The Retas 2019 Rejoicing Continues

As announced via PG Buzz yesterday afternoon, the winners of The Retas 2019 greeting card retailing awards were revealed at a vibrant Frida Kahlo-themed event attended by over 400 greeting card retailers, publishers and suppliers (https://www.pgbuzz.net/the-retas-winners-2019-revealed-at-a-frida-fiesta/).

The celebrating extended way beyond the confines of the Grosvenor House Hotel where the event took place, with the shiny trophies among the sea of guests at the Market Tavern – making it an afternoon and evening to treasure.

As Carly Pearson, greeting card buyer of Sainsbury’s, which won Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards award for the second year running, summed up: “The Retas are such a fantastic way to recognise the hard work of all the publishers and retailers that make up this great industry – without each other we would have nothing!”

As Kate Cowie, co-owner of Utility (winner of the Best Non-Specialist Retailer of Greeting Cards award – North) added: “It was such a brilliant day – and we carried on partying with a few M&S tinnies of G&T on the way home!”

While many of the worthy winners are giving their trophies pride of place in their stores today, others have hit new heights, joining the ‘jet set’. Alison Baker of Jersey-based Island Greetings shared a few celebratory drinks with her trophy at Gatwick waiting for her flight home, while Carl Dunne and Oliver Guise-Smith of Sheffield-based Cards & Gifts also headed to Gatwick with theirs as they jetted off on holiday to Spain.

Above: The trophy in pride of place in Celebrations’ window in Aylsham together with the photo of Mandy Baker, who won the Best Retail Employee award. — **Above:** The trophy in pride of place in Celebrations’ window in Aylsham together with the photo of Mandy Baker, who won the Best Retail Employee award.

The Retas 2019 Winners

Greeting Card Retail Employee Of The Year

Mandy Baker, manager of Celebrations, Aylsham

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London (inside the M25)

Medici Gallery, South Kensington

Above: (second left-right) Medici Gallery’s Tim Reynolds and Charlie Wheatley receive the trophy from Mark Callaby, managing director for Ohh Deer, category sponsor. — **Above:** (second left-right) Medici Gallery’s Tim Reynolds and Charlie Wheatley receive the trophy from Mark Callaby, managing director for Ohh Deer, category sponsor.

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties

Red Card, Petworth

Above: Sally Matson, owner of Red Card, accepts her trophy from Simon Snow, director of category sponsor Regal Publishing. — **Above:** Sally Matson, owner of Red Card, accepts her trophy from Simon Snow, director of category sponsor Regal Publishing.

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia

Sincerely Yours, Shenfield

Above: (second left-right) Sincerely Yours’ Kaye Thurgood and Emma Thurgood accept the award from Fabian Santoro, business development manager for Santoro, sponsor of this category. — **Above:** (second left-right) Sincerely Yours’ Kaye Thurgood and Emma Thurgood accept the award from Fabian Santoro, business development manager for Santoro, sponsor of this category.

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West

Island Greetings, two stores in St Helier

Above: Island Greetings' owner Alison Baker, accepts her Retas award from Alison Butterworth, managing director of Nigel Quiney, which together with Glick sponsored this award category. — **Above:** Island Greetings’ owner Alison Baker, accepts her Retas award from Alison Butterworth, managing director of Nigel Quiney, which together with Glick sponsored this award category.

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales and the Midlands

In Heaven At Home, Market Harborough

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland

Bailey’s Cards and Gifts, Southport and Crosby

Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland

Bluestone Gift Shops, Largs, Glasgow, Lochgilphead and Barrhead

Above: Bluestone Gift Shops’ Sarah Still and Haydn Park-Patterson received their Retas trophy from (right) Andrea Pinder, owner of Unit 7, who was presenting the trophy on behalf of Wendy Jones-Blackett, category sponsor. — **Above:** Bluestone Gift Shops’ Sarah Still and Haydn Park-Patterson received their Retas trophy from (right) Andrea Pinder, owner of Unit 7, who was presenting the trophy on behalf of Wendy Jones-Blackett, category sponsor.

Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch – South

Objectables, Folkestone

Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch – North

Cards & Gifts, Sheffield

Above: It was an emotional moment for Cards & Gifts’ (second left-right) Carl Dunne and Oliver Guise-Smith who collected the trophy from Jack Wilson, manager of Paper Salad, sponsor of this award category. — **Above:** It was an emotional moment for Cards & Gifts’ (second left-right) Carl Dunne and Oliver Guise-Smith who collected the trophy from Jack Wilson, manager of Paper Salad, sponsor of this award category.

Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards

Blandfords of Broadway, Hereford and Ledbury

Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – North

Boroughbridge Post Office’s The Well Good Card Shop, Boroughbridge

Above: Nigel and Karen Hamilton-Evans, partners of Boroughbridge Post Office were super happy to receive the trophy from Alister Marchant, ceo of category sponsor Carte Blanche Group. — **Above:** Nigel and Karen Hamilton-Evans, partners of Boroughbridge Post Office were super happy to receive the trophy from Alister Marchant, ceo of category sponsor Carte Blanche Group.

Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – South

Mooch, Olney and Towcester and two stores in Northampton

Above: Mooch’s Paul and Rachel Roberts were jubilant about their win. They were presented with the trophy by Steve Baker, sales and marketing director of Pigment, sponsor of the category. — **Above:** Mooch’s Paul and Rachel Roberts were jubilant about their win. They were presented with the trophy by Steve Baker, sales and marketing director of Pigment, sponsor of the category.

Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (4-20 stores)

Zo & Co – four stores in Greater Manchester and Cheshire

Above: Tracey Rushton-Thorpe of Keystone Communications collected the Zo & Co trophy on their behalf from Michael McGunnigle, business development manager for The Great British Card Company, the category sponsor. — **Above:** Tracey Rushton-Thorpe of Keystone Communications collected the Zo & Co trophy on their behalf from Michael McGunnigle, business development manager for The Great British Card Company, the category sponsor.

Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards

John Lewis, Oxford St

Above: John Lewis & Partners’ buyer Lisa Rutherford (second left) and merchandiser Payal Shah were presented with the trophy by Nick Carey, managing director for Abacus Cards, the category sponsor. — **Above:** John Lewis & Partners’ buyer Lisa Rutherford (second left) and merchandiser Payal Shah were presented with the trophy by Nick Carey, managing director for Abacus Cards, the category sponsor.

Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards

Sainsbury’s

Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (4+ stores)

Utility, 3 stores in Liverpool and one in Manchester

Above: (second right-left) Utility’s co-owners Dick Mawdsley and Kate Cowie together with retail buyer Steph Lloyd accepted the trophy from Jack Straw, managing director of BrownTrout, category sponsor. — **Above:** (second right-left) Utility’s co-owners Dick Mawdsley and Kate Cowie together with retail buyer Steph Lloyd accepted the trophy from Jack Straw, managing director of BrownTrout, category sponsor.

Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ stores)

Cardzone Group – 130 stores

Above: James Taylor, director for Cardzone Group, received the trophy from Bill Greeno, sales director of category sponsor, Paperlink. — **Above:** James Taylor, director for Cardzone Group, received the trophy from Bill Greeno, sales director of category sponsor, Paperlink.

Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards

Blue Diamond Group – 30+ garden centres

Above: Angie Goosen, category manager – paper products for Blue Diamond Group, accepted the first of the retailer’s two trophies from Michael Griffiths, sales manager of Noel Tatt, category sponsor. — **Above:** Angie Goosen, category manager – paper products for Blue Diamond Group, accepted the first of the retailer’s two trophies from Michael Griffiths, sales manager of Noel Tatt, category sponsor.

Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative

Cardies – for its community street art programme

Above: Jo Sorrell and Andrew McReynolds, co-owners of Cardies, Stevenage, accepted the award from Daniel Prince, managing director of category sponsor Danilo. — **Above:** Jo Sorrell and Andrew McReynolds, co-owners of Cardies, Stevenage, accepted the award from Daniel Prince, managing director of category sponsor Danilo.

Best Greeting Card Wholesaler

Budget Greeting Cards, nine branches UK and Eire

Greeting Card Retailer of the Year

Blue Diamond Group

Top: All The Retas 2019 winners on the stage with their trophies with PG’s Warren Lomax, Gale Astley and Jakki Brown with host Pippa Evans.

TAGS abacus cards, autumn fair, Bailey’s Cards and Gifts Southport and Crosby, Blandfords of Broadway, Blue Diamond Group, Bluestone Gift Shops, browntrout, Budget Greeting Cards, cardies, Cards & Gifts Sheffield, Cardzone Group, carte blanche group, Celebrations Aylsham, danilo, glick, Grosvenor House Hotel, hallmark cards, In Heaven At Home Market Harborough, Island Greetings, Island Greetings St Helier, John Lewis Oxford Street, medici gallery, mooch, nigel quiney, Objectables Folkestone, paper salad, paperlink, pigment productions, Progressive Greetings Live, Red Card Petworth, regal publishing, sainsbury's, santoro, second nature, Sensations/Xpress Yourself, Sincerely Yours, Sincerely Yours Shenfield, spring fair, the art file, The Great British Card Company, The Retas 2019, The Well Good Card Shop Boroughbridge, uk greetings, unit 7, utility, wendy jones-blackett, woodmansterne publications, zo & co

The Retas 2019 Rejoicing Continues

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