Buying group offers promotions and fresh look for 35th anniversary celebrations
Promotions, new suppliers, a fresh website, and increased social media activity make Cardgains very busy as the buying group aims to offer members a great deal while celebrating its 35th anniversary.
The new website is in the design process while Cardgains’ new Instagram page @cardgainsltd and refreshed Facebook page @cardgains and X account @Cardgains are going great guns and the roster of suppliers is growing all the time, “to add value to the portfolio and a point of difference” explained managing director Penny Shaw.
She added: “Over the last 12 months we have introduced 25 new suppliers including Paperlink, Blade & Rose, Something Different, Smart Toys and The Gifted Stationery Company, as well as some small-house publishers such as Bexy Boo, Pango, Sooshichacha and Pink Pig, plus more gift suppliers such as Letterbox Love and Toynamics.
“And we have three more names ready to reveal shortly, I’m also talking to a few more so it could be a bigger splash by April!”
And there are further benefits for the 1,000 rooftops that make up the Sheffield-based buying group’s retail membership, with more than 40 special promotions from suppliers for the first part of the year.
Penny explained that many are exclusive to Cardgains and give retailers the chance to “trial new products and suppliers at a really keen cost”.
The initiative started five years ago with small trials being made available to members for just £30 then, as demand increased, suppliers were asked to also provide top ups to a larger order and now, Penny said: “When our sales team now visit members, they can offer much larger orders of £100+, so suppliers are benefitting from an extra two pairs of hands selling products to the members.
“During 2023 our team sold around £120,000 of trials, top ups and promotions, the majority of which was new business to the suppliers and new products for the members.
“This is a great opportunity especially for new suppliers who may not have the full sales team coverage of more well-established suppliers.”
The current promotions include various offers such as Rainbow Designs’ taster pack and three Bedtime Cuddles packs, plus specific card ranges, new releases, seasonal packs, taster packs, stationery, and gifts from Abacus Cards, Clare Maddicott, Bexy Boo, Blade & Rose, Boxer Gifts, Cherry Orchard, Grass Roots, IC&G, Letterbox Love, Lucilla Lavender, Marina B, Pango, Paper Rose, Peers Hardy, Pink Pig, Pioneer, Scentiment Gifts, Toynamics, Wax Lyrical, and Xystos.
