M.E.G. Cards & Gifts, a leading distributor of greeting cards in Ireland has hailed the switch to ordering cards printed to order via publishers’ portals on The Imagining Centre’s Simplicity system a great success.
Kent-based greeting card print company, The Imaging Centre introduced the Simplicity system initially to provide card publishers with the option to print cards to order, meaning they could be dispatched direct to a retailer from The Imaging Centre’s facility. The development with MEG highlights another direction for the technology, enabling production to be ordered directly from their end.
With total agreement from Jolly Awesome and Bexy Boo, two of the publishers whom MEG distributes to retailers in Ireland, the Simplicity system was put to the test in the other direction, with MEG able to access the publishers’ portals and trigger production and dispatch of the cards.
“The Imaging Centre’s Simplicity system is aptly named as it has provided our MEG team with an uncomplicated, surprisingly foolproof ordering website, which has impressed even the most technophobic among us!” commented Mike and Lisa Gray, co-owners of the MEG business.
Explaining how it works, Lisa told PG Buzz that MEG has its own user-friendly portals on the Simplicity system, one for Jolly Awesome, the other for Bexy Boo. “Orders are placed, processed and delivered all within a six day timeframe, which is a real boon for us being based in the remote north coast of Ireland.”
As well as the time saving advantage, Mike highlights how it makes complete financial sense as well as minimising wastage while maximising sales.
“As a distributor, the fact that we can order ‘little and often’ enables us to carry the full collection from each of our publishers without having to carry unnecessary stock,” he said.
Lisa and Mike anticipate more publishers moving across to using the Simplicity system and feel assured that the successful trials with Jolly Awesome and Bexy Boo give them every confidence that this a way forward for publishers and distributors.
“As a way of expanding our business in Ireland, we would happily talk to any publisher who is considering using the Simplicity system, which has enabled us to maintain very healthy stock levels of all our top-selling designs, and all in a very straightforward, hassle-free way,” added Mike.
In addition to Jolly Awesome and Bexy Boo, other brands M.E.G. Cards & Gifts distributes includes Five Dollar Shake, Rachel Ellen Designs, Wendy Jones-Blackett, Really Good, Redback Cards, The Art File, Portfolio, Blue Eyed Sun, Portico Designs, Tracey Russell.
Almost 300 different card publishers are now using the Simplicity system as a means of direct production and fulfilment of orders.
Top: Mike and Lisa Gray, co-owners of M.E.G. Cards & Gifts with some of the cards the company distributes to retailers all over Ireland.
