Card Factory is expanding overseas with the opening of concessions within The Reject Shop, a discount retail chain in Australia.
As part of a trial, Card Factory has installed concessions in eight of The Reject Shop’s 350 stores in Australia.
“Although this is very early stage, we are pleased to be working with The Reject Shop, a brand which shares our focus on quality and value, to test our proposition in the Australian market,” Karen Hubbard, ceo of Card Factory told PG Buzz.
Karen explained that The Reject Shop team approached Card Factory having been impressed with what the value card retailer was offering in the UK. Having lived and worked in Australia before joining Card Factory, Karen said that she was aware that there is currently no “quality value card offer” similar to what Card Factory offers down under.
The concessions, which are all Card Factory branded, vary in size, in order to gauge consumer response. Currently only including greeting cards, the selection based on Card Factory’s best selling designs as well as some that have been adapted to better suit Australian tastes.
“All of the non-hand-finished cards are being produced in Yorkshire by our Printcraft business and shipped to Australia while the handmade or hand-finished designs are being sent from our facilities in the Far East,” reveals Karen.
“The big question is how much the Australian consumer is going to love our quality, value cards, hence the trial,” she adds.
Other than the stores Card Factory owns in the Republic of Ireland this is the first time the brand has flexed its muscle overseas.
This development follows on from Card Factory installing concessions in a dozen Office Outlets stores in the UK last September. (https://www.pgbuzz.net/card-factory-pilots-concessions-on-office-outlet-stores/)
Meanwhile, Card Factory’s trial with Aldi in the UK is clearly working well as it has been extended from 12 stores up to 121 stores. https://www.pgbuzz.net/card-factory-in-trials-with-aldi-selling-cards-in-12-stores/
“We are very pleased with how it is going with Aldi,” said Karen. “Our presence within the Aldi stores means that its customers, has the opportunity to buy a quality value card as part of their shop.” Through signage Aldi makes great play of the fact that all the cards are all designed and printed in Yorkshire, prominently featuring a Union Jack to signify their provenance.
Top: Card Factory is on course to open its 1,000th store in a few months.
