TV news hones in on publisher’s ‘original art’ and says send early for Christmas
Cards made the news big time this morning, 3 December, as BBC Breakfast filmed at Paper Salad’s Stockport HQ to highlight how much people still love festive greetings.
Featuring Paper Salad owner Karen Wilson and GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson, there were two segments within the 3½-hour news programme featuring greeting cards, revealing the 91million and growing Christmas cards sent last year that equated to a total £178m spend.
And reporter Nina Warhurst commented on the fact all the publisher’s designs are hand-drawn first, before being scanned and tweaked via computer programmes to add their signature neon colours and foil, adding: “This is original art – it really is art landing on your doorstep.”
Karen engagingly delivered the all-important message of how lovely it is to receive something that someone “has taken the time and trouble to select and handwrite a message” also highlighting how the joy of sending cards has not been lost on youngsters, citing the increase in card sending among 18 to 30 year olds.
With studio presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent raising the issue of the significant Royal Mail price increases taking first-class stamps to £1.65 each – making a book of 50 now £20 more expensive than this time last year – Karen, who is also vice-president of the GCA, explained: “We must remember it’s only 85p for the second-class stamp, and post your cards early.”
Nina confessed: “You still get that flutter when you see a handwritten letter, even I do at 44 when a birthday card arrives!”
She also marvelled at all the work that goes in to creating card designs, starting with a “beautiful painting”, which can then be translated to other products such as gift bags and crackers, and she was surprised to realise this year’s festive products were sent to retailers in July, so the warehouse staff featured were working on Mother’s Day orders for the big day in March, while Karen was busy finalising her 2026 Christmas designs.
And warehouse worker Barry Salt, who used to be a postman, was asked about the importance of getting a handwritten card through the post: “It’s not just the card, but the interaction as well that they have with the postman. A lot of people don’t see that many people during the day, so the postman is an important person, both the card that he’s delivering and the interaction that you have with them.”
It was an early start as Karen’s slot was filmed live at 6.35am, before the cameras returned to Paper Salad to close the show just before 9.30am with Amanda’s comments: “We all love receiving a handwritten envelope on the doormat, a greeting card that someone’s chosen and written especially for us. You can’t put a text on the mantelpiece.
“It’s really important that we have a reliable and affordable postal services for small businesses across the country, sending out customer orders, as well as consumers sending greeting cards and connecting with family and friends. It’s a 500-year-old service, and we really need it to continue and be protected.”
The last word went to viewers whose comments about cards were read out by Jon and Sally, with one chap sending in the latest family caricature that he creates each year as a personal Christmas message, and Sandra from Belgium said sending a handwritten card just once a year is her way of saying thank you to the people who care about her.
One consumer called Leigh said this is her first Christmas on her own after losing her husband, “so receiving a few actual Christmas cards from friends and family” is going to help her get through the festive period, while Raymond and all of his siblings, who are now all in their 70s and 80s, meet up for Christmas lunch to exchange their cards, and have done so for years.
