As Oliver Bonas’ owner Olly Tress revealed at the last GCA AGM and Conference, the multiple’s greeting card sales increased by 11% over the year (amounting to some 1.5 million cards), but yesterday (17 February). But yesterday the staff in its 80+ stores were intent on giving away loads of special little cards to customers, just to be kind.
This card giveaway coincided with Random Acts of Kindness Day. While one of the five card designs featuredthe retailer’s motto of ‘Work hard, play hard & be kind’, others stated ‘it’s cool to be kind’, ‘be kind’, ‘kindness is cool’ and ‘kind people are my kinda people.’
‘We want to encourage you to be kind, if you are given a card keep it for yourself as a reminder or pay it forward and give to someone else to make their day’ was the message Oliver Bonas communicated to customers.
As an extra incentive to spread the kindness, the activity also includes a competition which offers five customers the chance of winning a £50 Oliver Bonas gift card just by taking a snap of the kindness card and sharing it on Instagram by tagging @oliverbonas.
In his speech at the GCA AGM Olly explained that the ‘purpose’ of the retail business is crystalised in part of the quote from Hans Christian Andersen: “Just living is not enough…one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
To his mind, you do not have to be biggest or everything to everyone, but aim to be the ‘little flower’, translating this into its company motto of ‘Work hard, play hard and be kind’.
The retailer’s commitment to being kind has also included donating nearly £19,000 in Oliver Bonas gift cards to support over 900 local charity events
It has donated well-loved but no longer needed items to special day charity and former OB’s charity partner, Willow, to sell in its stores.
The company has also donated sanitary items to The Red Box Project and Bloody Good Period while unsellable items are donated to charity New Life, to be recycled or reused to help raise money.
Team OB has chosen UK Youth as its Be Kind charity partner for 2019 and 2020. The retailer’s design team has collaborated with UK Youth (a charity committed to empowering young people in every community to build bright futures regardless of their background or circumstances)
Oliver Bonas now trades from over 80 stores as well via an impressive online presence.
Top: One of the messages that appears on the Oliver Bonas Random Acts of Kindness giveaway cards.
