Nigel Hamilton-Evans who co-owns Boroughbridge Post Office with his wife Karen has a positive obsession with greeting cards, establishing a reputation in the North Yorkshire town as being a veritable destination for greeting cards – something that was recognised in the shop winning Best Non-Specialist Greeting Card Retailer – North in The Retas greeting card retailer awards last year.
Taking this on to the next stage, the greeting card section of the store has just been rebranded The Well Good Card Shop, complete with new livery and a marketing campaign to spread the news.
“The inspiration behind the new name came when a mother and her teenage son came with a list of cards they needed. We pride ourselves on knowing our stock inside out and our ability to find that perfect card. Behind the scenes we have a huge stock that we can bring out if a perfect card is not on display. So, engaging with the customer I was able to match cards to her needs. She was so impressed with my help she said, “this is the biggest small card shop I have ever been in” to which her son added: “Mum this is a well good card shop”.
So, The Well Good Card Shop was born,” explains Nigel.
While Nigel started using the descriptor of The Well Good Card Shop a couple of years ago, he decided now is the time to beef this up and so appointed local marketing and advertising agency Commence Marketing, to come up with some new branding designs.
“Their brief was to create a brand design for The Well Good Card Shop that was simple, to point, modern (relevant to our target market) and easily recognisable. They have done this in spades,” says Nigel, feeling that the new look will further broaden its customer base.
“Our greatest challenge, especially as a Post Office, is how to attract younger customers. We think that this new branding will attract a large amount of the 25-40 year old age groups who are moving in to the new builds in our area. With a rapidly growing potential market and the prospect of more people working from home, now is the time to invest in our future for years to come.”
He is in no doubt that “Retail has changed forever”, acknowledging that even before Covid there was a shift towards ‘experience’ shopping.
“Many customers want more than just a shop with a pay point. With this in mind we have developed our personal shopper service. Two members of staff know our stock inside out and can match a card to the customer requirements. Our back stores are filled with many other choices that can be brought out. This has been very successful, with our customers feeling ‘special’ having received that personal attention.”
With work now underway on changing the shop window “from OK to WOW” Nigel feels together with his fabulous array of greeting card ranges, “confident of securing our future survival in these difficult times”.
Here he shares just some of the store’s best sellers…
Humour
Lost The Plot from Sally Scaffardi Design
“Never had such as great selling range.”
Genius from Woodmansterne
Rainbow from Ling Design
Relations and Occasions
Caroline Gardner
“Great, eye-catching designs.”
Everyday
Words ‘n’ Wishes
IC&G
Adult milestones
Born in… from IC&G
“I sell these above RRP no problem.”
Male
Only Bloking from Sally Scaffardi Design
Art
Designers Guild from The Art Group (Paper Rose)
Morris & Co from Ling Design
Giftwrappings
Matthew Williamson giftbags and tissue from Museums & Galleries
“High end, with great matching tissue.”
Flat wrap from Roger la Borde
Flat wrap from Sally Scaffardi Design
“Stunning designs on quality paper.”
Sara Miller rollwrap and tissue from Penny Kennedy
“Quality and class in abundance.”
Top: The Well Good Card Shop is part of the Boroughbridge Post Office in the Horsefair part of the Yorkshire town.
