Greetings floorspace grows as retailers expand bricks-and-mortar offer
Ryman is leading the charge for opening new greetings outlets with its first Ryman Design store in Scotland, in Edinburgh’s trendy St James’ Quarter.
The fourth outlet in the new concept from High Street entrepreneur Theo Paphitis’ Ryman stationery chain, he said it will build on the design offshoot’s presence in key UK locations, selling trend-led stationery, gifts and cards from brands such as Ban.do, Kate Spade, POSCA, Legami, Violet Studios/Crafters Companion and Midori.
“Creativity runs through Edinburgh’s veins, which is why opening our new design-led store was a no-brainer for me,” Theo added. “This will be our fourth Ryman Design store, and because of the fantastic response they’ve had from our customers, there are more in the pipeline.”
Meanwhile, Cardfactory is continuing its seemingly unstoppable march following its latest good results as pre-tax 2023-24 profits rocketed 25% to £65.6million with no less than four new stores in the past month, in Aintree, Petersfield, Newquay and Atherstone, pushing it to 1,050 UK shops.
Jack Wright, store opening and closing manager, said: “It’s been a busy couple of weeks welcoming new stores to the Cardfactory family, bringing us to a total of 14 new openings since February.”
Cards Direct is also continuing its expansion with openings in Wakefield’s Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, Cheltenham High Street, and the Vicar Lane Shopping Centre in Chesterfield pushing its estate well over the 60 mark.
Having just opened a brand-new store in Solihull, lifestyle chain Oliver Bonas – known for an excellent greetings offer – has taken on a 2,856sq ft site for its latest outlet, in Islington’s Angel Central following the closure of its previous space in nearby Upper Street.
“We’re pleased to announce our latest store offering of style and inspiration in the heart of Islington,” said the retail chain’s founder Oliver Tress. “This vibrant community is the perfect backdrop for our eclectic products, and we’re excited to share our unique blend of fashion, homeware, and gifts with everyone who walks through our doors.”
York is the latest city to welcome the lime green Scribbler frontage, as the team worked hard to get the shop ready for opening last month in Stonegate, near the Minster.
Thrilled to be bringing Scribbler’s legendary cards and gifts to this thriving and historic city, the usual ranges have been bolstered by lots of exclusive local-themed products.
Garden centres are an important greetings and gift retailer alongside the more traditional plants and associated goods, and Fairways at Ashbourne and Macclesfield has acquired its third outlet, taking on Forest Garden Centre in Matlock, which has been family run for the past 40 years.
Fairways director Ally Moseley said: “We’ll rebrand the site as Fairways and look to invest in the business which has a very strong seasonal business.
“This new addition will allow us to offer even more variety for all of your gardening and lifestyle needs. We are dedicated to providing top-quality products and exceptional customer service, and this new garden centre is a fantastic opportunity for us to further enhance your experience.”
And WHSmith has recently unveiled the expansion of its deal with Toys R Us, with a further 30 shop-in-shops to open following the success of the initial nine – where Danilo has the contract to supply licensed cards and wrap.
Saturday 25 May saw Fosse Park, Hereford and Royal Leamington Spa open as the first of this summer’s 17 locations, with the others to come in time for Christmas.
Sean Toal, md of High Street at WHS, said: “Our High Street business has been resilient for over 230 years and, in the face of more recent challenges, the team is always searching for new ways to delight our customers.
“We constantly challenge ourselves to look at what’s next and we’re not afraid to embrace change and be bold and back something different. Our partnership with Toys R Us epitomises this and shows exactly what we are about.”
