was accepted!”

What is your guilty pleasure?: “Listening to Eminem.”

bedding in at the Greenwich store is Postmark’s Feelgood Friday initiative, whereby every last Friday in the month the shops have a selection of cards (either old stock or cards donated by publishers) of which customers can have one for free, but it must be sent for a ‘non-occasion’. Mark explains: “It was sparked by the GCA’s Thinking of You Week initiative which encourages people to send a card to someone to cheer them up or just to make contact with someone they haven’t been in touch with for a while. We really liked the idea, but wanted to extend it to a year round activity. It took a little while for customers to accept that there wasn’t a catch, but it is building momentum and reinforces the power of sending cards.”

While Mark admits to being “slightly fearful” that some card sending may drop off over time as lifestyles change “no one buys birth announcement cards anymore and rarely any change of address cards as these are now sent digitally” - he is optimistic about the future for his and Leona’s business.

“We would like to eventually have 10 stores, but we are never going to rush it. It has taken 13 years to get to four stores,” he says, before adding a Willy Wonka twist: “But I do have plenty of new ideas I want to put into practice.”

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

47

48_5-_PG_APRIL 2017_Art Source 29/03/2017 17:57 Page 48

ARTSOURCE

TO APPEAR IN THE ARTSOURCE CONTACT TRACEY ARNAUD ON 01234 740 051

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ART SOURCE

PG helps to paint a pretty picture of freelance artists, designers, verse writers and photographers’ worlds in order to promote their talents to publishers and, conversely, make it easier for publishers seeking artists.

ARTIST IN FOCUS

Gill O’Shea I am an emerging artist living and working in Ireland. Art is my true passion – I’ve loved it since I was five years-old. After finishing school, I decided to study fine art. In May 2004 I graduated with a 1st class honours degree. On the same day I received my results a sudden change in family circumstances prompted me to quickly find work, and I started an administration role in finance.

As the years passed by I slowly drifted away from art and forged a successful career in financial services.

In 2011 I qualified as an accountant and moved into a senior role in Ernst & Young, and then a national bank.

In 2014 I attended a watercolour course with Jean Haines and fell head over heels in love with watercolour. I started making art again, and I created Dabble in Art to share my work. During this period life moved on, I got engaged, married, bought a house and bought a puppy!

In September 2016 I found myself at a career crossroads. Over the previous two years I had slowly started to emerge myself in my art practice and build my Dabble in Art brand - but now I had to make a decision - do I pursue the next senior role in financial services or make the bold move of following my dreams of become a professional artist? The time seemed right and I decided to go for it.

My watercolour work captures the beauty and intensity of familiar subjects using a semirepresentational accessible style, to evoke intense emotional responses within the viewer. The work offers a fresh, vibrant and contemporary approach to the traditional and complex medium of watercolour. My business consists of multiple strands including selling original work, prints, pet portrait commissions and workshops to artists. My business experience and career is really helping me to develop the commercial side of the business and identify exciting new opportunities to promote my work. l Email: dabble.in.art@gmail.com l Web: www.dabbleinart.com

WANT TO BE FEATURED?

If you are an artist, photographer or verse writer and would like to be considered to appear in Art Source, please contact PG’s Emma Cain on emmac@max-publishing.co.uk. This is an editorial feature and as such is free of charge.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

49

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ART SOURCE Sarah Burman

Working from my home studio, surrounded by the beautiful hills of the Mendips in Somerset, I’m very much influenced by the abundance of wildlife and rural scenery around me.

I have a great affection for fairy-tales, vintage illustration and the natural world. I grew up with all the great Disney films, Beatrix Potter books and an over active imagination!

I’ve been fortunate enough to pursue a career in doing what I love best ‘creating stuff’!

After gaining a degree in digital design, I landed my first job a few months later. Although I initially started my career as an artworker and graphic designer, I later fell into textile design and creating surface patterns. This has now led me to explore my love for illustration, particularly for the greeting card industry.

After working for various companies in the party supplies and cosmetics sectors, I made the decision to become freelance and have been since 2012. Although this doesn’t come without its challenges I’m so glad I decided to take the leap! I’ve gained so much experience and had amazing opportunities to really stretch my creativity.

I’ve recently become a mum and I get so much joy from my daughter and feel so connected with my childhood again; I can’t help but be inspired by her and I think this shows in my work.

When I’m not working or looking after my daughter, when the opportunity (rarely) arises, I try and cram in some sewing and paper crafts!

You can see what else I get up to on my website: www.sarahprosser.co.uk. l Email: info@sarahprosser.co.uk

Jane Borley I started painting cows in 2013 having seen several large photographs reproduced onto canvases while on holiday in Cornwall. Before this I had a creative career in children’s fashion design and teaching fashion and textiles.

Something about the size and presence of these images pressed a creative button in me and I spent several days creeping up on herds of cows across the Cornish countryside, eventually catching a snap-shot of a calf that was to be my first painting.

My style has developed along the way and I now choose to paint Highland cattle as a preference. My love of bold clashing colours is applied with a combination of hands, paper, sponges and various brushes in the process of creating layers of intertwining textures, which hide an image of a single butterfly in each painting.

I work in acrylics onto large deep canvases to enable me the space to move with the paint and achieve a visual rhythm in the background before I start to paint my cows.

It is important to the flow of the painting to have the right background for the personality of the animal and enables the flow of the painting. The next stage is the eyes and I have experienced several disagreements with my cows if the eyes don’t communicate and this has been the reason for a painting to be left on an easel in a creative stand off for up to a year.

I have taken my originals to country shows, including The New Forest Show, and worked on a painting while on the stand in the marque. It’s a wonderful experience to see how art can make people smile.

Recently I have been approached to paint people’s dogs and envisage expanding my work to other animals in a vibrant quirky large scale of canvas and paint. l Email: thecows.shed@gmail.com PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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PG asked a selection of card retailers for their ‘hot’ card sellers.

Janey and Will Apps, partners of Paper Turtle, Lewes A small boutique card shop in a country town with a local and tourist customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Humour

Woodmansterne

Hysterical Histories

CardMix

Irene And Gladys

Pigment

The Thing About Dogs

Art

I Drew This

Landmarks

Contemporary

The Art File

Form

Hunter Paper Co.

Across The Board

Freya Art & Designs

Across The Board

Cinnamon Aitch

Woodblock

Paper Salad

Good As Gold

Our current number one range – blank cards suitable for so many occasions, with some great jokes to cover the impossible male 13 to 21 age market!

Extremely funny designs that always get attention in the shop window.

Our best selling range online – dog cards are always a winner.

Striking, colourful watercolour designs, that features a number of landmark images within the collection from nearby Brighton - these always get great attention.

A long-standing best seller that is of great quality and beautifully presented - we have a spinner which does this range huge justice.

A new letterpress range for us that has had a great reaction.

Customers like the quirky titles and lovely designs with muted tones.

Another new range to us. The designs are simple with a beautiful colour palette and gorgeous sentiments.

Really delicate and detailed design, this range works great for us for both birthday and occasions cards.

Very 'on trend' designs with a rose gold finish, and the envelopes are just fantastic too.

Right: Beautiful sentiment on a Freya Art & Designs card.

Handmade/ Hand-Finished Children’s

Linda Hartin, owner of Omnipresent, Kinver, West Midlands A small shop in a historic village with a loyal locals and tourists customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Humour

Pigment

Noel Tatt

Riff Raff, Rib Ticklers, Let Them Eat Cake, Jitter Bug Picture This

Woodmansterne

National Trust (NT)

Art

The DM Collection

Contemporary

Tracks

The Creature Collections Sparkle

Very popular, not too rude and the designs stretch across the ages with subject matter to suit everyone.

Animal and age orientated designs that have just sold forever!

The images are lovely! And some double up as bereavement cards, such as the design featuring a dog looking over a mountain seemingly reflecting. The new designs also have a little story on the back of the cards about the picture.

Fantastic artworks of animals with beautiful imagery of their natural habitat within them. We sell enormous amounts.

An amazing glitzy and foiled range with a good variety of nice male designs and glittering girly cards. When first displayed we sold six ‘Prosecco Time’ designs in just one lunchtime!

Smaller cards (5x5cm) are a real trend for us at the moment. We have a spinner of these designs and they absolutely fly out!

Again, smaller cards and these ranges have some very pretty designs.

Photographic

Right: A hot favourite at Omnipresent, Tracks' Prosecco design.

Proper Mail Company (Woodmansterne) Noel Tatt Handmade/ Hand-Finished Children’s

52

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

General

Second Nature

Henna and Type By Chester Champagne

Tracks

Gogglies

These designs just get better and better, and all finished with gems and glitter.

They are fab! Animals with wobbly eyes, the designs are great for children.

52-53_46-47 28/03/2017 16:38 Page 47

Sue Tollerfield, partner of The Cherry Tree, East Finchley, London A small shop in a city suburb with a very loyal locals customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Cute

Hello Geronimo

General

Humour

Dean Morris

Across The Board

Hunky Dory Cards

General

Photographic

ArtPress

Norman Parkinson and Magnum Photos

Art

The Art File

Across The Board

Contemporary

Noi Publishing

Noi Florals(ba)

Children’s

Hype

Pingu, Mr Benn, Thomas the Tank Engine Noi Monsters(ac)

Really sweet, simple ink drawings (ie of a teepee, cake, baby feet) with a little bit of felt attached.

They’re just a little bit different.

Hysterical designs about the classic themes of gossip and alcohol.

A company created by women, they know what topics will appeal to the female market - funny designs that are rude but not too much.

Stunning shots from English fashion photographer Norman Parkinson, and vintage black and white images from gifted, worldrenown photographers; the publisher’s whole collection is so varied.

Such a great broad collection of different ranges that are always updated with fresh designs from new artists.

Bright and gorgeous contemporary florals on good quality board.

Classic children’s characters that adults know very well and send to the next generation.

Really lovely, quirky illustrations that are simple but unusual.

Right: Yellow felt brightens this lovely Hello Geronimo card.

Below: Bold and contemporary blooms from the Noi Florals collection.

Noi Publishing

Catherine Esbester, owner of Ginger Fig, Taunton, Somerset A medium shop in a picturesque town with a locals and tourists customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Humour

Ohh Deer

Across The Board

Holy Mackerel

CMAW

Art

Mistletoe House

General

Contemporary

Megan Claire

Pink Champagne

Megan Claire

Bubblegum

Penny Lindop Designs

General

Ruth Jackson

Pencil Shavings Cards

Georgia Breeze Designs

General

When I hear customers snort or doubled up with laughter I know they've found these cards.

We’ve stocked these designs since we first opened nearly 10 years ago.

Simply illustrated, the birds are quirky and gently funny.

Featuring artwork from artists from all around the world, we sell loads of them.

With rose gold-foiled simple typeface on white board, the designs are elegant and stylish, and the final line of the words ends with a font flourish.

Colourful and simple word designs with good little sayings.

These cards are our equivalent of sweeties at the till. People just love them. They are little cards (9x6cm) featuring animals with a small piece of fluffy wool applied.

Using pencil shavings for the design, these cards usually provoke a conversation along the lines of “Ahh, what a simple idea! I wish I’d thought of that.”

Originally machine stitched paper collage designs, the beautiful cards are topped with gems or a tiny button. And the company is semi local to us in Cornwall.

Handmade/ Hand-Finished

Above right: Delicately stitched, a Georgia Breeze design.

Right: A little Penny Lindop design featuring a fluffy sheep.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

53

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LYNN’S LINES

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On the ball comments by retailer and publisher Lynn Tait of The Lynn Tait Gallery.

Inset: The GCA's 'Meet the Buyer event: Speed-dating with Dragons' was inspired by the Dragons' Den TV programme…but it was a much nicer experience!

Below: Publishers had 10 minutes to pitch their cards to card buyers at the event.

Bottom: Sharon Little, GCA ceo, welcomes the publishers who are pitching to the card retailer 'Dragons'.

Let There Be Dragons I was very honoured to be able to observe and photograph the wonderful ‘GCA Meet the Buyer event: Speed-dating with Dragons’ at London’s Business Design Centre recently, and what an amazing day it was!

The brainchild of GCA ceo Sharon Little, GCA president (and md of The Art File) Ged Mace and PG’s Jakki Brown, the GCA ‘Meet the Buyer event: Speed-dating with Dragons’ was a new 'first' for the GCA calendar, but one that hopefully will be repeated for GCA members in the future.

The GCA invited 18 retailer buyers from 15 card retailers, ranging from boutique indies, small multiples and giants of card retail, to meet 60 GCA members from different card publishers, each of whom had the opportunity to pitch their cards to the eager and enthusiastic retailers.

There were a number of Ladder Club members attending, and its Facebook group had been alive with discussion about what the event would be like.

Like everything in this life there's only one first, and for the organisers of the event it was exciting to see the day evolve after all its planning. It's a bit like your first trade fair or your first shop opening, it always has a special place in your heart. You can go over it a hundred times in your head, but you never know quite how it's going to pan out until it happens.

On the day I think there were nerves on both sides of the publisher and retailer fence, but these soon evaporated after the first pitch. Although there was a great sense of excitement throughout, people got into their stride and made the most of what was an amazing opportunity.

As I observed from the sidelines, and photographed pretty much everyone, to me the aspect I loved most was the randomness of who saw whom.

Some of the card publishers were fairly new and completely new to many of the retailers so it was new introductions all round.

I loved it when tiny weeny card companies pitched to John Procter, the ceo of Scribbler: what a great opportunity! I also

enjoyed watching the spark when publishers and retailers really hit it off.

You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the room; my goodness those publishers are passionate about their cards!

A few observations from the day: l One or two card publishers dominated the conversation, so much that the retailer didn't get a single word in. So they wouldn't have any idea if the retailer liked the cards or not and didn't receive any feedback.

l Each card publisher had ten minutes to pitch to the ‘Dragon’ and some didn't get their cards out until half-way through. l A few publishers took too many cards; there was a huge case full of cards in one pitch. It would have been a good idea after the first pitch to ditch the case and just take in a few from each range. l Everyone looked the part and publishers were well-prepared with brochures, business cards and freebies. They were so professional and had obviously planned their pitch – they knew how lucky they had been to get a place at this sell-out event.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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LYNN’S LINES Left: Partner of personalised banners and cake toppers company OTHERLETTERS, business mum Debbie Belton holds her own snazzy sign.

l On a number of occasions barcodes were mentioned and it seems that even some of the smaller shops are requiring these now. l Delivery times were also mentioned and in this fast moving industry it appears that most small publishers carry very little stock of cards that are ready to send out. Therefore, timing for sending out cards can be a potential problem for publishers. l Obviously for some retailers some of the publishers’ cards were not a good fit for their shop, but even so, retailers gave them good advice, such as: Don't put the caption at the bottom of the card; with age cards use different designs for each one (I certainly agree with these two comments).

The card retailers were exceptionally friendly and helpful, as you would expect in this great industry of ours.

This event was open to GCA members, so it's a great reason to belong to the association, as this is just one of the

A Junk Model I've embarked on my year-long project of decluttering. Yesterday I found my original articles for this column about the greeting card industry from 21 years ago.

About 18 years ago, PG’s Jakki Brown and I were flying to Scotland to plant trees to mark the Millennium, along with a group of industry stalwarts.

Reading the articles I wrote from over 20 years ago it is quite unbelievable how the industry has evolved and how the culture of women working within it has also changed.

The growth of mumpreneurs is staggering, and in the last few years I have seen an avalanche of mums starting a card business from home and selling on Not on the High Street, through their websites or on Instagram.

The phenomenon that is Instagram has allowed these ladies to bond and work together to promote and support each other too. They run business courses for each other, and they have snazzy launch parties, which are branded to the hilt and have goody bags, banners, designer cupcakes etc.

My daughter and daughter-in-law who have a business called OTHERLETTERS, selling personalised banners and cake toppers are prime examples of this; they have eight children between them. They are attending a six week business course run by other mothers, and they frequently go to launch parties, where they create the promotional material. Their children model the clothes for other mums’ companies and they also attend trade fairs and meetings. Plus, they recently attended an Instagram course run by a local working mum.

In the greeting card industry we are seeing hundreds of new publishers started up by yummy mummies. Husbands are using their holidays to help their wife at trade shows, and they are leading the industry with their creativity and uniqueness.

We are so fortunate to have this new creative blood coming into our industry. Many had high-flying careers in the design world before they ventured into greeting cards and it is definitely keeping everyone on their toes: they are bringing so much to the party!

Ladder Climbing Yesterday, Jakki Brown and I met to discuss this year’s Ladder Club seminars. It will happen earlier this year, on September 19 and 20, and we are so excited that it will be the 18th one!

The Day One seminar is for card publishers who have newly launched or are just thinking of becoming a publisher. If you haven't been to a Ladder Club seminar before we recommend you attend this day first, even if you are on your way ‘up the greetings ladder’ and have exhibited at a trade fair, as there is so much useful information on Day One about business, agents and your suppliers.

The Day Two seminar always has new topics and new speakers from the industry, and this year will not disappoint.

Publishers are returning every year for the Day Two seminar for the camaraderie and the speakers, and what could be better than a little trip down to sunny Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, away from the computer.

Last year, the first day seminar sold out six weeks before the event and the second day seminar sold out as well. So you need to be quick off the mark if you want to attend this yearly event.

(The lovely Clare Davies of Createvents is kindly looking after the booking of places again this year. Contact her on T: 01183 340085 or E: clare@createvents.co.uk to book your place. Cost £65 inc VAT).

As everyone is gearing up for PG Live, I'm enjoying my shop... with spring just around the corner.

We've weathered the winter and I have already introduced ten new card publishers into our shop, with hopefully more following our visit to PG Live.

It’s exciting times in the greeting card world!

Above: One of Lynn's first articles for Progressive Greetings about The Ladder Club.

Left: In the early days of The Ladder Club, some of the first Ladderclubettes.

opportunities and initiatives that are open to members.

I am sure the Meet the Buyer event will be repeated as the inaugural one sold out in six hours! The whole thing was win win for both retailers and publishers, and a great experience for all those who participated. I loved the fact that it was an even playing field with tiny publishers having as much chance of clinching a deal as the bigger ones.

One new publisher, who showed just two cards, had interest from three ‘Dragons’ - and I also ordered from this innovative company. It was wonderful to witness the unveiling of such great ideas on such a special day.

There was no guarantee that retailers would buy the cards, but if an order was not secured then the advice publishers were given was invaluable.

If the event is repeated I think it's important to keep the lucky-dip approach, the surprise of which Dragon picked which publisher added to the excitement. The way it was done every publisher received an equal chance of seeing the retailers, many of whom they wouldn't necessarily normally get the opportunity of a one to one meeting. While this event is certainly no replacement for trade fairs, at shows retailers don't usually have the time to share advice with publishers, but these Dragons were brilliant with their feedback.

So well done all, especially the GCA. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

57

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A w o n d e rf u l id!

Eid Eid

A U.K owned Greeting Cards Publisher.

Our everyday ranges for all occasions and relations include traditional, contemporary, cute, humour and photographic designs. We also have a full range of Christmas and Spring Seasons.

All products are designed and printed in the U.K on the finest quality board.

BRANDS â&#x20AC;&#x153;Write from the Heartâ&#x20AC;? brand includes; Corsage, Sentiments, Champagne, Celebrations and Jelly Beans.

Online Shop www.colneisgreetingcards.com

M ETHOD OF SALE

Ch nese Chinese

Jewish

Direct to Retail

G RASS R OOTS INTERNATIONAL Units 4 - 4A Valentines Buildin g Ra cec our se Bus in ess Par k Aintr ee, Liver poo l, L9 5 AL Tel: 0151 52 3 9600 Fax : 015 1 523 494 9 e-m ail: s ales@ writefr om th ehear t.co.uk

HE IS

THE

WAY

THE AND TRUTH

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Polish P olish o sh

and more!

from the

Tel: T Te el: e 0161 1 641 64 641 0655 0655 06 E m mail: sales@davora.co.uk sales@da Email: sales@davora.co.uk 135 13 1 35 H Heaton eaton ea on M Moor oorr Rd Rd | Stockport S Sttockp ock o kpo port ort SK4 4HY 4 4H HY

Colour House Graphics York House, 2-4 York Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 7QQ T: 01394 271668 F: 01394 275114 E: colourhousegraphics@hotmail.com Online Shop www.colourhousegraphics.co.uk

High Quality Greeting Greeting Cards, Cards, Gift Bags, Gift Wrap Wrap & Tags Tags a for every occasion. occasio

*GCF 1HĆ&#x201A;EG * GCF 1HĆ&#x201A;EG +353 (0)404 20528 Email info@garlanna.com www.garlanna.com .garlanna.com www

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To appear in the Product Directories simply contact

Warren Lomax on:

We are looking for an agent in the North Nort West!

If you're inter interested rested please get in touch t ! dandelionstationery.co.uk da dandelionst taationeryy.co . .uk info @ddandelionsttaationeryy..co.uk info@dandelionstationery.co.uk

020 7700 6740 The UK No. No. 1 in The Licensed Greetings Greetings etings Licensed Over Overr 30 licenses Ov licens nses ses including: includin ng g: g: D Disne y, Peppa Peppa Pig Pig, Disney, Kitty, He Kitty Hello Kitty, Mr Men Men a d Angry A Birdss and Birds t: +44 + (0)1264 388400 e: enquiries@gemma-international.co.uk enquiries@gemma-interna national. ti co.uk w: gemma-international.co.uk gemma-international. ona co.uk

CARDS CARDS â&#x20AC;˘ WRAP â&#x20AC;˘ PARTY PARTY â&#x20AC;˘ GIFTS GIFTS

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

or email on warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact

Tracey Arnaud on:

07957 212 062 or email on tarnaud@btinternet.com

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CHARITY GREETING CARDS One of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading publishers of Charity Greeting Cards.

Impress offers a wide collection of images, including fine art, graphic, photographic and cute.

We also offer a bespoke design service for bulk orders and/or mail order fulfilment.

Eye catching, luxurious Gift Wraps, Gift Tags, Gift Bags, Roll Wrap, Tissue Papers & Ribbons for all occasions

Impress Publishing Appledown House Barton Business Park New Dover Road Canterbury, Kent CT1 3TE Tel: 01227 811 611 Fax: 01227 811 618 email: info@impresspublishing.co.uk

Glick, Unit 1 Allenby House, European Industrial Park, Knowles Lane, Bradford BD4 9AB Tel: 01274 655980 email: sales@glick.co.uk www.glick.co.uk

ARTISTS AR RT TISTS C CARDS ARDS g glebecottage.co.uk lebecottage.co.uk 01626 369269 E Established stablished 1993

Market leaders in Humour, Art, Photographic, Occasions and Relations cards offering a full planning service with merchandising and retail development opportunities.

H OTC H P OTC H PUBLISHING

To appear in the Product Directories simply contact

Warren Lomax on:

020 7700 6740

or email on warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact L U X U RY C A R D S P R O U D LY M A D E I N T H E U K

www.greatbritishcards.co.uk WATERWELLS DRIVE, GLOUCESTER GL2 2PH UK TEL: 01452 888999

PHO PHOTOGRAPHY TOGRAPHY g glebecottage.co.uk lebecottage.co.uk 01626 369269

Order s can be placed on our trader site

w w w. c b g t r a d e r. c o. u k

or call our customer ser vice team on

+44(0)1243 792600

Tracey Arnaud on:

07957 212 062

or email on tarnaud@btinternet.com

E Established stablished 1993 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Silk Screened Retro, Pop & Classic Cards Inspired by Music and 1960’s American Advertising.For all Vinyl & Rock n’Roll lovers

L E T U S TA K E YOU BAC K

For further details please get in touch.

info@vincentmcevoy.com

+44 (0)7779 578340

LING DESIGN

60

The UK’s leading privately owned publisher of Greetings Cards and Stationery. ...The home for Products

years

Yo our N Number b O One S Supplier li off Numerals, Name, Relation & Age Labels for Greetings Cards.

Huge selection with immediate delivery y. Buy direct or from your wholesalerr.

Listan Labels 3 Isis Court, Wyndyke Furlong, Abingdon Business Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire Oxfordshire OX1 5JN Tel Tel e 01235 465489 Fax 01235 532118 www.listanpublications.co.uk www.listanpublications.co.uk sales@listanpublications.co.uk

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

An exciting and innovative range of quality Birthday, Relations, Special Occasions, Art and Humorous greeting cards. Full range of Christmas and Spring Seasons merchandise. Comprehensive collection of handmade cards.

Pizazz Gifts.

and

Products: Greetings cards for all occasions, Christmas and Spring Seasons cards, gift wrap and bags, charity cards, social stationery.

Bespoke service for charities and other fundraisers.

Ling Design Ltd 14-20 Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6BE Tel: 01892 838574 enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk www.lingdesign.co.uk

Brand Names Pizazz, Pizazz Gallery, Pizazz Jewell, Pizazz for Men, What a Picture, Time Out, Bon Bon, Marshmallow

Agents wanted

Cloudesley House • Shire Hill • Saffron Walden • CB11 3FB T: 01799 520200 F: 01799 520100 www.nigelquiney.com

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Design-led Stationery, Gifts, Calendars, Diaries and Cards Brands Laura Ashley, Roald Dahl, Lily & Val, Vintage Ladybird, Caroline Gardner, Monsoon, Born to Shop, Flash Gordon, Boofle and many more.

Our In-house design studio and established supply chain enables us to offer bespoke services. tel: +44 (0) 1225 329494 email: sales@porticodesigns.com website: www.porticodesigns.com

originalposter.com

All our cards are supplied on consignment, so you only pay for what you sell.

We also supply card fixtures and spinners free-on-loan.

We replace slow sellers and damaged stock free of charge.

We merchandise regularly, so you don’t have to.

THAT’S WHY WE’RE ORIGINAL!

01932 267 300

paperlink... pap erlink... the home of fa fabulous bulous cards!

Exquisite Design, Beautiful Cards Key brands include Marzipan, Portobello, Mosaic, Daisy Patch, Aquarupella and Designers Guild, plus many more.

Tel: T el: +44 (0)115 986 0115 Email: info@paperrose.co.uk www.paperrose.co.uk www.paperrose.co.uk www.artgroupcards.co.uk www.artgroupcards.co.uk PaperRoseCards TheArtGroupCards The_Art_Group

356 56 Kennington Rd London SE11 4LD T 020 7582 8244 @paperlink.co.uk info@paperlink.co.uk www.paperlink.co.uk

Suppliers of humorous & contemporary Birthday, Christmas, Spring Seasons, Occasions & Relations cards Brands include: Bottomline, Bestie, Wrinklies, Hat Trick, Route 69, Bangers & Flash, Humdingers, Lacie, Sassy, Stay Wonky, Patisserie, Tinklers, Made With Love, and many many more!

Method of Sale: Direct P Paperlinkcards aperlinkcards @paperlinkcards @ paperlinkcards PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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To appear in the Product Directories simply contact

Warren Lomax on:

020 7700 6740

or email on warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact

Tracey Arnaud on:

07957 212 062

or email on tarnaud@btinternet.com greeting cards & contempoRary gifts www.redbackcards.com e: info@redbackcards.com t: 01803 712793

Uk publisher of Greetings Cards with an extensive range of quality Birthday, Relations, Occasions and Seasonal product... available from

LING DESIGN

TM

Our Brands: Laughter with Animals, Sporting Fun The Funny Side of Life.

Method of sale: Direct to Retail 14-20 Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6BE Tel: 01892 838574 enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk www.lingdesign.co.uk

Greeting Cards that are unique & special with creative wit.

Looking for top-notch agents to join our expanding team.

rosierobins.com 01992 536461

Products: Greetings Cards, Gift Wrap, Social Stationery, Gift Bags, Keepsakes, Partyware.

Brands: Designer Collection, Feelings, Impressions, Inspirations, In Touch, Isabel’s Garden, Paper Wishes, Planet Happy.

Method of sale: Wholesale Distributors

Simon Elvin Limited Wooburn Industrial Park, Wooburn Green, Bucks HP10 0PE Tel: 01628 526711 Fax: 01628 531483 www.simonelvin.com mail@simonelvin.com

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Sensations International Ltd Unit 6, Quad Road,East Lane Business Park,East lane, Wembley,MIDDLESEX HA9 7NE Tel. 0208 3854470 Fax: 0208 385 4471 Email: sales@sensationsinternational.com PRODUCTS: World’s leading publisher of high quality plastic greeting cards. Also an extensive range of quality greeting cards covering Everyday, Occasions, Christmas and Spring seasons.

BRANDS: Cherished Thoughts, Sweet Sentiments, Buddies Always, Symphony, Thinking of You, Style, Special Wishes, Special Times, Young Editions, Groove Sensations, Forever Blessed, Grey Skies, Classics.

METHOD OF SALE: Direct to retail.

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The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading publisher of highest quality handmade Greetings Cards.

Products: Greetings cards for all occasions, Christmas and Spring Seasons. Spinners and other retail displays available.

Talking Pictures Cards Ltd 14-20 Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6BE

UNIQUE UNIQ QUE U PERSONALISED PERSONALISED CARDS

Tel: 01892 838574 enquiries@talkingpics.co.uk www.talking-pictures.co.uk

Wee of W offer ffer f a COMPRE COMPREHENSIVE HENS

range of high quality qua Gr eeting Car ds ffor o Greeting Cards ALL Occasions Occasions,, CHRISTMAS HRISTMAS and Spring Seasons.

Seasons Method of Sale: D Direct to Retail

&DUGV & DUGV &DOHQGDUV & DOHQGDUV &RDVWHUV &RDVWHUV 1RWHERRNV 1 RWHERRNV

Market Leaders in

Verse

& entimen

Email: info@words-n-wishes.co.uk inffo@w o ords-n-wishes.

Web: W eb: e www.words-n-wishes.co.uk www w.w . ords-n-wishes.co

Tel: T e el: 01942 01942 233201 233201

an extensive range of superior quality,

w: www .tomcatcards.co.uk www.tomcatcards.co.uk e: tomcat@tomcatcards.co.uk t: 01243 837300

design-led Greeting Cards for all occasions, Spring Seasons & Christmas.

DIRECT TO RETAIL & EXPORT

Method of Sale: Direct to Retail Orders can be placed on our trader site

www.cbgtrader.co.uk or call our customer services team on

+44(0)1243 792600

TEL: 01480 435562 FAX: 01480 450599 www.tracksltd.com

Top-notch British Greeting Cards for Thoughts that Count

UNIT 2, 12 BLACKSTONE RD, STUKELEY MEADOWS IND EST, HUNTINGDON, CAMBS, PE29 6EF

01923 200600 | www.woodmansterne.co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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NATIONWIDE

MERSEYSIDE

WALES

UNIT 4, THE ARGENT CENTRE, SILVERDALE ROAD, HAYES, MIDDLESEX, UB3 3BS TEL: 020 8573 2975 / 1768 FAX: 020 8561 2349

MERSEYSIDE GREETING CARDS LTD

Merseysideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Largest Greeting Card Distributor

Email: info@abbeycards.com

Due to our massive buyer power, we are able to offer you the best prices and also take a pride in our friendly service.

LONDONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NO 1 GREETING CARDS STATIONERY PARTY AND BALLOON CASH & CARRY

Greeting cards â&#x20AC;¢ Gift ranges â&#x20AC;¢ Pocket money toys â&#x20AC;¢ Balloons â&#x20AC;¢ Badges â&#x20AC;¢ Banners â&#x20AC;¢ Soft toys â&#x20AC;¢ Stationery â&#x20AC;¢ Collectables , including dolls â&#x20AC;¢ Photo frames

Trading Hours Our Opening Hours are: MON, TUES,WED & FRI 9.00 - 5.30pm THURSDAY 9.00 - 8.30pm

Always something different Check us out now!!!

Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 9.30 till 4.30pm Thursday 9.00 till 7.30pm Sunday 10 till 1.00pm Tel: 0151 227 2555 Fax: 0151 227 2556 mgconline@hotmail.com

To appear in the Wholesale Directory simply call Warren Lomax on

25 Dickson Street, Liverpool L3 7EB

HERTS & LONDON

SUMAN BROS Stationery and greeting card wholesaler

020 7700 6740

Crown House Otterspool Way Watford WD25 8HL

magnus RUPERT

T: 01923 200 900 F: 01923 200 909

TRADING

LONDONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NO 1

Great deals Great location Plentiful parking Just off the M1 Junction 5

WEST MIDLANDS

GREETING CARDS STATIONERY PARTY AND BALLOON CASH & CARRY

Trading Hours Our Opening Hours are: MON, TUES,WED & FRI 9.00 - 5.30pm THURSDAY 9.00 - 8.30pm SAT CLOSED SUN 10.00 - 4.00pm UNIT 4, THE ARGENT CENTRE, SILVERDALE ROAD, HAYES, MIDDLESEX, UB3 3BS TEL: 020 8573 2975 / 1768 FAX: 020 8561 2349 Email: info@abbeycards.com

Crown House Otterspool Way Watford WD25 8HL Tel: 020 8993 2231 www.rupertmagnus.co.uk Wholesale and direct-to-retail greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, social stationery, partyware and gifts.

Great range, competitive prices, excellent service.

EUR EUROPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADING LEADING G GREETINGS REETINGS CARD CARDS, S, PAR ART TY PRODUCTS, PRODUCTS, G PARTY GIFTS, IFTS, CANDLES, CANDLES, TOYS, TOYS, STATIONERY STAT TIIONER RY AND FLORIST S UNDRIES FLORIST SUNDRIES DISTRIBUTIO ON CENTRE DISTRIBUTION 75000 SQ FT BESCOT CRESCENT CRESCENT, T, WALSALL, W ALSALL, WEST MIDLANDS. WS1 4NG 01922-646666 www www.greetingshouse.co.uk .greetingshouse.co.uk info@gr info@greetingshouse.co.uk eetingshouse.co.uk MON,WED,FRI 8.00am-4.45pm TUES,THURS 8.00am-7.45pm SA AT,SUN , SAT,SUN 8.00am-1.45pm

NORTH WEST

& $ 3 6 &DUG 3DUW\ 6WRUH /WG ZZZ FDUG SDUW\ FR XN 1(: ,03529(' ZHEVLWH IRU DOO \RXU (YHU\GD\ 6HDVRQDO &DUGV DQG 3DUW\ 3URGXFWV 6DYH 7LPH 2UGHU 2QOLQH ,W V 6R (DV\

Your One Stop Shop 0DQFKHVWHU 5RDG %XU\ %/ 6: 66

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

BLACK COUNTRY GREETINGS LTD

Unit 16 Maple Leaf Industrial Estate, Bloxwich Lane , Walsall WS2 8TF.

Wholesale â&#x20AC;¢ Greeting cards â&#x20AC;¢ Gift wrap â&#x20AC;¢ Gift bags â&#x20AC;¢ Stationery â&#x20AC;¢ Banners â&#x20AC;¢ Badges â&#x20AC;¢ Balloons â&#x20AC;¢ Helium cylinders

E: bcgreetings@outlook.com T: 01922 610190 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am to 5pm Wednesday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9am to 8pm Sunday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8am to 1pm TRADE ONLY

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Polypropylene & biodegradable bag specialists

GREETING CARD

Over 40 years quality service to the trade Hotfoiling also available

T 01206 396209 E sales@badgerconverters.co.uk www.badgerconverters.co.uk

GIVE Y YOUR OUR

BAGS

Manufacturers Manuf facturers of hi high igh qua quality lity fflexible l xible pac le packaging kaging 30 YEARS EXP EXPERIENCE PERIENCE - Q QUALITY UALIT A T Y SER SERVICE VICE EXTENSIVE EXT TENSIVE STOCK STOCK RANGE R - QUIC QUICK KD DELIVERY E ELIVE RY ASSURED

- HEADER BAGS WALLET -W A ALLET BAGS - ZIPPER BAGS THERMAL PRINTING PRINTING - FLEXOGRAPHIC, HOTFOIL & THERMAL www.transrappackaging.co.uk www.transrappackaging.co.uk sales@transrap.co.uk sales@transrap.co.uk

VIP

CALL ALL US TODA TODAY AY

TREATMENT TREA ATMENT T

01773 0 1773 7 537810 5378 810

HIGH CLARITY BAGS FOR GREETING CARDS, CALENDARS AND ARTWORK

ENVELOPES

ŏ ŏđŏ ŏ ŏ ŏ ŏ ŏ FOIL BLOCKING EXTENSIVE RANGE OF STOCK SIZES AND BESPOKE MANUFACTURE WRAPPING SERVICE AUTOMA ATED T WRA PPING SER VICE NEW AUTOMATED

CALL US TODAY

01228 560526 www.fulcrumfilms.co.uk

FOR FOR ALL A LL Y YOUR OU R ENVELOPE EN V ELOPE N NEEDS! EEDS! L argest range range of Largest iin-stock n- stock ccolours olours Over 400 Bespoke Envelope Sizes 8 Sizes Permanently in Stock RECYCLED

Available v 100% Recycled Paper Available

PAPER

Stock & Bespoke Cello Bags Peel & Stick Envelopes Bespoke Service on Request

ORDER ON LINE AT: AT: www www.regentenvelopes.com .regentenvelopes.com 01274 583000 sales@r sales@regentenvelopes.com egentenvelopes.com

We’ve We’ve been producing bags of high clarity and high quality for over 30 years.

01274 220 220 www w.wrapid.co.uk www.wrapid.co.uk sales@wrapid. sales@wrapid.co.uk co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Quality Bespoke Envelopes!

From 5,000 quantity to many millions we can produce excellent quality envelopes for you.

Plain, printed, coloured & textured finish.

100% recycled & FSC available.

Please call us on 0843 5066684 with your enquiry or visit our website

www.ukenvelopecentre.co.uk We will be delighted to help!

FLITTERING

LITHO OR DIGIT DIGITAL, DIGITA GIT TAL, LES GROUP GR ROUP R O WINDLES ALWAYS MAKES AL LWAY AYS M AKES THE RIGHT GHT HT PRINT IMPRESSION. RESSION. RE

FOR ALL YOUR FLITTER REQUIREMENTS

ABL Foil Ltd Unit 1, Industrial Estate East Hanningfield Chelmsford Essex, CM3 8AB

Contact DAVID JIGGINS Tel: 01245 400104 Email: david@abl-ltd.co.uk

WWW.WINDLESGROUP.CO.UK WWW W.WINDLESGR W OUP P.C . O.UK

PRINTERS

PJ Print (London) The Capitals only Greetings card printer You name it what ?

We can do it.

With probably the most comprehensive range of card

Specialist UK and Global manufacturer for the greeting card industry

finishing in the UK card market PJ Print The answer to all your card production needs

PJ - PRINT

To discuss how we could work with you contact Simon King Tel: 0115 928 7766 Email: sales@sherwoodgroupuk.com

www.sherwoodgroupuk.com

E-mail: sales@pj-print.co.uk The Print Works Colville Road, Acton London W3 8BL tel 020 8993 5160 www.pj-print.co.uk Hadden Court, Glaisdale Parkway, Glaisdale Drive West, Nottingham, NG8 4GP

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Introducing a joint venture from

The home of greeting cards eting e r g adinugrer e l s ’ K ct The Umanufa card

Following new investments estm in our digital printing facility we can help you with short run prints, rapid stock replenishment, market testing, design sampling and promotional products.

Our expert digital printing, finishing and packing facilities allow us to provide

150 50 1 .uk

Our specialist services include:

• high quality • fast turnaround • competitive pricing

Digital and personalised greeting cards Short-run print Flitter, foil, emboss, die-cut finishes Bespoke gifts including mugs, coasters, notepads and much more

2 .co 011es4@loxleys

Promotional items Marketing literature

sal

Exhibition graphics /stands Stationery any more ribution

If y you ou w would ould li like ke to disc discover over h how ow w wee could help y you, ou, please contact our sales team:

0114 250 1150 •

07974 133735 • sales@digitalhubuk.com

YOUR MANUFACTURING PARTNER FOR VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS English speaking production team, prices quoted in sterling... and only 3 days delivery to THE UK...

Really... and there s no VAT to pay or customs procedures either...that's a great deal!

• Hand made and hand finished greeting cards • Boxed sets and acetate packs of cards / envelopes • Giftwrap and tag packs • Individually open and closed wrapped cards • 'Pop up' and cardboard engineered products • Notelets and social stationery • Specialised printing on plastics & lenticular For production enquiries, estimates etc., please contact our UK Agent:

Rob Pearson 07710 132 232 rob@solutions-polska.com FSC accredited (BV-COC-002485). Audited member of SMETA. Printing to ISO12674-2 standard.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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WAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTION

The Professional and Caring Approach..

... to 3rd Party Warehouse, Distribution and Hand Finishing needs.

With over 25 years experience in the Greeting Card and Gift Industry, we specialise in providing a very fast yet efficient and friendly service to all of our customers.

Our close links to the port of Felixstowe allowing excellent access for both UK and overseas business.

We specialise in providing high quality print for short to medium runs, incorporating multiple images. Go to our website for prices, alternatively call or email us for a bespoke quote.

T

01274 305832

E

info@hellocards.co.uk

W

www.hellocards.co.uk

We would be happy to talk to you and provide further information please contact either: James Smithies on 01449 778360 e: james@setinhand.com Tracy Davies on 01449 778363 e: tracy@setinhand.com Please visit our website at www.setinhand.com for further information.

Your Success Is Our Success

LB Warehousing (Women in Transport & Logistics Finalist) • LITHO PRINT • DIGITAL PRINT • FOILING • EMBOSSING • FLOWRAPPING

• DIE-CUTTING • FLITTERING • PACKING • DISTRIBUTION • INSERTING

S AME DAY order turnaround A CCURATE fulfilment and same day turn round V ALUE ADDED only as you sell the product E XCLUSIVELY Greeting Cards D EDICATED Account Managers With an excellent reputation we work as an integral part of your TEAM bringing much more than fulfilment.

Our costing structure is SIMPLE and TRANSPARENT. We carry out ALL aspects of hand finishing and assembly and provide whatever ADDITIONAL services YOU need Our select team of outworkers carefully hand wrap any size or format of cards urgently, OVERNIGHT! We CARE about your product as much as you do. Attention to detail, QC Issues and IT supported by a comprehensive paper trail for all stock movements are our hallmarks.

Our CAN DO approach means that WE solve your problems.

Outsourcing your warehousing operation releases your time to CREATE/MARKET/SELL/ MANAGE/GROW THE BUSINESS

Tel: 01274 531828 Contact Chris Sharman. Email: chriss@herbertwalkers.co.uk

YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS, please visit our web site and see what OUR customers say, then to find out more call Lynda Raymond and perhaps we can

www.herbertwalkers.co.uk

arrange to meet and discuss your needs I am sure that we can help.

LB Warehousing, Units 1, 2 &3 Wayside Warehouses, Toseland, Near St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. PE19 6RX Tel 01480 880800 Fax 01480880900 Mobile 07889 399341 lynda@lb-warehousing.co.uk

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Tel: 01929 550085 Email: sales@westminsterwire.com Web: www.westminsterwire.com

Home of the Wire Spinner Stand

Publishing Industry Manufacturing Specialists Independent Consultancy with extensive sourcing experience with a particular focus on Greetings Cards, Gift Bags, Gift Wraps etc, via either UK or Chinese manufacturers.

Ensure you achieve the best value, economies and efficiencies from your printing and manufacturing arrangements, without having to compromise on quality, whilst driving down costs and increasing your profits.

China Sourcing Experts - buy from China with expert help all the way.

The Wire Spinner is proven to be the most cost effective method to display and enhance products.

We also offer sheet metal, wood, acrylic and cardboard solutions or a combination of materials.

Tel: 07963 144591 allister@alpconsultants.co.uk www.alpconsultants.co.uk

Immerse yourself in the greeting card world

APPOINTMENTS

SALES AGENT REQUIRED Tracks Publishing Ltd is looking for an experienced Agent to represent them in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Tracks Publishing are one of the leading Independent Card Publishers in the UK specialising in humour, photographic and cold foil designs.

For more information please contact us on

01480 435562 info@tracksltd.com

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value cards in the

Contact your Rep/Agent, call us or go online:

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