GCA’s annual research shows UK consumers are ‘highly engaged’
The British public is still “highly engaged” with greeting cards as 94% of the population buy into the sector, according to the just-released GCA Market Report, with the positive data showing sales of single cards are up, with over 80% still bought in bricks-and-mortar stores.
“The total retail value of single card sales in the UK grew to £1.51billion in 2023, up from £1.46bn the year before,” GCA president Darren Cave stated in the report’s introduction.
Highlighting the industry’s strength against many headwinds, Darren reinforced that “despite the economic uncertainty inflation, global conflict, and challenges with Royal Mail, the greeting card market proved resilient”.
The annual GCA Market Report provides an invaluable benchmark into the health and the wealth of the UK greeting card sector, covering sales of everyday, Christmas, and spring seasons events as well as relations, occasions and age cards, tracked both by value and volume.
The data confirms the UK still sends significantly more greeting cards per capita than any other nation, and there was a 4% increase in the retail value of single card sales in Britain over the last year, meaning an incredible 800million cards were bought by the public.
While volumes are a smidgeon down by 1.9%, there’s good news for the High Street with confirmation that online sales volumes fell from 10.9% of the total market to 9.8%.
As GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson highlighted: “The report findings show how, after a slight dip in 2022, the industry is above 2021 levels by value in everyday, Christmas and spring seasons.”
The report brings some welcome festive cheer, with Christmas singles holding steady, accounting for 11.7% of total retail value for all cards, while occasions, age and relations cards were up by 4% in value – as were birthday and blank cards with virtually no change on volume versus the year prior.
The report has also been expanded to track the sustainability progress from the greeting card publishing community, where highlights show how 82% of publishers have removed or reduced the plastic cellowrap from their cards, with this set to rise by another 5% in the coming two years.
And 84% have now ensured their cards are entirely recyclable, while 70% have reviewed their supply chain for more sustainable options with another 14% pledging to do this over the next two years, while 50% have reduced their carbon footprint and another 27% see this as a real goal in the coming few years.
The report, which covers the period January to December 2023, is compiled from feedback provided directly by GCA publisher members, which is managed independently, confidentially and securely by award-winning market data company Echo Research.
It is available free to download for most GCA members, while non-members can purchase it for £750 by clicking here.
