Embrace Summer Livin’…As PG’s July Edition Has Landed

With Harrogate Home & Gift kicking off on Sunday, PG Live a week on Tuesday (July 27-28), the schools breaking up and staycationing holibobs galore, ‘Summer loving is for livin’ is the order of the day. And adding to the sunshine, the bumper July edition of Progressive Greetings magazine is out now filled with hot news, views and product launches galore.

Above: PG Live opens its doors a week on Tuesday (July 27).

On the news front, there’s been loads happening, from UKG being appointed to category manage all of Tesco’s greeting card displays (under brokerage) to the lovely Dean Morris donating one of historical greeting card collections to the GCA; feedback on Father’s Day to Jill White of Rocket68’s new retailing empire, it’s all in there! (Click Here to pages 12-13).

Above: UKG takes over as greeting category manager for Tesco from the start of 2022.

Not surprisingly, given that PG Live is the first time the greeting card community will be back together for well over a year, the excitement is tantamount! As well as finding out about some of the magic ingredients of the show itself, (Click Here to pages 40-41), you can marvel in the wealth just some of wonderful launches in store in the extended Innovations section (Click to pages 52-53), plus learn about the private lives of some of the newbie and first time exhibitors. (Click Here to pages 44-45).

Above: Toby Gisle and his wife Sharon Nathanson, the co-owners of Animo Alphabets, were circus performers before they turned their talents to cards.

As well as blasting out their own style of design and colour on its stand at PG Live, Paper Salad has good reason to be in celebratory mode. Not only has the publisher had a triple triumph in the US Louie awards, but has also notched up 10 happy years of a licensing agreement with Glick on giftwrappings. Read all about this happy ‘marriage’. (Click Here to pages 50-51)

Above: Paper Salad and Glick are celebrating a decade of their winning licensing partnership, which has seen them win five Henries for their giftwrap collections.

Fitting in perfectly with the colours of the PG Live 2021 logo are Out of the Blue Studios and sibling DTR brand, Into the Green Publishing. Pete Rawlingson, co-owner of this duo of businesses adds some colour to their impressive evolution. (Click Here to pages 86-87)

Above: Pete Rawlingson (left) with fellow co-owner of Out of the Blue/Into the Green, Clive Rubin.

With her favourite card design being ‘French fries are just potatoes who believed they could be something better’, you know that Kate Smith is a designer who is a chip above the normal spud!

Above: Kate Smith, her husband Ryan and dog Frank outside the Airstream home.

Not only will Hallmark be fanfaring a Kate Smith Company range on its stand at the show, but the PG Live keepsake tote bag will also be graced with one of her uplifting messages. Give yourself a tonic and read an interview with his leading lady of happiness. (Click Here to pages 70-71)

Someone else who is powered by smiles is Sally Matson, owner of Red Card in Petworth.

Above: Sally Matson (right) with her right hand woman Karen West behind the counter of the new Red Card.

Not a woman to be underestimated, not just for the sterling job she has done with her relocated card and gift shop, but also her plans for becoming a ‘mobile library van’ for cards. Intrigued? Read all about it then! (Click Here to pages 74-75)

There is plenty more retail input though in PG this month. A host of indies share their best selling products in the What’s Hot section. (Click Here to pages 90-91) Meanwhile, Blue Diamond Garden Centre Group’s senior management team reveals how it is finding fertile ground in greeting cards, with sales up 28% year on year. (Click Here to pages 66-67)

Above: Some impressive sales are being achieved at Blue Diamond Group.

And David Robertson, of Scottish Highlands-based JP Pozzi enlightens us all with his take on the Mamba Mentality as well as the next exciting episode in our real life drama. (Click Here to pages 30-31)

Above: David Robertson has learned a lot from sports docuseries, such as The Last Dance.

It is certainly not all bread and roses. There is no doubt that the soaring shipping costs, container shortages and price rises in raw materials are causing major headaches for so many suppliers that will have a knock on effect on retail prices. Read the honest comments from different perspectives in the Viewpoints section. (Click Here for pages 34-35)

Helping to paint a global picture of the health and wealth of the greeting card universe, leading figures file reports from their respective corners of the world. (Click Here for pages 78-79)

Above: Sydney-based Jenny Cummins, md of McMillan Cards with her daughter Lisa, grandsons Reilly and Finn and their cat Johnnie Blue.

Closer to home, PG columnist Cardsharp is in no doubt that now is the time to get back out there and see off the zombies. (Click Here to page 32-33)

And ending on a high, talented surface pattern designer, Megan Carter shares her story in the Art Source section in this month’s edition. (Click Here to pages 84-85)

Above: One of Megan’s delightful designs.

All this and more in the pages of a lovely glossy magazine. Wouldn’t you like to hold it in your hands so you can flick through and read it wherever it takes your fancy?

To SUBSCRIBE NOW go to www.max-subscriptions.net

However, if you can’t wait, to read the whole PG July 2021 edition, you can click here.

TAGS Animo Alphabets, Blue Diamond Garden Centre, cardsharp, david robertson, dean morris, Father's Day 2021, gca, glick, Home & Gift 2021, Into The Green Publishing, Jill White, jp pozzi, Karen West, Kate Smith, mcmillan cards, Megan Carter, paper salad, Pete Rawlingson, PG Live 2021, progressive greetings, red card, rocket68, sally matson, tesco, The Henries 2021