Cardmitments’ retailers are hoping for jingling tills, here’s Highworth Emporium’s view
With the greeting card sector so reliant on a decent Christmas trade, all eyes are on the festive run-up retail period.
All the stops are being pulled out to help ensure sending Christmas cards remains at the forefront of everyone’s minds and PG checked in with some of The Cardmitments WhatApp indie retail group to get a gauge of their seasonal hunches.
In the first of the series, we hear from Aga Marsden, co-owner of Highworth Emporium, near Swindon, who is already in full festive mode as can be seen in the reel below from the store’s Christmas evening…
Christmas hunch: “I feel super positive about Christmas this year. Since June, trade has been really strong and customers were openly saying in July that they had started Christmas shopping. Hallelujah!
“I’m really excited that we managed to secure Scout Stamps this year, which allows for cheaper Christmas card delivery in the area. This gives us an extra argument to encourage people to buy Christmas cards, despite Royal Mail’s first-class stamp price increase.
“We have bought a real-size post box for this occasion and I’m convinced it will prompt people to buy some cards as well.
“And, of course, we joined in with my fellow Cardmitment retail members in the #Cardmitment Challenge, it was great fun!”
Playing your cards: “Christmas card-wise we usually do our displays in three phases. We put our boxes and charity packs out on display in mid-September, followed by a small selection of special title cards at the end of September leading to our Christmas display being in full swing by end of October.
“Normally it works well, but this year our customers have been super organised – if I had a penny for every time we were asked when we would have our full Christmas cards offer out before that, I would now be a rich girl!
“So, we brought our plan forward so all our Christmas cards were on offer by the third week in October and they’re selling really well. I have a feeling single cards will perform better this year than boxes, it’s a trend that started last Christmas, I feel there will be less cards bought, but more special cards. Added to that, sales of charity packs are ticking along nicely.”
Dear Santa: “My wish for Father Christmas would be for him to tell our customers to put the greeting cards back in the pocket they belong in and not mess up the envelopes, otherwise they will be on a naughty list!
“Seriously though, I wish Father Christmas has the heaviest and the most generous bags of cards and gifts to deliver this season! I feel that would make him, all the elves and us retailers happy.”
These views appear in the November issue of Progressive Greetings which can be read online shortly, and any indie retailer who wants to join the Cardmitments WhatsApp group should email Heidi Early heidi@earlybirddesigns.co.uk.
