Progressive Greetings Worldwide March 2015

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UK Greetings Ltd. Mill Street East, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 9AW England. Tel (01924) 465200 Fax (01924) 431814 For more information please email: getintouch@ukgreetings.co.uk and quote ref: PG-Mar15

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IT’S A SMALL WORLD It’s a Small World is a fun, colourful collection with a unique, vibrant colour palette and detailed artwork featuring colourful and lively scenes, but perhaps the most important feature is the fun quotes and messages of friendship worked into the designs, adding sentiment to the range.

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e n g a p ham

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from the

BEST SELLING

Champagne Range

Code 75/JJ 9� x 6�

R.S.P ÂŁ2.15 Tel: 0151 523 9600 E-mail: sales@writefromtheheart.co.uk Web: www.writefromtheheart.co.uk Units 4-4A Valentines Building, Racecourse Business Park, Aintree, Liverpool, L9 5AL

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Leader

On The Cards This really is a people business. Many other industries may make this claim, but the greeting card trade really nails it like no other.

From our first breath to our last, greeting cards are sent and received to mark not just the important life events, but the lovely ‘unevents’ ie the times inbetween too. We have a lot of it covered, with designs and text to cover a lot more than ’50 shades’ of proclivities, but there are still gaps.

I was not surprised that new publisher Inspired Goodbyes did so well in its 60 Second Pitch, a Dragons’ Den-esque element which took place a couple of times during the recent Spring Fair.

Savvy card retailer Jo Barber of The Stationery & Gift Boutique in Ampthill (who was one of the ‘dragon’ equivalents) gave her thumbs up to the publisher’s innovative approach to bereavement cards, lamenting that the current choice for retailers is confined to ‘With Sympathy’ and ‘Thinking of You’ captions. “I have just read the one that says ‘I promise you I will be there’ there’s nothing like this on the market, so well done, really good,” said Jo. As a number of the Inspired Goodbyes’ card designs recognise, ‘it’s not fair’ when someone dies. We feel so sad that they are not around anymore. We miss them. But what is fair now is that these cards are giving a new voice to this once taboo subject, helping people to communicate in their tough times as well as the happy ones.

While the industry does itself proud on the ‘people front’ with the population at large, we can also take heart from the sense of fraternity within the trade too.

It was a wonderful feeling to be there on the Cardgains stand at the Spring Fair with the 10 independent retailer members who were all there to find out which of them had won the shiny silver Nissan Juke, as well as the publisher representatives (many of whom I feel fortunate enough to call my friends) whose companies had helped to fund this generous Cargains prize to mark the buying group’s

www.max-publishing.co.uk THE HOME OF MARKET LEADING TRADE MAGAZINES

Above: House of Cards’ co-owners (left) Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson with PG’s Jakki Brown and some of the card designs from The Ladder Club publishers that have been selected for a HOC’s 25th anniversary promotion in all of its stores.

Left: Happy bunnies! Paperchase’s ceo Timothy Melgund in its flagship store in Tottenham Court Road with PG’s Jakki Brown.

Below: PG’s Warren Lomax (right) with retailer (and columnist) David Robertson and Nigel Quiney’s Fi Douglass celebrating the publisher’s 50th anniversary.

25th anniversary. There was only one winner - and I was delighted that Carl and Debbie Smith of Southbourne Cards in Bournemouth now has a brand new car (especially after the upsetting ‘hit and run’ experience Debbie suffered with her own car before Christmas) - but I also felt privileged to share in the sense of belonging of everyone who had gathered round that table when the draw was made.

This ‘sense of belonging’ is also echoed by the fact that very few people leave this industry, evidenced by the current game of ‘musical chairs’ being played out - with David Greaves (formerly of Emotional Rescue) joining Cardzone and Martin Nevin (owner of Is It Art) moving to Emotional Rescue as soon as he is assured that the right management support is in place at Is It Art. With lots of good reasons and excuses for us ‘people’ to get together in the near future - PG Live is only a few months away now (June 2-3) and The Retas a month later (July 8) - there is no need to feel lonely!

THE HOME OF MARKET LEADING TRADE AWARDS

From baby to toddler to starting school

EXHIBITIONS

Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP Tel: 020 7700 6740 Fax: 020 7607 6411 www.progressivegreetings.co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Contents Below: Heart giftwrap from Think Of Me.

What’s Inside

Within This Issue:

FOCUS ON GIFTWRAPPINGS

53

29

32-33

43-45

Jeremy’s Journal

Focus On Giftwrappings

Blue Eyed-Sun’s Jeremy Corner discusses the changes in marketing with social media.

Recent news, views and wrap releases in the giftwrappings market.

Social Gathering 9-19

News

47-49

35-39

Innovations

20-21 Over The Counter

Retailers Number Up

40-41

Independent card and gift retailer, David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi in Scotland, numbers the Seven Deadly Sins of Card Retailing.

22-23 Cardsharp

Oh For The Grace Of God Cardsharp muses over topical events happening in the industry.

Wrap-turous Delight

Focus On Giftwrappings

Wrap A La Mode

Current design trends on giftwrappings.

Face To Face: Paperchase

51

Timothy Melgund, ceo of Paperchase, shares with PG how it is preparing to ‘go to market’ as its major shareholder looks to capitalise on its investment.

53

Stairway To (Stationery) Heaven

57

Art Source A Great Idea

Fond Farewells

New card publisher Inspired Goodbyes introduces its bereavement cards and gifts that celebrate memories.

54-55 What’s Hot?

25-27 Viewpoints

56-57

A Driving Economy?

Indies reveal if the rise in the UK economy is benefitting sales.

Lynn’s Lines

29-31

58-70

Spring Gleaning

Trends & Inspirations

Classified

Current ‘blockbuster’ trends on greeting cards.

71

Screen To Be Seen

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

jw@max-publishing.co.uk

warren@max-publishing.co.uk

galea@max-publishing.co.uk

Editor

Advertisement Director

Deputy Editor

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© 2015. 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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Exposure greeting cards designed by icon order online: www.icon-art.com telephone: 01242 679800 / email: info@icon-art.com

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NEWS Feeling The Love

TOP STORY

How Loved Up? An irregular Heartbeat For Valentine’s Day While its falling on a Saturday and in the halfterm week did dampen some ardour of Valentine’s Day sales for some card retailers, there was still plenty of love in the air to get this year’s Spring Seasons off to a good start.

“It is definitely now a ‘love’ event rather than sending cards ‘from your secret admirer’ as a joke,” summed up Frances Burkle, head of buying at Paperchase. “We did well though and our sales were up.”

There was lots more heartening news from independent greeting card retailers, with the 'loved up' buying their cards on the high street in the time honoured way.

Sales were up at House of Cards too, which has seven outlets in the Home Counties, despite the fact, as partner Miles Robinson, pointed out, “Sales are never quite as good if the 14th falls on a Saturday.”

Conversely, Karen Ebers at Something Special in Edenbridge, says, "Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday seemed to make little difference. The Friday was fractionally quieter, but the Saturday fractionally busier.

Our card sales ended up not dissimilar to last year, though captioned cards, eg

Below: Paperchase's Valentine's window tapped into the Fifty Shades theme.

Below left: With sales of flowers rather than cards in mind, in the run-up to February 14, Moonpig gave away a free Valentine's Day card to people purchasing a bouquet of roses.

girlfriend, boyfriend etc, seemed less popular than in previous years, but our balloon sales were higher."

For some, this year was cheekier than ever, perhaps as it coincided with the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey film.

Amanda Oscroft of Love It, who has shops in Bury St Edmunds and Stamford, revealed, "For us it seems the risqué, rather rude and humorous messages sold well, especially cards from publishers Brainbox Candy and Pigment. We decided against a window display of hearts and roses and went with a fun and cheeky theme. It seemed to draw in the customers, who could find something a bit different. We had lots of customers, particularly the elderly, who said they hadn't done Valentine's in years but couldn't resist our cards this year!"

Likewise Stuart Delahoy, owner of Set Design in Leicester, said that his watchwords were ‘avoid the obvious’… and it worked. "Ruth Jackson’s pencil shaving designs flew out, as did bang up to date gold foiled and dramatic coloured cards from Lagom and Caroline Gardener," he confirmed. "Humour is not something that normally goes with a romantic occasion like Valentine’s Day, but I think a lot of our younger customer are a little cynical, just like us in fact! Best sellers included Buddy Fernandez, Brainbox Candy and good old Dean Morris. All in all it was up on last year and a good one."

A Write Good Idea Retas award winner, Red Card in Petworth, had the ‘write’ idea to boost its Valentine’s Day sales.

Owner Sally Matson invited a local calligrapher, Rebecca Osborne, to come into the shop on Saturday February 7 to write Valentine’s Day cards for customers, both anonymously and signed with their names. As Sally explains: "The initiative was greeted with great enthusiasm, and Rebecca ended up writing cards from and to dogs, kids, husbands, partners, children at boarding school - from everyone to everyone, really.”

As we also sell stamps we offered to post the cards for customers - by the end of the day we had a big pile of cards ready for posting."

Right: Calligrapher Rebecca Osborne is shown writing Valentine's Day cards at Red Card in Petworth.

The GCA's chief executive Sharon Little was the focus of an ITV News Central item on Valentine's Day. She was shown browsing at Valentine’s in the card department at Waterstone's in Piccadilly, London, where she was interviewed by the programme's reporter Lauren Hall, with Sharon pointing out that while cards may have changed, the sentiment hasn't. "Valentine's is the time that we splash out to show people that we really, really care about them," she emphasised.

"We are prepared to put our money where our mouth is and actually spend a lot of money on a Valentine's Day card."

The news report highlighted that some 21.7 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year totalling £40 million, with an average spend of £1.86.

Below: Sharon Little (left) with ITV's Laura Hall at Waterstone's, Piccadilly.

A 24 Carat Dyment Launch With 15 years experience in the greeting card industry, Stephanie Dyment formerly with Woodmansterne/Cardmix, and who designed the Stephanie Rose range – has now officially launched her own eponymous card company. "We launched with 52 designs, through six different looks, mainly birthday and blank, but also some age and special occasion designs too," explained Stephanie.

What I Love In the run up to Valentine's Day, Caroline Gardner was featured in The Guardian Online's How Do I Become... A Card Designer article.

Revealing how giving Above: Caroline Gardner has been a lift to a stranger 20 chosen by Royal Mail for a First Day Covers stamp design. years ago had kick started her own career (the woman turned out to work for the Design Council and was looking to source British designers, notably for the Japanese market), Caroline gave some practical advice to would be card designers, and also admitted that for her, a great portfolio might supplant the need for formal qualifications. "I like to see hundreds of sketchbooks at an interview. I’m much more interested in seeing sketchbooks than the final pieces, because a sketchbook tells you so much about how someone’s brain works - and how talented they actually are.”

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NEWS TOP STORY

A Ladder Clubbies Leg Up Retailer Marks Milestone By Helping Newbies An innovative initiative sees respected card retail group, House of Cards, give some valuable retail exposure to a host of newbie publishers who have come through The Ladder Club - and raise money for The Children’s Trust charity to boot.

“This year is our 25th anniversary and so we felt it fitting that as part of the celebrations, to mark our historic milestone, we could launch an initiative that embraces card publishers who are just starting out on their journey,” commented Miles Robinson, who coowns House of Cards with his business partner Nigel Williamson.

Facilitated by Progressive Greetings, all publishers who have attended The Ladder Club seminars over the last two years were invited to submit their top six everyday designs for consideration.

“The quality and diversity submitted was incredible, reinforcing what is so great about greeting card publishing in the UK,” said Nigel.

The final selection of 48 card designs are from 10 different publishers. These designs will be retailed from the designated rack in each House of Cards stores for a six month period (April 1-October 1).

50p from the sale of each of these cards will be donated to The Children’s Trust via The Light Fund

Celebrating new and emerging British greeting card talent www.houseofcards.co.uk

In addition to paying the publishers for the cards, House of Cards is to donate 50p from the sale of each card from the display to The Children’s Trust charity (through The Light Fund, the industrywide charity body).

Commenting, Lynn Tait, founder of The Ladder Club said: “This is a ground-breaking initiative for The Ladder Club and very exciting all round - it’s a real win win!”

The publishers who have been selected for the House of Cards promotion are: Catherine Kleeli Cards, Coulson Macleod, Gracie Girl Designs, Greetings Earthlings, I Drew This, Pink Pig, Red Berry Hill, Rose Hill Designs, Tache Crafts and Tomcat Cards.

Top: Some of the bespoke point of sale to promote the House of Cards/Ladder Club initiative instore.

Above left and left: Among the publishers whose designs have been selected for the House of Cards’ display are Catherine Kleeli and Greetings Earthlings.

Regent Greeting Cards Is No More In what represents the end of an era, wholesale card publisher Regent Greeting Cards went into administrative receivership last month.

The Bradford-based company has been known to be struggling financially for some time following a string of bad debts.

Above: The logo of the Regent Envelopes, the dedicated envelope company which was borne out newly formed iParty. of the same Group, is however unaffected and continues to trade.

Two days after Regent Greeting Cards went into administrative receivership a letter was sent to its customers informing them that the goodwill, continuing trade and assets of the company had been acquired by iParty, a new company being run by Regent’s former management from the former premises.

Be In With A Chance Card retailers have a chance to shine in the spotlight this year – with the entry forms being sent in for The Retas awards (for greeting cards retailers).

With the closing date for The Retas now only a few weeks away (March 27), retailers should enter not only their shops, but also their outstanding retail employees. (The forms are available from www.theretasawards.co.uk).

The winners of The Retas will be announced at a wonderful afternoon event at The Dorchester on July 8, which this year will take on a 'fairytale theme'.

PG Live Countdown With the PG Live exhibitor line-up already reading like a real who’s who of greeting card publishers (from the leading names to the brand new start-ups), retailers will have lots of good reasons to visit the show, which takes place on Tuesday June 2 and Wednesday June 3 at London’s Business Design Centre.

Registration has now gone live (www.progressivegreetingslive.co.uk) or register by phoning 01635 297070.

Martin Nevin To Join Emotional Rescue Martin Nevin, owner and managing director of distributor Is It Art? is to join greeting card publisher Emotional Rescue as joint managing director.

He will bolster the existing senior management at the humorous publisher, with founder Tony Spooner continuing to drive the product development and Peter Caunt sharing the managing director responsibilities with Martin.

Martin is certainly no stranger to Emotional Rescue as Is It Art has been the publisher’s distributor for the independent sector for years.

“I drew up a list of who I thought would be an ideal person to help me run ER – and suffice to say it wasn’t a very long list!” joked Above: Martin Nevin preparing Peter, whose workload to join Emotional Rescue as joint md. has increased since David Greaves decided to leave the business last summer (and is now joint managing director at Cardzone).

Peter said that he was “Delighted Martin is joining us and I’m really looking forward to enjoying weekends off again!”

Martin is expected to join the ER team in the next few months, however he first needs to strengthen the Is It Art management team to allow him to relinquish the day to day running of the business. Martin is to remain owner of Is It Art, which will continue to trade from its Warwick base as distributor for Blue Mountain Arts, Danilo, Gemma and Emotional Rescue.

As to the attraction of his new role, Martin said: “This is a great opportunity for me personally to be more involved with this iconic business, but I will do so while ensuring that Is It Art is not adversely affected and will effect flourish.”

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It’s here! The fabulous new Spring Everyday

both you and your customers. Open Birthday…

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your local approved Simon Elvin distributor, you get to decide which cards you want, how many you need and when you would like them.

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NEWS Stamp Price Rises

TOP STORY

Unfair Criticism WWF’s Unwelcome Valentine’s Greetings The industry came in for some unfair criticism in the press in the run up to Valentine’s Day. Initiated by a misleading press release issued by the charity WWF, its action does serve as a timely reminder for the trade to tighten up on substantiating its environmental credentials.

In a press release, emotively titled, ‘Is your Valentine’s card made of tropical forest?’ WWF made claims that it had discovered traces of pulp from tropical hardwood in three cards, one each bought from Clintons, Paperchase and Card Factory.

However, Paperchase’s card had full FSC traceability so the retailer was rightfully aggrieved to have been mentioned.

This action by WWF was timed to grab attention as part of its lobbying for an extension of the EU Timber Regulations to ensure that all paper products will by law have to show their chain of custody by 2020.

The GCA, which had been working for some time with WWF to advise its members and highlight the industry’s high environmental pedigree, was disappointed by the charity’s decision to issue the press release.

With so much of the industry fully committed to sourcing FSC (or its

Below: The image WWF used on its recent press release.

equivalent) products as a matter of course, Sharon Little, chief executive of the GCA commented: “I would strongly encourage all businesses in the card industry to have a paper procurement policy on their website to highlight their environmental credentials. We will shortly be releasing a guidance on this to make this a very simple process."

While there was not a widespread take up of the story, coverage did appear in the Independent and the Metro newspapers.

Commenting, Card Factory’s supply chain and logistics director, Chris Beck, said: “While the EU Timber Regulations don’t currently apply to greeting cards, Card Factory operates as though they do. The vast majority of our cards are made in Yorkshire and we have established a clear chain of custody over all the paper we use, ensuring that all materials are from suppliers that are FSC accredited and are from sustainable, mixed or recycled sources.”

In response to the card in question, he said it was made by a third party supplier and “produced before EU Timber Regulations came into force and before we introduced further controls over our sourcing from third party suppliers.”

New Creative Set Up For Woodmansterne In preparation for Julia Woodmansterne’s retirement from Woodmansterne Publications in June, after many years as its publishing director, the group has made two significant appointments to its creative team. Joining the company this month from book publisher Harper Collins is James Stevens. He is to work alongside Julia for the next few months before taking over as creative director.

As Paul Woodmansterne commented: “Product is crucial to the ongoing success of Woodmansterne so we undertook the biggest trawl ever - which involved 200+ candidates - to find the right person for the job. We whittled these down to a final dozen and we felt James was the most imaginative and culturally the closest to where we want the company to be heading.”

In addition, Lee Keeper, formerly of Tigerprint and Hallmark is to join the company on April 1 as creative director of the company’s newly created Private Label Studio, which will look to develop bespoke ranges for specific retailers as well as drive the creative direction of the Cardmix portfolio.

Previous to Lee joining, the Cardmix studio was being managed by Sarah Papadopoulos, who has just gone on maternity leave.

Stamp prices are set to increase on March 30.

1st and 2nd Class Letter stamps will increase by 1p, making them 63p and 54p respectively.

The cost of a 1st Class Large Letter stamp is going up 2p to 95p while 2nd Class Large Letter stamp is going up 1p to 74p Right: An provocative statement from Royal Mail's The Private Life of Mail video auguring favourably for greeting cards.

From Boris To Cards After a high profile career as senior press secretary to Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Leona Janson-Smith is swapping life in the front line of politics for the front line of greeting card retailing, joining her husband Mark Janson-Smith to help run their awarding-winning Postmark card shops in Balham, Dulwich and Chiswick.

“After working for Boris, Leona will be more than ready for any of the colourful characters in the card trade!” said Mark.

Below: Leona Janson-Smith pictured with her former boss Boris Johnson.

A Date With Janet Street Porter Journalist and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, presented the trophies at the National Calendar Awards, which took place at Stationer's Hall in the City in January.

Some of the biggest names in the calendar world received recognition to include Danilo, which received four awards: two for its bestselling Disney Frozen calendar as well as Best New Title and Best Retail Calendar. In addition, the company's The Beatles Collection Edition Calendar won the Best Celebrity/Media title, while the Kelly Brook calendar won the People's Choice award - voted for on the night.

Other winners included Carousel Calendars, Avonside, Pyramid International and Flame Tree Publishing.

Below: (centre) Laurence Prince, founder and chairman of Danilo, with Janet Street-Porter and Calendar Club’s Becky Salter.

Left: Julia Woodmansterne is set to retire from Woodmansterne Publications from June.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Follow Your Dreams from...

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NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF

TOP STORY

A Force-Ful Launch

Below: Hallmark’s Star Wars collection features different design styles.

A Star Wars Card And Wrap Blockbuster From Hallmark In what represents Hallmark’s largest commitment to a licensed brand for many years, this month marks the official launch of its inaugural Star Wars card and gift collection, backed up by a full marketing support programme.

“Star Wars is the largest movie franchise of all time and with the massively anticipated Episode VII hitting the cinema screen this December, the following from new and existing fans will be incredible,” states Tamsyn Johnston-Hughes, Hallmark’s PR and social media manager.

The publisher’s creative team has lived and breathed Star Wars for the last 12 months, even going so far as to transform the lifts with Darth Vader’s deep breathing, which accompanied staff as they made they way to their desks.

The resultant diverse range spans a multitude of creative treatments - from photographic to illustrative, juvenile to quirky adult humour - to appeal to boys and girls, old and young alike.

The inaugural everyday captioned and open Star Wars ranges will be closely

followed by an ‘I’m your Father’s Day’ collection.

Tamsyn confirms that the new Star Wars range will also provide retailers with an opportunity to be part of a massive event in cinematic history with an exciting launch programme of activity planned for 2015.

Hallmark customers will be able to participate in a retail campaign to offer their own customers the chance to win tickets to the cinema to see the new Star Wars film.

Ensuring maximum impact instore, the product launch is backed up with free POS, including a window poster and a door sticker.

For Father’s Day, a free dedicated 1ft FSDU has been designed for the card and gift packaging collection as well as a free Father’s Day window poster campaign for anyone taking the Father’s Day kits.

Later in the year, there will be Star Wars Christmas card and giftwrap designs, as well as an Episode VII collection. "It really is a year of constant designs, innovation and excitement, with lots happening!" says Tamsyn.

Paperchase Bonus Soon after Paperchase’s financial year figures have been audited, suitors are likely to swoop in to make a bid for the leading upmarket stationery and card retailer, with major shareholder Primary Capital having made no secret that it would be open to offers.

However, Paperchase is also to share its riches with its head office staff, who are set to receive a hefty bonus somewhere in the region of 10% of their annual salary. ● Paperchase has also recently pledged its support to the On The Cards initiative that is being spearheaded by The Art Group, in conjunction with GF Smith and with the support of The Sherwood Press, to promote greeting cards as a career choice within art schools and colleges. (See pages 40-41).

'New' NY National Stationery Show Retailers and publishers keen to explore the opportunities in the States (as well as a good excuse to visit New York!), will be pleased to learn that online registration for the New York National Stationery Show (NSS) is now open at www.nationalstationeryshow.com.

As Patti Stracher, vice president and show director, explained: “Our new logo and tagline, Stationery, Distinctive Gifts & Creative Pursuits, as well as an enhanced registration process which seamlessly incorporates social media platforms, is just the beginning of many exciting new elements of the New York National Stationery Show.”

The show takes places from May 17-20 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and features nearly 800 exhibiting companies and attracts some 10,000 buyers worldwide. ● Showing its continued commitment to the UK greeting cards industry, the National Stationery Show will again be sponsoring The Henries awards this year.

● Jessica Huie MBE, founder of Colorblind Cards, is among the speakers at Pulse's ShopTalk seminar programme. The show takes place from May 10-12 at London's Olympia. Jessica, who also owns PR consultancy J H Public Relations - boasting clients as top level as Simon Cowell and Samuel L Jackson - will be addressing visitors on achieving PR on a shoestring. ● Ling's Bath Studio staff entered in to the spirit of the British Heart Foundation's Wear it Red Day at the beginning of last month, with £132 being raised for the charity.

Above: The Ling gang on Wear It Red Day.

● Best Wishes in Sidcup, which has been owned by David Smethurst for the last 33 years, was the only retailer to reach the finals in the Best Business in Bexley award. ● Three lucky people now have some stunning pieces of original artwork by talented artists to hang on their walls having had their names picked out of the hat in the prize draw on the Image Source stand at the Spring Fair. Anne Scott won a piece by Emma Freeman (above), Ben Fidoe won some Poppy Davies art, and Tracey Sarwar won a piece by Frank Freeman. ● Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Ladybird Books, which runs through 2015, The Guardian featured a selection of KissMeKwik greeting cards as part of its tribute for the brand. ● The Art File's FORM range, a collection of 3D greeting cards, made from a single sheet of paper, was proclaimed winner of the Card and Wrap category at the 2015 Gift of Above: FORM from The Art File won the Card and Wrap the Year Awards during last category at the GOTYs. month’s Spring Fair.

Highly commended in the same category were Lux-Wrap, which solves the problem of wrapping awkwardly shaped gifts, and The London Studio for the company's Coaster Cards range, a card-and-gift in one.

The Wisdom Of Theo The London Studio's Wisdom of Kids products have been given a further boost by former Dragon Theo Paphitis when he chose them for his 'handpicked

by Theo Paphitis' items which went on sale in selected Robert Dyas stores and online at the end of January. (Theo is the store group’s owner).

Soula Zavacopoulos, director and designer at the London Studio, was one of seven companies, out of hundreds of businesses, to be featured in the Small Business Sunday (SBS) Showcase.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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NEWS Lots Of Bubbles

TOP STORY

By Jukes

Below: Debbie Smith with the keys to her new Nissan Juke.

Two For The Road It was an emotional moment when Debbie Smith, co-owner of Southbourne Cards, who whooped with sheer joy as she opened the mystery box in front of her on the Cardgains stand at Spring Fair to see the shiny keys to the brand new Nissan Juke she had just won in the buying group’s Car-Gains 25th anniversary competition.

“I can’t believe it, we so need a new car.

I had a car accident just before Christmas when I was hit by another car. I was very upset as I had my son in the car with me and the driver who hit me just drove away without stopping,” Debbie told PG. The excitement and tension was palpable on the Cardgains’ stand at Spring Fair, when the 10 finalists in the buying group’s Car-gains 25th anniversary competition found out which of them had won a brand new Nissan Juke car. They had all reached the finals having earned tickets

to the prize draw through participating in various promotions throughout the previous year. The ultimate winner was arrived at through a ‘game’ of chance involving both the finalists and representatives of the participating companies who had helped to fund the high profile competition. The other remaining nine finalists received a commemorative watch.

Spring Fair Flingers

Everybody has their very favourite place in the world.

To tie-in with photographic card company Leonard Smith's 30th anniversary, the publisher ran a prize draw, open to those visiting its stand at Spring Fair, asking them to reveal what they thought would make the perfect location for a photo shoot.

The four winners were Elizabeth Walsh of Good Wishes Alcester (who proposed a road in Bybury, Oxfordshire); Ian Black of Cloughat House Antiques (who suggested Lorton Valley, Cumbria), Hannah Webb of Cotswold Lavender (who suggested Cotswold Lavender beds) and Terje Bjornda of Baccara AS Norway (who put forward Geriganger, Norway). Each won a magnum of champagne for their suggestions.

Each visitor to Leonard’s stand wrote the place names down on an oldfashioned 35mm slide mount, and each day, a winning entry was pulled out.

Managing director Issy Smith, said: “Len is planning to get to these places during 2015 - although he’s not sure he’ll make it to Norway - be nice to go though!”

Below: The GCA's chief executive Sharon Little (right) with Len and Issy Smith, who pulled out the winning entry on one of the Spring Fair days.

Caught on camera at the show.

Right: Sarah la Plain, who runs Caltime unveils the first ever collection of Advent calendars under the Caltime by Woodmansterne sub-brand.

Above: Celebration time as Nigel Quiney marked the 50th anniversary of the company. (Right-left) NQP’s Fiona Douglass, Alison Butterworth and agents Jacqueline McGoogan, Eileen Bannerman and Paul McGoogan.

Right: It was an uplifting moment when Lynn Tait revealed to The Ladder Club publishers who had donated a design each that almost £20,000 had been raised for Action Medical Research as a result of the sale of the cards (as well as from Sherwood Press’ Jeremy Bacon’s charity cycle ride to Paris).

Flying The Welsh Flag

Left: PG’s Gale Astley (second left) with Abacus’ Bev Cunningham and Chelsea Pensioners Harry Puttick (left) and Derek Layton at the launch of the card range to support Royal Chelsea Hospital.

Right: Mandy Williams from charity Peach received a cheque for £25,000 from Chris Dyson, joint md of Cardgains as a result of the fundraising efforts through its Charity Challenge, which saw publishers, members and the Cardgains team undertake a gruelling Three Dams walk/cycle challenge.

Having made a name for itself as a publisher of ethnic cards, notably celebrating Diwali and Eid, Davora’s latest triumph has been with Pili Pala, a new brand dedicated to Welsh cards, which launched at the recent Spring Fair. “We’ve been asked a number of times to produce Welsh cards, and the passion for the language is tremendous,” said Rajeev Arora, director of Davora. “Through Pili Pala [Welsh for butterfly] we want to channel some of that passion into greeting cards. By making sure the Welsh captions and messages are also translated into English on the cards, we’re making the range accessible to all."

Above: Among the Pili Pala birthday cards.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

17

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NEWS PEOPLE

TOP STORY

Stationery Fetishists Unite Telegraph Journo Pens A Positive Piece A fabulously positive article in praise of stationery which appeared in The Telegraph has provided a great kick-start to the PR campaign for National Stationery Week, (April 27-May 3) which coincides with the Stationery Show (held at London’s Business Design Centre April 28 and 29).

Journalist Cathy Bussey, a selfconfessed stationery addict, penned a piece for The Telegraph about her own love of stationery and the stationery fetishes of other women, to include writer and stylist Ruth Garner, psychologist Emma Kenny, Jasmine Jones (of Sheaffer) and PR consultant Rachel Smallman (who represents National Stationery Week among other clients).

‘What is it about a new notebook, a beautiful pen, a gorgeous letter-writing set or a cheeky, fun notecard that unleashes such powerful emotions - especially in us women?’ wrote Cathy Bussey in her engaging column.

‘The humble notebook and pen have serious credentials as healing tools, with journal writing increasingly linked to improved mental and physical health. You can even take courses in journaling… Clearly there's a lot more going on than just the back-to-school feeling of a satisfying raid on a branch of Paperchase, a brand currently contemplating selling for a cool £100m.’ ● Things are hotting up for retailers taking part in National Stationery Week (April 27-May

Below: The image featured in The Telegraph.

3) with POS artwork available to download free of charge.

All retailers, both independents and multiples, are invited to take part, with a retailer POS online pack providing everything a participating retailer needs to be part of the sales period, which will be backed up with a massive consumer push to buy stationery.

"We understand how busy retailers are and for us to provide a 'one stop solution' means they can get involved at the touch of their fingertips. The pack includes a selection of shelf strips, posters, window vinyls, counter top displays and much more,” states the show’s organiser Chris Leonard-Morgan. Participating retailers' logos will appear with a link to their website on the www.nationalstationeryweek.com website, with retailers invited to share their plans and activities.

Pen Poised Five years on, the dedicated London Stationery Show has its biggest line up of exhibitors to date, with over 200 stationery brands and suppliers from around the world showcasing products at the Business Design Centre in London's Islington on April 28-29.

“One in three exhibitors are new to this year’s show and over two thirds are exclusive to it, so they haven’t been seen by buyers anywhere else in the UK this year," says organiser Chris Leonard-Morgan.

Visit: www.stationeryshow.co.uk.

Left: The London Stationery Show which takes place next month.

Chris Fisher Joins M&P Cards “Legal aspects” have slightly delayed the deal going through which will see retailer M&P Cards take over 10 of the former Card Bar shop sites.

“We are quite fastidious with this area of the business and find that time spent at the beginning often prevents issues arising further down the line. We expect the first stores to start coming across very soon,” confirmed Terry Harvey, md of M&P Cards.

Chris Fisher, a former joint general manager of Card Bar, has joined M&P Cards as a regional manager. Commenting on the new appointment, Terry said that Chris had “settled in very well indeed, without doubt he is a grafter. He will be looking after a group of stores located in the West of our territory, but also contributing greatly to the overall forward progression of the company. Chris has a wealth of retail experience and specific industry knowledge and I feel privileged to have him on board.”

Above: Chris Fisher has joined M&P Cards.

● Brett Smith (right) has joined balloon company Pioneer Europe as commercial manager. His remit is to run the sales team who cover UK direct to retail as well as wholesale and distribution, instigate new processes and systems and pursue other external commercial relationships for the company. In something of a reunion, Brett is back working alongside Kevin Walsh, retail development manager, a former colleague from his many years at Clinton Cards. ● A photo of her daughter, Jorja Muir, won mum Jillian, owner of Paper Jewels in Falkirk, £50 worth of Colonial Candles from Widdop Bingham. The photo was judged to be the winner in an Instagram competition held by the company, which invited customers to take a photograph of themselves with a supporting cast and props.

Above: Jorja was photographed with Widdop Bingham's Scottish rep, Paul McAleese.

Sadly Missed...

The greeting card world has mourned the loss of Stephen Bradley (right), founder of Select Cards, a leading UK distributor. A larger than life popular character, Stephen died suddenly just prior to the Spring Fair in February.

Also Sadly Missed...

Raymond Mundy, chairman of John Sands (UKG’s sister company in Australia) recently passed away having lost his battle with cancer. Described by the company as "a charismatic industry veteran", his wife said Ray often expressed how privileged he felt to have worked with John Sands and American Greetings. "From associates in the factory and warehouse to those in the offices and the field, and those around the globe, the people Ray worked with, and his relationships, were very special to him."

Join The .cards Revolution Raj Arora of greeting card company Davora, has unselfishly alerted other publishers, and, indeed, anyone in the card industry, to the opportunities of changing their domain name so that it ends in .cards, which can be used instead of, or in addition to, '.co.uk' or '.com'. ".cards was released to the public in June 2014," explains Raj. "It's a perfect, top level domain for many publishers and retailers, especially those who have the word 'Cards' in their name already."

Raj has written a piece on the subject which is now hosted on the GCA website: (www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk)

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Over The Counter

Retailers Number Up Independent card and gift retailer, David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi in Scotland, discusses the Seven Deadly Sins of Card Retailing.

Lucky 7 has long been thought of as the world’s favourite number. There are seven days of the week, seven colours of the rainbow, seven notes on a musical scale, seven seas and indeed much of what we cherish and love has close links to the number seven.

Snow White ran off to live with seven dwarves, there were seven brides for seven brothers, Sinbad the Sailor had seven voyages and when Ian Fleming was looking for a code for James Bond he didn’t go for 006 or 008, it had to be 007.

Seven is also the number of heavens and hells. It is the centre number in Buddhism and no matter what religion you look at the number 7 remains an integral part of the teachings.

So, seven has a rich and varied history and to me seven will always be linked to magic. The magic of Man United with guys like Cantona and of course Georgie Best who were without question flawed geniuses wearing that numbered shirt.

So what has this got to do with card shops? Well recently I was asked what were the pitfalls I would highlight to newbies to this trade? My now senior status apparently at the grand old age of forty had been touted and I received a surprise email from someone considering going into the card trade. The advice I gave was quite simple, but for some reason the ‘seven deadly sins of card retailing’ is what kept popping into my head. So what are the seven things to avoid or just think about when selling cards?...

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Sloth Many would think of this in terms of physical laziness, but I would argue that if you are in business at this current time being lazy in any form will result in failure. You certainly wouldn’t expect this from a new business person who would be fired with enthusiasm.

On the other hand a sloth can also be defined as a failure to do things that you should. Procrastination is something that you cannot allow to happen as how many of us have been fined for failing to fill in a form or meet a deadline. Everyone can be guilty on occasion, but you cannot let this drag on so that it has a negative effect. What I am trying to say is you have to look and consider all elements of business. Get your team in place and get into good habits with your book-keeping and invoices. Create processes and stick to them.

Also once you get yourself established it is very easy to stick to safe ways of running your business and maintaining the status quo. Personally, I don’t think that this type of attitude will flourish in the years to come.

You need to get out there and look at other shops, not necessarily card shops either. You

need to be looking at the make up of other buildings - look at the ceiling, the lighting, the layout and see what you can do with the budget you have.

I look at things I did as recently as five years ago and cringe as things continue to move at pace. So don’t think that once you have done it and it’s working that you can rest easy. It is only the beginning.

Greed I see a lot of shops that tend to deal with one or two agents or reps and they tend to over indulge on one type of product. Often this can creep up on you as you buy from the guy who calls regularly and before you know it, the card control is 80% one company. We are blessed with so many great card publishers in this industry, all of whom have different strengths and weaknesses so you have got to be constantly looking. This involves trips to trade shows and meeting with new people.

This is the fun part!

You can’t be complacent and accept that because one range sells from one publisher that other ranges they produce will also sell.

We are currently going through a huge reexamination of our card controls to ensure that we have the best companies for the best product categories. This will make your life more difficult in terms of the management of the product, but it will, I believe, result in stronger sales performance.

Top: Beware of committing the Seven Deadly Sins of retailing.

Above left: James Bond's codename is not 006 or 008, but 007.

Left: Sloth can mean laziness but also procrastination.

20-21_Grid 26/02/2015 15:39 Page 21

Over The Counter

Left: Even if you love designs from a publisher, such as Buddy Fernandez, your type of customers may not.

Below: Greeting cards are now sold in many different outlets, such as florists.

The constant search for improvement and the desire to never let mediocrity take control will be the differentiators between your shop and others, rather than a lack of footfall or product availability.

Lust Gluttony Gluttony is of course the over indulgence and consumption of too much. Cards are a personal taste thing and a fashion thing and realistically you have to consider who your audience in your store is. This is the key thing - knowing who you are selling to and not gorging yourself on the companies and products that you like.

I love some of the product from publishers such as Brainbox Candy, Buddy Fernandez and Urban Graphic, but the customer who uses my store does not look or expect to find that type of product, so to date I have not bought it.

Filling your store with only the style and brand of cards you like is good in the sense that you will have the conviction to sell it because you believe in it, but equally you need to know who you are selling to and cater for them.

Envy Card Factory without question has surpassed all card chains before it, and you may have looked at what it has done and thought you can emulate it, but the bottom line is you can’t. The Card Factory team has been so astute with its business model that its margin is unsurpassed. As a retailer you would, in effect, only be competing with yourself. You can only control your own store and you can only control your own staff, so looking at what others are doing only benefits you in terms of getting ideas.

Envy is often termed as an insatiable desire for other’s traits or situation, and although it would be hard to copy Card Factory, I think looking at other stores is what you should do to improve. You should want to read about companies and products. You should want to see other businesses, not because you want to copy or replicate, but because you want to be inspired.

Lust is the intense desire for something. It’s that burning feeling that you get when you have to have someone or something. This inner fire will be essential for success and I think that you need to lust after more than just a few cards and ancillary products. You need to really want your shop to have that ‘wow factor’. You want to search out that glassware range that will complement your age cards or the scarf and jewellery collection that will make a perfect accompaniment for the Best Friends card.

It’s not wrong either to lust for approval from your peers and seek reassurance that you are doing the right thing in the right way. In this sense be proud and shout about what you do. Enter The Greats and/or The Retas Awards and look to get involved with the various surveys.

Your opinion matters!

through and be constantly questioning yourself and what and how you do things.

This has a great leveling effect.

Wrath Wrath... or what makes you mad... is perhaps the easiest of the deadly sins to put into context. Everything! Whether it is business rates, landlords, deliveries, staff, government policy, out of stocks or suppliers’ deliveries, everything is a test in our business. The key here is to of course control your wrath and control your feelings.

Another area where we tend to see red is the continued encroaching on the industry.

Everyone now sells cards from florists to furniture shops from petrol stations to podiatrists! Cards are viewed as an easy product category - cheap to buy with good margin and easy sell through. I have and will always find this hugely insulting. To be a proper Cardie, to really care about this industry, is more than simply selling a few bits of paper. It is about giving a proper choice and consistent display or exciting design-led cards with strong images and textures that your customer can engage with.

Pride This is considered the most deadly of the sins as it is essentially the feeling that one is better than others. Now I really have never come across this in the card industry, where someone feels that they are better, but pride could also apply to the feeling that you have got it right. The thing is that it will probably be only right for a short time.

Assumption can also be another trait that comes with pride. You may assume that you don’t need to worry about social media and the dialogue this creates with your customer. You may assume that the customer will ‘get’ what a card is about from an image without getting their hands on the product so that they can feel the board. If you ‘assume’ anything then you can be destined to fail. You really need to think

Here is a seven-lined mantra to help you and your retailing business: . Cherish thy customer . Give them the best possible choice and service . Work hard and don’t miss the small details . Never think it is easy . Continually look to improve . Don’t be afraid to ask . Don’t get frustrated!

Seven however doesn't mean that much to me. My lucky number would send all triskaidekaphobics into a bit of a panic, as contrary to the death card in Tarot or the urban myths surrounding it, my lucky number is 13!!

To contact David email: jppozzi@btconnect.com PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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CARDSHARP

Oh For The

Inset: A horse shoe is considered lucky and to attract good fortune.

Grace Of God

Although aware that it had been financially stretched for some time, Cardsharp was still jolted by the news that Regent Greeting Cards had gone into receivership.

But there are only so many knocks a company can take when luck is not on its side.

Over the years, working in the greeting card industry, Cardsharp has had the privilege of meeting nearly all of the millionaire entrepreneurs that have forged (and in many cases continue to forge) our greeting card industry at retail or publishing level.

Whether it be Andrew Brownsword of his eponymous company, Simon Elvin of his, Stephen Haines of Carte Blanche, Don Lewin of Clintons fame or Dean Hoyle, the founder of Card Factory - all these personalities, although very different in character, shared many a trait.

Dedication, drive, creativity, an ability to identify gaps in the market and sheer bloody-mindedness enabled them to gain the position they hold today as icons of the modern greeting card industry. But there has been one vital ingredient that Cardsharp thinks all these giants would recognise that has also played a part in enabling their astonishing success, and that’s Lady Luck!

Many believe that you make your own luck, and to a certain extent that’s true.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Going in the right direction at the right time often leads to opportunities that you never knew existed. And sometimes even bad luck can turn into good luck. The decision of major publishers 15 years ago to pull the plug on supplying the then small discount retail chain of Card Factory forced Dean Hoyle, its founder and owner, to pursue his own card publishing arm and develop Card Factory’s vertical supply chain model, which has changed the face of card retailing in the UK and made Dean one of the richest men in Yorkshire (and owner of his home town championship football club, Huddersfield).

Similarly, Stephen Haines, the founder and owner of the Carte Blanche Group, had just taken a big financial hit from its German operation when he finally convinced Clintons that he had the plush version of the ‘Grey Bear’ spot on, which led to him seeking

additional investment. His subsequent partnership with business angel and entrepreneur, Duncan Spence, that has lasted nearly 20 years, has bought huge success to both of them.

In both of these cases, bad luck begot good luck!

But sometimes there is just bad luck that brings bad luck... and then more bad luck. And if you experience it, you must just think “Why me?”

What set Cardsharp thinking along these lines was the recent business failure of Regent Greeting Cards. The Shipley based company went into administration a few weeks ago. With undue haste the business was pre-packed with nearly half the staff losing their jobs, including its long-standing creative director, Andy Wells. Regent had already shed a lot more staff eight months earlier in a cost cutting programme.

However, now the company has reemerged like a phoenix out of the ashes as a new entity called iParty. So if the name is anything to go by, the new entity seems to be looking more towards the party sector than the greeting card and giftwrap industry.

22-23_Layout 1 27/02/2015 17:12 Page 23

CARDSHARP “The Regent name will remain as Regent Envelopes - the envelope manufacturer was not part of the business failure and continued to trade profitably. Regent Greeting Cards however, as a major part of the greeting card industry, is no more.”

Left: Regents' trade stand at Spring Fair from past years.

Below right: A black cat can mean good or bad luck depending on the culture.

Bottom: Snake eyes is associated with bad luck as its the lowest number that can be rolled and will often be a loser in many dice games.

The Regent name will remain as Regent Envelopes - the envelope manufacturer was not part of the business failure and continued to trade profitably. Regent Greeting Cards however, as a major part of the greeting card industry, is no more.

Cardsharp reflects that not everyone in the greeting card industry will be familiar with Regent (due to the fact that it has operated in the wholesale and own brand areas of the trade), but its demise is significant nonetheless. Regent for many years, through its various brands and products, has been a major part of the UK greetings industry. At its peak it boasted a turnover that was considerably higher than other better-known publishing companies such as Woodmansterne and The Great British Card Company.

Regent’s story goes back to the early 1990s when a young man called Mark Regan inherited his father’s struggling card manufacturing and wholesaling publishing business, then known as Apperley Cards. At that time the wholesale sector was massive, representing around 40% of the UK greeting card market, but Apperley only had a small fraction of this market. The wholesale market was very much dominated by three companies, Simon Elvin, Hambledon Studios and Kingsley Cards.

Step by step during the 1990s, Mark systematically built up the business. He strengthened the sales and marketing teams and improved the quality of the greeting card product out of all recognition. He rebranded the company Regent Greetings,

and finding it hard to displace any one of the big three wholesale publishing companies directly, he tried to go ‘around the sides’, establishing Regent as a major producer of low cost high quality giftwrap and party products, such as banners and balloons.

With this three-pronged strategy, Regent Greeting Cards became a major player in the wholesale market. Alongside this its sibling envelopes business was also growing nicely.

But, recognising that the wholesale sector was in a steady long-term decline, Mark diversified, broadening out into becoming a major low cost supplier to major greeting card retail multiples on both the greeting cards and party products fronts.

This side of the business, which came under its Edge Publishing banner, became a familiar sight in the then growing Clintons stores in the early Noughties.

All seemed to be going swimmingly well. Hard work, drive and inspiration from Mark established Regent as one of the major forces in the UK publishing market. It was a major employer in the Bradford area and renowned locally for the respectful way it treated its hundreds of workers.

But then, recalled Cardsharp, the ‘Bad Luck Factor’ kicked in! Ten years ago, a sizeable greeting card multiple retailer, Greetings Card Group, in a move that shocked the industry, engineered a despicable pre-pack in the twilight period between Christmas and the New Year. The move left many publishing suppliers with big bad debts, but given the size Regent had become it was hit worse than most. For a high volume, but low margin business like Regent this came as a huge blow.

But Regent dusted itself off and tried to move forward; the Clintons and

Birthday’s businesses, although needing huge initial investment, was starting to pay dividends. That was until, in another unsavoury move, Clintons’ holding company, having ring-fenced its main Clintons chain, put its Birthday’s subsidiary into administration. This unethical ploy, which is all too common in the multiple retail industry, represented another huge bad debt for Regent (and others in the trade of course), and with Birthdays’ demise, a huge loss to its ongoing trading figures.

And then, as if that was not enough, nearly three years ago Regent was served with the ultimate slice of bad luck when Clintons went bust, dishing out another huge bad debt to an already cashstrapped company.

If, at this time, the wholesale sector had been buoyant rather than declining, and if the new American management company running the new Clintons operation had been more supportive, some respite might have been offered to Regent, but this was not to be.

Basically, reflected Cardsharp, a huge industry and personal success story was destroyed by three incredible pieces of bad luck, due to no fault of the Regent team.

For the last three years Regent has continued to try and soldier on bravely, but strapped for cash and ‘magic wand’ direction it has proved to be too much of an uphill struggle and hence the inevitable business failure.

Is there any lessons to learn here wonders Cardsharp? Perhaps the only one is that luck, both good and bad, plays an incredibly important part in business and personal success and every successful entrepreneur who has made his millions could be just three strikes away from bad luck and at any time away from disaster. Was it not Napoleon when asked what was the most important attribute he looked for in his generals, replied that they should be above all lucky?

Oh for the grace of God go all of us, sighs Cardsharp.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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24_PG_March 2015 25/02/2015 11:06 Page 1

Fashion meets Function You always find something new at the London Stationery Show.

See thousands of stationery and writing products from over two hundred different suppliers from around the world, all in one place.

To find out who’s exhibiting and register for free entry, go to www.stationeryshow.co.uk For information about National Stationery Week and World Stationery Day, go to www.nationalstationeryweek.com Join the conversations

@StationeryBytes @NatStatWeek

StationeryShow NationalStationeryWeek

Stationery Event of the Year

25_27_Grid 02/03/2015 11:00 Page 25

A Driving

VIEWPOINTS

Economy?

With the pick-up in the UK economy, supermarkets’ price wars and petrol costs dropping dramatically, acting like a tax cut for drivers, boosting real incomes and consumer spending, do the British public feel that they now have a little more money in their pockets? And if so, are indies benefitting and maximising sales in this more positive retailing environment?

PG filled its car with some cut-price fuel and went on the retail road to find out.

Brian Humphries

director for Hallmark, Belfast, Lisburn and Portadown:

Above: Part of a birthday card for dads from Star Editions' Silverstone range.

Left: A Telegraph Matt card from Woodmansterne.

Mark Janson-Smith

managing director of Postmark, Balham, Dulwich and Turnham Green Terrace, London:

“Yes, some people are finding a little more money from the changes, but the fall in fuel price has not been reflected in the rest of the economy here, so therefore the benefit may be great to large consumers of fuel but to most households it is just a lull until prices rise again.

The retail environment is continuing to suffer in Northern Ireland, with us still having the highest average level of empty retail units in the UK. We have certainly not seen any great upsurge in sales, nor have we heard of any substantial increases in sales from any other retail groups. We still see our main branded suppliers being sold at discounted prices in various forms in many different types of outlets.

Maximising sales is always a challenge. It is not so much about a perceived positive retail environment, but more about a positive retail approach, and especially about being cautious and not listening to media hype.

Like most retailers, I try to remain positive, but it’s not always easy.”

“Things are definitely moving in the right direction and people are feeling a little better off, but what with the uncertainty that still surrounds the media, people are still being cautious as they are unsure of what’s around the corner.

We are still seeing an increase in sales year on year but it is hard to tell if this is due to Above: Chancellor of the people feeling they have Exchequer, George Osborne, was heard recently to say more disposable income or 'There is no reason why not as we have experienced Britain cannot be the this increase throughout richest major economy in the harder times too. the world.'

Right: Indies reveal that Greeting cards aren't a consumers are cautious but huge outlay so it's not are starting to spend on larger ticket items - A card something you necessarily hold back on from Avanti. when things are a little tighter. We still believe that if you offer your customers a good shopping experience with great, original Right: The beautiful town of Harleston - a town full product then they will still shop with owner of The Card & of independent retailers. you. As a nation of card senders, we see Party Shop, Harleston: the joy and happiness a well-chosen “People didn’t seem too worried about how much and written card can bring the recipient. they were spending last Christmas, but I can’t say that Who doesn't enjoy something through I’ve seen much change in consumer confidence. I the letterbox that isn't a circular or bill! haven’t detected an upturn or downturn in spending We aren't doing anything out of habits. It’s just business as usual for us. It’s fairly stable the ordinary just now. We did fully and continues to be busy. refurbish one of our stores to give us a It doesn’t feel like the pick-up in the economy fresh new look which has increased and the reduction in petrol and energy prices has made a great deal of difference. sales nicely. We have also been looking Service is always key for indies, but we are fortunate as Harleston is an ‘independents town’. We hard this year for new product and have have no large supermarkets or a Card Factory nearby and shop owners are to be found in their had some great new lines in that are stores and so have good relationships with their customers. doing well. Some of these are higher We aren’t doing any particular offers, however our store is quite large and has big windows to price points that we may not have create displays. Often we sell a lot of cards because they are featured in the window, in a different risked in tougher times, so you could say environment from the racks. By doing things like that we can show greeting cards in a different light.” we are increasing revenue in this area.”

Karen Hart

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25_27_Grid 02/03/2015 11:00 Page 27

VIEWPOINTS

Trevor Appleton

director of Heaven Sent Cards & Gifts, Walsall:

Sally Matson

owner of Red Card, Petworth:

Above: Think pink - Red Card in Petworth's Valentine's window.

“I think people are feeling the benefit from the decrease in fuel prices and energy bills, although I am not sure it has necessarily had enough time to filter through to influence their spending habits yet.

Red Card opened at the bottom of the economic cycle so we have been fortunate enough to benefit from higher sales due to increased footfall as the shop's reputation develops. Our customer base has increased and our catchment has widened, so this has increased our revenue, making it difficult to really separate better economic conditions from natural growth.

However, as the shop has grown and developed along with the economy, we have increased the number of larger ticket items we are stocking in the shop, and they are selling very well these are often specialist items which we have a limited number of, and they are often purchased on impulse.

I think one of the keys to maximising sales in this environment will always be customer service, so this year we will be launching our customer loyalty scheme.”

“I think it will take a little longer before the public will feel that this apparent downward price move can be sustained. A significant percentage of our customers are public transport using pensioners who do not directly benefit from lower petrol prices. I don’t think that the slightly smaller energy bills will result in an upturn in retail spending, especially with a General Election on the horizon.

On a more positive note, we are finding that business is buoyant and improving; we can only try to continue this trend by offering quality cards and gifts at affordable prices and by focusing on good customer service. This is something I feel can give many smaller businesses the edge over larger retailers, as we find that a courteous greeting, eye to eye contact and a little humour costs nothing, but appreciative customers reward us with their loyalty, which is definitely worth the effort.”

Above: Although petrol prices have dropped dramatically, public transport fares haven't.

Left: Will energy bills remain steady after the General Election this May?

David Smethurst owner of Best Wishes, Sidcup, London:

“We don’t really think we, as the British public, have more money to spend.

Things are still pretty tough out there and we certainly can’t see any real upturn in sales. And I don’t think we, as a greeting card retailer, are seeing any extra owner of Set Design, Leicester: spending. Perhaps people are spending it on white “Family financing is a difficult and fragile thing for most, but if your weekly bills drop, goods as replacements to their old appliances, which, even a little, then it can create a feelgood feeling. And if they feel good what do most as money has been tight, really need updating now British people do these days? Indulge their favourite pastime of shopping of course, so before anything else... and of course there is always a it’s up to us retailers to maximise this potential. holiday for us British to go on!

Let’s be honest it’s never going to be 2005/6 ever again, but good businesses can As an independent we are always trying to work in this economy. maximise sales, whether it’s good times or bad... really It’s always said you need to know your customers, but you need to know yourself the best form is top quality personal customer even more. Have your own house style and blend that with current trends so you keep your identity and what makes you different and unique. That’s exactly how we, as a service...and only we can do this!” company, have put Below: If the British public do have a bit more money in their pockets now then maybe they are spending it on the big ticket items that they couldn't afford during the recession. on such good growth in the last 18 months. Examine, test and analyse what you do continuously.

If you want to sit back and relax then retail in 2015 is not for you. Put in the work and the rewards are out there.”

Stuart Delahoy

Left: Set Design in Leicester has had good sales growth in the last 18 months.

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Trends & Inspirations

Unicorns, dinosaurs and raccoons, it’s a strange and heady mix, but these are just a few of the recent micro-trends on greeting cards that have been influenced by the movie world. In 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy’s main protagonist was an abrasive and tough bandit-eyed raccoon, but in a match of peril he doesn’t even compare to the ferociousness of the characters in the new Jurassic Park movie due out later this year and already shaking the ground on card designs.

And Disney’s Frozen and this month’s Cinderella film remake has waved the wand for a plethora of fairytale representations, with the mythical unicorn already gently trotting onto cards since Despicable Me. In the ‘art-house theatre’, inspired by recent Tate exhibitions of Pop and modern artists like Matisse, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, bold prints are ruling this season on the catwalks, and card designs are reflecting this trend with blocks of flat colour and bright bold florals in watercolour washes.

But for the blockbuster trends on greeting cards at the moment, those with tropical tastes will welcome the hot eye-popping pinks, zesty brights, lush jungle greens and cobalt blue hues blazing with flaming flamingo and golden pineapples icons. While the ‘film noir’ of the silver screen equates to the pared down and simple aesthetic trend on cards, elegant and understated.

But the big release this spring on cards is ‘subtitled’ - it’s the handwritten style typefaces, ink, crayon or chalk drawn fonts and calligraphy sweeping captions across cards.

PG ‘reviews’ some current trends and inspirations on greeting cards.

Different Strokes Beautiful ink-drawn brushed calligraphic flourishes, often with an ink splosh or drip to portray authenticity, opaque watercolour or gouache script, hand-written fonts, from simple and whimsical to thicker quirky, naïve and innocent felt pen, chalk and crayon strokes are sweeping across greeting cards. Flourished in the craft of calligraphy or scribed in hand-written style typography, ‘putting pen to paper’ portrays a sense of creativity and honesty that handwriting invents.

Infused with personality and character, handwriting has been shown to improve motor neuron skills, hand-eye coordination and creates an emotional reaction and resonance.

And the hand-written trend trails the recent path for the penchant for all things crafted and handmade, and a backlash to perfect, digitally created artwork and designs, emails and texting, touchscreens and tablets - penmanship is making its mark on cards in a perfectly imperfect way.

Sweeping Statement Imogen Owen, founder and designer for Imogen Owen: “Calligraphy has been massive in the US for quite some time and the style has moved away from more traditional copperplate work and evolved into something more organic and free, with calligraphers like Molly Jacques and Betsy Dunlap being very inspirational. This trend has spread to the UK, and calligraphy in a more modern form, is starting to really take off.

I think part of this calligraphy trend Clockwise (Top to bottom): is rooted in the fact that people are ● Hand-written, ink brushed captions feature on Betty Etiquette’s vibrant The Sentimentals range. starting to really value traditional skills ● Not only does Imogen Owen create her own hand-scribed and crafts and appreciate the difference cards but she also holds calligraphy workshops. between something created digitally ● Naïve crayon-look font on a Lonetree Pen It card. ● Kerry Lyons Monogram collection is originally hand-painted and something made by hand; the and has a simple but luxurious feel. imperfections of something made by ● The XO range from Sabivo Design uses a touch of fluorescent pink in each design. hand are part of its appeal. There is a ● Words stitched onto card designs look hand-crafted - a beauty to this that is the perfect antidote to digital design from Rosie Made A Thing. perfection. This can also be seen with the trend for ● Ling’s new range Follow Your Dreams uses a handwritten typeface to portray intimacy. hand-lettering which has a charm because there is a ● A Father’s Day design from Heidi Nicole Design uses a simple naivety and intimacy to the letter forms. It is hand-written font. imperfect, but that’s part the beauty of it in an age of ● WINK from Star Editions is a fun, bright wordy collection available on coasters, cards and mugs.

Photoshopped perfection.”

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Trends & Inspirations

Tropical Storm

Clockwise (Top to bottom): ● Bold and beautiful exotic flora on a Caroline

Gardner design. ● A jungle cat by artist Vikki Chu from

Betty & Dupree. ● A tropical treat, pineapples from Amy Beth Designs. ● ‘Tropical Party’ by artist Robert Farkas

Welcome to the jungle. The tropical storm still rages from last summer on fashion prints, soft furnishings, homewares and greeting cards as we nudge closer to the Olympics 2016 in Rio. Inspired by South America’s rainforests and steamy jungles, tribal heritage and exotic, bright and colourful Amazonian flora and fauna, designs are awash with perching parrots and exotic toucans, and beautiful birds of paradise prints. With a hint of 50s retro, golden pineapples, stylised palm tree prints and fern leaf sprays, hibiscus flowers and bold florals bloom in saturated shades of lush greens, cobalt blue, coral and burnt orange and hot pink.

Paradise meets carnival on cards.

from Wraptious. ● Nella’s The Wild Bunch range features bright and

beautiful exotic birds. ● A pineapple Valentine’s card from Velvet Olive. ● ‘Leo’s Island’ by Jean Tori from Kimono Rabbit is a

brightly painted gorgeous paradise using cobalt blue and zesty colours.

Pina Colada Cocktail Amy Beth, founder and designer for Amy Beth Designs: “The bright colours and exotic shapes that come with a 'Totally Tropical' trend still sends people's brains to the idea of a perfect island paradise. It's both calming and relaxing but also exciting and happy. Tropical icons can hold a lot of colour without being obnoxious, which, as a painter, really helps when you want to brighten up a plain piece of paper.

My favourite tropical item has always been the pineapple; not only for their amazing flavour, but the image of them is so striking, retro and instantly makes me feel warm and happy. And most impressive of all is that it is just how Mother Nature made it. As a designer who is also very eco friendly, it's nice to be able to draw something natural, striking and colourful, while maintaining the shape of an organic product.”

Simple And Understated Uncomplicated, uncluttered, effortless and calm, pared down illustrations on crisp white board or simple line-drawn illustrations with blocks of colour are a gentle and soothing alternative to highly embellished greeting cards and a reflect a simplicity we desire in our daily lives.

This pared down aesthetic is reflected in the deconstructed styling in fashion Spring/Summer15 couture and also as monochrome pieces on the high street. And there is plenty of white space to rest the eye on these elegant, understated card designs, which portrays a timeless style and seem to say as much as the illustrations on the cards.

Modest and honest, but with a seemly confident ease and a luxurious feel, the results of this pared down trend is a look that’s fresh and light, with some serious minimalist tendencies.

She Sells Sanctuary Eloise Hall, founder and designer for Eloise Hall: “The pared down aesthetic reflects a simplicity we frequently desire in our frantic modern lives.

In a world of excess, so often transient by nature, this minimal look offers a timeless style.

My cards are designed to provide a sanctuary from the bustle of everyday modern life. The tranquil movements and colours of nature set against a considerable amount of clean white space create a sense of calm, giving us a moment to breathe.

In this increasingly visual world we are constantly bombarded by vast expanses of bright colours on websites, blogs, twitter, Facebook, newspapers, magazines, billboards and on our phones. Many designs, both contemporary and nostalgic involve busy colourful creations, but the Eloise Hall range juxtaposes this noise with simple yet impactful cards. A touch of colour is presented in an understated way, whether it might be the dreamy fluttering of butterflies on a breeze or a calming flow of Koi Carp in the water.”

Clockwise (Top to bottom): ● ● ● ● ● ●

30

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Eloise Hall brings tranquility, serenity and touches of colour with her stunning designs.

Quirky and simple, an age design from Laura Skilbeck.

Saffron’s Bright White range is a contemporary black and white range with satin silver foil detail.

A wonderful Arthouse Meath card created by Karen Brown.

A Once Upon A Time design by Joy Butler from The Art File.

‘Chase the Rainbow’ an uncluttered and uplifting card from Blank Inside Design.

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Trends & Inspirations

Chic Modernist Inspired by Modernist graphic design legends such as Saul Bass, Charley Harper and Alexander Girard, and a retro revival in mid-century Scandinavian ‘teak chic’ furniture, objects and textile design, greeting card designs are reflecting elements of Modernism with elegance and clean lines.

Modernism was a movement in the arts, literature, design, and architecture that began in the early 20th century. It originated with Art Nouveau’s organic forms, but later was inspired by the regular and simple aesthetics of the machine, evolving to become more linear with simplified shapes and minimal decoration.

The goal of modern design was to capture timeless beauty in spare precision, and on card designs the Modernist influence is abstract and a simplification of form with bold blocks of colour, chevron (zig zags) patterns, simple geometrics and botanical silhouettes. The chic modernist trend on cards is all about clean, stylised and pared down, pure design.

Shaping Up Jill White, director for Rocket68: “I believe the Modernist trend is popular currently as I feel the wave of fussy floral 'vintage' era is passing by in the design world. I think at one stage the market was over saturated with spots and florals from cards and stationery to ironing boards and radios. The trend now is for cleaner lines and simple shapes rather than finicky detail. That was my feeling when I designed my range ‘Modernist’ as I wanted to add a less cluttered feel. A quirky fusion of a Miro doodle and a strong Picasso palette, the images have a contemporary twist with their canvas backdrops and simple shapes. The shapes are bold with a definite mid-century aesthetic.”

Clockwise (Top to bottom): ● ● ● ● ● ●

Simple geometrics and botanical silhouettes are seen on this Jessica Hogarth card.

Rocket68’s Modernist range can be seen at www.rocket68.com.

Stop The Clock’s Ink. range shows stylised forms with clean lines.

The Art File’s Natural Wonder range uses linear aesthetics and simplified shapes.

Pared down and abstract Modernist forms feature in ‘Paris Dance’ from Urban Graphic’s Toasted range.

Scandinavian Modernist homewares on a Dicky Bird design.

Flaming Flamingos

Clockwise (Top to bottom): ● Vanessa the flamingo on a Flowery Critters card

from Pink Pig. ● Lou Mills’ Delight range features some patterned

flamingos taking a dip. ● The bright colour palette, textures and quirky

shape of the flamingo appeals to Sam Palmer of Sammykins. ● A serene scene on a Warner Textiles’ card. ● Image Plus’ Say It With Lace range depicts the exotic and vivacious bird. ● Pink and in love, a card from Alice Palace.

Who gives a hoot about owls on cards when vibrant, exotic and kitsch flamingos are the new tropi-cool.

Originating way back in 2012 when flamingos first featured in interior design magazines, the trend has now really taken flight as a motif on homewares and fashion and shows no sign of migrating! Within the high-end market, textile designer Chloe Croft has splashed the big pink bird on her lampshades, cushions and art prints, recently appearing in Vogue Living. While on the high street, Marks & Spencer, for one, has some flamingos ‘wading’ into its Spring 2015 fashion collection.

Perpetuating the pink hues that remain strong on card designs, these big, bubble-gum coloured birds perched on skinny and long twig-like legs look slightly bizarre and quirky but beautifully vivacious and playful on card illustrations.

Ruffling Feathers Sam Palmer, founder and designer for Sammykins: “I’ve always loved flamingos; they are big, beautiful and most of all PINK! From going to the zoo as a small child and also seeing the Earth From The Air photographic exhibition outside the Natural History Museum (when I saw a photo taken from above of a flock of flamingos in flight and it was a sea of pink), to art school, when I designed the flamingo motif as repeat patterns in graphics and textiles, I have always been intrigued by this bird. And I can’t be the only one!

The flamingo motif has been popping up for the last few years in fashion and homewares and has carried on being a popular because it’s fun and happy - so it was only a matter of time before it filtered into stationery.

The appeal of the flamingo motif for me is that it has an elegant shape, a bright colour palette - from coral to hot pink - and lots of texture - inspiring elements to create fun-filled greeting card designs to make someone happy.”

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

Social Gathering

I’d like to introduce you to two fictional independent retailers: Hank and Bob. If you met them in a social setting, like a party, you’d have completely different experiences of them because they both operate in contrasting ways.

Meet Hank Hank is a real salesman and has a lot of drive and focus. He loves to make money and his business is his means for doing this. He sees most people as an opportunity to make more sales. He’ll think nothing of buttonholing someone at a party, while he takes them through the benefits of purchasing whatever it is he’s selling that week. He’s learnt all the key sales techniques and is very good at it. Sell the sizzle, not the steak... and all that jazz.

Unfortunately, he’s often so ‘in your face’ that he’s the one many of us might seek to avoid at parties. Hank represents the old style of marketing: loud, annoying, interruptive, insensitive and impersonal.

Meet Bob Like Hank, Bob is passionate about his business. He has a hardware store and has always loved working with his hands and 32

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Jeremy Corner, managing director of greeting card publisher Blue Eyed Sun, considers the fundamental changes in marketing with social media.

Above: Social media is like a party.

Right: Pinterest is another social media platform.

helping others. Bob is known in his community as the ‘go to guy’ for DIY. If you met him at a party you might never even find out what Bob does unless you asked. He’s more likely to put you in touch with his chiropractor to help you sort out your bad back than he is in selling to you. Bob is funny, endearing, interested in you as a person and in helping others. Bob is how marketing is evolving: he’s engaging, meaningful, relevant, informative and personal. He’s also more lovable than Hank.

Social Media Is Like A Party What most people don’t get about social media is that it’s not like the old marketing of the past. You’re better off being more like Bob than Hank at these online gatherings.

Actually, I think social media is better than a normal party because you can join in the conversation with anyone there discussing

any topic you are interested in at any time.

You’re not restricted by location and you don’t have to get buttonholed or caught up in irrelevant chit chat if you don’t want to.

Even when you do, it could still benefit your business as users of social media are more likely to visit brands’ websites and are more likely to purchase than those who aren’t using these tools. On some social media platforms, like Pinterest and Instagram, users also tend to spend more time than others.

What’s important to remember when using social media is that it is not about selling and shouting out your wares like you’re at a fish market. Most businesses using these tools are standing with a bullhorn

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JEREMY ’S JOURNA L

Left: The Stationery & Gift Boutique in Ampthill is promoting its Mother's Day products on its Facebook page to entice customers into its store.

Below: Creating a narrative, independent card retailer Sean Austin, owner of Austin & Co in Malvern, produced a Christmas viral video featuring his chocolate labrador.

Below right: Social media can be used to engage with your customers.

blaring out special offers, deals and product offerings. Who cares? Imagine doing this at a party! You’d just be annoying.

Social media is about engagement with a community that is relevant to your business.

So, if you are a retailer in a small town for example, it helps to connect with other businesses on your high street as much as it does to build your own list of consumer followers. You can then cross promote (rather than just self promote) by sharing things with like-minded people across your networks and helping to put people in touch with one another. If you want to enjoy a party and show people a good time be fun, be interesting and be genuinely helpful.

Customer Experience We’re living in an age of commerce where experience dominates consumers’ sensibilities. Customer experience is the predominant way businesses can add value to the goods or services they sell. Most importantly, authenticity of experience affects who consumers buy from and what they choose to buy. Our stories are a way of communicating this authenticity.

Let’s take another look at our independent retailers’ stories:

Hank’s Story Hank grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. His mother raised him single handedly while holding down two jobs after his father left them. They never had any money for treats or nice toys. As Hank raises his own kids, he wants a better life for them and this drives his focus on sales. His story is one of rags to riches. Because Hank is ashamed of his past, people miss out on his authentic self. This is a pity as it could be inspiring for others and it could draw customers to him.

Bob’s Story Bob grew up building things with his father who was very handy and could fix almost anything. His mother was a nurse. Bob learnt

his handyman skills from his dad and his compassion and community spirit from his mum. He has a son of his own whom he likes to surprise with new bits and pieces of DIY kit from his store when it comes in. He and his son enjoy building tree houses, go-karts and the like together, just as he did with his father.

The Effect Of Narratives On Our Brains How do you feel about both of our retailers having read a little bit more about their stories? Do you find yourself endeared to them? Do you feel closer to them? Does anything about their stories resonate with you? Perhaps you didn’t like Hank as much at the start and now that you understand him a little better you can relate to him. You might even think Bob could learn a thing or two from him about selling and perhaps Hank could learn about contribution from Bob. Our brains are hardwired to relate powerfully to stories. Character driven tales consistently cause something called oxytocin synthesis.

Studies show that the amount of oxytocin released by the brain as a result of narratives predicts how much people are willing to help others. Oxytocin is often referred to as the ‘trust hormone’ and building trust with customers is essential to all businesses.

They say that trust is won in inches and lost in miles. Kind, considerate, helpful information and interaction with your community are the foundation stones of building trust in this new era of marketing. As we experience more of Bob’s and Hank’s stories this sense of connection grows.

Authenticity is more important than spinning a good yarn about your business that isn’t true. You don’t have to be warts and

all, but you do have to be real. It’s more important to understand the story of your organisation (and then focus on fitting that into your marketing strategy) than simply setting up social media accounts and blaring out offers in the hope of boosting sales.

Your story has to resonate, have meaning and engage with your audience.

People want more personal experiences with their favourite brands. They want to share passions, experiences and values with your business. How much people engage with you, your brand and the story of your business affects trust levels and repeat custom.

New Marketing This new environment opens up a host of opportunities for smaller retailers to win against the big boys. Think about what drove your organisation’s founders to take the risk of starting the business.

How they hoped it would benefit their community or even the world at large.

Use narrative techniques like surprise (show something unusual that arrived in stock in your shop this week) or suspense (perhaps a secret launch you are planning next week). Think about the stories of your staff, suppliers and customers and how they fit with your brand’s story. Use these to engage your audience and add value to your communities.

Use your social media accounts to be helpful by posting things that people in your community want to see or will enjoy. Engage with them by asking questions, answering

questions and sharing. It’s ok to say what you do and to mention that you have special offers from time to time. Just don’t ram it down people’s throats with every post.

Marketing is not what it was and it’s time to adapt and reap the benefits of offering your customers and community a more valuable experience of your brand online.

You can read more social media tips and advice on my blog as well as seeing all the slides from my recent talk on Digital Marketing for Retailers at Spring Fair by visiting: www.blueeyedsun.co.uk/blog PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Innovations PG Showcases A Collection Of New Product Launches

Panda-monium!

Fur Feathers & Tails is launching an eponymous range of eco-friendly cards featuring the characterful and humorous wildlife watercolours of Sarah Hammond. Each animal's English and scientific name feature to educate and spark interest. There are currently 18 everyday and six Christmas designs in the range, sized 120mm x 170mm and 145mm square, all printed on high quality textured recycled board and wrapped with a 100% recycled white envelope.

Fur Feathers & Tails 078888 26 303 www.furfeathersandtails.co.uk

Hold The Press!

Breaking News! A new and innovative age range styled as a breaking news story has just been launched by Rambling Mansion. There are 12 designs in the range covering ages 18 to 80, as well as four blank humorous designs. All the cards are sized 160mm square and sold wrapped with white envelopes.

Rambling Mansion Publications 01749 678060 www.ramblingmansion.co.uk

Let’s Rock Over 150 new designs are being launched this spring by The Art File. As part of this, the Rock On collection is expanding with 12 new everyday designs in this popular high-end humorous collection. The cards are finished with embossing, gorgeous high-gloss spot UV varnish and are supplied wrapped with complementing envelopes.

The Art File 0115 850 7490 www.theartfile.com

I Heart Dogs A new range of boxed note cards entitled Woof is now available from Canadian publisher, Jonesy. Featuring elegant black and white canine prints, the notecards are sold in packs of eight cards sized 90mm x 120mm. Jonesy’s ecofriendly greeting cards are created using high quality recycled paper, soy inks and packaging in biodegradable sleeves.

Jonesy (distributed by White Pebble International) 01243 780501

A Free Hand Enchantment is a new range of 48 everyday cards from Blue Eyed Sun, based on original free-hand machine stitched embroideries by artist Jo Corner. Printed in Blue Eyed Sun’s distinctive style, the bright and colourful cards are all hand-finished with jewels. The new designs include twelve new open birthdays, weddings and other key occasions, are sized 160mm square and come wrapped with matching coloured envelopes.

Blue Eyed Sun 01273 823003 www.blueeyedsun.co.uk

Horses For Courses Niche Designs focuses on cards for those of an equestrian persuasion and is launching Bottoms Up, a fun range of six designs by artist Ruth Baker. The range embraces the bucking type of horse and the horse and rider characters of the equestrian world. All the cards are A5 in size and come wrapped with coordinating coloured envelopes.

Niche Designs 01480 861142 www.nichedesignsltd.com PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Innovations PG Showcases A Collection Of New Product Launches

Making A Splash

Call Of The Wild Kelimages.com is expanding its popular British Wildlife Collection photographic range to 18 designs. All the card feature the images of wellknown wildlife photographer Ken Lewis. The cards are sized 7” x 5”, printed on high-gloss finish FSC board and sold wrapped with white envelopes. Fridge magnets, coasters and mugs are also available.

Kelimages.com 07557 106 286 www.kelimages.com

Two Little Monkeys has just launched Kaleidoscope, a bright new range of birthday, age and occasions cards featuring cute handdrawn characters. This 48 card collection includes birthday titles for Mum, Grandma and Husband and covers ages from 13 up to 90.

Printed on a luxurious textured board, all the cards are sized 155mm square and supplied wrapped with a brown kraft envelope.

Two Little Monkeys 0191 488 3333 www.twolittlemonkeysltd.co.uk

Go-Getting Girl

Word Perfect

GracieGirl Designs is expanding its Origami range with 118 new designs, including new everyday, relations, two personalised ranges and seasonal delights. There are 11 designs, which can be personalised, including relations for locations of choice such as 'Best Mum in Manchester' or 'Queen of Queen’s Park' with beautiful handmade origami hearts and crowns.

Expanding on the first day at school range, there are new designs offering uniforms for local schools.

GracieGirl Designs 07796 687156 www.graciegirldesigns.co.uk

Earlybird’s latest range Say it like it is, features funny sayings and humorous birthday quips.

Perfectly capturing the zeitgeist with handwritten type, there are 12 calligraphic birthday and five occasions designs in the range. All the cards come wrapped with white envelopes.

Earlybird Designs 01227 765372

Sense Of Occasion Liz and Pip has just launched its Macaron range of uniquely die-cut cards. Comprising 29 joyful designs, this range features bright illustrations covering birthdays and occasions. All the cards are printed on quality uncoated board, sized 120mm x 160mm and come wrapped with thick white envelopes.

Liz and Pip 01273 676 895 www.lizandpip.com

Tower Of Power Animal Antics is a colourful new occasions range from Perkins and Morley featuring fantastical collages combining vintage animal etchings, bright colour backgrounds and fun speech bubbles. Designed by Jill Perkins, there are initially six blank designs in the range, sized 140mm square, printed on recycled board and sold wrapped with brown recycled envelopes.

Perkins & Morley 015395 64247 www.perkinsandmorley.com PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Innovations PG Showcases A Collection Of New Product Launches

All Eyes A-Goggle A new range of Stripey Dogs is being added to Stripey Cats’ fun goggle-eyed range! There are eight new canine characters to join his menagerie of cute animal cards that appeal to all ages. New favourites include Sol Sausage Dog, Graeme Greyhound and Barry Bulldog. Stripey Cats has also added Harold Hammerhead and Oscar Octopus to its popular Marine range, as well more wildlife newbies - just be sure to keep William Wolf and Charles the Cheetah away from Deirdre Deer!

Stripey Cats 07866 713 826 www.stripeycats.com

The Tweets Screen-printer and illustrator, Amber Elise, is launching The Great British Bird collection, an eight card range featuring some favourite birds from across the land. Amber uses a mapping nib and ink to hand-draw all her designs, which are then brought to life using the vibrant palette that makes her style so recognisable. All the cards are printed on 350gsm FSC certified board and sold wrapped with complementing envelopes.

Amber Elise 07912 077111

A World Of Design The Warner Textile Archive is adding 19 designs to its range of cards this spring. Dating from the mid-18th century to the 1970s, the new designs have been carefully selected to reflect the rich diversity of the Archive’s historic collection.

Individually they illustrate Warner & Sons’ eye for compelling design, communicating the strength and longevity of this internationallyimportant heritage resource.

Warner Textile Archive 01376 557741 www.warnertextilearchive.co.uk

Bird Bonanza Bullfinches is one of seven new feathered friend themed cards now available from Catherine Pain's Garden Birds range. Catherine's delicate artwork helps bring out the vibrant yet fragile nature of some of our best-loved British birds. All these cards are blank, sized 105mm x 150mm and come wrapped with white envelopes.

Catherine Pain 07831 672535

New Perspective

Up Close And Personal

New publisher Euan Cunningham has released an eclectic range of London, Valentine’s and still life cards. Inspired by collages, all the drawings are inspired by London and feature black ink and extra bright spot colours. There are over 40 designs in the initial range, with each card featuring an interesting fact and the inspiration relating to the image. Sized A6, the cards are blank and sold wrapped with white envelopes.

Euan Cunningham 07929 046338 www.euancunningham.com

Jane Anashka's translucent photographs of wildflowers reveal the delicate filigree of their design in Save Me I'm Wild’s latest collection.

Jane’s mission is to raise awareness of the need to protect wild plant habitats by showing wildflowers’ beautiful skeletal structures. There are 18 140mm x 170mm cards in the range, printed on beautiful 300gsm board and supplied wrapped with recycled brown envelopes.

Save Me I'm Wild 07880 567619 www.savemeimwild.com PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Face To Face: Paperchase

Stairway To (Stationery) Heaven

Its lift being out of action is unlikely to put anyone off. There will be a steady stream of suitors clambering their way up the six flights of bright green stairs of Paperchase’s headquarters in London no matter what over the coming months - as its major shareholder, Primary Capital, looks to capitalise on its investment in this stationery retail darling - but only if the offers are attractive enough.

PG goes to the top of the stairs to meet Timothy Melgund, ceo of Paperchase.

Above: Expect the unexpected! Making the most of the double ceiling height when it refurbished its Bromley store, it suspended furniture from the room to create the impression of a ‘flat’ upstairs.

Below: Timothy Melgund in the stationery ‘palace’ of Paperchase’s Tottenham Court Road store.

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

There is palpable industry nervousness about Paperchase being ‘up for sale’. Not just because it is a major account for many card publishers (with 115 stores and counting), nor that its management and buying team are very well liked. It’s because it is a great beacon for the sector - both on the product and retailing fronts. It’s design-led without alienating ‘normal’ tastes, its shops surprise, amuse and entice in equal measure.

It has been confident in its pricing strategy, gently aspirational, but still affordable: the perfect foil to the activity at the out and out value end.

Primary Capital is a private equity finance house. It didn’t buy into Paperchase in 2010 for the love of great notebooks or to ensure the bar was raised on Easter cards. It saw Paperchase

as a decent prospect to show a return on its investment in the relatively short-term.

The proof of course will come when the ink dries (turquoise, purple or any manner of colours are available from Paperchase!) on the deal. In the meantime, Timothy Melgund, ceo of the retail group, and the public face ‘daddy’ of the business, is preparing himself to a fair few months of meeting potential investors (as well as the “tyre-kickers” who have no intention of making a serious bid, but want to have a nose), while also keeping the business on its growth path.

“We have just finished our year end and the accounts are now being audited. When we have locked these down we can then go to market and see what happens,” Timothy says.

Timothy’s been here before of course and knows the score. “This will be the fourth time we have had a change in ownership – and we’re all still here and hope to remain. For me it’s not about the capital structure of the business that is important, but the strategic

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Face To Face: Paperchase

Left and below: Paperchase’s flagship store in Manchester has been totally refurbished recently, incorporating some striking internal graphics.

Bottom: Describing itself as a fashion store that doesn’t sell clothes, the own brand ranges of stationery, gifts, and homewares reflect current design trends.

direction, and that hasn’t changed over the last four separate owners,” Timothy explains.

“Through serendipity and hard work we have carved a space in this market that any acquirer, I would imagine, would want to maintain.”

He also suggests that the complexity of the business, not just the extent of its product mix, but its constant churn to maintain its fashion edge, also somewhat safeguards the incumbent team.

“This is a complicated business - we have 400 suppliers spread over 16 different countries. We stock 20,000 skus and 10,000 of these change every year,” Timothy elaborates.

Any investor is unlikely to be interested in reinventing a business that works and has growth potential. Fresh from a presentation to the whole of the head office team, Timothy is word perfect on the “highlights” of the last year’s business (which included confirmation that they would all be receiving a 10% salary bonus, irrespective of where they sit in the organisation - the financial fruits of a decent year).

“We have had a good year,” says Timothy confidently, knowing that there will be plenty of prying eyes poring over its soon to be published results. In line with its general growth plan, Paperchase opened 11 brand new stores as well as totally overhauling three existing stores, opening two (non-card) concessions in Selfridges’ Oxford Street store (one on the ground floor, the other a children’s orientated area), plus expanding overseas (opening three concessions in Holland and two in France, plus kicking off an distribution partnership with Staples in the

US). The relaunch of its website (including US dollar and euro payment options) is giving returns, and its Treat Me loyalty scheme in Scotland is looking viable.

As to the growth potential, Timothy feels more positive than he was a few years ago.

“We now have 116 standalone stores and we will open between 10-15 in the coming year. I always believed that Paperchase could grow to around 200 stores. However, we are now trading in places that five years ago I would never have thought would be right for us. We have always said we need to be in the

Own Brand V Brands While own brand ranges dominate within Paperchase, now accounting for 85% of its non-card products, interestingly, Paperchase has elected not to massively expand its own brand greeting card selection, nor has it any intention to do so.

On everyday cards only 20% of the range is Paperchase branded (though this percentage does rise to 40% for Spring Seasons and 60% for Christmas cards). This combination has been one of Paperchase’s strengths.

Its card selection is eye-wateringly large - there are 3,000 different card designs (and 1,000 postcard designs) on show in its larger stores - and even 1,000 in its small stores.

“Why would we want not want to take advantage of the hugely creative British greeting card publishers that are right here on our doorstep?” Timothy asks rhetorically.

major shopping centre developments - so those set to open in Bracknell, Bradford and Croydon in the next few years are of obvious interest, but we are also having success in smaller locations, like Ilkley, Worcester and Hereford where local retail is doing well. So, I am now thinking that maybe 200 stores is too few!”

Timothy firmly believes that we are living in an era of ‘stationery renaissance’ and Paperchase is among those to be reaping the benefits.

“There is a real resurgence of paper-based products. We are selling more notebooks than we have ever sold and more scrapbooks than ever before. It is partly about creating a balance with computers and technology generally,” he suggests.

Timothy also feels that Paperchase is also well-placed to benefit from bifurcation on the high street - the latest buzzword being bandied about to describe the market splitting in the middle and then moving outwards in both directions, with those at either end doing well.

“This is obvious in food - with Waitrose and Sainsbury’s doing well at one end and then Aldi and Lidl at the other,” he elucidates.

Translated into Paperchase’s environs there are no prizes for guessing who is at the other end of the ‘divide’ - “the mighty Card Factory.”

Timothy eulogistic praise for Card Factory is somewhat unexpected, going as far as to suggest it has been a saviour to the industry.

“Card Factory has been and is fantastic for this sector. There is no question it has grown the value of the market and, even more importantly, has increased the number of cards bought and sent. People are now buying and sending cards that didn’t before Card Factory came along, I guarantee it,” he says emphatically. Timothy says that he has never met Dean Hoyle or Richard Hayes (the founder and long standing ceo of Card Factory) - and dismisses the rumours in the press about Card Factory being interested in bidding for Paperchase as media conjecture but if they fancy climbing six flights of stairs, they might enjoy a chat about bifurcation!

Meanwhile, resigned to a period of attention from potential investors, when asked what he would do if he was no longer running Paperchase, Timothy, for once is lost for words: “I have no idea” comes his response.

He would of course have the time to create a great scrapbook. They sell a great range in Paperchase!

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Giftwrappings Focus

Wrap-turous Delight

Focus On Giftwrap is delighted to ‘present’ the recent news, views and new releases in the giftwrappings market.

Sweet Wrappers A papery candy shop of delicious new giftwrap releases.

30 Years Young

Above: Botanical illustrator Jane Ray was the first artist Roger la Borde published 30 year’s ago and she continues to create beautiful giftwrap artwork for the publisher.

Below: The Woolly giftwrap from Photowrap that has been made into a popular jigsaw by Ravensburger.

Queen of contemporary botanical illustration, Jane Ray, was the very first artist Roger la Borde published. Now 30 years on, the company is celebrating its anniversary, and Jane’s beautiful artwork is crowning the company’s woodland-themed giftwrap collection with a magnificently bold pattern. Tim Solnick, director for Roger la Borde explains: “Here Jane is, 30 years later, with one of the key designs du jour, which would not look out of place in Dolce & Gabbana 2015 catwalk collection, proving that great artists never go out of fashion.”

Spinning A Yarn With TV favourites like The Great British Sewing Bee and the princess of homemade Kirstie Allsopp, the crafty and handmade movement lives long and prospers. So when jigsaw company Ravensburger licensed Photowrap’s Woolly giftwrap image to create its Crafty Yarns 1000 piece puzzle, its popularity was all stitched up.

"The trend of knitting is still with us, proven by the great response at the recent Toy Fair to the Crafty Yarns jigsaw. And the Woolly design complements my Sewing Box giftwrap design, AKA Ravenburger’s Habedashery Heaven puzzle, that did so well last year owing to the current craft trend,” explains Greg Shepherd, director for Photowrap.

l Museums & Galleries’ 2015 collection sees the launch of a set of gifting products gift bags, boxes and tissue paper - in four key V&A designs, which all coordinate with new or existing giftwrap designs in its range. Marking the 150th anniversary since Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland was released, M&G’s new giftwrap featuring original Alice illustrations by Sir John Tenniel looks set to be a best-seller, as are two new designs from the V&A Museum by William Kilburn and William Morris, and a vintage-inspired design from the Wedgwood Museum. l Glick’s licensed range with

card publisher Wendy JonesBlackett has been a huge hit and so it has added nine new flat wrap designs, five giftbags, three rollwrap designs, three tissue papers and four gift box designs to the collection. And on the strength of the Pizazz licence, Glick has added a new range of watercolours to the range’s Gallery look. Also a new design addition to its Hombre collection includes a gorgeous Classic Car design licensed from Laura Darrington.

And Glick’s children’s giftwrappings collection has had an overhaul.

The collection now includes a brand new licence from Kali Stileman of The Square Card Company. l Lonetree recently entered the world

of giftwrap with two premium collections. The first, Naturals, took direct inspiration from its best selling card ranges Nature in the Round and Bonsai featuring trees, seeds heads and pine cones, and the second, a hand-drawn painterly children's collection features dinosaurs, poodles and elephants. l Sweet animal characters and fun

patterns are the inspiration for Alice Palace’s new giftwrap called Paper Animals and Birthday Dogs. Full of patterns and lots of happy canines, the wraps are both lovely and bright too. l After visiting the New Designers

exhibition last summer, Deva Designs

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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Giftwrappings Focus Right: Floral Arangement by Deva.

A Commendable First It was a first for giftwrap when Lux-Wrap’s new speedy giftwrap for awkward shaped gifts received the judges’ Highly Commended award in Gift of the Year 2015 - the first time that a wrap has reached the finals in this acclaimed industry competition.

“The standard of entries is extremely high and we were competing against some very reputable and established brands, so we’re exceptionally proud to receive this commendation,” says Lux-Wrap director Michelle Neale.

Right: GOTY finalist Lux-Wrap is easy to use, needs no Sellotape and is great for those difficult to wrap presents.

Below: Silk Hat Gift Wrap’s ingenious glitter varnish finish means the flitter doesn’t rub off in your hands.

has collaborated with surface pattern designer Sophie Brabbins, launching two playful hand-painted designs. Floral Arrangement reflects the floral scattering trend, a detailed watercolour design with a strong use of colour. This giftwrap design has been given a contemporary feel with the use of a spot varnish, which works beautifully against the matt paper. l Winner of the last year’s

Henries Awards’ Best Giftwrappings Collection category, The Art File has launched its latest wrap designs. Commenting on the release, Ged Mace, md of The Art File said, “Our wraps are created to be full of theatre and fun. This year we see a refinement of the woodland theme, the emergence of beautiful contemporary floral designs and naturally more male wrap. And there is also no let-up in the popularity of our Call me Frank sausage dog design.” l Collage, part of the UK Greetings

A Sparkling Success One of the occupational hazards of stocking some types of giftwrap in your shop is that your store can be sprinkled with glitter… not to mention your face. But those dazzling days could be over with new company Silk Hat Gift Wrap’s glitter varnish finish on wrap.

It was Nigel Anderson, the managing director of Silk Hat Gift Wrap, with his vast experience in specialist coatings to print, who claims he first developed the encapsulated flitter finish for Hallmark 17 years ago, and since then it has been seen shimmering from cards and giftbags… but never on giftwrap. This is because its substrate is so lightweight. But Nigel has now found a way to apply it and has decided to design and manufacture his own giftwrap with the encapsulated glitter that doesn’t rub off, printed on tear-resistant luxurious paper, and it’s been a twinkling success.

All Under One Roof All you need is love, and Hallmark’s The Story of Two new range of gifts and giftwrap (showcased at its recent trade roadshows) has been designed to help people share their love all year round. The collection of treasured keepsake gifts and beautiful contemporary giftwrap, matching cards and social stationery make The Story of Two a ‘one stop shop’ solution for card retailers.

Right: Hallmark’s The Story of Two is a collection that includes both keepsake gifts and contemporary giftwrappings.

family, has launched a brand new, premium gift dressing offer featuring 66% refreshed product and 13 brand new ranges. After in-depth research into the brands offering it was apparent that there was a gap, not only in the collection, but also on the market for truly innovative and luxury product, at great price points. l Jonathan Glick’s animal giftwrap designs

have done very well, but this year it’s a trip to the seaside with its By The Sea wrap, a range that uses images from the sea and coast. Also available is its Landmarks giftwrap range, which has images from London and around the UK. It will also be producing gift bags and rollwrap this year, a big leap for the company.

l Brainbox Candy is excited to announce the launch of not one, but five new giftwrap designs!

Following on from the success of its Wildstyle and Chalk card ranges, two new complementary wraps have been introduced. In addition to these, a quirky You Is Like Well Old Innit design, letterpress inspired Alphabet design and a Pug Face design for all the Pug fans! All wraps are printed ‘in Blighty’ on high quality 100gsm uncoated FSC paper. l Think Of Me has launched eight

new colourful giftwrap designs and a wide selection of new gift bag designs this year. It has also introduced a bold blue geo male design, a fun multi-coloured spot pattern, simple linear birthday candles and beautiful contemporary hearts, which sell well throughout the whole year, not just for Valentine’s.

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Giftwrappings Focus

Wrap A La Mode Sarah Watts, managing director of Penny Kennedy “I always like to look for inspiration and direction on trends from both the fashion and interiors world and prior to pulling together our 2015 collection I read a playful article by Vogue entitled the ‘A-Z of trends for AW15’. In among the comments were the following...

A - au revoir to prints! Put those signature prints behind you in favour of something new. Our great portfolio of designers definitely embraced this Above: Ella Doran’s Plimsolls design from with Orla Kiely and Nina Campbell both Penny Kennedy is fresh with zesty colours. moving toward softer and more feminine colour palettes.

F - folk and fairytale. Designers looked to a whimsical and enchanted world for their inspiration this season. This trend is hard for Penny Kennedy to promote well. Our take was the cute new baby story for everyday by Madeleine Floyd.

G - glitter boots - apparently this year’s must have! And for Christmas 2015 we will be adding gorgeous gold encapsulated flitter to the Alice Scott range.

Z - was for Zesty. Punchy brights enhanced by metallic, and both PK’s collections from Caroline Gardner and Ella Doran, with her plimsolls story, embrace colour confidence.”

Caroline Gardner, designer of Caroline Gardner

Left: Hawaiian botanicals on a Caroline Gardner giftwrap.

“Inspirations for giftwrap come from all around: walks in Richmond Park, vintage fairs, Parisian markets and a passion for home interiors and fashion.

Trends coming up in 2015 are bold and bright florals with a strong influence from vintage fabrics, Hawaiian prints and folk flowers. The bold colours, contrasting palettes, intricate detail and eye-catching textures really come across well in wrap. Caroline Gardner wrap reflects this well with the quirky sense of placement and distinctive colour palette.

Other key trends in 2015 are ‘anything vintage’, and of course bikes. The idealistic view of summer afternoon bike rides, a simple and happy pleasure, is a big influence, even though we might not get on our bike, we’d like to think we will!”

Rüdiger Kress, director of Artebene “A mix of different patterns in combination with special finishes (ie foil embossing with holographic foil) are part of the modern vintage trend, and this interpretation of vintage has been a main influence on the design-code for the Spring 2015 range at Artebene. You ll find birds and flowers in fresh colours in the new giftwrap collection.”

Right: A modern vintage look features in Artebene’s 2015 collection.

Bright watercolour florals, tangy citrus hues, geometrics, hand-written fonts, vintage bikes and hipster woodland animals in the wild are just a taste of the mélange of giftwrappings designs this spring.

Sampling their wares, PG asks some wrap publishing gourmets to spotlight some succulent trends on giftwrap.

Felicity Judge, product manager for Gifts and Gift Presentation at Hallmark “We’re expecting floral wrap to continue to be a popular choice for female recipients in 2015. We’ve already seen a strong trend with customers choosing to use beautiful watercolour effect wrap.

Our Watercolour Floral Wrap and Blooms Wrap are stunning examples.

When it comes to male recipients, we’re tipping bright geometric patterns as a top pick this year. Customers will be looking for wrap which is strong, bold and make a statement.”

Above: Hallmark’s Blooms Wrap features florals created from watercolour brushwork.

Martin Bramley, managing director of Eurowrap “Tartan is big right now, 1950s retro, woodland animals for Christmas wrap, and generic and plain colours are also high in demand, as is anything with a brown kraft paper look!

We are keeping our collections, of which there are four, very focused, using florals, Happy Birthday text, kids and retro male as themes for these ranges.”

Left: Brown kraft paper has a cosy Scandinavian feel for Christmas wrap – a luxury giftwrap pack from Eurowrap.

Tamsin Seed, creative director of Studio Seed “I've noticed towards the end of last year a big increase in more natural looking, rustic styles of giftwrap (kraft, natural wood-print, hand-printed appearance etc) but now I see a more luxe direction in terms of rich metallics and luxury finishes, with rose-gold being ever more popular!

I like to take inspiration from fashion and catwalk trends, so this year I'll be looking at bolder, tropical abstract florals (as seen at the Miu Miu show) and also a new take on classic gingham (as seen at Oscar de la Renta) but softening these trends and graphics to sit with the signature Studio Seed style.”

Right: The inspiration behind Studio Seed’s new giftwrap collection comes from soft vintage florals and naive, hand-rendered polka dots.

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Giftwrappings Focus

Ben Dorney, art director of Museums & Galleries

Above: The V&A's incredible archive continues to offer Museums & Galleries original patterns that reflect, and often inspire, the latest styles on the high street.

“Simple bold and ornamental-inspired geometric patterns will continue to develop, as will letterpress-style imagery in repeat, but in new on-trend colours such as neons and pastels.

Kraft or uncoated paper seems universal, but often with luxurious detail or foiling to contrast, which brings it right up-to-date. In terms of imagery, woodland animals and British birds look set to remain popular, along with Victorian 'hunting chic' and vintage imagery generally.”

Becky Dobson, director of Glick “Strong trends for giftwrap in Spring/Summer 2015 are bold florals and geometric and linear patterns. Colours are either bold and bright or metallic and monochrome. These are the trends we have worked with for our strong 2015 collection.

Our Candy Rox Collection is a perfect spring capsule range, bright and colourful with geometric patterns and florals. As with all our wraps, it is double sided.

Our gift box collection is knock-out. I personally Above: The stunning stripped love the Geometrics range from Paper Salad, and spotted male orientated which will be used for far more than gift giving.” Paper Salad range from Glick.

Tim Solnick, director for Roger la Borde “These days images from the past seem to be a global currency. In Roger la Borde's 2015 range, the vogue for collecting and re-purposing vintage material is evident in both Christina Kolsch's collages, which draw upon her treasure trove of Victorian era objettrouve to produce a feast of blousy birds and blooms, and Elise Hurst pen and ink creations which conjure up the pages of might-have-been Edwardian storybooks.

Above: Christina Kolsch's collages of What else?... oh yes, bikes of course. We Victorian era objet can be found on Roger la Borde’s wrap and giftbags. couldn't let 2015 pass by without paying homage to the urban cool icon of the moment - the bicycle features in our Bear Mountain giftwrap representing hipness. It seems nothing can hold back the rising tide of the bearded, urban hipster on an envyinducing, upsold, vintage fixie... I feel a close shave coming on.”

Dipika Shah, director for Globe Enterprise “Our giftwrap for 2015 has been inspired by what we hope is a bright summer this year, and looking forward, by the Brazilian carnival theme as people start getting into the mood for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The focus on bright colours, particularly orange and fuchsia, also dovetails with the use of these colours in the fashion industry.

We have also introduced a bicycle print paper to tap into the feel good factor inspired by the Above: Covering two current trends this spring, dominant British cycling scene and Globe Enterprise has some stunning cycling the wildly successful Tour de France wrap with warm metallic finishes. start in Yorkshire last year. People are taking to two wheels again, and we are hoping to tap into this movement.”

Linda Wood, director for Linda Wood Designs “I keep my house style running throughout my product range. To complement our new card collection Memory Lane, which focused on wooden textures and vintage images, I produced three giftwrap designs. There’s a real trend in textures at the moment and I wanted to extend that into our giftwrap range. I kept the colours soft and co-ordinated and added lovely mini note tags with images ranging from hearts through to vintage radios and record players.”

Above: Linda Wood now offers cello-packed giftwrap of two sheets and two mini notes for its lovely retailers who say space is at a premium instore and can’t cope with 25 sheets of each giftwrap design.

Andrew Maddock, managing director for Deva Designs “Chalkboards and chalk typefaces are everywhere. I really love it. It gets back to the basics of typography and having fun with type! Anything goes - drop shadows, blends and curly serifs. It already has become mainstream as a design theme and it's great to see it Above: Hand-written fonts, especially in a chalkevolve with colour. Of course I had to look, are one of the biggest design trends at the moment. Deva has played with it and created its have a go, and designed a Birthday own giftwrap version.

Chalk giftwrap for Deva.”

Jenna Hayes, designer for Deva Designs “This year we will see florals transfer from the garden to the artist’s paper. Design will be beautifully hand-painted with a contemporary flavour, paying great consideration to tone and shade. ‘It’s time to pick up the watercolours and paper and draw inspiration from our spring and summer gardens.’”

Tara Unwin, designer for Deva Designs “A child’s love for dress-up, at home or at school friends parties is certainly feeding into trends this year. Spurred on by the unprecedented success of popular kids’ films, this has been a catalyst for a bigger love for dress up and imagination. This theme has certainly been strong inspiration for Devas’ Pretty Princess and Cowboys & Indians giftwrap. They are really fun playful wraps!”

Right: Straight from the Wild West - Deva’s Cowboys & Indians giftwrap.

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ARTSOURCE

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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.

Megg Hems I am an illustrator, pattern designer and budding poet! I’ve always been creative, having worked in the creative industry from the age of 16; pursuing an interest in photography, textiles and ceramic painting. Over time my love for textures, colour and pattern led me to studying Textiles Design at university, with electives in ceramics and surface design. I then specialised in illustration for pattern design for my graduation collection.

Since gaining my degree, I have worked at Hallmark Cards and a ceramics and pottery studio, alongside establishing myself as an independent artist.

Experiencing a range of different jobs with the design sector has given me the chance to develop my skills and techniques in several businesses, and has also given me the confidence to combine all of my knowledge from different sectors and pursue my dream of creating a brand for myself.

My favourite medium is watercolour paint because of its fluidity and visual texture. Fineliners and metallic pens are another of my chosen media, creating such bold, streamlined and statement illustrations/designs; using coloured fineliners to create artwork bursting with colour.

Specialising in hand-crafted illustration allows me to combine my love for pattern design, greeting cards and poetry. Love, travelling, food, and humorous/ awkward situations stimulate my creative development and are my main sources of inspiration.

Currently my artwork is featured on Society6 and Casetify shops and available to purchase on numerous products, such as cushions, phone cases, duvet covers and more!

I am looking forward to hopefully working with greeting card publishers to get a range of cards published.

Eventually I hope to conquer the world! ●

Email: hello@megghems.com

●

Web: www.megghems.com

Gay Forster I have recently retired from the hospitality business and I am now able to concentrate on my painting, which has always been my passion. I paint using watercolour, acrylics and on occasions mixed media, including clay, collage and found beach items. I get my inspiration from something I have seen, a place I have visited or a photograph or perhaps an article I have read that stirs up an idea or vision, then my imagination takes over and anything could happen.

I love the sea and have always lived close to it. My father ran a boatyard in Crosshaven, southern Ireland when I was young, and he used to undertake boat salvage off the Irish coast. The memories, excitement and thrill of this has always stayed with me. In those days we lived virtually on the beach in a house called Thunder Rock where the fisherman used to let me have some of the small fish which could not be processed for food to add to my sea water pool, which was great fun, and included a mixture of everything from flat fish to crabs etc, unfortunately not all compatible with each other sadly! I also used to be taken out on a small launch to see the cruise ships coming into harbour, which in those days was quite a novelty.

I have always loved the sea, especially wild, rough seas, and the excitement of boats and ships battling the elements. I like my paintings to tell a story, and often a little humour doesn't go amiss.

They are all one offs, each piece is unique and stands alone and my work is varied and I hope interesting and different. ●

WANT TO BE FEATURED?

Email: gayforster@msn.com

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

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Keino

Jeannine Rundle

Christine Tappin

Hannah Wood

Pope Twins

Emmeline Pidgen

Paula Doherty

Helen Poole

Andy Rowland

Rachel Green

Chloe Robertson

Jo Parry

Jen Leggett Paul Collis

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A Great Idea

Fond Farewells “There are three times as many deaths in the UK in a year as there are weddings, but while there are whole sections in shops dedicated to wedding cards, the widest selection of bereavement cards I have ever seen in a store is 15 designs,” points out Helen Copson, co-founder of Inspired Goodbyes, which debuted at the recent Spring Fair.

PG went to say hello to this innovative publisher who is offering a different way to say goodbye.

Death has historically been something of a taboo subject in the UK, but attitudes towards it are changing. Increasingly funerals are being held as a celebration of the deceased person’s life, at which uplifting memories are shared by friends and family.

Yet, realising that this shift in attitudes is not being reflected on the card racks, led two friends to start Inspired Goodbyes, offering retailers a wider choice of cards and range of gifts for people to give when someone dies.

Sometimes it takes someone with fresh eyes to spot something that could be improved; to confront historic practice and replace it with a more relevant alternative. This is the case with Inspired Goodbyes.

Having been friends for a while (their children are at the same school), when Sophia Lucop-Leech’s husband died in 2013, she and Helen (whose brother’s death has had an impact on her life) spent a lot of time talking about grief, life and loss.

“We also spoke about other aspects of loss, like how people behave around you when you’re recently bereaved,” says Helen.

When Sophia found she could not face returning to work, and with a young family to look after, she joined forces with Helen (a copywriter by trade) and set up the

Top: The Inspired Goodbyes’ cards feature honest but sensitive language with no mention of phrases like ‘passed away’ or ‘deepest condolences’.

Above: Inspired Goodbyes’ Helen Copley (centre) and Sophia Lucop-Leech with Roger Gale, ceo of the Child Funeral Charity, on the publisher’s stand at the recent Spring Fair.

company last year, attending The Ladder Club last autumn to fill in the gaps on their industry knowledge.

Their view is that sympathy cards should say more than simply ‘with sympathy.’ As Sophia explains, “We never say those words in our day-to-day life. It’s an old fashioned statement that doesn’t mean enough anymore.”

Though compact in size, this new publisher’s stand at Spring Fair packed a punch in the greeting card hall in its clear message, professional branding and innovative products.

With cards which celebrate memories, such as ‘Let me tell you something about your lovely mum…’, those which recognise the feeling of ‘It’s not fair’, conversational ones to cater for a male to male send, ‘So sorry. I’m around. Pub, park or pictures. Whatever. I’m around’, and even a collection covering the death of a child, this is a great example of greeting cards really doing their stuff.

Its tie-ups with two charities, The Child Funeral Charity (which provides financial support to parents and family members where they have lost a child aged 16 and under) and The Dying Matters Coalition (which aims to raise public awareness about the importance of talking more openly about dying, death and bereavement) adds further poignancy to the company remit.

Securing some impressive and perfectly timed editorial coverage in The Guardian and the Telegraph to coincide with Spring Fair, and winning the first ‘Dragons’ Den style’ 60 Second Pitch competition on the first day of the show, augurs well for this plucky publisher, but the co-founders are under no illusions that they have to secure high street retailers’ support in this.

“We know we have some hearts and minds to change,” accepts Helen. “Our ultimate goal is to persuade retailers to put a dedicated bereavement section in their stores. All other life events are catered for but when you need a card or gift for someone who is grieving you are faced with little choice. Our cards help people to communicate more openly and not shy away from what has happened, however sad.”

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

Colin Wilson, owner of two Polka Dot shops in Castle Douglas and Dumfries Two medium shops in picturesque towns with a loyal local and visitor customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Cute

Alex Clark Art

Little Sparkles

Humour

Paperlink

Bottom Line and Wrinklies

Photographic

Abacus

Posies & Petals and Graphite

Art Contemporary

Woodmansterne Wendy Jones-Blackett Belly Button Designs Gibson (UKG)

General Quicksilver Platinum Simply Traditional

Janie Wilson

Pom Pom

Second Nature

Champagne

Bewitched Accessories

Handbags, scarves and purses

New designs are always being added to the collection and it’s not unusual for customers to buy six cards at a time.

They always need to be topped up on the shelves.

The cards feature good oldfashioned humour that suits our rural community.

A pretty range that has always been strong for us.

And the Graphite range features some unusual male pastimes.

New to us, but proving a welcome addition.

The smaller size cards look very tasteful Above: Featuring tiny pom pom addons, Janie Wilson's bright and beautiful and reach the 20-35 year-olds bracket.

Pom Pom range.

With lots of verse on them they appeal to our more mature customers.

Truly wonderful. The bright and fresh designs with tiny pom poms are popular sellers.

For those looking for an extra special card marking a milestone occasion.

A lovely company to deal with and its reasonably priced products complement our shop style.

Traditional Handmade/ Hand-Finished

Ancillary

Julie West, owner of The Gift Boutique, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire A medium shop (incorporating a Hallmark Gold Crown and Thorntons franchise) in a seaside town with a loyal local customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Cute

Carte Blanche

Me To You 3D

Humour

Hallmark

Gin & Crumpets

Contemporary

Pink Pig

Hootenanny

Traditional

Hallmark

Lucy Cromwell

Handmade/ Hand-Finished

Second Nature

Marshmallow

Five Dollar Shake Edblad Jewellery Joma Jewellery

General General A Little…

Tatty is still a good seller across the board, however the lenticular cards are doing extremely well because they stand out.

A more sophisticated female orientated range that looks quite retro.

Lovely fresh colours with a nice twist of pink or blue tartan - the designs we choose feature Scottish icons, such as a Highland cow, stags or Scottish terriers.

Nice watercolour illustrations that are consistently good sellers.

Really beautiful designs with buttons and bows embellishments. The illustrations are of stylish retro objects, such as an old sewing machine, cake mixer or camera, and are good for male and female sends.

We are finding a huge demand for its personalised cards service.

The jewellery has nice, clean lines with little crystals.

Great for impulse and occasions buys, the appeal lies in the sentiments on the wrapping’s card and the good price point.

Right: A fabulous and retro style range for female sends called Gin & Crumpets from Hallmark.

Ancillary

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Amy Dennis, owner of Oh Lovely, Lutterworth, Leicestershire A medium shop in a pretty market town with a loyal locals and visitors customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Cute

Jonny Javelin

Twingles

Humour

Paperlink Pigment

Bestie and Wrinklies Fleet Street

Photographic Art

The Art Group Claire Louise

Wild Spirit Chic Sticks

Contemporary

Buddy Fernandez

General

Traditional

Words N Wishes

General

Handmade/ Hand-Finished

Nigel Quiney

Crochet

Children’s

IC&G

Bitsy Bear

K2 Greetings

Itsy Bitsy

Illustrated cute kid characters that are a bit different; they fly out the door!

Silly humour that makes you chuckle, and the jokes are not rude, but rude enough.

Beautiful images of animals in the wild.

Gorgeous contemporary designs with a little jewel for extra sparkle.

As our customer base is more mature, I am trying to tempt younger customers into the store with more contemporary ranges - and it’s working!

Wordy cards are popular with the older generation, and the sentiments in these cards just hit the spot.

Lovely designs with buttons and bows and in pink, girly, bright colours.

An adorable little bear who features on cards with ages 1-12.

Lovely designs, with illustrations on the inside too, and at a great price - really good value cards.

Top: Claire Louise's Chic Sticks range is stylish and sophisticated.

Right: K2 Greetings' Itsy Bitsy range has a lovely illustrated and coloured insert reflecting its front pages.

Tracy Kempson, buyer for K.P. Stationer, Wallingford, Oxfordshire A large shop in a historic market town with a loyal locals customer base.

Category

Name of Publisher

Product/Name Range

Comments

Cute

UKG

Disney

Humour

Portfolio

Field Eye Test

Recyled Paper Greetings (UKG) Almanac Gallery

General

Tracks Camden Graphics (UKG) Carte Blanche

General General Up Close

Almanac Gallery (GBCC) Bug Art

Animal Magic

Bug Art

Critters

Traditional

Medici Cards (GBCC)

Blue Label Art

Handmade/ Hand-Finished

Five Dollar Shake Second Nature

Across The Board Sequins and Doodletastic General

From Frozen to timeless superheroes to classic Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Disney is a well-known brand with a wealth of well-known characters.

These cards are fabulous. The jokes are designed like an eye test and I love them!

Really hitting a chord with our customers.

Quite sophisticated, tasteful jokes, and as soon as the cards go out on the racks they’re gone.

Both ranges have mass appeal - they suit everybody and make people smile.

With an amazing lenticular 3D quality the animal designs are great for teenagers but also appeal right across the ages.

Vibrant animal designs that just seem to hit the spot.

Phenomenal sellers! Once you tell a customer each card has a tiny bug hidden in the design they’re hooked!

Hand-drawn and watercolour animals that have to be seen.

Constant and steady sales - a safe buy for customers if they don’t know the recipient well.

Beautiful cards - lots of customers say they are their favourite.

Stunning designs and the price is so good.

Photographic Contemporary

Art Top: Field Eye Test from Portfolio will test your vision and make you smile.

Right: Bug Art's Critters range features a tiny bug somewhere in the design, as do all its cards.

Forever Handmade

Rodgie

Across The Board

A very talented publisher who is lovely to deal with. People come in the shop especially for the cards.

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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.

Spring

Gleaning

The annual pilgrimage to the Spring Fair has come and gone, and publishers and card retailers new and old are reviewing the show and asking themselves ‘how was it for me?’

From my own time at the recent show, I want to share how card publishers can assess their time at the fair and what to glean from their experience.

There is no doubt that five days exhibiting at Spring Fair is a huge commitment for card publishers; add on a possible couple of days for setting up the stand and you have an exhausting week.

(Because the large gift companies can take five days to build their stands I can't see the fair’s tenure reducing, but I do wonder why it has to open at 9am and finish at 6pm?

Little happens before ten in the morning or after 5pm. And it is certainly depressing in February to venture out to the show in the dark and return in the dark.

Historically, 15 years or so ago, the Spring Fair had a three or four year waiting list for exhibitors and so consequently it was never a show at which new fledgling companies exhibited. Instead they cut their teeth at the shorter, cheaper and less demanding fairs.

The whole culture of trade fairs of course has changed over the last decade and gone are the days of non-stop order taking, striking while the iron is hot and grabbing the moment. Buyers are much more careful and measured about what they purchase now and the fact is that a lot fewer orders are actually written at the shows.

This year at least 30 Ladder Club publisher members exhibited at Spring Fair.

Some of these have been up and running for 56

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

some time, but for others it was their first time.

Generally I do not encourage new publishers to make their trade show debut at Spring Fair. When you have set your stall out for five days, understandably, with the time and expense that it involves, one’s expectations are on the ceiling. In reality, the show is incredibly competitive, buyers have huge demands on their time and are often rushing around juggling the sourcing of gifts, housewares, jewellery etc with their card ‘shopping’.

My feeling is that once publishers have done a less demanding fair, there is a place for rising card publishers to consider exhibiting at Spring Fair.

Above: After exhibiting at a trade show publishers should consider what they have gleaned from their experience. – A wonderful pooch image on a design from Woodmansterne's Loose Leashes range.

Left: Ladder Clubbie Maybel Forsyth founder of Pink Pig exhibited for the first time at the recent Spring Fair.

Below: Rose Hill of Rose Hill Designs was one of the winners of the Spring Fair's '60 Second Product Pitch'.

This year 15 Ladder Clubbies gave me a confidential resume of their time at the fair and this is invaluable information for other new publishers looking to make decisions about their trade fair choices.

An innovative new element at the Spring Fair this year was the ‘60 second product pitch’, which saw companies ‘sell’ their products to power buyers and experts.

Both Rose Hill Designs and Inspired Goodbyes (both Ladder Clubbies) were worthy ‘winners’ and won a bottle of champagne for their pitches.

56-57_Grid 26/02/2015 16:52 Page 57

LYNN’S LINES Left: Sharron Lipszyc from Australian distributor Gallery Collection with Sabivo Design's Sabina Kovacheva at Spring Fair.

Below: Producing amazing felt creations and transposing them onto cards, Alula's Garden was a brand new publisher at Spring Fair for those looking for something different.

Being able to summarise your business in one minute was indeed a challenge for these fledgling businesses, but they did it! Certainly if Spring Fair is to encourage new companies to exhibit at the show incentives like these give new exhibitors that extra boost.

The engagingly titled 'Things that make you go ooh’ publication produced by the Spring Fair organisers proved successful for three new Ladder Clubbies, whose products were featured within it, driving customers to their stands. And another Ladder Club company benefitted from having its product on the home page of the Spring Fair website which was also welcome exposure.

Several newbie card publishers wisely had a target for the show - eg to gain a number of orders, solicit agents’ interest, encourage licensing enquiries. And a few were after export enquiries. But while I felt that publishers’ expectations were not unrealistic, in truth very few met their goals, but there is still time!

More and more publishers are looking to boost their income with licensing deals and the majority have to wait several months down the line to see if anything comes to fruition on this score.

In reality, gone are the days when you would break down your show stand knowing you are already in profit. It's now a waiting game with leads to follow up, samples to send and contact numbers to be given to agents.

In truth, exhibiting at trade shows is jolly expensive. For Spring Fair it’s six days worth of hotel bills, a week away from your business, transport, meals and brochure costs, and your stand also needs to captivate your customers so some money needs to be splashed on making it look good. And that's before you've printed any stock.

So with all these expenses it is important that exhibiting publishers review everything a few months down the line after the fair. This is why it's a good idea to have some sort of target.

I always hope to take on at least one new

export customer and one new licensing deal. This gives me the incentive to make sure I follow up any enquiry.

It is also a good idea to look at some of your most loyal customers and see if they can be tracked back to a specific fair when they first came across you. It may have been years ago but for you their continued ordering effectively made that fair very profitable.

A case in point, some 20 years ago at the Harrogate Home & Gift show we started a partnership with Coalport China – it was totally unrelated to greeting cards. This relationship lasted for ten years and was by far the most successful commercial project I have ever done.

And it probably would never have happened had I not been exhibiting at that fair.

More and more third party companies are now looking to greeting card artists for licensing artwork, so publishers shouldn’t be blinkered to these outside opportunities.

One benefit of being at a trade show, which is more difficult to quantify, is the knock on effect on you/your business of feeling the creative vibe while publishers are at the shows. I know that when I am at the fairs I am in a total creative bubble. It is so great to be among like-minded people with little distraction that I come home totally buzzing with lots of new ideas and the verve to put it into action.

I would say it is important for publishers to review any trade fair at three month, six month and yearly intervals, to see which ones worked best - the results may be surprising.

Brand new publishing kids on the blocks do have something of an advantage with many buyers concentrating on looking for something new.

One Ladder Club publisher who exhibited at Spring Fair was rather disheartened by the response from one of her customers who was walking by her stand. When asked why they weren't stopping, they replied, “we are looking for something new”. It was a bit unfortunate as this particular publisher had three new ranges.

Just as in retail ‘location location location’ is everything at trade fairs. The vertical aisles at

Spring Fair were definitely favourable this year.

Next year though, the greetings hall is moving (into Hall 3) and for the first time the stands will be graded in price depending how near they are to the front of the hall. I personally can't see that this is going to encourage new publishers who are on a budget and who cannot afford the high profile positions to exhibit.

I think that to encourage new publishers to the fair there should be some prime spots at the front of the halls available.

To my mind, unless new companies are given an even break they are not going to return for a second year to the show, perhaps there should be some loyalty scheme?

The new publishers are the life-blood of the greetings industry. We have to do everything possible to encourage new publishers and to keep them successful and exhibiting at trade fairs.

One thing though that publishes can do to help themselves is to make sure that they take full advantage of the marketing opportunities available to them, in the run up, during and even post the show taking place.

This involves loading their images on to the web pages, as well as submitting images for previews etc via the PR/marketing teams of the show.

In the Spring Fair product directory there were still new publishers who hadn't sent in a picture and just had a blank space against their company name. What a total waste when the opportunity is there for the taking.

Sadly, after over 20 years of exhibiting at the Spring Fair next year I will only be attending as a buyer, not an exhibitor. The reason being that I expect to still be having medical treatment at that time and it is too much to ask my dear husband Andy to take on the exhibition stand reins for me for the fourth year running.

However, I still hope to be able to discuss the needs of future Ladder Club exhibitors with the organisers so that they are able to make a valuable contribution to the fair.

There’s no business like show business and it is important that publishers make the most of the personal interface that trade shows allow.

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www.cathtatecards.com

Caspari Ltd Linden House, John Dane Player Court

East Street, Saffron Walden Essex, CB10 1LR Tel: 01799 513010 Fax: 01799 513101 Email: info@caspari.co.uk www.CaspariOnline.com

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PO BO BOX OX 2161 Boulevard The Boule vard Watford W atford WD18 1BJ TTel: el: 01923 200633 FFax: ax: 01923 200636 info@cardmix.co.uk inf o@cardmix.co.uk www.cardmix.co.uk www.cardmix.co.uk CARDMIX - a cocktail cocktail of fun, CARDMIX fashionable and humorous humorous fashionable cards, covering Everyday, car ds,, co vering Ev eryday, Spring ing Occasions,, Relations,, Spr Seasons and Christmas.

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G RASS R OOTS INTERNATIONAL

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

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

from the

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

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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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

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..Gorgeous, fun & cheeky Greeting Cards, Keyrings, Mirrors, Chocolates, Tattoos, Badges, Mugs, Mints, Luxury Soap & Smashing Stationery!

0844 586 7477 sales@juicylucydesigns.com

LING DESIGN The UK’s leading privately owned publisher of Greetings Cards and Stationery.

)

...The home for and

CHARITY GREETING CARDS One of the UK’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.

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

...and the UK home for

Greetings cards designed to make people smile. We have a card for every occasion plus a few extra ones we made up.

Contact: Sarah Britton on 07833 089 098 or email info@lovefromlemonade.co.uk

150mm x 150mm and packed in 6s

Made in the UK

Produc ts: 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.

Lin g Des ign Lt d 14-20 Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6BE Tel: 01892 838574 Fax: 01892 838676 Email: enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk Website: www.lingdesign.co.uk

www.lovefromlemonade.co.uk

60 years

ic icg c&g INTERNATIONAL CARDS & GIFTS

! dep d end on e you can and Servic Quality

ICG are are specialists in quality greeting greeting car cards ds at fantastic prices!

One of very few publishers who design, manufacture manufacture and despatch all fr from om their Head Office in Dorset.

New products products launched every four weeks! weeks!

Also a specialist in

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

Huge selection with immediate deliveryy. Buy direct or from your wholesalerr.

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

environmentally friendly contemporary & vibrant paper products.

everyday rreligious eligious / Christmas car cards. ds.

METHOD OF SALE Dir ect and Expor Direct Export

greeting cards, notebooks paper pens, boxed notes

International Car Cards ds & Gifts ltd Unit 4 Haviland Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate Wimborne, W imborne, Dorset, BH21 7RF

Product Directory please contact

BRANDS Pintura Ne Pintura New w cr creation eation Fun the moment Fun House House Treasure Treasure the Jazzy J azzy Fizzle Fizzl e Compassion Compassion

To appear in the

t. 01243 780501 e. info@jonesy.ca

jonesy.ca

Warren Lomax on 020 7700 6740

Tel: T e el: +44 (0) 1202 897 494 Email: sales@icgcar sales@icgcards.com ds.com

Web: Web: www www.icgcards.com .icgcards.com

agents wanted PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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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

Cards made with love...

Three great publishers, all under one roof, contemporary, graphic, humour, cute and photographic ranges with a fantastic range of occasions and relations cards.

Key brands: V&A, Portobello, Spirit, Daisy Patch, Sugar Pips, Marzipan Toybox, Born to Stitch, Idols, Life, Sweet Tooth, Brights.

Method of sale: Direct to retail, Export and Licensing.

Riverside House, Centurion Way, Riverside Business Park, Nottingham NG2 1RW Tel: 0115 986 0115 Fax: 0115 986 0116 Email: sales@paperrose.co.uk Web: www.paperrose.co.uk www.artgroupcards.co.uk

Products 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.

Brand Names Pizazz, Pizazz Gallery, Say the Word, Carousel, Meadow Sweet, R&R for Men, What a Picture!

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

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

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

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

LING DESIGN

Mr Figgis, when we say parents invited, we usually mean to sit and watch!

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

Dad - I thought you said I could be the, one to tell him you re out

RICHARD SELLMER VERLAG

Me th od of sa le : Direct to Retail 14-20 Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6BE Tel: 01892 838574 Fax: 01892 838676 Email: enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk Website: www.lingdesign.co.uk

Freepost RRZH-KLSL-HYBY Richard Sellmer Verlag KG Stourbridge Tel/Fax: 01384877755 Email: uksales@sellmer-verlag.de Products: Richard Sellmer Verlag is producing Advent Calendars for more than 60 years.

DƵůƟƉůĞ ĂǁĂƌĚ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƉƵďůŝƐŚĞƌ DƵůƟƉůĞ ĂǁĂƌĚ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƉƵďůŝƐŚĞƌ Ž Ĩ ďĞĂƵƟĨƵů ĚĞƐŝŐŶͲůĞĚ ŐƌĞĞƟŶŐ ŽĨ ďĞĂƵƟĨƵů ĚĞƐŝŐŶͲůĞĚ ŐƌĞĞƟŶŐ ĐĐĂƌĚƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ϯ WŽƉ hƉƐ ĂƌĚƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ϯ WŽƉ hƉƐ ĂĂŶĚ ƚƌƵůLJ ŚĂŶĚŵĂĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞƐ ŶĚ ƚƌƵůLJ ŚĂŶĚŵĂĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞƐ ĐĐŽǀĞƌŝŶŐ Ăůů ŽĐĐĂƐŝŽŶƐ͕ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ŽǀĞƌŝŶŐ Ăůů ŽĐĐĂƐŝŽŶƐ͕ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ŵ ŝůĞƐƚŽŶĞ Θ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ĂŐĞƐ͕ ƐĞĂƐŽŶƐ͕ ŵŝůĞƐƚŽŶĞ Θ ũƵǀĞŶŝůĞ ĂŐĞƐ͕ ƐĞĂƐŽŶƐ͕ ĂĂĐƌŽƐƐ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƐŝnjĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĐƌŽƐƐ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƐŝnjĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝĐĞ Ɖ ŽŝŶƚƐ͘ tĞ ĂůƐŽ ŽīĞƌ Ă ůĂƌŐĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ tĞ ĂůƐŽ ŽīĞƌ Ă ůĂƌŐĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ Ž Ĩ ƐƟĐŬͲŽŶ ĚĞĐŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĂŌŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƐƟĐŬͲŽŶ ĚĞĐŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĂŌŝŶŐ Ɖ ƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ŽƵƌ zŽƵƌƐ dƌƵůLJ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ŽƵƌ zŽƵƌƐ dƌƵůLJ Ś ĂŶĚͲĮŶŝƐŚĞĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ͘ ŚĂŶĚͲĮŶŝƐŚĞĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ͘ Exp prre ss Yo urrsse Yo ellf ®

DIY DI Y

+44(0)1983 209 590 hello@secondnature.co.uk hello@sec ondnature.co.uk

www.secondnature.co.uk w ww.secondnature.co.uk The Playful Indian cards are a unique fusion of the east and west. Simple and quirky, they have made many people smile...so what are you waiting forr, put a smile on someone’s face today!

TM

Sensations International Ltd

holy y cow! it’ss your birthd it hda ay y

Greeting Cards that are unique & special with creative wit.

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

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.

rosierobins.com 01992 536461

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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PRODUCT DIRECTORY

The UK’s leading publishers of highest quality handmade Greetings Cards.

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PRODUCT DIRECTORY

DIRECT TO RETAIL & EXPORT

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

Tel: 0845 450 1815 Fax: 0845 450 1816 Email: enquiries@talkingpics.co.uk Website: www.talking-pictures.co.uk w: www.tomcatcards.co.uk www.tomcatcards.co.uk e: tomcat@tomcatcards.co.uk t: 01243 837300

TEL: 01480 435562 FAX: 01480 450599 Products: Greetings Cards, Gift Wrap, Social Stationery, Gift Bags, Keepsakes, Partyware.

www.tracksltd.com UNIT 2, 12 BLACKSTONE RD, STUKELEY MEADOWS IND EST, HUNTINGDON, CAMBS, PE29 6EF

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

Method of sale: Wholesale Distributors

To appear in the Product Directories

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

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 64

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

01923 200600 | www.woodmansterne.co.uk

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Top-notch British Greeting Cards for Thoughts that Count

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

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Directory of wholesalers Directory of wholesalers DIRECTORY OF WHOLESALERS l

ESSEX

LONDON & THE SOUTH

WALES

CROMWELL CARD COMPANY Greeting Card Distributors

Greetings cards, Stationery, & Party lines Cash and Carry Unit C Coppen Road, Dagenham Essex RM8 1HJ Mon-Fri 9.30-5.00 Thurs 9.30-9.00 Sun 10.00-2.00 Tel 0208 592 2764

NATIONWIDE

MERSEYSIDE

R J’s Greeting Cards Ltd Merseyside Greeting Cards Ltd

Merseyside’s Largest Greeting Card Distributor Due to our massive buyer power, we are able to offer you the best prices and also take a pride in our friendly service.

Greeting Cards from 5p Contact R J Walkden on 0753- 9679-700

WEST MIDLANDS

Greeting cards * Gift ranges * Pocket money toys * Balloons * Badges * Banners * Soft toys * Stationery * Collectables , including dolls * Photo frames

magnus

Always something different Check us out now!!!

RUPERT

Mon-Fri 9.30 to 5.30 Sunday 10 to 1 Late night Thursday till 8pm Freephone 0800 0279072770 Fax: 0151 207 1564 Unit 7 & 8 Devon Street, Liverpool, L3 8HA

TRADING

Greetings Cards for all occasions

LONDON’S NO 1 GREETING CARDS STATIONERY TOYS CASH & CARRY

HERTS & LONDON

SUMAN BROS

OPEN MON, WED, THURS 9.00 - 8.00pm TUES, FRI 9.00 - 5.30pm CLOSED SAT SUN 10.00 - 4.00 UNIT 2, CHAILEY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, PUMP LANE, HAYES, MIDDLESEX, UB3 3NB, ENGLAND TEL: 020 8573 2975 / 1768 FAX: 020 8 561 2349 Email: info@abbeycards.com

Stationery and greeting card wholesaler

Crown House Otterspool Way Watford WD25 8HL T: 01923 200 900 F: 01923 200 909 Great deals Great location Plentiful parking Just off the M1 Junction 5 140

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

NORTH WEST

C A P S Card & Party Store Ltd

Mon/Wed/Fri: 8.00 - 5.00 Tues/Thurs: 8.00 - 8.30 Sat: 8.00 - 12.00 Sun: 8.00 - 2.00

The North West s Largest Supplier to the Independent Specialist Card & Gift Shop

Massive range of Cards, Partyware, Gifts, Gift Bags, Gift Boxes & Gift Dressings

574 Manchester Road, Bury, BL9 9SW

0161 796 7353

Order online at www.card-party.co.uk

To appear in the Wholesale Directory simply call Warren Lomax on 020 77006740 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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

GREETING CARD

ENVELOPES

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

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

100% Recycled Paper A vailable v Available

PAPER

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

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

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

Specialists in high clarity bags for Greetings Cards, Prints and Calendars

Quality bags and a friendly service

Call Now 01228 560526 Email: sales@fulcrumfilms.co.uk Web: www.fulcrumfilms.co.uk

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.

W We’ve e’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.co.uk sales@wrapid.co.uk

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

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

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DISPLAY

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

PRINTERS

EXPORT

specialist greeting card printer We print using the UK’s first Carbon Neutral Heidelberg press and offer a wide range of specialist ďŹ nishes all in-house, including: Flittering, Flittering, F Foiling, oiling, UV V Varnishing, arnishing, Embos Embossing, sing, Debos Debossing, sing, Die cutting, T Tippin ippin Inserting, A Automated utomated individual c cello ello bagging, A Automated utomated labelling and wr wrapping apping in units.

Full packing and distribution services.

Waterwells Drive Waterwells Business Park Quedgeley Gloucester GL2 2AA T 01452 887000 E sales@alphacolour.com W alphacolour r.c . om By buying prroduc o ts with the FSC label you o arre supporting the grrow o th of re esponsible forest management worldwide.

Pro roduct ct pririnte ted on a Carbon Neutra ral Press www.heidelberg rg.co com/CO2 . 210504

TT T--C COC-002429

BMT-PEFC-0401

License No.155071

Š 1996 FSC A.C.

EXCESS STOCK

EXCESS STOCKS TO CLEAR?

print green with us

O F F S E T PRODUCTIONS

Op

Printing Greeting Cards for over 30 years • Litho printing • Digital printing

We specialise in purchasing excess inventory in GREETING CARDS, GIFT-WRAP and allied products.

Small or large quantities considered.

• Embossing • Die-cutting • Flittering • Foiling • Folding

All restrictions honoured.

• Packing

For an immediate DQG FRQĂ€GHQWLDO response please send samples and information to:

• ISO 9001 & 14001

N.E WHOLESALE 92 Station Road, Willingham, Cambridge, CB24 5HG T: 01954 260728 E: cardworkstrading@btconnect.com

PRODUCTIONS

t 01622 710 759

www.offsetproductions.co.uk

188 Forstal Road, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7DB

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(London) The Capitals only Greetings card printer

at PJ Print we pride ourselves on great customer care, and the greeting cards

Award winning specialist printer for the greeting card industry

we make are pretty smart too.

To discuss how we could work

For Award winning Print

with you contact Simon King: Tel 0115 928 7766

look no further than

Email sales@sherwood-press.co.uk

PJ - PRINT E-mail: sales@pj-print.co.uk The Print Works Colville Road, Acton London W3 8BL tel 020 8993 5160 fax 020 8992 8421 www.pj-print.co.uk

The home of greeting cards nd e nt g indepe r in d a le The UK’s rd manufacture ca d greeting heZkY j_e

Do you find you need to quickly top up your popular stock lines, or would like to trial a few designs before committing to longer runs? Then the Windles Group FlexiSheet is perfect for you. With a turnaround time of just 5 days and 1,000 cards at litho rates, the Windles Group once again delivers useful solutions to you.

In order to support our other production methods, we are also now offering the FlexiSheet with our integrated ColdFoil, allowing you to develop a highly creative range of greetings cards.

] YWhZ f ]h[[j_d \eYki ed b _W Y [ f _Y[i I ki[ i[hl e\ _d#^e [ ] d W h bb <k [Z ]kWhWdj[ GkWb_jo Y[ i j_j_l[ fh_ 9ecf[ Z h[b_WXb[ d W b W _ed Fhe\[ii Wbb $ [h jee ic ZkY j_ed De ehZ ;Wij fhe h W < Z d W A K j^ 8e services, ur unique ation on o 250 1150 rm 14 fo in 01 n re For mo les team o sa e th ct nta please co eys.co.uk sales@loxl or email:

PEFC / 16-33-794

Benb[oi" A_bd Ijh[[j" I^[\Å[bZ I. &OI

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The Specialist Greetings Card Printer

Digital Di it l Print P i tS Specialist i li t for the greeting card industry What we offer:

Litho Print

Die-cutting Flittering

Digital Print Foiling

UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;iiĂ&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;V>Ă&#x20AC;`Ă&#x192; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;]Ă&#x160;vÂ&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Â?]Ă&#x160;iÂ&#x201C;LÂ&#x153;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;]Ă&#x160;`Â&#x2C6;iÂ&#x2021;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;wÂ&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x192; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x153;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;`iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2C6;}Â&#x2DC; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;-Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;

Packing

Embossing

UĂ&#x160;*Â&#x2C6;VÂ&#x17D;]Ă&#x160;ÂŤ>VÂ&#x17D;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;LĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;

Distribution

UĂ&#x160;*Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x153;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;iÂ&#x201C;Ă&#x192; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; iĂ&#x192;ÂŤÂ&#x153;Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x160;}Â&#x2C6;vĂ&#x152;Ă&#x192; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; >Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;i Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;

Tel: 01274 531828 Email: chriss@herbertwalkers.co.uk

UĂ&#x160; Ă?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;LÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;}Ă&#x20AC;>ÂŤÂ&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x192; Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192; Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;i°°° Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;

www.herbertwalkers.co.uk

TM

Packaging

BRC

07974 133735 paul.watson@sherwood-press.co.uk

Certificated

HW 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!

Herbert Walkers Ltd The one stop shop for publishers large and small

O F F S E T PRODUCTIONS

Op

â&#x20AC;˘ Litho printing â&#x20AC;˘ Digital printing â&#x20AC;˘ Embossing â&#x20AC;˘ Die-cutting

â&#x20AC;˘ Hand made and hand finished greeting cards â&#x20AC;˘ Boxed sets and acetate packs of cards / envelopes â&#x20AC;˘ Giftwrap and tag packs â&#x20AC;˘ Individually open and closed wrapped cards â&#x20AC;˘ 'Pop up' and cardboard engineered products â&#x20AC;˘ Notelets and social stationery â&#x20AC;˘ Specialised printing on plastics & lenticular

â&#x20AC;˘ Flittering â&#x20AC;˘ Foiling â&#x20AC;˘ Folding â&#x20AC;˘ Packing

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.

PRODUCTIONS

Producing greeting cards for over 30 years 188 Forstal Road, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7DB

t 01622 710 759

www.offsetproductions.co.uk

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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CLASSIFIED

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WAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTION

The Professional and Caring Approach..

Hand assembly and contract packing specialists ... 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.

• • • •

Greetings cards, hand-packed and hand-finished Low to high volume card cello bagging Gift wrap and gift product packing.

Warehousing & fulfilment services.

Call us and we will get you packed up!

Tel: 01226 206116 E-Mail:- info@mypackcompany.com www.mypackcompany.com

WIRE SPINNERS

Saunders Displays 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)

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.

With over 40 years experience in manufacturing point of sale (POS) display stands we understand the needs of the retail market to produce robust and cost effective units.

We have a wide range of wire stands in stock for immediate delivery or we can design and manufacture bespoke display stands to get your products displayed in the best possible way.

Tel: 02085947221 sales@saundersdisplays.co.uk

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

Home of the Wire Spinner Stand

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 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 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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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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.

IBC_Appointments_Layout 1 03/03/2015 16:17 Page 79

APPOINTMENTS

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APPOINTMENTS

Witty, successful humour company seeks professional relationship

Agents Wanted Brainbox Candy is an original and rapidly growing humour card and gift company. Seeking additional committed and professional agents in three key areas. Sense of humour welcome.

Excellent commission, paid monthly & promptly.

Please get in touch.

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APPOINTMENTS

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Agents wanted Bold stylish cards for men and boys alexcharlesdesignshop.co.uk Call Alex Charles on 07878 091933 To appear in

simply call Warren Lomax on:

0207 700 6740 GREETING CARDS MUGS COASTERS BADGES CUSHIONS NOTEBOOKS GIFT WRAP APRONS TEA TOWELS FRIDGE MAGNETS MAGNETIC BOOKMARKS TRAVEL WALLETS MAGNETIC NOTEBOOKS AND MORE!

T: 01702 716643 / E: info@brainboxcandy.com / www.brainboxcandy.com

146 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

or alternatively email him on warren@max-publishing.co.uk PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

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OBC_PG_March 2015 26/02/2015 16:49 Page 1

Just got even better!

50+ New Designs in open birthday and captions

* Best selling value hand-finished cards * Amazing value gifts * Fantastic margin opportunities

GIFTS new

Pack of 3 A5 &A6 stitched notebooks

Exclusively available from CONTACT YOUR REP/AGENT, CALL US OR GO ONLINE:

www.secondnature.co.uk E : hello@secondnature.co.uk

T : +44(0)1983 209 590

Pens