While there is still hope for a last blast of an Indian Summer, there is also something to be said for embracing the more snugly times of Autumn…especially if you have something good to read…and with the physical copies of Progressive Greetings’ September issue having landed at the start of this week, the digital version is now available to read online…so what are you waiting for?!
The news pages are brimming over with all the latest industry happenings, from leading retailer insights to people moves from publishers.
“We are at the beginning of a new dawn for retail. I can only see opportunities for physical retail to start growing and prospering again,” Theo Paphitis told a packed audience at the Autumn Fair a few weeks ago. “What Covid has done is to accelerate everything by at least five years, achieving that rebirth in 18 months,” added the retail entrepreneur in his inspiring keynote at the show.
Also inspiring is the hugely positive response to the Sainsbury’s x GCA Greeting Card Design Competition, which attracted almost 1,000 entries, with the selected 26 designs now in store in over 100 stores. An empowering collaborative initiative, most definitely. (Click to News pages 16-17)
Celebrations are now only days away for many more publishers, with The Henries awards ‘big night’ next Thursday (October 7).
You can lap up the happiness from publishers in anticipation of the big night (Click to News pages 14-15), see the contenders in all their glory (Click to pages 36-37) as well as learn about the extensive judging process (Click to pages 34-35).
And there is also a deeper delve into the finalists for the inaugural Best Diversity and Inclusion Range, a new award that is being sponsored by the GCA. (Click to 76-77)
PG’s columnists are once again on top form. Cardsharp’s views will bring some solace to those card retailers in major city and town centres, believing that footfall will indeed return. (Click to pages 28-29).
Meanwhile, indie retailer David Robertson of JP Pozzi considers our obsession with success, partly prompted by hearing Elizabeth Day (author of the Failosophy book) speaking on a several radio programmes.
As David sees it, “Success is a very difficult thing to nail down and quantify. How do you measure it, in time or money or perception?”. His view right now is surviving should be seen as succeeding.
“You can’t win every battle, but you need to keep working towards winning the war,” is one of David’s rally cries. (Click to pages 26-27)
Bringing more insights from the retail side of the counter, Viewpoints talks to several leading retailers about what new ranges have caught their eye of late as well as their enjoyment of going to real trade shows. (Click to pages 30-31)
The ever popular What’s Hot? section drills down into the current best sellers for a quad of plucky retailers (Click to pages 82-83) while the Innovations pages reveals some of the latest launches from publishers large and small. (Click to 74-75)
Not shying away from the challenges faced by the greeting card community, in The Paper Trail article dedicated trade suppliers talk about the shortage of board supply and cardboard boxes, a paucity of kraft envelopes as well as a continuing upward spiral of costs and what they are doing to try and mitigate the challenges. (Click to pages 72-73).
And ending on a high note, Art Source luxuriates in the rich imagery of artist Gabriela Larios, whose evocative designs are flavoured with influences of El Salvador where she was born, known for its hospitality, loud music ‘Chicken buses’ and abundant flora and fauna. (Click to pages 80-81)
All this and more in the pages of a lovely glossy magazine. Wouldn’t you like to hold it in your hands so you can flick through and read it wherever it takes your fancy?
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However, if you can’t wait, to read the whole PG September 2021 edition, you can click here.
