Insights from The Card Centre, Abacus Cards, Panda Cards and The Art File
From Valentine’s Day to Father’s Day, the significant card-sending events of Spring Seasons are important to both retailers and publishers.
Now over for another year, after several years of upheaval, PG asks greeting card retailers and publishers about the issue and developments of these mainstays of the cardie world.
What could be done to improve sales, and what further potential is out there with other occasions that could be developed to further grow card sending?
As part of an ongoing series, here The Card Centre, The Art File, Panda Cards and Abacus Cards give their thoughts on the annual Spring Seasons sales, and how to improve matters…
John Barratt and Andrew Reid, The Card Centre, Felixstowe
How important are Spring Seasons sales to you? “Spring Seasons are important to the business, they’re becoming ever more salient these days as they provide such a useful stepping stone with increased sales between the new year and summer. Easter arriving late works in their favour as it allows more sales time between occasions. And the weather plays a big part as it tends to hamper sales,”
What have you done differently this year/plan to do for 2023? “We decided this year to display Easter earlier than usual as a test run for 2023, this seemed to work well although more space is used for a longer period. We’ve also increased our suppliers for particular captions and this will be continued into 2023 season.
Is there anything you feel card publishers could be doing to help you on Spring Seasons? “The two main things we found were more promotional material is needed and a larger selection for major captions would be beneficial.”
What changes in design trends with Spring Seasons have you tracked? “The main changes that have been noted are more modern traditional designs coming through and less cute designs. We’ve also seen a trend towards select captions becoming more popular, for example, From The Dog At Easter.
Have you seen any extra occasions coming through and are there any you’re being asked for? “Extra occasions are definitely on the increase, we now stock more of a range with the saints captions and also found Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving and Halloween are being asked for more.”
James Mace, sales and marketing manager, The Art File
How important are Spring Seasons sales to you? “Spring Seasons is very important to The Art File, as more publishers are seeming to pull out of these categories we feel it’s important to offer our retailers a concise and eclectic offering for their customers. We have seen a steady increase in the categories – not including the pandemic year, of course!”
How have you approached your Spring Seasons 2023 greeting card selection? “With a sense of excitement and vigour, we love that fresh slate feeling when we come to design newness for Spring Seasons 2023. Our design team take into account a range of things when designing new product – such as current trends, viral trends, topical colour patterns and, of course, those good old one-liners that’ll either make the recipient cringe, or lust over for Valentine’s Day cards. We also look at historical trends and sales to assist in informing the decisions we make in regards to publishing new designs for the seasons.”
Is there anything you feel retailers could do to further Spring Seasons? “Lots of retailers do fantastic work in marketing and advertising Spring Seasons, be it with creative shop windows, social media campaigns, and plenty of Save The Date-style work. As with most things in life though, there’s always something that can be done to improve, such as competitions, initiatives, writing stations, etc.”
What changes in design trends with Spring Seasons have you tracked? “We’ve found the usual pastel colours that are associated with Spring Seasons, such as pinks and peaches, have progressed into a more interesting palette, including lilacs, soft lime/acid tones and fresh greens, which naturally lets your inspiration wander into more nature-inspired subject matters.”
Have you seen any extra occasions coming through and are there any you’re being asked for? “In short, yes! We’ve been publishing St Patrick’s Day cards now for some time, and we’ve also licensed the fantastic Peace & Blessings Collection – which features all of the major religious festivals spanning most major religious and beliefs. We’ve seen a real up turn in this. We’ve very nearly published Galentine’s Day too – but not quite yet!”
Mary Singleton-Jones, owner Panda Cards, St Albans
How important are Spring Seasons sales to you? “They’re very important at Panda Cards. They are a strong cash injection for us. Spring Season sales in 2022 were much improved after the Covid drought. “
What have you done differently this year and plan to do for 2023? “This year I’ve put more spinners outside my shop which has encouraged more customers into explore my shelves.”
What changes in design trends with Spring Seasons have you tracked? “This Father’s Day I ordered in Grandad and Grandpa cards for the first time – and we’re celebrating 45 years in business! They were very well received so that’s a change I will keep.”
Have you seen any extra occasions coming through and are there any you’re being asked for? “Panda Cards has always had a strong reputation for stocking ethnic cards therefore, generally, whatever my customers’ special event card needs are I already have them.”
What’s your go-to display once Father’s Day is over? “I replace them with a new design of cards that I’ve discovered at a recent card show.”
Liz Ellis, studio manager, Abacus Cards
How have you approached your Spring Seasons 2023 greeting card selection? “We have an abundant offering of fresh, stylish designs and captions which are now available to pre-order. The collection includes Valentine’s, St. Patricks Day, a selection of Easter designs as well as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. A little romance always goes a long way therefore our fun and sentimental Valentine’s collection is here to put a smile on your face. From stunning hand-finished designs to quirky humorous cards and everything in between we’ve got it covered.
“Whether you’re buying for your mum, grandma or wife this Mother’s Day why not brighten their day with a card to spread a little love and happiness. Whether they love flowers, afternoon tea, gardening, appreciate a good book or even a G&T we have a card to suit.
“We’re super egg-cited to showcase our cracking Easter offering. We have a great selection of Easter designs including packs, single captioned cards and gift enclosure cards. The range offers a fantastic selection of religious and non-religious designs and includes plenty of cute illustrated and photographic Easter bunnies, chicks and lambs. And, you can show your appreciation for dad’s and grandads with a card to celebrate this Father’s Day. We’ve got just the thing to make them smile.”
Have you seen any extra occasions coming through and are there any you’re being asked for? “St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture so we’ve let the shenanigans begin with our brand-new St Patrick’s Day offering for 2023. Designs feature fun, witty captions and are teamed with amusing images.”
