Though there are still challenges, ‘Resilient’ is the word that independent greeting card retailers feel best sums up the greeting card industry, according to the findings of the latest PG Retail Barometer.
Providing invaluable insights into the independent greeting card retail sector, this annual survey, undertaken by Progressive Greetings makes for encouraging reading.
Some 65% of respondents reported that their business has grown over the last year (2021 v 2020), with almost a fifth of these revealing that their sales had increased by 20%-30%.
Indies have started 2022 feeling very positive about their trade in the coming year, with 71% fully expecting to grow their business.
“While the ‘shop local’ initiative retained the top slot for the second year running as having brought the greatest benefit to an indie’s business, improvements in their shop displays, social media activity and staff were also right up there,” revealed Jakki Brown, joint md of Max Publishing which undertakes this annual survey. “As for the factors that have had a detrimental effect on their business, it’s no surprise that it was the pandemic that was number one, but the disruption in supplies is a new entry in the biggest banes league,” she added.
As for greeting card genres that got the tills ringing, it was humour cards that hit the hot spot, with relations & occasions cards being in second place.
As for which other retailers indies see as the major threats to their business, supermarkets were named by 72% as the biggest thorn in their side, due to their improved displays and their convenience for shoppers.
Looking further ahead to the next 10 years, the last 12 months’ experiences have definitely made indies feel more positive about the role of the independent card retailer with 65% seeing it as having a real future with only 9% seeing the long future as weak (two years ago this figure was 30%).
Full details of the Retail Barometer findings will appear in the February edition of Progressive Greetings.
