Greeting card multiple Cardzone has taken over a group of four greeting card and gift shops in Scotland as part of its ambitious expansion plans. The final store in the Card & Gift/Something Special mini-group, came under Cardzone’s wing last week. The stores are located in Broughty Ferry, Inverurie, Cults and Uddingston.
Prior to these four stores Cardzone only had two shops in Scotland (Hallmark factory outlets in Gretna and Livingston) but the aim is to grow this to 20 stores in Scotland by the end of the year.
But the expansion is not confined to Scotland. Cardzone’s managing director Paul Taylor told PG Buzz in February that “I want to double our business over the next three years.”
The Cardzone team has wasted no time bringing the new stores into the fold, with the Inverurie and Broughty Ferry stores a mini makeover with investment in new LED lighting, signage, new paintwork with further changes to layout to come later in the year.
The Uddingston and Cults stores are to be used to trial a whole new upmarket retail concept.
David Robertson, md of JP Pozzi, who was appointed to role of business development director of Cardzone (with special responsibility for Scotland) in February said of the Something Special stores: “They have excellent local staff with one manageress having over 26 years’ experience. There are still exciting things to come for the stores.”
As David adds: “Paul and James Taylor [Cardzone father and son owners] are passionate about continuing to grow the business and are keen to speak to any indie or small chain that would want to possibly sell out their existing successful business.”
Cardzone, which trades from 115 shops under the Cardzone, Card Centre, Home & Fragrance brands, as well as the Hallmark factory outlet stores that it also owns.
