UK’s largest card retailer’s research confirms digital options are no match for real cards
Karen Hubbard, ceo of Card Factory is keen to spread the good news about the state of the greeting card market to the media and City analysts – and can back up reassuring words with facts, as a result of comprehensive research by independent research company OC&C.
“The market for single greeting cards is well established, robust and resilient; it continues to show modest growth in value terms and remains stable in terms of volume, supported by a growing and ageing population – this trend in volume and value is forecast to continue,” Karen states.
Research findings of a major consumer survey undertaken by OC&C on behalf of Card Factory predicts that the UK greeting card market is on course to grow by 1.2% in value between now and 2019 and volume looks stable.
Additional research, also commissioned by Card Factory shows that, contrary to concerns, there is no meaningful shift in digital substitution of people sending electronic messages rather than greeting cards. In fact, the trend has gone the other way. In 2017, OC&C’s findings show that 18% of people will send digital messages rather than a greeting card to mark life events whereas back in 2012, some 25% of people said they would send a digital greeting in place of a card.
The findings show that there is an increase in consumers sending both physical cards as well as digital messages. In 2017 some 64% of card senders will also be sending digital greetings card senders admitting they send digital in addition to physical cards. This is up 2% on 2016 and 13% on the 2015 level.
Card Factory’s ceo says that the research findings provide further proof of “just how deeply ingrained greeting card sending is in the UK.”
Pictured at top: Karen Hubbard, ceo of Card Factory with Jakki Brown of Progressive Greetings.
