Greetings Today

Independently audited, ABC circulation of 6,089

The impartial voice of the greetings card industry March 2015 Issue 6 Volume 16

THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF

GREETING CARD PUBLISHERS IN THE WORLD

ow!

N r e t Regis for its d e, Fame tmospher ya l d ures n t e a e f fri rs ve PG Li 0 exhibito or aj 22 over g from m d n rangi lishers an to pub nds a r b and ng i s d e a e m l e na ers. u q i t bou esign d w ne

Register Now! +44 (0)1635 297070

@PGLiveLondon

www.progressivegreetingslive.com

“PG Live was fantastic, as always! As the only exhibition that has favourite publishers and new companies all under one roof it has been the only trade show I’ve attended for a few years now.”

Sophie Greenwood, senior buyer of cards and gifting of WHSmith Travel and Funky Pigeon

Register Now! +44 (0)1635 297070

@PGLiveLondon

www.progressivegreetingslive.com

Fashion meets Function You always find something new at the London Stationery Show.

See thousands of stationery and writing products from over two hundred different suppliers from around the world, all in one place.

To find out who’s exhibiting and register for free entry, go to www.stationeryshow.co.uk For information about National Stationery Week and World Stationery Day, go to www.nationalstationeryweek.com Join the conversations

@StationeryBytes @NatStatWeek

StationeryShow NationalStationeryWeek

Stationery Event of the Year

contents the team

Editor Tracey Bearton tracey@lemapublishing.co.uk Advertisement Enquiries Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289930

Group Editor Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk

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Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

REGULARS 07

Leader

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The sales agent discussion continues, and Window On The World.

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News

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Meet The Newbies Windles-sponsored focus on industry newcomers.

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John Ryan Being better than the others is easier than it sounds, as John explains.

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On The Shop Front Respected independent retailer Jo Barber explains how she discovered Facebook.

It’s All About Sales Agents Alina Clark and Neil Anthony speak from the road.

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Exhibition, People, Supplier, Licensing and General, it’s all here and there’s more on www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk

NEW! Vox Pop Publishers are at the heart of the industry, hear their opinions on current issues.

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Retail Advice Independent retail advisor Henri Davis looks at occasions cards.

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Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Keep in touch - follow us:

Talk Of The Town

@greetingstoday

The voice of the people who matter, greetings retailers tell it like it is.

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Frankly Speaking Pimply heartthrobs and buyers – Sarah Porter talks elusive creatures.

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Spotlight & Gifts Spotlight A selection of this month’s latest releases.

FEATURES 14

Talking Shop

PUBLISHING

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Wyevale Garden Centres Senior Buyer Afzal Sachak tells all.

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London Stationery Show Preview Bigger and better, the UK’s only trade fair dedicated to stationery and writing products.

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Giftwrap, Bags, Accessories & Stationery

Retro, Vintage & Nostalgia Cards Designs that are a blast from the past are big hits in the 21st century.

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British Craft Trade Fair Preview The specialist show for UK-based designermakers is a great source for something different.

Stationery or stationary? How did that come about and what does the term cover?

ONLINE

Go to our website - www.greetingstoday.co.uk - for our online features, this month we expand on Giftwrap, Bags, Accessories & Stationery as well as Retro, Vintage & Nostalgia Cards.

Lema Publishing Ltd 1 Church Gates, Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 2UB

Telephone: 01442 289930 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

At the heart of retail Greetings Today is independently audited with an ABC circulation of 6,089 (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014) Subscription per annum: UK £60 (free for people in the greetings industry), Europe £80, ROTW £100 A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 5

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leader Editor Tracey Bearton

OOOH! I unwittingly struck a chord with my comments last month on starting up as a new sales agent and the lack of advice and information, as it happened to coincide with a GCA seminar and there’s been quite a bit of feedback.

Our regular columnists Neil Anthony and Alina Clark each seized on the subject for this issue – I promise it was nothing to do with me, they’re both relatively young in sales agent years so it hit a nerve as they remember the difficulties they faced themselves when starting out.

Neil had also been asked to speak at the seminar on the subject of sales agents – there’s a brief report on the news pages with the full version available online at www.greetingstoday.co.uk – so he knows what he’s talking about.

Alan Carter, of Frillybee, emailed in with a publisher’s viewpoint on the issue – see letter below – and his suggestion of one way to increase the number of agents.

It would be interesting to hear any other ideas, from publishers, agents and retailers, because this is an issue that affects everyone in the greetings

O

industry so it’s a discussion well worth continuing.

And we are seeing some action already, since my leader appeared last month the unhelpful advice which I mentioned has been updated, and a number of publishers have been in touch willing to chat with my daughter with a view to her representing them.

I realise she’s been pushed to the forefront because she happens to be the daughter of the editor of Greetings Today but I’m hoping the message is now out there and more retailers and publishers will give new agents that helping hand. ● JUST a reminder that the annual Greetings Today Golf Day takes place at Northamptonshire’s Staverton Park again this year, on June 11.

If teeing off isn’t your style, we have a great way to include non-players – a £55 spa package that includes cofee and lunch, a 30-minute treatment, and the three-course presentation evening meal.

To take part in the golf day at just £95 for the morning nine-hole Texas Scramble, individual Stableford and four-ball competitions after the ham, egg and chips lunch followed by the presentation dinner, please email malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk For the £55 spa package, please email tracey@ lempublishing.co.uk as soon as possible.

Letter to the editor IT WAS interesting to read the Leader page in Greetings Today (March edition) where you’re talking about your daughter who is about to start a trial as an agent, and particularly how difficult it is to start.

From a publisher’s point of view, we find the same difficulty exists in terms of finding information about potential agents. When you do, it’s then difficult to find an agent who will take a look to see if the range/style may fit their bag. This is because existing agents invariably have more than enough companies to represent already.

As we have seen over recent years, the number of publishers out there has grown immensely – just look at the overflowing Springboard section at PG Live this year.

The Ladder Club, started by Lynn Tait some 15 years ago, has been a tremendous help in getting a considerable number of these new

publishers to market, a lot of which have a good range of product to present to retailers.

It appears from our experience, the increase in the number of agents has not kept pace and our beautiful industry does need to find a way of encouraging and helping potential younger, inexperienced agents into the market.

New publishers get good advice, but they also need time, money and a lot of determination, especially when juggling their designing / getting the kids to school / a day job / running the household, etc, while building their business.

When showing off our new companies, we’re all told “It’s hard out there”, however, if there is a lack of agents available, experienced or otherwise, to represent these newbies, there will come a point where a number of the young, talented designers will stop

publishing because they ran out of money while waiting to get on the agent merry-go-round.

Independent agents representing independent publishers is an integral part of the greetings industry.

But, if it’s so difficult for potential agents to start up – good advice, time, money and a lot of determination needed – what can be done?

There are some established agents who run sub-agents where they split the current successful bag, add more publishers to back up their current representation and, as sales increase, it can give an opportunity to introduce another publisher. This is one answer. Are there any others?

May I wish your daughter the best of luck with her new career. It’ll be hard work but It’s a really friendly industry. Enjoy.

Alan Carter www.frillybee.co.uk

Send your views and submissions for the magazine to: tracey@lemapublishing.co.uk Tel: 01442 289930

Want to appear in ?

MAY FEATURES: Pulse Preview NSS & Surtex Preview PG Live Preview Art & Photographic Cards MAY COPY DATE IS APRIL 17

JUNE FEATURES: Licensing Expo Preview Humour Cards Gifts For Cards Shops Children’s Cards & Wrap JUNE COPY DATE IS MAY 18

JULY FEATURES: Harrogate Home & Gift Preview Plush Toys & Gifts Animal-Themed Cards JULY COPY DATE IS JUNE 15

WINDOW ON THE WORLD THE plethora of chicks and eggs around as this April issue goes to print is a very good indication that Easter is approaching fast so the arrival of these lovely seasonal shop images was perfect timing.

The Greeting Card Shop in Brunswick Road, Buckley, Flintshire, is a successful family business run by brother and sister Gary and Denise Ames for the past 25 years.

Staff member Linda Collins sent in the picture and said: “I’ve worked for them for 20 years doing the window, and displays within the shop of pottery and gifts.

“We have around 10 different card suppliers, most of which sell really well, but our most popular at the moment are Jonny Javelin and International Cards & Gifts.”

T: 01244 541285

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 7

SEE MORE NEWS ON www.greetingstoday.co.uk

in the news news in brief Search is on THE success of the first Great British High Street Awards last year, means the contest is back for 2015 with entries now open to take on last year’s winner, Belper in Derbyshire. Penny Mordaunt, Minister for High Streets, Town Centres and Markets, wants to see even more entries than the 135 communities who took part last year. The closing date is July 21 and to find out more email highstreets@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Funny money RED noses, deely boppers, moustaches, daft outfits and face paints were the order of Comic Relief day at the Ling Design and Talking Pictures studio in Bath. The team joined in the Comic Relief fun along with many others from the greetings industry, including Blott, Paprika, Paperchase and Robert E Fuller and the pictures have been posted on the Greetings Today Facebook page.

Kisses from angels CELEBRATING a child who has become an angel is the theme behind special cards by Tiff Nelhams for the Angel Wings Support Group for bereaved parents run by Michaela Street, who approached Tiff – whose publishers TiffsArt features in Meet The Newbies in the March issue of Greetings Today – to design a special card for Angelversaries, the anniversary of a child’s death.

Brand is strong THE Thorntons brand is strong and strengthening further, according to their half-year results to January 10, as overall retail like-for-like sales increased by 2.2 per cent, helped by an “outstanding” Christmas to continue the “remarkable turnaround”. However, overall Thorntons had a disappointing half-year financial performance following issues with their new warehouse and declining revenue on the major grocers’ side which cut profit before tax and exceptional items by 8.8 per cent to £6.5million from £7.2million a year ago.

Inflation busters INFLATION-busting price rises saw both first and secondclass stamps going up by a penny from March 30, to 63p and 54p. That’s rises of 1.6 per cent and 1.8 per cent when latest figures show on average the price of goods is rising at just 0.3 per cent, the lowest since 1989.

Smiles and giggles AN AMAZING first year is being celebrated by Australian children’s stationery brand Smiggle who have opened 19 shops across the UK in just 12 months, and an online store that went live in March. From that first shop in Westfield Stratford in February 2014, Smiggle have added a UK operation to their 160 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Art for free!

ORIGINAL artworks have been given away to lucky winners Anne Scott, Tracey Sarwar and Ben Fidoe following the prize draw run by Image Source at Spring Fair. The pieces were donated by Emma Freeman, Poppy Davies and Frank Endersby, who are among the 110 artists they represent.

Click with customers ALL RETAILERS will be allowed to offer click-and-collect services in-store from April 15 as laws requiring planning permission are changed. Retailers will no longer have to apply for planning permission, which costs £195 and requires store bosses to complete reams of paperwork.

Ministers say the move allowing more online shoppers to pick up their purchases in-store, will boost the High Street.

8 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Thighs are set to wither IF YOU’RE one of the hardy fools who signed up for this year’s Cardgains Challenge, it’s time to think about training for Withering Thighs, the 25-mile walk around Bronte Country on Thursday, June 25.

Cardgains have now revealed the plan is to raise enough money for The Calvert Trust to buy a minibus to help them organise adventure holidays for disabled and special needs children at their three centres across the UK. The walk in the Yorkshire Dales will take in parts of the Millennium Way, Bronte Way and Pennine Way, starting and finishing at the Golden Fleece pub in Harden, near Bingley, run by stalwart challenge support Cummo.

Participants are being asked to raise a minimum of £250 sponsorship each – so Greetings Today editor Tracey Bearton will be among those nagging for donations soon.

Nick’s a right Dragon

Pains – and pansies!

GREETINGS cards are to the fore as the BBC have announced that Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins will be one of three entrepreneurs joining the Dragons’ Den for series 13.

Nick, Sarah Willingham and Touker Suleyman will be taking their chairs alongside long-serving Dragons Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden to hear the threeminute pitches from budding entrepreneurs which have included greetings and gift industry names Blooming Simple and Jackpen in the last two series.

Nick, pictured, founded the online greeting card website Moonpig.com which took him five years of losses and four rounds of fundraising before it eventually made a profit.

He sold the company to Photobox.com in 2011 for £120million shortly after Moonpig.com reached number three in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 and today they’re a household name shipping greetings cards, gifts and flowers to millions of customers worldwide.

Nick said: “I’ve always preferred the start-up stage to running a larger mature business. It’s a more exhilarating journey and requires instinctive fast decision-making. There’s often not much information to analyse and the risk of failure is ever present.

“Today’s technology means it’s possible for a business to succeed or fail much faster than ever before.

I’m very excited about joining Dragons’ Den and using my experience to back some great new businesses and help them through the turbulent first years.”

Since 2008 Nick has been actively investing in other start-up businesses, mostly in the technology and internet retail space.

TWO completely different ends of the scale were the subject of the GCA Growing Your Sales seminar for publishers – independent sales agents and brokerage.

There was a good-sized audience of around 70 as Greetings Today columnist Neil Anthony, of Reil Agencies, and Your Export Manager’s Robin Littman talked about how to make both agents and exports work for publishers.

The second part of the session was led by Paul Woodmansterne, Hallmark’s Matt Critchlow, and Chris Houfe, of the Great British Card Company.

Full coverage of both sessions can be found on www.greetingstoday.co.uk, but one interesting point that came out of the session was when Matt was asked “what makes a design last a long time” and it was revealed that Hallmark have the longestlasting card in their own catalogue.

The Pansy card comes from an original watercolour by Dorothy Maienschein and started out as a Mother’s Day card in 1939 in America before being reworked two years later as an open send, and that version is still going strong today.

The full caption is: “To let you know I’m thinking of you. Pansies always stand for thoughts – at least that’s what folks say. So this just comes to show my thoughts are there with you today,” and the iconic design finally arrived in the UK in 2005 where it has sold more than 85,000 in the last five years alone.

T: 020 7619 0396 www.greetingcardassociation.org.uk

Another record year for ANOTHER record year has been reported by Card Factory with their preliminary results to January 31, 2015, with revenues up 8.1 per cent to £353.3million.

That increase from the previous year’s £326.9m gives an underlying operating profit growth up by 8.9 per cent to £79.4m from £72.9m in 2014 for the company which completed their move to a public company in May. CEO Richard Hayes said: “It is pleasing to report another record year for Card Factory in terms of

both revenue and profit. Our team have once again delivered on each element of our growth strategy, cementing our position as the UK’s leading specialist greetings cards retailer.

“Our unique, verticallyintegrated model remains a real point of difference and a source of long-term competitive advantage in what is a very resilient market."

The results reveal like-for-like sales up by 1.8 per cent against 3.1 per cent last year, having been affected by the ongoing expected

decline in the lower margin Christmas boxed card segment and competitor promotions, and underlying EBITDA growth of 9.6 per cent to £88.2m, while the total reported net debt has been reduced significantly to £101.4m from last year’s £346.9m.

Card Factory share prices were 291.30p on the day of the announcement (March 25), slightly down from the March 23 highest point of 305p but up from the initial 225p at which they began trading on the Stock Exchange on May 15.

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in the news On KORSCH for the UK and Ireland Munich based KORSCH VERLAG is one of the leading publishers of calendars and greeting cards in Germany. Their exciting collection of advent calendars are now available to retailers in the UK and Ireland.

Each year since the company was founded in 1951, Korsch Verlag have published a comprehensive range with designs ranging from traditional and religious scenes to current licensed characters and modern artwork. This year’s programme features a beautiful collection of over 100 advent calendars and advent calendar cards which are shipped directly to retailers in the UK and Ireland from Germany. Special features include small unit sizes and a low minimum order to help all retailers, large and small, to stock and sell these wonderful calendars.

Korsch Verlag are recognised as an international leader in the production and distribution of advent calendars and their range incorporates many complex finishes including diecutting, flitter, glitter, foil blocking and embossing, all on top quality paper to produce a most attractive collection. All the calendars are based on designs exclusively and aectionately drawn by renowned artists, including the classic best-selling designs by Fritz Baumgarten and Kurt Brandes, which have been reprinted many times.

Nostalgic or modern, large format or small greeting card, flat or 3-D, for self purchase or as a charming gift, Korsch advent calendars are an essential product for retailers in the key Christmas selling period.

For further details or to order a catalogue, contact Roger Freeman, Sales Manager UK, Korsch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG.

T: 01438 820810 M: 07831 397931 rogerf99@btinternet.com www.korsch-verlag.de

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licensing news All we survey BRANDAR Consulting have been appointed by the international Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association to conduct their first Annual Global Licensing Survey.

The info-gathering has already begun with industry professionals from around the world being asked to complete a brief survey on their licensing activities, and the initial results will be presented in June at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, and will represent the most comprehensive annual survey that LIMA have yet produced.

The new survey is designed to calculate the size of the trademark licensing business globally and within a wide range of key countries and regions, expanding its emphasis far beyond the US and Canada. The deadline for respondents to complete the questionnaire is Monday, April 6.

LIMA President Charles Riotto said: “Our new survey will provide the type of data that is essential for helping to evaluate opportunities and develop strategic business plans, whether conducted globally, in specific international territories, or closer to home.”

Contact Marty Brochstein, LIMA SVP of Industry Relations and Information, at mbrochstein@licensing.org for more information.

Push on puppets THE push on the classic Gerry Anderson brand portfolio is gathering momentum as licensors ITV Studios Global Entertainment unveil the latest additions to their expanding licensing programme.

It’s been 50 years since Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic Thunderbirds first aired and to celebrate the milestone ITVSGE are expanding the portfolio to feature 1960s TV cult classics Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Stingray, Space 1999, Fireball XL5, Supercar and UFO with new product lines aimed at adult fans and collectors.

Hype Associates are on board for greetings cards, giftwrap and bags, with Robert Harrop unveiling a range of bronze figurines, character figures, resin figures, vehicles and pewter figures, while Plastichead are launching adult apparel, accessories and mugs, Anderson Entertainment have limited edition gifts including apparel, replica models, badges, paintings and posters, and Tree Frog are rolling out collectible cards.

T: 020 7637 4660 www.licensetopr.co.uk

people news Alan adds up a move ABACUS stalwart Alan Mawhinney has decided to leave the publishing company he helped make successful after almost a quarter of a century to pursue personal business interests as from April 17.

Wishing Alan all the best for the future, MD Brian Carey admitted he was disappointed at the decision, adding: “Alan was with us when we first launched the company back in 1991 and became Sales Director in 2001.

“There is no question he has been instrumental in the success of Abacus over the years, justifiably earning the highest possible respect of all colleagues within the company and many, many people in the greetings card market generally.

“Our most grateful thanks go to Alan for his personal dedication and commitment to the success of Abacus Cards as well as offering the very best of good luck wishes for the years ahead.”

T: 01638 569050 www.abacuscards.co.uk

Lindesay’s branded birthday EIGHTY years young – that’s Gemma founder Lindesay Rudd-Clarke who celebrated his milestone birthday on March 3 with a unique card specially commissioned by the company studio.

From their first licence of My Little Pony, the card featured all the brands that Gemma have signed since Lindesay and his late wife Margaret started the Andover-based licensed greetings specialists back in 1984, with selling beginning in 1985.

Gemma CEO David Wesson said: “Lindesay, a real pioneer in the licensing and toy industry, is not only our founding partner but also a real gentleman and everyone at Gemma wishes him a very happy 80th birthday”.

T: 01264 388455 www.gemma-international.co.uk

Job is music to his ears BLOWING his own trombone is what Phil Williams usually gets up to out of work time, but the accomplished musician has now made the news for his day job – he has been appointed as an Area Sales Manager by Harrogatebased card and gift company Peartree Heybridge, the publishers behind ranges including Camilla & Rose, Spring Chicken, Pam Ayres, Musical Moments, Jacky Fleming, Fothergill and Chocolate Mousse.

“We are delighted Phil has joined our team,” said Sales Director John Partridge, “his considerable experience in our industry will help us provide a first-class service to our retailer customers in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.”

T: 01423 876311 www.peartreeheybridge.co.uk

Happy and awesome BRINGING a little more awesome into everyday life is the aim behind the Happy Jackson brand and it’s now expanding into limited edition prints thanks to a deal with Iron Gut Publishing.

Happy Jackson is already successful in homeware, and greetings cards with Pigment Productions, Iron Gut will be producing limited edition prints, all mounted with certificates of authenticity and packaged for gift retail to hit shelves in April. www.irongutpublishing.com

Pop pets on posters and cards UK GREETINGS and Pyramid International are the two latest companies to win licences for Studio Pets By Myrna’s portfolio of artistic photography featuring popular pets.

Gift bags, wrap and greetings cards will be available from UKG later this year, while Pyramid will create a line of posters, print canvases, notebooks, pencil cases, mugs, coasters, badges and key chains which should be ready by the summer.

Francesca Lisle-Grimshaw, Partner for licensing agents Lisle International, said: “They are both sought-after partners in the licensing industry and have enviable distribution channels that will create major awareness for the property plus lucrative sales opportunities.

T: 01924 465200 www.ukgreetings.co.uk T: 0116 284 3640 www.pyramidinternational.com

10 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

exhibition news

Louies, best new products and seminars OUTSTANDING designs and cutting-edge innovations are invited as entries to the Best New Products Awards for the National Stationery Show in New York.

Applications are now being accepted for the awards in eight categories, including the new Seasonal Greats section, for the show from May 17-20 at the Javits Convention Center.

“The awards spotlight the outstanding designs and cutting-edge innovations that have been developed by NSS exhibitors for today’s consumers,” said Patti Stracher, vice-president and NSS show director for organisers Emerald Expositions.

Full details for entry are on the NSS website but products new to market since May 21, 2014, are eligible with exhibitor submissions limited to one product per category.

All entries will be showcased in the New Product Display in the Crystal Palace Lobby and the awards will be presented on the opening day with one

category winner being named Best Of Show.

The NSS also sees the presentation of the Louie Awards on the opening evening, for which 70 finalists have been picked from more than 200 companies across the world, who submitted 1,100 entries in 58 categories.

The show itself has three days of educational programming, covering topics as diverse as social media to colour and design trends, to complement the experience for attendees.

Patti added: “Our seminars address current issues and are designed to provide savvy business strategies for both the novice and veteran retailer. Our faculty of industry experts is carefully selected to deliver a compelling and comprehensive continuing education experience to attendees and exhibitors alike.”

A full list of seminars is available on the NSS website.

www.nationalstationeryshow.com

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

supplier news Kora joins the family

Respect and refreshed

A STATE-of-the-art volume bagging and packing machine is the latest investment by Fulcrum Films, manufacturers of polypropylene bags for the greetings card and gift industry.

The new machine gives the Carlisle-based family-run firm the potential to take on high-volume work, and offer a new range of services, plus giving card manufacturers a much faster turnaround and consistent finish compared with using a manual bagging and packing team.

Ray Clarke, Fulcrum Films MD, said: “We’re well known in the card and gift industry, particularly

AS MORE than just a printer, the Sherwood Press Group have rebranded to become The Sherwood Group, the Nottingham-based company have announced.

A statement released this morning (March 4) said: “We have changed our company logo typeface to match the Purapackaging logo, an important part of Sherwood’s business today.

“We are balancing the respect for Sherwood’s heritage and rich history by keeping the oak leaf in the logo, but we have modernised and refreshed it. ”There are also reasons behind dropping the word Press from the company logo; Press is associated with

among smaller card manufacturers. However, we saw enormous potential to reach larger card and gift manufacturers if we could offer a high volume bagging and packing capability.

“Our new machine, nicknamed Kora, is already attracting interest from new customers who need a volume bagging and packing service that creates a hand-packed look and feel – we have high expectations that our investment will pay off very quickly.”

supplier news in brief ● OFFSET Productions have invested in a new Caslon Elite Foil Blocking for their greetings card department to work alongside their two Heidelberg Platens.

With a running speed up to 5,000 cards per hour the Caslon enables Kentbased OPL to continue to offer great service even during busy seasonal times.

Vince Brearey, Director of Operations, said: “‘We have been printing and finishing greetings cards for over 40 years and this demonstrates our continued commitment to the UK’s card publishers both large and small.”

www.offsetproductions.co.uk

● WIGSTON Paper have been appointed exclusive distributors of Swedish manufacturers Lessebo Paper’s Kaskad tinted stock range with all folio, reels, stock and indent available immediately. Lessebo made the change following the decision by PaperlinX to go with a merchant own-label brand. www.wigstonpaper.com ● FOLLOWING the recent announcement of Elliot Baxter & Co about the new strategic partnership with Iggersund Paperboard, their EBB Paper arm are now appointed stockists of the Incada range of folding boxboards. www.ebbpaper.co.uk

T: 01228 560526 www.fulcrumfilms.co.uk

On the move CARD, Wrap & Tag have recently moved to a new facility in Bradford, coinciding with the installation of a new digital press and further changes to their litho-printing capability.

Most of what they produce is digitally printed, however, a growing number of customers are taking advantage of the cheaper litho solution which only requires multiples of three or six designs rather than having to fill a full litho sheet.

print and, today, Sherwood is more than just a printer!

“We innovate and design award-winning products and create customer value through our smartbox and smartcard brands. We are also well-known among our greetings card customers as Sherwood.

“One thing is not changing – we’re the same professional people, committed to delivering excellent customer service and the best quality printed products.”

The Sherwood Group will be the trading name although the business name will remain The Sherwood Press (Nottingham) Limited so cheques should still be made payable to them.

T: 01274 305832 www.cardwrapandtag.co.uk

T: 0115 928 7766 www.sherwoodgroupuk.com

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FOIL&EMBOSS&FLITTER&DIE-CUTS &VARNISHING&FOLDING&FINISHING & ALL OF THE OTHER MAGIC WE BRING TO YOUR CREATIONS WWW. THEIMAGING CENTRE.CO.UK

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meet the newbies NEW MEMBERS

THE latest publishers to join the Greeting Card Association include:

STORMY KNIGHT 78 Oxford Street, Totterdown, Bristol, BS3 4RL Sarah Knight hello@stormyknight.co.uk www.stormyknight.co.uk 07875 027551 JAMES ELLIS STEVENS 5.12 Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3EH James Stevens info@jamesellis.com www.jamesellis.com 0117 927 7667 CARO ART PUBLISHING Annelise Caro artist@annelisecaroart.com 07480 958471 JAMBO CAT 32 Fleming Way, St Leonard's, Exeter, EX2 4TP Minoti Balraj minoti@jambocat.com www.jambocat.com 07792 783408 TWO SCOOPS Andrew Chambers andrewchambers56@me.com www.TwoScoops.cards 01932 405208 07846 269176 GARDEN GREETINGS Suki Gauvin info@gardengreetings.co.uk www.gardengreetings.co.uk 07772 311645 LUCY TRUMAN ILLUSTRATION Lucy Truman lucy@lucytruman.com lucytruman.com 01332 883307 07547 163553 CARD CRAZY Communications House, 26 York Street, London, W1U 6PZ Julian Perryman help@cardcrazy.co.uk www.cardcrazy.co.uk 020 81234 830 07980 792618 NOBLE FINE ART Bungalow Farm, East Cowton, Northallerton, Yorkshire, DL7 0DX Julia Noble info@noblefineart.co.uk www.noblefineart.co.uk 01325 378133 THE latest companies to join the GCA as associate members include: LOVE KATE'S Unit 1, Trenissick Rural Park, Cubert, Newquay, TR8 5PN Kate Malt enquiries@lovekates.co.uk www.lovekates.co.uk 0800 1777 255

Married to the job AS A married couple and artist duo, Alain and Josephine Yvorra have been creating hand crafted cards and pictures as a hobby for friends and family for the past 18 years, always working to hand draw and paint each design together.

Josephine said: "We always use birthdays, anniversaries and various special occasions to create something for someone we know, something unique that they could keep.

“Over the years we’ve accumulated a substantial catalogue of ideas and designs that have been screaming increasingly loudly for commercialisation.

“Succumbing, therefore, to the pressure that those lovely designs have exerted upon us to take them out of their box and give them the right to live and exist, we have now put together for the public these unique, poetic and romantic greeting card ranges to help celebrate or create that special occasion and make someone's day.”

As hopeless romantics, the pair’s two collections feature their metaphorical view of relationships – Anything For You and Nothing Like Together – focusing on two different worlds coming together.

They depict humorous scenes of impossible acts of courage, bravery, daring and chivalry and some with peaceful scenes of contemplation in impossible settings – an attempt to describe the unsayable and make you smile.

They’re both involved in every design, using nib pens with sepia to put the characters into timeless settings, picturing things that don't change like love, courage, fear, presented with a hint of ancient parchment, authentic and earthy – a sense of old documents that have been around for centuries.

T: 07985 617652 www.zazzle.co.uk/yvorradesigns

Passionate about pattern MEL Smith is passionate about pattern design and the focus of her recently-launched brand is to produce beautiful products.

All have eye-catching and individual patterns inspired by the world around her, especially colour combinations that stimulate her and shapes and lines that excite to give her designs a modern mid-century feel, with a playful twist.

It all started when she was around 16, which just happened to be the time when the interior decorating shows were taking over the TV schedule.

Mel – short for Melanie so she’s definitely nothing to do with the late, great comedian and actor – explained: “It sparked my interest in interiors and people's lifestyles. That, coupled with my parents’ constant decorating of our own home, and it seems I was destined to work in the interiors industry!

“My studies were within the interior textiles field, with my degree focusing on surface pattern design.

After moving to London I started my career designing for a greetings card studio – HotchPotch – with my designs sold to quirky boutiques and popular High Street stores such as Paperchase.

“I furthered my design career by working freelance, producing patterns for homewares that have sold to

brands such as Marks & Spencer and John Lewis.

“After completing a business course, I launched my own brand officially in 2014, with the creative vision to expand and develop my ranges in 2015.

“It has been very exciting to launch my own products.

My relaxed and playful style appeals to people who are keen to introduce colour and individuality to their home, while the mid-century influences appeal to the ongoing trend for retro designs.”

T: 07951 265582 www.melsmithdesigns.com

WHAT’S NEW AT WINDLES? Record numbers use Flexisheet – Wiindles Group are seeing record numbers of relatively new publishers who have been printing digitally, moving to the litho stage and utilising Flexisheet.

This is fantastic news for the industry where new product continues to enter the market at a rapid rate.

With a choice of 4/0, 4/1, 4/4 on coated, uncoated or lick coated materials, with finishes and creative cold foil. The choice is endless, totally FLEXIble.

We’d be delighted to hear from you if you would like to know more or have any questions. Please email flexisheet@windles.co.uk or call us today on 01844 201683.

12 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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meet the newbies FEARS CAN BE FOILED

RECENTLY, a publisher approached us to chat about how they really liked the Creative Cold Foil effect on greetings cards but were worried about using it in case it was seen that they might be copying another product already on the market.

It’s very important here at Windles Group that we address this type of dilemma to stop publishers worrying and support those who want to adopt new things and keep their customers fed with a continual supply of impressive designs.

When you think about it, the same could be said about any process that’s ever been invented – four-colour print, hot foiling, embossing, flitter, die-cutting, to name just a few, they’ve all been used by someone, sometime, somewhere. But, as can be seen at any show where new product is launched, even the use of print in its crudest form is different from publisher to publisher, range to range, design to design.

In its basic form, Creative Cold Foil is just another process you can do on press. It’s all done in-line and at the point of printing so no additional passes through finishing machines. But it’s a particularly versatile process that can be adapted to suit a designer’s latest creation and flights of fancy.

Because a die does not need to be made for cold foiling, production time is cut down considerably, the printing of CMYK on top of the foil opens up endless possibilities for the amount of different foiled colours you can get on one card design.

In general, the foil can be applied with greater precision, at a higher resolution, and across a larger area with the Creative Cold Foil process.

Gradients can be incorporated to foil through the cold foiling process and different looks are achieved through the addition of a desired coating – for instance, use of a matt coat gives a more muted effect.

Creative Cold Foil provides a luxurious metallic look to the greetings card industry of glitz and shine.

The renowned continuous development at Windles Group to meet market demands for impact, speed, efficiency and sustainability means there are more metallic design options than ever so we love to help find the one that meets your needs. We always want to keep the customer satistfied With the support from our in-house MuchMore Studio services, Windles Group provide design help, checking and assurance. Liquid proofing of Creative Cold Foil designs enables publishers to see exactly what they will look like pre-production, and gives them the opportunity to show customers for their input where appropriate.

Our Creative Cold Foil Flexisheet innovation allows you to produce just one or two designs without having to worry about filling a complete litho sheet.You can test the market or just eliminate any nerves about the new designs using something different.

And going back to that publisher who sparked this piece, well they’ve just used Creative Cold Foil in their own way to create an amazing new range of greetings cards, so unique and different to anything we’ve seen before.

They’ve proved to themselves that the process is really versatile and there are lots of different ways to incorporate it into imagery to create a totally fresh look that should fly off the shelves and become a signature range for them.

Windles Group really can foil all those fears about making your designs zing. It really is artwork-dependent.

Hats off to nature HAVING founded a millinery label, former advertising agency worker Eloise Hall is now a London-based artist and designer who celebrates nature with richly crafted collages and products from her studio at home.

Themed around Eloise’s love for symbols within nature, such as the Koi Carp used in both Chinese culture and feng shui to depict good fortune, she creates delicate collages, art prints, greetings cards, boxed card sets and notebooks.

Her 16 new designs for the range of greetings cards were extremely well received at Top Drawer Spring and Eloise said: “I began designing and crafting artwork almost by accident. I’d just moved house and was looking for a piece that would brighten up a wall in my hall. A butterfly landed on the window and the flash of its wings inspired me to make a collage around butterflies.

“Visitors to our home – I was running a bespoke millinery business from my house at the time – were soon commissioning me to make collages for their own homes, and things quickly snowballed.”

She has created her new range of luxurious products using the highest quality materials, thick paper stock for the stationery and giclee archive quality art paper for the art prints.

Eloise added: “Each piece I’ve made represents a variety of ancient meanings; dragonflies symbolise living for the moment and butterflies embody renewal and rebirth. I craft collages in layers to emphasise hidden meanings – and to make them as beautiful as possible.”

T: 07768 041675 www.eloisehall.co.uk

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Birds + cards = job!

STUART Cox likes birds and he likes cards – and he really likes cards with birds on, so that’s what he now does for a living and I Like Birds are now slowly spreading their wings across the UK. From his base in the north of Scotland, graphic designer Stuart has turned the family bird-watching passion into a business but it came about by accident.

“My work had primarily been commissions for other people,” he said, “about four years ago I decided to try to reinject some joy into my work by doing some stuff purely for myself and, over the course of a week or two, I produced a number of bird illustrations.”

A series of family bereavements then caused him to forget all about the drawings for a couple of years until they were rediscovered during a house move.

Stuart added: “A friend saw them, and asked if he could take them into his workplace to show people. They asked if they could be made up into cards to sell in their cafe in Aviemore – and we'd stumbled into a business.

“We now sell our cards across the UK and since November they’ve have also

been available through Paperchase – who have been magnificently helpful and supportive.”

Despite having only been in business since May, I Like Birds have already expanded into prints, mugs and coasters, with plans for printed tote bags very soon and they’ve even sold cushions.

He added: “Having stumbled into having a part-time greetings card business, I'd have to say it’s probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done. The greetings card community is wonderful, there seems to be very little competitiveness, and existing businesses seem more than happy to offer advice and support. We've passed that on too, having recently helped a local artist get their work on to cards and into the shops.

“It would have been nice if my family could have seen this but in an odd way they made it possible - losing so many people so quickly reminded me to make the most of life, and to enjoy what you do to the max – and I love the work I do.”

T: 01309 671836 www.ilikebirds.net

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 13

TALKINGSHOP

Firmly planted

With 148 sites across England and Wales, Wyevale Garden Centres are well established as a household name and known not just with green-fingered fans but also for the huge range of greetings cards and gifts they offer. Senior buyer Afzal Sachak tells all.

T

ELL us about Wyevale Garden Centres and how they’ve grown over the past 83 years.

We were formerly The Garden Centre Group and are the nation’s largest group of garden centres, with 148 across the country.

Their roots date back to Wyevale Nursery, which was founded in 1932 and eventually became one of the earliest garden centres. Marie Curie Cancer Care is the group’s chosen national charity partner. We employ more than 5,000 people – our longest-serving employees have been with the group for more than 40 years and we’re proud of their contribution. Our mission is to bring the joy of the garden to everyone, providing a place where anyone can come to find help, ideas and inspiration.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Sourcing and developing new products to inspire our customers!

You have a great opportunity within the gifts and greetings sector to capture the customer – how do you manage this in-store?

We ensure the customer journey within the store takes them through our Home & Gifts department which is usually located alongside our houseplants and greeting cards categories to create a gifting destination.

What type of products do you stock?

There’s a wide variety of gifts from candles and fragrance through to figurines, photo frames, vases and decorative objects for the home. We also stock a wide variety of personalised products for all age groups, as well as decorative objects that can be used as gifts for various age groups and occasions – from weddings and births through to key seasonal events such as Mother’s Day. How important are greeting cards to your business proposition?

Greeting cards are an important part of our total gifting experience – sales in this area are

14 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

‘

Sales S are largely driven d by the age, relations and celebration genres s

largely driven by the age, relations and celebration genres.

’

Do you feel ranges are refreshed regularly?

We work with our suppliers to offer a changing mix within each genre at least twice a year and within each season we may change the selection from a particular range or brand based on performance and to accommodate new launches.

How does giftwrap fit into the mix?

We see giftwrap, gift bags and gift boxes as a growing opportunity which not only complements the greetings cards but also the main gifts section and also the houseplant and gifts for gardeners areas. Here, we’re capitalising on the trend to upscale a gift and increase its perceived value.

How do you keep abreast of buying trends?

By monitoring what’s going on around me in my life every day and following lifestyle trends and cultural influences as reported by the likes of WGSN and Trend Bible, then translating this into a range of giftware that will attract our customer. It could be anything from a fashion colour or a print that makes its way on to a mug design or a range of decorative objects for the home, through to cultural references from foods of the world or popular holiday destinations that may incorporate icons and design. I also use the internet and blogs, as well as being aware of the impact a film or TV series may have, eg The Great Gatsby and Downtown Abbey on products.

Is there a particular gifting category that performs especially well for you?

Our candle and home fragrance category performs very well for us.

How important are trade shows, and which ones do you usually attend?

Trade shows are very important as these give me an opportunity to see a large number of resources under one roof. Apart from picking up key trends, the international shows can be a great opportunity to source a new and exclusive supplier. In the UK, I attend the Autumn and Spring Fairs in Birmingham, Home & Gift in Harrogate, Harrogate Christmas, Top Drawer in London and many more. I’ll also visit the key international shows such as The Canton Fair, Atlanta Gift Show, Ambiente in Frankfurt and Maison et Objet in Paris.

How far in advance do you plan stock?

It’s six to nine months in advance on our everyday giftware ranges and we source for the following seasonal gifting occasions, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day and Christmas.

Do you have a particularly busy time of year, and how far in advance do you plan for this?

Christmas is the busiest time of the year – we usually begin our planning at least 18 months in advance.

What about social media, is this important?

It’s very important, both for keeping on top of current news and using it as a platform to give customers content and information. It is also an important tool for building relationships and brand presence.

How does your website operate alongside your stores?

It provides content and information on all our stores and locations as well as offering tips and advice for our customers.

And what do you see for the future?

Gifting will always be an important part of our business and I expect to grow the area as our customers are continually looking for new and inspirational products and greetings cards.

There’s no shortage of products for us to buy to inspire and entertain them. www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk

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JOHN RYAN RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

Be better than I you are N CASE you missed it, but it would be rather poor if you did, Mother’s Day has come, been and gone.

And on the day in question there were droves of anxious-looking men queuing at the cut flower stand in Camden Town Sainsbury’s. It’s probable this was not unique. Indeed, it’s likely the pattern was being repeated up and down the land.

There used to be an advertising line that ran: “Say it with flowers”, as if words weren’t enough and, to judge by the crowds queuing up to spend more than £20 a head in Sainsbury’s, they still aren’t.

That said, in general the flowers were accompanied by words in the shape of greetings cards with lines that read “To A Wonderful Mother”, or something similar.

The point, however, was that, while the flowers were certainly being purchased in supermarkets rather than small florists, plenty of the cards were actually being picked up along with the Sunday papers in the local newsagents.

And it’s fair to remark that in many instances both supermarkets and newsagents were open ahead of the shops that function as greetings card specialists, iff indeed the latter opened – well it was a Sunday and it was only Mother’s Day! Those that chose to walk into most newsagents would have found a pretty fair selection in many cases and there would definitely have been something that would have had shoppers reaching for a note, rather than coins, as they paid for their papers.

The displays were passable and very possibly better than some of the outposts that style themselves as greetings card shops.

All of which is a long and somewhat roundabout way of saying that independent greetings card store owners are fond of complaining about how much they pay for rent, rates and suchlike, but all too often they are hoist by their own petard.

To succeed as a store you need to be better than the competition and selling enough will overcome operational gripes about the cost of doing business.

If coming out on top consisted solely of besting

‘

Go check out G the best opposition, not the biggestt

’

It’s no good measuring yourself against the mass market card sellers, that’s a recipe for mediocrity and disappointment, says John Ryan.

Clintons then things might be a little easier – as that large chain continues to provide an underwhelming in-store experience, in spite of a number of revamps.

But with Paperchase, Scribbler, newsagents and all the major supermarkets devoting space to greetings cards, there is more to commercial acumen for independents than being a step ahead of Clintons.

And consider this – both Paperchase and Scribbler have trodden that very tricky line by which they have the power of central buying, but still manage to look and feel semi-independent, just like a good indie should.

Both chains are more or less the same in most

John Ryan is Stores Editor at Retail Week where he’s worked for more than a decade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life he was a retail buyer.

T: 07710 429926 twitter: @newstores www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

locations but, by restricting the number of shops that they have in any particular area, they succeed in fostering a sense of being local and mildly one-off.

So here’s the challenge – be better than this.

Don’t spend time inspecting Clintons and feeling pleased that your store at least measures up to what they’re doing. This won’t be enough.

And do not, really don’t, try to undercut the discount chains. With the likes of Card Factory on almost every High Street, it’s a war that has already been fought and won and you’ll not seduce those intent on finding a bargain when there is a plethora out there and your margins are under pressure.

Which brings us back to Mother’s Day. It’s not back for another year so you’ve 12 months to make sure your outlook will be better than it is now.

Go and check out at the best opposition, not the biggest, if you really must have a benchmark against which to measure yourself.

Retailing is a simple proposition – you just have to be better than the others.

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 15

ON THE SHOP F RONT VIEWPOINT FROM AN INDEPENDENT

On the face W of it HEN I wrote my first article for Greetings Today last month I really wasn’t sure whether anybody would take the time to read it, or comment on it – but I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the amount of emails and messages that have come through already.

It means a lot to know people are interested in and inspired by my journey to becoming an independent greetings and gifts retailer.

We finished last time on opening day and, while I was jubilant at my £55.20 takings on our first day of trading, I knew it fell far short of the break-even point I’d set myself.

The following day was Good Friday, not a great decision to open right in the middle of the school holidays when everybody had left town!

My advice to anybody looking to open a shop is to carefully check your opening date and, if possible, make it a month before an event such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, that way you don’t lose trading days to bank holidays and you’re ready for that increased footfall in town.

The first couple of weeks were steady in the shop, maybe not a bad thing as I was still learning and had a few teething problems, but I needed to better promote the fact the store was trading as not enough people were coming through the door.

As social media was something I’d never really understood – I thought it was for kids – I decided instead to spend about £250 on having leaflets printed. Then I trudged around the streets of Ampthill every Sunday and as many evenings as I could, popping them through letterboxes.

All that effort brought me in a total of about six customers whose average spend was under £10 even though there was a 10 per cent offer to redeem on the leaflet.

I then spent about £1,500 on a website – a website that had no interactive capabilities, no shopping platform and every single amendment following its launch has cost me more money.

That was a lesson learned, you really must read the small print when handing over your website domain details to a complete stranger. I still shudder at how much I paid for such a basic site and I’m pleased it will finally change next month!

Then I placed a full page ad in a local

‘

We post new W products and get people walking in half an hour later, it’s that instantt

’

publication, pretty good value at £300, and waited for people to rush through the door. I’m still waiting for that rush.

A few weeks after opening I was having my nails done and the technician asked after the shop, I told her how much I was loving it, even though it was quieter than I’d hoped, and tried to put a positive spin on it.

She told me she’d look up my Facebook page and follow me – excellent, I thought, except I didn’t have a Facebook page, or know how to get one! Explaining that to a 19 year old was a bit like trying to explain how to split an atom, she just didn’t get it.

After the salon closed she offered to stay late to show me what I needed to do and, once the page was set up she was my first ‘like’, then she shared my page with her friends and the likes started to build up quickly.

By the end of that week I had new people following the shop and coming in off the back of it, and it hadn’t cost me a penny, nor did I have to pound the streets delivering leaflets.

I’d totally underestimated the power of social media and the ability to interact with people who want to interact back. We now engage with more

In four years Jo Barber has gone from having no greetings retail experience to being named in the top five of the Buyers Power List at Spring Fair 2015 as her shop, The Stationery & Gift Boutique in Ampthill, Beds, has gone from strength to strength.

T: 01525 404742 info@stationery-boutique.co.uk

16 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

than 1,200 followers and it’s growing every day.

We share all sorts of news on our page, but don’t post too often, nobody wants to be bombarded, and we don’t just talk about stock either, we talk about us, we have fun with our followers and even announce special offers from time to time.

We can post pictures of new products on Facebook and get people walking through the door half an hour later, it really is that instant.

If you own a business and don’t yet embrace social media, go and get your nails done, it will change everything!

It was in the early days of my new Facebook existence that I found a shop a few hundred miles away that I really connected with, they seemed to be new to the world of greetings and stationery too and we started messaging each other.

It transpired we’d opened our shops on exactly the same day and had very similar tastes in both cards and stationery, now we’re firm friends. We meet at trade shows, share ideas and supplier information, it really works.

It can be lonely when you start a new business, so it’s great to have a sounding board, I couldn’t imagine not having the award-winning Sean Austin from Austin & Co in Malvern as my rock.

So this brings my journey just ahead of my first Christmas season. Next month I’ll share with you how I got my Christmas ordering wrong, totally and utterly wrong, and how business finally started to show signs of improvement.

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LONDONSTATIONERYSHOWPREVIEW

Get write on Bigger and better than ever, the London Stationery Show is the place to be to celebrate everything about pens, paper, crayons, gift wrap, cards, envelopes, handwriting, calendars and diaries – in fact anything remotely stationery-related. And don’t forget National Stationery Week or the first-ever World Stationery Day!

A

S THE biggest London Stationery Show yet prepares for its fifth outing, the organisers have promised visitors they will find plenty to catch their eyes.

“With over 200 stationery brands and suppliers from around the world gathered in one place, we are confident that our visitors, whether they are mainstream stationery buyers or looking for more quirky or boutique products to suit a particular age group or market, will find it at the show,” said director Chris Leonard-Morgan.

Having grown every year since its 2011 launch, the London Stationery Show takes place this year on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 28-29, at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

As the only UK trade fair dedicated to stationery and writing products, it focuses on fashionable, functional and fun products and has created a unique platform for suppliers to show off their latest designled creations.

For gift and greetings buyers there is a real momentum for new products in higher-end boutique lines from suppliers such as first-time exhibitors and Gift Of The Year winners The Art File, along with ExaClair, Wild & Wolf, Parker, Cross and Sheaffer and the burgeoning desktop gifts category.

Other product categories include writing products, notebooks, diaries, calendars, social stationery, filing and storage, licensed and children’s stationery, leather goods, giftwrap and desktop.

Chris added: “One in three exhibitors are new to this year’s show and over two thirds are exclusive to it, so they haven’t been seen by buyers anywhere else in the UK this year.

“The exhibition is an exceptional opportunity for buyers to get to grips with how the stationery market is developing and how these fashionable and creative products can fit into their offer.”

The show’s annual Stationery Awards, judged by a panel of leading independent and multiple retailers will be centre stage on arrival at the event. The awards highlight the year’s standout products, helping to give visitors a view of trends to come.

This year not only marks the show’s biggest exhibitor line-up to date, but also the role it plays in the wider stationery industry which includes

‘

It reflects and unites many different trends

The Art File – Stand M507 AT Cross – M730 Abrams & Chronicle Books – M629 Amodex – M720 Antalis – G103 BDS Office – M334 Blake Envelopes – M738 Bong UK – M649 Brother UK – M401 BrownTrout Publishers – M748 Bruce Douglas – M640 Busy B – M631 Butterick Company – M735 CARL – G211 Carla Craft – G100 Carole Group – G121 Castelli – M538 Cathedral Products – M415 Centrum Europa – M620 Clipper Retail – M324 Collins Debden – M638 The Colman Group – M548 Cordello Home – M531 Craft & Stationery UK – M310 Crownn – G122 Designlines – M531 DKL Marketing – G221

’ the hugely popular consumer campaign, National Stationery Week.

Also run by the London Stationery Show.

National Stationery Week takes place from April 27– May 3, and will include the first-ever World Stationery Day on April 29.

The two campaigns work very closely together; at trade level buyers can attend the show and meet the people behind almost every major stationery brand in the UK market and key international suppliers from China, Hong Kong,

the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Ireland, Latvia, Singapore, Spain, the USA and Vietnam.

In addition, they can easily participate in National Stationery Week which is a UK-wide consumer campaign that reached more than 20 million consumers last year and celebrates the written word and all things stationery, as well as the Get Britain Writing Campaign which aims to promote the importance of the skill of handwriting.

Stores wanting to get involved can download all the images associated with the campaign from the website and register as a Participating Retailer via email to georgina@ smallmanmedia.com “The widespread enthusiasm for these events is helping to promote and grow the stationery and writing products market for everyone,” said Chris.

“Stationery is a dynamic market, which reflects and unites many different trends – from new colours, textures and fashion to changes in social habits and etiquette.

“Combined with the enduring appeal of a hand-written note, and the fact you are much more likely to remember something if you have written it down, it creates a great synergy between consumers’ appetite for new products and those producing them.”

www.stationeryshow.co.uk www.nationalstationeryweek.com

EXHIBITOR LIST Dodo Pad – M515 Durable – M348 Edding – M540 Enveco – M648 Exaclair – M501 Flame Tree Publishing – M305 FLB Group – G212 Funky Brilliant Gadgets – M607 GBA Pen – M618 Genie – M405 GF Smith – G200 Go Stationery – M349 Hide Stationery – M440 Hillcrest Marketing – M740 The Hira Company – M346 Inkviva – G125 Jakar International – M709 Jet Tec International – M316 Karl Meisenbach – M716 Lamy – M630 Leuchtturm1917 – M400 Lexon – G215 Lime Internet – M421 LSM – M406 Luckies of London – M605

Luxor UK – M407 Mad Stuff – M650 Magic Whiteboard – M516 Manuscript Pen – M315 Maped Helix – M506 Modrec International – M312 Monolith UK – M441 Montegrappa – M617 Museums & Galleries – M448 Mustard – M321 Newell Rubbermaid – M422 Nightingale International – M320 Ningbo-Link Art Paper – M711 Notable Designs – M528 NoteShel – G111 NPW – M420 Nuco International – M701 OLFA – M325 Organise-US – M722 Otter House – M416 Paperblanks – M449 Paperlinx – M739 PaperPro – M337 The Paper Stone – G114 Parax Paper – M539

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PCC/M&G Stationery – M331 Penfold Card & Gift – M641 Pentel – M610 Peter Pauper Press – M537 Piano Pens – G219 Portico Design – M648 Postsafe – M439 Pran-RFL – G208 Premier Grip – G116 Presco Group – M749 Publishers Group – M725 Pukka Pads – M428 Pyramid International – M330 Quadrille Publishing – M706 Quiver Pen Holders – M635 Reliable Source – G222 Robert Frederick – M616 Sadipal Arconvert – M743 Sambro International – M341 Santoro – G203 Semikolon – M303 Shachihata – M721 Shiny Stamps/Stamps Direct – M600 Sinclairs – M408 SLG – G226

Snopake Brands – M729 Spring Innovative Workshop – M301 Stabilo International – M621 Staedtler – M541 Stationery Market – M742 Stewart Superior – G102 Stone Marketing – M521 Strawberry Design & Marketing – M350 Studio Pens – M520 T-Tag Technologies – G107 Tallon International – M700 Tesa UK – M339 Thames & Hudson – M510 Thien Long – M308 Totto – M728 Trinity Xtras – M715 Trodat UK – G112 Two Little Boys – M639 Uni-ball – M710 West Design – M530 Whitefurze – M438 Wild & Wolf – M340 Woodware Craft Collection – G231 Write Size – G225 Zebra Pen (UK) – M601

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GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

Att a standstil standstill WHAT THE RETAILERS THINK

Sean Austin

Austin & Co, Belle Vue Terrace, Great Malvern “Urban Graphic giftwrap goes very well for me and I tend to sell an awful lot as posters because in the shop I display it behind picture frames so people see it in a different light. I had one chap come in and ask how much one piece was, I said £1.85 and he thought I meant £185 – and he looked like he was prepared to pay that! Urban Graphic also do the Heroes And Villains range by Jack Teagle and one lady bought 10 sheets because she was papering her downstairs loo wall, it’s about lateral thinking of what you can do with it.

“In terms of stationery, what sells for me are packs of note cards from teNeues because they’re a high-quality card that can be used for any occasions. People keep them in their office drawers to use as emergency cards. Thank you cards are very big, there’s been a big resurgence and, in the post-Christmas period, I’ve never seen it so big – I had to get in extra supplies.”

Lucy Sticka & Heidi Richardson

Little Paperie, St John Street, Ashbourne, Derby “Stationery is our other main thing apart from greetings cards, it’s why we opened up as a stationery boutique and it sells very well. We do Kate Spade stationery and that sells quite well. We haven’t got many gift bags but we have some in from Abigail Warner and they are flying off the shelves Giftwrap we also don’t sell all that much because we only have a small range but it’s enough for our customers.”

Jenny Morrison

Top Drawer, South Street, St Andrews, Scotland “I don’t have stationery because I have a small shop but I started on giftwrap and bags from Glick last year as they have the Wendy Jones Blackett designs and I’ve found they do really well. The birthday wrap sells well and a lot of people want a nice wedding bag – because I do the cards as well, it’s nice that they can match them up.”

Chris Beards

Mantons. Station Road, Port Erin, Isle Of Man “We don’t do a massive range of giftwrap but it’s a steady seller for us. With giftwrap and bags we’re exclusively Glick. We do a little bit of stationery with companies likes Busy B, Castellini on the leather notebook side and Leuchttuerm 1917, which does very well for us.”

18 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Stationery and stationary mean very different things these days but are often muddled, so how do you tell the difference and what connects greetings cards and giftwrap with Romans, churches and one of London’s oldest Livery companies?

W

HAT is it about stationery that fascinates people? Is it that there are so many variations and they all have a practical purpose but also look nice and don’t cost very much?

Is it that you have one thing – paper and pencils – and can turn it into something completely different – a diary, a wonderful story, a lovely picture?

Or is it that we’re all fascinated by the fact half the population muddle up “stationery” and “stationary” because they don’t know the difference between an adjective and a noun?

As Greetings Today columnist Jo Barber commented when she was named as one of the top five in the Buyers Power List Power 30 Awards at Spring Fair, her big moment was spoiled when she noticed the screen above the stage had her shop name misspelt – anyone running The Stationery Boutique wouldn’t last in that business very long if they spelled it “stationary”.

The version with an “a” can only be an adjective, which is a describing word, so stationary means standing still, while that with an “e” is a noun, it names something, so stationery is the group name for the products.

And the Romans get the blame for the confusion as both words have their roots in the Latin term “stationarius”, for a person based at a military station. That word evolved in medieval times to mean a trader who had a fixed shop, or station, rather than travelling from fair to fair.

These were usually booksellers because the stock was too bulky to be carried about and were mostly linked to medieval universities which were generally connected to churches.

By the 14th century in English it had become “stationer”, sellers of everything to do with books such as paper, pens and ink, as well as copying and binding them.

During the Middle Ages St Paul’s Cathedral in London was a place of learning and gradually a number of small stations appeared, with the booksellers joined by people who could read and write advertising their services to those who wanted something read or written but couldn’t do it themselves.

In 1403 the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London approved the formation of the guild

‘

known as the Stationers’ Company, which set up its headquarters near St Paul’s as that was where so many operated.

Stationers’ Hall is still there today, a Grade One listed building in nearby Ave Maria Lane, although, with the advent of print and publishing their remit expanded and their official title is now The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, one of London’s oldest Livery Companies.

By the 17th century traders in finished books had become known as booksellers, leaving stationer to cover sellers of writing materials and, as that involves paper and card which is what social stationery, sticky notes, greetings cards, notebooks, diaries, calendars, postcards and envelopes are made from, the meaning of stationery has now grown to encompass those products too.

Actually envelopes are the key to remembering the spelling because the word starts with an “e” which is also in the version of “stationery” that covers the products themselves.

This expansion of the meaning of stationery is why these types of product have become staples for greetings retailers – there aren’t many card stores that don’t stock at least a few notebooks and pencils.

Of course, giftwrap, tags, bags and all the accoutrements of parcelling up a present sit very neatly in greetings stores too with all that stationery.

And to think, it all started with Roman soldiers and traders standing still!

The Romans get the blame for all the confusion

’

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Introducing Our Brand New Gift Box Collection

The most talked about launch of 2015

Unit 1, Allenby House, European Industrial park, Knowles Lane, Bradford BD4 9AB Tel: 01274 655 980 Fax: 01274 687 868 Email: sales@glick.co.uk www.glick.co.uk

GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

Ecologically good quality PRINTED with the bright designs that Photowrap are renowned for, their gift bags are also very strong, while trying to be as ecological as possible.

The paper is a whopping 210gsm with a satin laminate, and card reinforcing the handles and base. The handles are dyed cotton, and secured with knots to reduce the use of plastic.

From jelly beans through gnomes to plant pots and fruit, the images enhance the high quality you can feel just by holding one.

Sold in sixes, the small, medium and large are £1.25, £1.45 and £1.85 each respectively to trade, to retail at £3, £3.50 and £4.50, while the bottle bag is £1.20, RRP £2.75.

T: 01364 644646 www.photowrap.co.uk

Dashing new designs CUTE dachshund Frank is very much a part of the Art File team and his new Call Me Frank designs have now trotted on to a set of new everyday gift bags, as well as the stationery range.

After great feedback from customers over his sheet wrap design, Frank and a few of his friends have decided to take a pose on four different sizes of gift bags.

Available at the end of March, this fabulous and contemporary take on the cute little sausage is a must have for bagging up gifts for loved ones, friends, family, or anyone who loves a dachshund!

Frank and pals can be seen at the London Stationery Show for the first time where the Art File team are looking forward to seeing what everyone is raving about.

London Stationery Show Stand M507 T: 0115 850 7490 www.theartfile.com

New lines see offer growing THE Simon Elvin offering continues to grow with the introduction of new lines in the Celebration Glassware Range and the single-colour Finishing Touch range of gift bags, gift boxes, tissue and ribbons.

Accepted as leaders in design and quality, Simon Elvin keep a range of more than 1,500 lines on a stock control system, and many products carry a design theme, even through to the party range, giving the independent High Street retailer themed lines to match any national retail chain.

They offer a complete range of celebration glasses, gift bags, giftwrap, gift boxes, keepsakes, thank you cards, banners, notecards/notelets and the Finishing Touch Range, which can all be seen in the one brochure.

T: 01628 526711 www.simonelvin.com

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GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

The V&A Gifting range: Timeless, Quality, Coordinated.

Working with strong trends STRONG trends for giftwrap in spring-summer 2015 are bold florals and geometric and linear patterns. Colours are either bold and bright or metallic and monochrome.

These are the trends Glick have worked with for their strong 2015 collection. Director Becky Dobson said: “We believe our 2015 collection is our strongest yet and sales so far this year are backing this up.”

Roll wrap sales continue to grow and they have extended their range with seven brand-new collections.

Their Candy Rox Collection is a perfect spring capsule range, bright and colourful with geometric patterns and florals. All wraps within this range are double sided and the bags have a greetings card and tissue paper pack.

The licensed range with Wendy Jones Blackett has been a huge hit so Glick have added nine new flat wraps, five bag ranges, three roll wrap collections, three tissue papers and four gift box designs to the collection.

Glick’s Gift Box collection is a knock out, the best seller so far has been the pretty Pizazz Butterfly Trail design and, on the strength of the Pizazz licence, they have added a new range of Watercolours in the Gallery look, the results are understated and stunning.

Their Children’s collection has had an overhaul, as they can’t ignore superheroes and princesses. The collection is their largest to press and includes a brand-new licence from Kali Stileman of The Square Card Company.

Glick’s next launch will be a brand new licensed collection from Laura Darrington, Becky added: “It looks amazing and we can’t wait to launch it at PG Live!”

Gift Boxes: 4 Designs in 4 sizes

T: 01274 655980 www.glick.co.uk

Gift Bags: 4 Designs in 3 sizes Matching Tissue Paper also available Tel: 01373 462165 Email: sales@mgml.co.uk

www.museumsgalleries.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

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GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

No compromises

Flying high on sunshine CINNAMON Aitch are flying high on the popularity of the bright and cheery Hello Sunshine range so have expanded it with four gorgeous gift bags featuring favourite characters from the already successful card designs, to present a joyfully-colourful offering this spring.

These cute critters and flowers are brightly patterned against the kraft paper background, a striking gift bag finished off perfectly with contrasting grosgrain ribbon handles.

Sold in sixes, the small size is 83p each, RRP £2, medium £1.04 each RRP £2.50, large £1.25 each RRP £3.

There are also six lovely little notebooks, ideal for special sunshiny thoughts, jotting down big ideas and plans, or a little reminder for things not to forget!

Just the perfect size to pop in a pocket or bag, each contains 40 blank pages and is wrapped with a co-ordinating belly band.

These gorgeous little books, sold in sixes at 83p each RRP £1.99, are brimming with brightness and cheer and the perfect complement to the Hello Sunshine range.

YOU'VE carefully selected the perfect card, now to wrap the present - if your taste tends towards the rude and unusual why compromise with twee giftwrap?

Dean Morris has sheets of wrap and gift bags that match some of his best-selling designs, from OMFG!!! and Go On Flash Your Gusset, through Man Whore and Queen Of The Fucking Universe to Sod The Credit Crush, Happy Birthday Wanker and Bollocks To Christmas.

It's not all smutty stuff though, there's Happy Birthday in different languages , Today Is All About You and an selection of Keep Calm designs, plus a vintage Christmas wrap.

T: 01902 560247 www.deanmorriscards.co.uk

T: 0121 773 6833 www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk

More than cute pets HAVING supplied images for stationery and merchandise for many years, Ardea are well known for their cute images of pets however, their range of images, illustrations and photography is far more diverse.

It ranges from the more abstract to the specifically designed and the images are ideal for many types of products from gift wrap to magnets.

Ardea’s aim is to offer great images which bring pleasure and a smile to customers and images for stationery products range from flowers and the more abstract natural scenes to macrophotography and custom-made pets.

Every image has been selected based on its own merit and they hope this attention to detail will make them all the more memorable and useful for designers.

Ardea welcome new design ideas and queries when you have specific needs and their in-house designers can tweak existing images to make them perfect just for you.

T: 020 8318 1401 www.ardea.com

On a roll DANILO offer a range of two-metre, three-metre and four-metre giftwrap designs to suit various retailers, with the ranges available to grocers, toy stores, stationery stores and specialists and also to independents via Isitart.

Their existing Despicable Me designs are already a best seller in various retail outlets, across all formats.

New rollwrap lines for summer 2015 are Dr Who, Minions Movie, Fireman Sam, Monsters High, Paddington, My Little Pony and Star Wars, and they’re also available as gift bags and two-sheet two-tag.

Coming later in 2015 will be Minions Christmas Roll wrap as well as a host of football rollwrap featuring Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and other teams.

T: 01992 702900 www.danilo.com

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GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

Building on great collection MUSEUMS & Galleries have always had a great collection of distinctive and stylish gift wraps, and they have now built on this with a launch this spring of nested gift boxes, gift bags in three sizes with integrated matching hang tags, and coordinating tissue packs all, of course, complementing the stunning giftwraps themselves.

Pricing is very keen for these very attractive, superb quality products, with the tissue packs retailing at £2.50 (trade £1.04), gift bags ranging from £1.99-£2.75 (trade 83p-£1.14), and gift boxes £2.49-£6.49 individually (trade £6.99 for a nest of four boxes).

The designs have been sourced exclusively from the internationally important archives of the V&A Museum, and carry the V&A branding.

The plan is to create distinctive design stories for V&A stationery product, and these key patterns are also carried forward on another new stationery format for MGL – tactile, soft-cover notebooks keenly priced at £6.99 retail, £2.91 trade, slightly lower than their popular hard-cover journals.

The eight new journals in the range again feature stunning imagery from the V&A, from the ever-popular William Morris Strawberry Thief to a lush undiscovered floral by 18th century designer William Kilburn and Wonders Of The World suitable for male tastes.

These new products will be part of the full range of MGL’s gift stationery on view at the London Stationery Show, including notelets, social stationery packs, writing sets, notebooks, journals, giftwraps, poster wraps, pencil boxes, magnetic to-do pads, bookmarks, mirror sets and fridge magnets.

London Stationery Show stand M448 – T: 0116 230 4197 www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Packing a present LEADING party company Amscan International have a delightful selection of stationery packs designed to be given as fun favours at children’s parties.

With a great variety of different themes, from Disney Frozen and Paddington Bear to My Little Pony and Mickey Mouse, the stationery packs include items such as notepads, pencils, stickers and crayons which make an ideal small party gift.

Modern classic now available SEMIKOLON has become a modern classic and is now available in the UK after being taken over by Leuchtteurm at the end of last year.

The idea behind Semikolon is to create a range of stationery products with minimalist design in modern colours which offers the possibility of mixing and matching photo albums, notebooks and boxes to endlessly extend your collection.

Now 25 years old, the Semikolon colours and products have changed and evolved but many are still made the same as they always have been, clearly illustrating the brand’s timeless approach that’s not subject to fleeting fashion trends.

Family-run new owners Leuchtturm will shortly be celebrating their centenary having become a constant in the stationery industry with their Leuchtturm1917 notebook brand.

London Stationery Show Stand M400 & M303 T: 0845 490 1917 www.semikolon.com www.leuchtturm1917.com www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

T: 01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk

Five, four, three, two, one!

BRAINBOX Candy are excited to announce the launch of not one, but five new giftwrap designs, all printed in Blightly!

Following the success of the Wildstyle and Chalk card ranges, complementary wraps have been introduced which had a fantastic reception at Spring Fair. There’s also a quirky You Is Like Well Old Innit design, letterpressinspired Alphabet design and, last but not least, the Pug Face design for all pug fans.

T: 01702 716643 www.brainboxcandy.com

You know it makes scents FOLLOWING successful initial sales of Scentco Scented Stationery in January and February, exclusive UK distributors DKL Merketing now have the full range in stock.

A new Disney Frozen scented stationery range will be available in May with highlights including the five-pack of coloured Smencils, Elsa Sketch & Sniff notepad, and the Frozen FSDU. Scentco is an eco-friendly range of pencils, pens, markers, notepads and more, with an assortment of popular and recognisable scents that last for two years.

London Stationery Show Stand G221 – T: 01604 678780 www.dkl.co.uk

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GIFTWRAPBAGSACCESSORIES&STATIONERY

Refreshed and ready COLLAGE, part of the UK Greetings family, have launched a brand new, premium gift dressing offer featuring 66 per cent refreshed product and 13 new ranges.

From in-depth research into the brand offering, it was apparent there was a gap both in the collection and the market for truly innovative and luxury product, at great price points.

Julie Marsden, Product Manager Collage, said: “After the in-depth analysis we decided to develop a line which covered all price points in terms of good, better and best, but still offer quality and product excellence. The result is a collection which pushes the boundaries in terms of design, moving away from the typical celebratory imagery to skilful, trend-led and, in some cases, quite niche design formats.”

Graphite – This bold new masculine collection offers smart, eye-catching sends, with an on-trend colour palette of greys, blues and a touch of lime on graphic argyle, sphere and diamond patterns. All gift bags have printed insides and feature a Just For You message on the reinforcement.

Twilight Garden – This beautiful, bold feminine range offers shaped gift bags perfect for plants and includes super premium choices with selected bags and a wrap finished with heavy gold glitter on a blue and aqua colour palette. All bags have printed insides and die-cut gift tags.

It’s A Small World – This fun, colourful collection has a unique, vibrant colour palette and detailed artwork featuring colourful, lively scenes but perhaps the most important feature is the fun quotes and messages of friendship worked into the designs throughout, adding sentiment to the range.

Poppy Trail – A stunning female collection that offers highstyle looks through use of black and bold colours and contrasting reverse polka dot prints on flat wraps and gift bags. The opulent feel is completed with black satin handles.

Perfect for female sends of all ages and for those special gifts.

Petal – This stunning collection offers an on-trend colour palette of coral, aqua, cream and lovely vintage floral patterning. Printed insides on gift bags and hot coral satin handles provide the perfect finishing touch for a pretty female send.

Kaleidoscope – This colourful collection teams zany abstract patterns with a strong primary colour scheme that just shouts out celebration. These wraps and bags are a great choice for birthday and other celebratory gifts, and suitable for all ages.

Pippa & Smudge and Nuts & Bolts – Offering two great new ranges for kids, for girls there’s the sweet characters Pippa and Smudge, with trendy typography and pretty patterning, plus lovely die-cut butterfly and flower tags on gift bags for extra fun and, for boys, Nuts & Bolts features fabulous robots and a bolder primary palette with trendy typography and fun words.

The Owl And The Pussycat – A perfect choice for a younger send, this artwork beautifully depicts Edward Lear’s famous characters in rainbow bright colours with lettering from the poem woven into one of the bag designs. Pretty patterning on the sides of the gift bags ensures this is a stand-out range.

Victory Vintage – Combining an on-trend colour palette of charcoal, navy and red with on-trend typography and classic masculine icons for a fabulous male send. Black satin handles and die-cut tags with messages complete this smart, fun look.

Candy Creatures – This new baby collection is soft and gentle with a cat character for girls and a bear for boys. Key parts of the look are the editorial with messages to welcome the new arrival on the bags, and the polka dot print to the back of the wraps.

Perfect Day – This lovely wedding collection is themed with messages for the big day and includes stand out premium options, with fabulous flittering to a flat wrap and a gift bag available in three sizes. With gorgeous on-trend colours, this is the perfect range for those spring and summer weddings.

Turnowsky – This collection of eight flat wrap designs from renowned fashion house Turnowksy offers designs for both adults and children in a sophisticated range showcasing their inimitable quality and style.

Dotty – An essential gift bag range with embossed dots available in the most popular solid colour options, including shiny metallic choices in gold and silver.

T: 01924 465200 www.ukgreetings.co.uk

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www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday Always Sparkle, Antalis, Artebene, Caroline Gardner, Exaclair, Fox & Lark, Go Stationery, Holy Mackerel, InkViva, LuxWrap, Ohh Deer, Paper Stone, Paaperblanks, Rose Hill, Two Little Boys

IT’S ALL ABOUT SALES

New blood R tends to make it very hard to earn a reasonable living at the start.

Once people are prepared to give you a chance to show them your bag, you’re sometimes taking orders with forward delivery dates, so even though you’re working your money doesn’t come through until the month after the goods have been sent.

That said, if you can make it through the first 12 months – probably living on your credit card if it’s anything like me – you’re likely to stay for a while as it really is a great industry. I’ve already made some good friends who just happen to have started out as customers. The risk to the industry is that, without a regular injection of new agents, as the old guard start

to retire there will be an even bigger shortage.

With fewer agents, how do the small and new publishers get in front of the retailer? If you’re selling direct, how do you find time to design the cards? And the costs and delivery times involved with wholesale and brokerage can be prohibitive – as the other half of the GCA seminar clearly explained.

On my first day as an agent I popped into Bonjour in Barnoldswick hoping to arrange a future appointment. Instead owner Gillian askedme to show her my products there and then – she ended up placing four orders straightaway and has been a great customer ever since. That’s a good example of someone willing to give a newbie a try and it’s be very beneficial to both parties.

So if you’re a retailer and get a call from an agent you haven’t heard of, why not give them a chance, you never know if their bag might contain the next big thing?

Plus you’ll be helping secure the future of the industry by bringing some new agents through the ranks. And for publishers, if your agent is set to retire or decides not to carry your designs any more, instead of insisting on chasing one of the dwindling band of long-serving agents why not some new blood a try?

You never know, they might be a nice guy like me – but that’s a matter of opinion – lol!

I never planned this, so how did I get here, I often ask myself!

Yet when I did start out it felt like a good way of earning some extra money and from that a career path and great business has formed – it’s been one of the I have to admit I never went best things I’ve ever done and up to the careers advisor at something I am so proud of. school and told them I wanted to I did start nearly 10 years ago be a self-employed card and gift so, yes, I was a fair bit younger sales agent. at the time. This was quite At the age of 15 I’d never have unusual way back in those olden known what such a person was days as I seemed to be one of the and, probably, neither would they! youngest agents in the area.

Even now when I meet folk Once, when I turned up to see outside our industry and they ask a buyer who I’d spoken to a few what I do, they ask “What’s one times on the phone, I remember of those?” while looking at me arriving with a satchel over one blankly, so an explanation has to ● Good start – Alina at shoulder, probably looking more follow.

Bliss Gifts, Darlington like a student, and introducing It seems to be a career path myself. She looked amazed and that you fall into rather than set puzzled before announcing: “Well! I was expecting out upon deliberately, and that’s certainly what someone much older!” happened for me.

I did laugh to myself and I really didn’t know if I should have taken it as a compliment or insult.

But it does demonstrate the majority of agents were certainly a fair bit older than me at that time and there is still a real dearth of young blood coming into the industry.

Self-employment is never an easy route. With general living costs, house prices and student loans being what they are, this really doesn’t surprise me as it’s an unpredictable route to take.

That said, nothing is impossible and starting off as an agent doesn’t require a great deal of financial outlay. You just need a car, some lovely ranges and a whole load of enthusiasm and determination which, coupled with some persistency, will get aspiring agents well on the way to a great job.

And the younger you are, the more chance of building up a rewarding and long-lasting career that is a flexible as you need it to be.

The industry really needs to be encouraging new young agents so good luck to anyone setting out on this path – remember, we all have to start somewhere.

ECENTLY, I was asked to give a talk on the role of a sales agent to a Greeting Card Association seminar.

One of the burning questions a lot of publishers there seemed to want answered was, how they go about finding an agent?

I’ve only been an agent myself for five years so would never claim to be an expert on the subject but, having built up my bag and round through a mixture of luck, judgment and word of mouth to the point where I now have a sub-agent, I do have a theory.

A lot of agents have been in the industry for many years so tend to have the big publishers in their bag, and these companies will obviously make them a nice commission, so they’ll be very unlikely to drop them in favour of a new and untried name.

That means someone new trying to get into the industry as an agent is only able to pick up relatively small or new publishers which tend to be smaller collections so make it difficult for customers to do much more than the minimum carriage-paid order.

Firstly, as a newbie you have to overcome the fact that potential customers haven’t heard of you so aren’t always willing to give you an appointment.

And, as the publishers you have picked up are probably small or relatively unknown to most retailers so they’re not really door openers, this

● Great example – Neil with Gillian at Bonjour in Barnoldswick

You have to start somewhere

I

READ with interest Tracey’s comments in last month’s Greetings Today Leader about the advice, or lack of it, for finding a good agent or even how to start off as an agent.

Neil Anthony (Reil (Reil Agencies, T: 07766 736254) and Alina Clark (T: 07906 792420) are experienced independent greetings industry sales agents in the North West and North East of England respectively. Each month they share their experiences of life on the road. www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

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RETROVINTAGE&NOSTALGIACARDS

Glam that’s good

What’s in a name could be the question applied to the difference between retro, vintage and nostalgia as Greetings Today editor Tracey Bearton explores the genre that’s a blast from the past.

Jenny Morrison

Top Drawer, South Street, St Andrews, Scotland.

“Little Dog Laughs is doing very well, everybody loves dog and cat cards and they launched their square ones with different wordings.

“People are buying so many of them at one time, I know they’re not exactly retro but I think it reminds people of their own pets.”

Chris Beards

Mantons. Station Road, Port Erin, Isle Of Man. “Retro isn’t really a big thing for us, we have done vintage Ashes and Grand Prix cards which went all right, although they weren’t very strong.”

Sean Austin

Austin & Co, Belle Vue Terrace, Great Malvern.

“James Ellis do a lot of retro and they’ve been going very well, Rossanna Rossi too, I’ve just seen her retro designs that she’s having in for Christmas and that’s a definite order for me for this year.

“It can depend on the person as to what’s retro, some people say the 70s isn’t but if you’re only 15 then it’s a long time ago. For me, I tend to think of the 30s, 40s and 50s as retro.

“There’s influence from vintage and retro in quite a few cards, with Art Press their Vintage Matchbox range goes very well.”

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H

AVING grown up in the era of flares swiftly followed by glam rock – yes, you can probably work out my age from that – I’ve seen for myself that history really does repeat itself.

Everyone looks back on old snapshots with a mixture of admiration at how young they appear and astonishment that they really went out looking like that!

And it really does depend on your age as what you think is retro or nostalgic – for me, the glam rockers Sweet and Slade were the soundtrack to my early teens, give or take a bit of Bay City Rollers.

So nostalgia is the feeling I get from hearing Cum On Feel The Noize or Wig Wam Bam, which I have to admit do turn up on my car stereo with perhaps worrying regularity.

Whereas I run a mile from anything retro on the fashion front from the era as those pageboy haircuts and silver lamè jumpsuits did no one any favours so certainly aren’t vintage.

That’s because, according to the dictionary, nostalgia is the sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past, while retro is imitative of a style or fashion from a previous era – and vintage denotes something from the past of high quality, that represents the best of its kind.

The concept of nostalgia is linked to retro but the bittersweet desire for things, persons and situations of the past has an ironic stance in retro style.

Retro shows nostalgia with a dose of cynicism and detachment as it has been said that the desire to capture something from the past and evoke nostalgia is linked to dissatisfaction with the present – that seems a

bit deep for me, I just like singing along (very badly) with Noddy Holder’s dulcet Black Country tones and always remember to stutter in the middle of Blockbuster.

When applied to cards, Museums & Galleries’ licensed classic V&A designs are undoubtedly vintage, while their Roobarb & Custard product is nostalgic – and sister company Mint Publishing’s new #Hashgags range is definitely retro, as are Pigment’s and Cath Tate’s ranges, Abacus’ Frank By Name and Happy As Larry collections and Dean Morris’ naughty photographic humour offerings.

UK Greetings cover all three with their extensive ranges as the traditional Gibson ● Hallmark feminine florals have that vintage twist while there’s nostalgia from the Retro Disney offer with Marvel and Mickey Mouse, and gentle retro notes in the Carlton line.

Hallmark have a huge archive of illustrations and ideas across their US and UK operations which their designers are able to use for reference and fashion designers and musicians often plunder the past in search of inspiration and innovation, so those flares, metallics, lace and leather can always be hauled out of the back of the wardrobe, though it might be better not to!

With greetings cards, the past is also a fantastic resource as the pictures and ideas can be used in so many different ways – it doesn’t really matter if it’s retro, vintage or nostalgic so long as it’s a great design that the customer wants to buy.

● UK Greetings

WHAT THE RETAILERS THINK

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RETROVINTAGE&NOSTALGIACARDS

Business was built up on Victorian foundations PIGMENT have been a leader in vintage imagery for many years – in fact, the original business was built on the foundation of MD Ian O'Brien's great-grandfather’s Victorian photographic collection.

Augmented with photos from libraries around the world and images derived from genuine vintage European postcards, Pigment have built one of the industry’s most comprehensive offer of vintage humour lines, including Ribticklers, Pinot Grigio and Fleet St.

All aboard for trip down Memory Lane rk

ALL aboard for an extended trip down Memory Lane, calling at Vintage Street and Nostalgia Central – the rebranded RetroCo have expanded their offer to help everyone celebrate the milestones with lovingly-curated collections of pure nostalgia.

From the people that brought you the multi-million selling Year Of Birth greetings cards comes the next generation – The Story Of Your Year, a four-in-one gift and greetings card.

Containing a 24-page booklet about the year, greetings card, retro vinyl print-effect CD and music download code, there are 42 years from 1950 to 1985, plus happy 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays.

Every year includes 24 pages of fun facts, with news, movies, music and lifestyle stories and charts, including cost of living, plus 15 hit songs from the period with immediate digital access.

The booklet card with music downloads is a super-deluxe product with represents great value and makes the idea gift for birthdays, milestones and anniversaries – for retailers there’s a 42-pocket small footprint display available.

T: 020 8993 5966 www.retroco.com

“Vintage sepia photos reproduced with quirky compositions have been our stock in trade,” said Pigment’s Martin Powderly, “recently we've added illustration such as the 20s and 30s Jitterbug line which launched a few years ago and has added more options for exploring vintage themes."

T: 01423 520098 www.pigmentproductions.com

Traditional tales FOLKLORE is Caroline Gardner’s newest range of cards and it’s based on the resurgence in the trend of paper cutting and traditional story telling with soft designs and intricate floral detail that gives a vintage feel.

These embossed cards conjure up nostalgic images and plays from traditional folklore books such as Hans Christian Anderson stories with the 10 designs covering key occasions such as wedding, anniversary, congratulations and birthday.

T: 020 288 9696 www.carolinegardner.com

Capturing the feel WORDS ’n’ Wishes new Memories range evokes those lovely thoughts and sentiment of days past.

The code 75 price-point range covers major captions with design images capturing that lovely “remember when…” nostalgic feel.

T: 01942 233201 www.words-n-wishes.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

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RETROVINTAGE&NOSTALGIACARDS

Stand out from the crowd A STANDOUT range of greetings cards from Cherry Orchard Publishing is the Down Memory Lane range of “year you were born” age cards.

Covering all of the milestone ages from 18 to 100 with both male and female design styles, this range combines iconic images of each era with headline news, sport, and music events from the relevant year.

Priced at only £1.79 RRP and a proven top-seller every year since it was launched, Down Memory Lane really is one range no greetings card retailer should be without.

T: 01684 295500 www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Stay relevant while evoking the past THE secret of a good retro design is to evoke the past while simultaneously being relevant to now. There are fashions in the retro genre too – imagery and style must speak to today’s consumers.

MGL’s Classics card The Perfect Bicycle perfectly illustrates this – the image is from a late 1800s Belgian poster but is bang on in terms of subject matter, with the huge rise in popularity of cycling, as well as contemporary male facial hair trends. The cyclist could almost be a hipster from Hoxton!

Artists and illustrators also respond to retro trends and seek inspiration in the past.

MGL’s card The Cricket Match is a good example – the artist has portrayed this timeless English scene with fresh eyes in a distinctly mid-century modern style.

T: 0116 230 4197 www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Timeless glamour and opulence WELL-established art licensing company Portfolio Select are based in Hertfordshire and dedicated to customer excellence and providing fast, friendly and reliable assistance to their clients.

Their exclusively-selected range of artists offer designs for all occasions, driven by creativity, great art direction and changing trends, and all portfolios are available to browse online.

Ella Rose is creating beautiful artwork in a classic Art Deco style.

Her elegant designs feature ladies dressed in wonderful vintage gowns, in groups or single settings, as well as romantic couples, with images for all everyday occasions including birthdays and anniversaries, and she also has a Christmas

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range with a more traditional feel.

Ella's Opulence range has been published as luxurious large foiled cards, making them extra special gift particularly for female occasions.

Ella paints in a delicate watercolour style, adding fine detail and pattern to emulate the fashions of the era, that are enhanced on the product with flitter flourishes, and her latest range takes inspiration from Art Nouveau design, incorporating bright, feminine colours and intricate borders. Her illustrations are on trend and have a broad appeal, particularly for anybody with a love of timeless glamour.

Tapping into public passion THE black and white pictures from The Alternative Image Company tap right into the public’s passion for retro brands bringing enjoyment of nostalgia, idealised memories of childhood, endless fun, feelings of security and comfort, and a sense of timelessness.

A reflection of who is driving the current popularity of retro products can be seen in Alternative Image’s diverse range of cards – it’s not only the more mature buyer or baby-boomer who have plenty to be nostalgic about but also a younger generation living longer at home and more exposed to what their parents and grandparents remember as “the good old days” or “back in the day” as the more youthful might say.

This is all excellent news for Alternative Image who specialise in retro and vintage photographs with their bestselling card ranges not only featuring iconic figures like Morecambe & Wise with whom founder Ilona Benjamin grew up, but also fashion, sport and everyday life – all in stunning pictures with a splash of good humour, perfect for all those looking for products with a sense of style and individuality.

Building on the popularity of their black and white cards, Alternative Image have successfully launched a range of fine bone china mugs and cotton tea towels – practical home-ware, working as affordable giftware that’s perfectly suited to the retro market.

T: 020 3478 4804 www.altimageco.com

T: 01442 833458 www.portfolioselect.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

RETROVINTAGE&NOSTALGIACARDS

Rocking designs

#HumourWithHashtags

THE latest designs from Rosanna Rossi’s Retro Rocks collection of greetings cards are perfect for male birthdays.

Each is finished with emboss detail and die-cut edges, and the 150x150mm cards are presented with a complementing brown fleck envelope at £2.75 RRP.

COMBINING comical retro photographs with contemporary Twitter-inspired is how Mint have come up with #Hashgags, their hilarious new humour range.

Each design is fun and vibrant, with brightly-tinted vintage pictures, tagged with amusing hashtag gags to add a mischievous modern twist – whether it’s #Gin-oclock or #TimeToParty, there’s a cheeky design to suit all, these cards are definitely not #2good2btrue and you won’t be #welldisappointed!

The range currently features 12 general designs that are blank inside, with new additions already planned.

Each card is printed on a quality board, finished with spot UV varnish and cello-wrapped with a white envelope.

T: 01386 839531 www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk

T: 0116 230 4197 www.mint-publishing.co.uk

Classic styling with plenty of props AT SPRING Fair Abacus Cards unveiled an exclusive photographic range by renowned interior stylist, author and queen of vintage style, Selina Lake.

Selina is well known for her use of colour, mixing old and new and forecasting the next big style trends for our homes – her bestselling books focus on different decorating styles from Romantic Homespun to Modern Pastels; and are published in a variety of languages that are sold around the world.

The range of 14 cards beautifully conveys Selina’s classic trademark styling and sense of colour, and features an abundance of vintage props from china tea cups and plates to retro books and fabrics.

The 160x160mm cards are finished with UV varnish and labelled as a licensed Selina Lake range.

All the cool cats HOLY Mackerel have the perfect range to catch the nostalgia of music lovers everywhere – a little celebration of everyone’s misspent youth!

Remember When features punks, hippies, mods and other cool cats, all captured in clay by best-selling artist Erica Sturla.

There are 17 funky designs in the card range, along with a fab collection of iPhone cases, and pocket mirrors, a must for every rock chick’s handbag.

T: 01297 33899 www.holy-mackerel.co.uk

T:01638 569050 www.abacuscards.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

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RETROVINTAGE&NOSTALGIACARDS

Spiffingly-good imagery CINNAMON Aitch are as keen as mustard to announce new additions to their splendidly vintage male range – Mustard.

Working alongside designer Nicole Tan, the new and spiffing imagery features the quintessential gentleman’s bowler hat, alongside classic board games and vintage vinyl. This contemporary take on a retro theme really does have something for all those discerning gents out there as it’s simply marvellous!

The 7x5in cards are all embossed and printed on 300g fine quality board with a mustardcoloured inside, they come individually cello wrapped with a contemporary Kraft envelope.

T: 0121 7736 833 www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk

Beautifully designed Opulence is fab THE fabulous Opulence Collection brought to you by Grass Roots International has gone from strength-to-strength as this Art Deco and Art Nouveau-inspired product has been an instant success and, with more new designs and a variety of sizes to choose from, the customer will be spoilt for choice!

A new code 300 is illustrated here which comes supplied in a presentation box and is printed on a quality textured board and beautifully finished in coloured flitter and textured foil with an attachment.

There’s also a code 250 festive design from the Art Deco Christmas Collection, which is finished in the same beautiful flitters and foils and printed on the same luxury board although it does not come in a presentation box.

The new everyday collections will be available from May 2015 and the Christmas Collections are available to order now.

T: 0151 523 9600 www.writefromtheheart.co.uk

A RANGE of 14 beautiful designs is Nigel Quiney Publications’ offer, with a dusky vintage palette printed on antique soft white board complemented with metallic gold envelopes and packed in luxuriously thick cello bag.

Vintage Years have a vintage/retro feel, diecut tip-on tags with stylish matt gold foiling. The elegant general birthday designs, all made in the UK, show butterflies, birds and cakes, through to more fashionable handbags, shoes and dresses.

Tl: 01799 520200 www.nigelquiney.com

Treasured heirlooms THE nostalgic influences in Lorraine Stylianou’s Bohemian Birds range are rooted in both her childhood, and the cards she remembers family members' keeping in shoe boxes like treasured heirlooms from the past.

The range has both kitsch and possibly Victorian elements mixed in – reminding her of the lace tablecloths and hand-embroidered cushion covers her mother liked.

These elements are reproduced in the 12 designs, with lace borders, oversized blooms, and colourful birds. Some are blank, others have traditional sentiments on the front.

T: 07826 117938 www.lorrainestylianou.com

Musical cyclists!

TWO ranges from Claire Louise meet the retro theme – there’s Chic Antique and Whimsical.

The former is taken from original designs painted with a soft antique water-colour palette, machine embroidered with luxurious threads and adorned with fancy gems.

For the latter, Claire has created a whimsical range of birthday cards in delicate colours featuring magical scenes of birds, animals, butterflies and pretty florals.

ROCK Gods and Bike Life are two of Greetings Earthlings vintage ranges, featuring classic guitars and bikes.

Co-founder David Purdie takes all their photographs and is a big guitar and bike fan so, in the spirit of doing what you enjoy, has produced these vintage ranges.

They find the designs are popular with men buying for themselves or women buying for the men in their lives, and there are plans to expand both ranges this year with more eye candy for those music-loving cyclists out there.

T: 07715 373344 www.clairelouise.eu

T: 07774 920622 www.greetingsearthlings.co.uk

Whimsical antiques

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SEE MORE ONLINE AT www.greetingstoday.co.uk

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday The Art File, Bonnie Blackbird, Clare Maddicott, Coulson Macleod Dean Morris, Hallmark, Noble Fine Art, Photowrap, UK Greetings

BRITISHCRAFTTRADEFAIRPREVIEW

Brit of a difference

The British Craft Trade Fair takes place in Hall 1 at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, April 12-14, and is a great opportunity for retailers and buyers to source products from UK-based designer-makers to offer their customers something different.

Adrian Higgins Visual Artist, Stand 302 Painter and printmaker whose artwork comes from collaging old photographs, wallpaper swatches and Victorian ephemera then uses digital imaging software to produce limited edition prints and greetings cards.

Artcuts, Stand 239 Beautiful decorations to mark seasonal occasions, weddings and other special celebrations.They have small minimum order values, work on short lead times and can drop-ship customer personal gifts.

Caroline Rees, Stand 293 A renowned architectural glass sculptor, Caroline specialises in creating contemporary and original black and white papercut artwork, and adapts her skills to create collections of greetings cards.

Catherine Green, Stand 297 A printmaker who has developed her own technique using velvet and satin to create vibrant tactile pieces including limited edition prints, greetings cards and homewares inspired by the spaces around her West Yorkshire base.

Deckled Edge,Stand 467 The brainchild of artist Janna Cossettini, she began by showcasing a selection of stationery and has branched out to encompass a tactile offering of embellished works including prints and greetings cards.

Jane Farnham Designs, Stand 310 Design ideas come from her surroundings and she uses her line drawings, computer illustrations and bright colour combinations for her range that includes greetings cards, prints, notebooks and tea towels.

Lalabuds, Stand 96 Artist Rebecca Carr’s limited edition print, card and commissioned artwork company offers her narrative style in a combination of pencil and digital work that fuses traditional and contemporary drawing skills.

Lucy Alice Designs,Stand 129 Based on the south-east coast, Lucy’s designs are inspired by a love of the great British outdoors and the animals that surround us. Silhouettes, fresh pastel colours and delicate geometric patterns are all present in her work.

F

ORTY years ago, the firstever BCTF was launched with the sole purpose of showcasing top British crafts to the giftware industry, mainly to independent gift shops, heritage outlets and galleries – and, four decades on, that’s still very much the case.

All the exhibitors at BCTF are designer makers with an artistic flair, and many producing a range of greetings cards and stationery to complement their work.

Others are specialists in this sector of the market, creating vibrant and unique giftware.

The Arts & Crafts movement of the early 20th century celebrated all that was great about British handmade.

Today, with established artists such as Grayson Perry fuelling the imagination of our future stars, Britain continues to leave its mark on the creative world and the BCTF represents the very best designer-makers with an excellent representation coming from all disciplines.

With 500-plus exhibitors at the 2015 fair all disciplines are represented, and exhibitors are eager and ready to supply to trade buyers.

Everything you see at the fair is handmade in Britain and, with the increasing demand for genuine products from these islands, the BCTF offers trade buyers the opportunity to source unique work to satisfy collectors and consumers alike.

Many of the exhibitors can work to commission, creating collections and products that will fit with any specialist exhibitions or events that you may be hosting.

A visit to the BCTF is always inspirational and pleasurable, parking is directly outside the venue, and on the website is a full list of exhibitors and an easy free registration process for all trade buyers in the home and gift industry plus high-quality venue catering available and a relaxed but business friendly atmosphere – it will make your buying experience a pleasure!

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www.bctf.co.uk

Luscious Plum, Stand 137 Designs and inspiration taken from English gardens to celebrate country living at its most serene in art prints, greetings cards, gift tags and luxury wrapping papers that feature original watercolours.

Really Rosie, Stand N71 Stationery, cards and invites for all occasions. Rosie’s work is driven by creativity and a genuine passion for wanting to turn your design dreams into reality with a stunning handmade collection.

Rhombus And Pineapple, Stand 281 Manufacturers of laser-cut products who place a strong emphasis on design. Their messages are witty, wise and always positive!

Rogers Ink, Stand 390 Influenced by native wild plants and animals their greetings cards and books are in editions of 500, and the mounted botanical prints are all signed by the artist in editions of 150.

Temporary Measure, Stand 409 After these writers and illustrators grew tired of the big city they pulled on wellies and headed for the hills to produce children’s books, gifts, humourous cards and hand-printed baby wear.

Wraptious, Stand 372 Representing 30 emerging contemporary artists and illustrators showcasing greetings cards, art prints, mugs, coasters and notebooks.

Yellowstone Art, Stand 461 Designer Hannah Stoney makes her debut to show her greetings cards, art prints, fabrics and ceramics with lighthearted designs and a fresh and exciting play on words.

Yoojoo, Stand 242 Greetings cards and gifts by awardwinning author and illustrator Julie Ashworth, themed around animals and flowers, created using a wide variety of techniques from the ancient art of origami to digital artwork and printing.

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 31

VOXPOP

Publishers are right at the heart of the greetings industry, designing and supplying cards for everyone to enjoy.

Greetings Today asks a few for their opinion on issues of the day.

Mark Williams Co-Founder Brainbox Candy T: 01702 716643 www.brainboxcandy.com

Dean Morris, Owner, Dean Morris Cards T: 01902 560247 www.deanmorriscards.co.uk

‘

How would you sum up the attitude in the greetings card industry at the moment?

I’m certainly hearing less doom and gloom from people than I did a few years back. I’m not sure the trade shows are particularly busier – although I’m guessing that’s down to the changing nature of the shows more than the economic climate as a whole – but we do seem to have got that buzz and excitement back a bit in the industry.

‘

How would you sum up the attitude in the greetings card industry at the moment?

There is a palpable air of positivity currently with retailers, which is lovely to see. With few exceptions the feedback is that both Valentine’s and Mother’s Day were up solidly on 2014.

The hope is that the marked rebound in the UK economy is finally finding its away into retailers’ pockets.

Is there any occasion or category that’s currently seeing growth?

Both online customers and stores have seemed to embrace Mother’s Day and Valentine’s this year. Are we feeling the love more or did I just design good cards this year? I can never tell. Despite the best efforts of the Daily Mail, rude cards are selling and have always sold so well for me.

How important is Easter now as a sending occasion?

Not for me as there isn’t a great deal of Dean Morris Cards spin I can put on it, but I have an idea for a one-off card that I might do as a short run…

Is there any occasion or category that’s currently seeing growth?

Everyday cards are still solid and growing as are mixed d occasions, along with the above-mentioned spring seasons. ons.

How important is Easter now as a sending occasion?

Easter is not an area that we’ve explored although I’m a big fan of anything covered in chocolate – well almost anything!

Describe Brainbox Candy in three words.

Big and sexy.

’

What’s currently trending or of interest in the Giftwrap, Bags, Accessories & Stationery and/or Retro, Vintage & Nostalgia Cards areas?

I’ve always admired Ed who runs Ephemera Inc in the US and his retro stuff always makes me laugh. He can pull off irreverence with such skill. I’ve met him just the once and I was a little starstruck.

From the UK I’m liking Jolly Awesomes’ stuff at the moment, again quite nostalgic, and the lovely people at Urban Graphic whose product is so much classier than mine could ever be.

’

Describe Dean Morris Cards in three words.

A good earner – sorry, is that too capitalist?

Sian Ellis-Thomas, Head of Sales & Marketing, RetroCo T: 020 8993 5966 www.retroco.com

‘

How would you sum up the attitude in the greetings card industry at the moment?

It's still tough out there but there is definitely more optimism about the market.

Is there any occasion or category that’s currently seeing growth?

Because we concentrate on one type of product category - ie. Year Of Birth – we find we’re fairly sheltered from changes in trends. People are always interested in nostalgia!

How important is Easter now as a sending occasion?

We don't produce seasonal cards as the seasonal market is just too small for us, so I can't really answer that with any authority. But I'm a great card giver and have bought Easter cards to put some money inside when my children became too old for chocolate eggs!

What’s currently trending or of interest in the Giftwrap, Bags, Accessories & Stationery and/or Retro, Vintage & Nostalgia Cards areas?

Retro, Vintage and Nostalgia is ALWAYS on trend. We've built a very successful business on that premise.

We estimate that nostalgia kicks at around 30 years old and just keep on going. Everyone sees their formative years, (what they bought, watched, played with and listened to) through rose tinted spectacles and with a great sense of warmth. Once nostalgia kicks in, you like to be reminded of how much better it was 'back in the day'.

Describe RetroCo in three words.

Fab gifting company!

32 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

’

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RETAIL ADVICE WITH HENRI DAVIS

A very special A occasion T THE start of each year we move straight from Christmas, without pausing for breath, into spring seasons with three important card-sending occasions flowing one into another.

Most retailers will have bought their Mother’s Day cards before Christmas but if you’ve left buying for this event and Easter until Top Drawer it’s nailbitingly close if you want to have a decent chance of selling those cards through before the big day.

As Mother’s Day approaches – as it was when writing this – you can begin to spot the new everyday and occasions ranges coming into your local card shop, particularly independents who can be so much more flexible when it comes to introducing new products quickly.

So I thought it worth looking at some of the great new occasions cards I spotted at the spring shows as there was a really interesting cross section of styles and designs – and it’s these special cards where customers will consider paying more for the right one as they’re usually buying just one at a time.

I’ve mentioned previously my concerns about the potentially-negative impact of the increasing number of value retailers on some High Streets and, for me, it’s the careful selection of suitable occasions ranges that can really help retailers to create a point of difference and give customers a reason to continue to shop with them even if their cards are a bit more expensive.

These ranges are a great way to add variety and interest as, while birthdays and general occasions happen throughout the year, the new occasions cards are given more prominence in-store.

For the new spring arrivals there are some lovely baby cards and I’ve chosen two to feature – it’s funnyy how art imitates life as Berni Parker is about to become a grandma for the first time and Velvet Olive designer Kathryn Fletcher recently had her first baby.

Welcome To The World from Berni is on a lovely textured board which is embossed and foiled to make them extra special while Velvet Olive’s card is great fun, featuring brightlycoloured baby images.

‘

Once away from Christmas, the seasons really start to hit as new occasions and everyday ranges land in shops. Henri Davis s highlights the ones she’s spotted already this spring.

Then, of course, there are christenings which are very special days and Megan Claire’s is a very s special card to suit t occasion. the Delightfully s simple, it has a crisp ttype o a good quality board which on e embosses beautifully and is finished with a foiled star.

What I found exciting about the r ranges this spring was that there w lots of vibrant colours and were a wonderful variety of treatments t take advantage of the ongoing that d gy developments in print technology.

I love Caroline Gardner’s new Wild Flowers range which is a very new look for her using relaxed images and type with bright splashes of colour which remind you that spring is on the way!

Wendy Jones Blackett has launched some new designs in her eye-catching range Quicksilver, while the design is quite simple all the features are embossed and then foiled giving a re foiled, real feeling of luxury. Obviously this level of finish will make a card a bit more expensive but if it gives the customer or recipient that little extra something they’ll often pay a bit more.

Gabrielle Izen’s aptly-named Minimal range is equally eyecatching because of their clean simplicity and would look great as part of any shop’s display.

I also saw a very modern approach to the sad occasion that’s perhaps the t select. l tt. most difficult of all cards for a consumer to

Customers C will consider paying more for the e right one

’

Henri Davis is an independent retail advisor d i tto b businesses i in the cards, gifts, stationery and heritagee industries, combining 30 years of retail experience with her knowledge of trends and consumer motivation to analyse markets and identify new opportunities. Having worked at Habitat, Next, WH Smith and the National Trust, she now works with many small and medium-sized businesses, including multi-site retailers, national and international manufacturers and suppliers and is currently vice-chairman of the Giftware Association, the first woman to hold the post. www.henridavis.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

A Almanac have this simple, clean im image featuring a bird in flight over a e of poppies. The text simply says field W Sympathy on the front and it’s With bl blank inside for your own message.

As you read this article the wedding season will be starting to build up, for g which there is a great selection including the new Vintage range from Blue Eyed Sun with soft, pretty colouring and imagery. g is from Faye Buckingham This next image and is part of the new Museums & Galleries range, her style is contemporary and inspired by Scandinavian design so perfectly fits into the modern scandi trend with silver foil added for the type and birdcage to give the image that extra little zing! there’ the magical day so many little And then there’s girls dream of – Berni Parker’s Fairytale Wedding y range is hugely popular and her new cards are likely to be no exception with the detailed designs being embossed and foiled.

For a design to be really special attention to detail is critical so it’s not just the board that’s important but the envelope too, which has to be complementary in colour, texture or both ght one and Berni prides herself on selecting the right one.

We also have some fabulous hand-made occasions ranges from smaller designers and producers such as Five Dollar Shake, Saffron and, on the everyday front, Emma Ball, Trumpers World, Ling Design, GBCC, Hannah Dale, Woodmansterne and Cardmix have all launched g that are worth checking out. ranges With so many great cards for all occasions available, retailers really are spoilt for choice but offering too much choice to their customers can be confusing and overwhelming, which can see shoppers leave empty-handed.

T be b successful it’s critical that retailers identify To their customer base and put in the time and effort to select the best designs for them, as there’s definitely something around for every store to personalise their offer and attract the right shopper.

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 33

TALKOFTHETOWN

Talk of Jenny Morrison, Top Drawer, South Street, St Andrews, Scotland

‘

I’M QUITE active on Facebook and Twitter so l was asked to speak to other retailers to see how it could benefit them. I did the Scotland Trade Fair Spring last January, then the Autumn Fair, it was quite scary but really interesting. It’s amazing when you post something and a man comes in saying ‘my wife said she likes that’, so you think ‘goodness, how many people can I reach with this’.

White Cotton Cards and Wendy Jones Blackett are probably our two most popular because they do have a card for every occasion. I also do Tracey Russell, the Handcrafted Card Company and Paper Salad. Art Beat cards go down a storm – I have ladies who come in and just laugh out loud at them.

I also do some Scottish ones like Cockadoodle and I noticed Pink Pig cards in your magazine and began stocking her just before Christmas. She’s doing really well.

It’s very hard to get ‘brand-new big brother’ and ‘big sister’ cards but Sarah Katherine Designs do them. And I found Claire Baird

in Launchpad at the Scottish spring show.

We’ve only had them for a couple of weeks and it’s always good when you get new ones in and they fly off the shelves.

How would you sum up the current attitude in the greetings industry, does it seem buoyant?

Absolutely – if you stick to the right products for your customers. It’s probably because I love beautiful cards and people will come in to buy a few, I’m lucky because people will travel to the shop as they know they’ll get a good range of cards. They come from all over, Edinburgh and Dundee. We’re very lucky because this is very much a tourist town and you see the same faces when they come back to stay each year and they come in for that special card that they know they can’t get anywhere else.

Is there any occasion or category that’s currently seeing growth?

I’m selling a lot of the ‘mummy to be’ and ‘dad to be’, also ‘congratulations on your baby sister’ and baby brother, and we had someone in recently wanting a card for maternity leave.

We also do lots of baby shower cards. There are more and more special anniversaries too, I have quite a lot of people come in for diamond and even platinum anniversaries – that’s 60 years and 70 years. It’s marvellous, and designers are cottoning on to that. I also find I’m selling a lot of 90, 95 and 100th birthday cards – it must be the air in Scotland!

How important is Easter these days as a sending occasion?

Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen an increase and have started putting out the Easter cards earlier. I got a lot of people when they were up staying as tourists, then they bought a few cards because we started selling them earlier this year.

I put them out at the same time as Mother’s Day and people were buying one of each.

Of all the publishers you stock, which card would you like to receive for your birthday?

White Cotton Cards – when my mum comes to visit if I’ve got any new ones in I tell her that’s the one I like and she buys it for me when I have my student helper on the till. I pretend not to notice!

Lucy Sticka & Heidi Richardson, Little Paperie, St John Street, Ashbourne, Derby

‘

WE ONLY opened in August last year and it’s been better than we ever thought especially on the card side.

We have such a gorgeous selection already and we’re trying really hard to offer something that’s different. We have a loyalty scheme and do get customers coming back which is great.

We never expected cards would be our main thing but people do come to us for nice cards. We do Rifle Paper Company who are American, we have quite a few from America including Stop The Clock, and some more local ones like Abigail Warner who is a bit more upmarket.

Also Lucy Ledger, Studio Seed, Lagom, The Art File, Cockadoodle – they’re my favourites, Pauline Swindells who designs them is so funny – Juniper Tree is another one and Ruth Jackson’s Pencil Shavings cards also go very well.

How would you sum up the current attitude in the greetings industry, does it seem buoyant?

Yes, we think it is, but it does depend on the person.

We know who our customers are now and they are quite willing to spend a bit on nice cards.

34 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

’

Is there any occasion or category that is currently seeing growth?

It’s only our first year so we’re still learning but we sell a lot of anniversary cards, those are probably our biggest sales, and relations which is something that we’re finding quite hard to find. We do get asked a lot for mother and daughter cards – and cards with dogs on, especially sausage dogs! We do Call Me Frank by The Art File and he flies out of the door.

We also do a lot of flamingos, we have a Flamingo Friday each week where we feature lots of them – we did the Fabulous Places fair last weekend, which they hold three times a year in Derby, and a lady came up to us and said ‘you’re the ladies who do the flamingo thing!’ so it’s getting us known.

How important is Easter these days as a sending occasion?

We haven’t got a lot a Easter cards, funnily enough we did have a conversation about it this morning. We haven’t really got a lot because it’s our first year and we’re still learning what sells, but with our Mother’s Day cards we

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Sean Austin & Nessa the dog Austin & Co, Belle Vue Terrace, Great Malvern

Chris Beards, Mantons, Station Road, Port Erin, Isle Of Man

‘

HOW would you sum up the current attitude in the greetings industry, does it seem buoyant?

I’d say it’s very buoyant. We’re always doing things to improve what we do and because of that we see increased footfall. But I tend not to rely on economic recovery or anything outside of our control, we focus on what we can do as a team and constantly improve that.

Is any occasion or category currently seeing growth?

It’s pretty much across the board really but at Christmas we produced our own in-store catalogue and that had a big impact, it was a big growth area for us.

How important is Easter these days as a sending occasion?

I’d say it’s probably one of the slower seasons but I know a lot of shops I speak to have seen a drop-off with Easter. We had all our product out in nice displays quite early and we’re slightly up yearon-year with Easter, although again, that’s probably down to us continually promoting for ourselves.

Of all the publishers you stock, which card would you like to receive for your birthday?

I personally like two we stock, Dean Morris and Wendy Jones Blackett – they’re completely different but it depends who’s sending.

I know I’ve probably offended lots of my other friends in the industry!

’

almost ran out. It’s funny because my family send a lot of little Easter cards but others don’t do it at all.

Of all the publishers you stock, which card would you like to receive for your birthday?

I do love Cockadoodle (said Lucy) so that would have to be the one. They do the Royal Shrovetide Football event here every year where they close off all the roads, board up all the shops and the goals are three miles apart. The teams are the Up’ards and the Down’ards and we’re going to get some special cards made for next year which Cockadoodle’s Pauline has said she can do some for us – they’ll be fantastic!

’

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‘

HOW would you sum up the current attitude in the greetings industry, does it seem buoyant?

People are still cautious and still looking for a bargain where they can but I’ve actually found that if good design and quality is there, people are prepared to pay for it. I specialise in offering cards that are a bit different as I have a WH Smith right next door to me. It always amuses me when people are walking past my shop and they have a little look, and I know they’re going in to Smiths then two minutes later they’re coming back in to me. So I try to be different from the usual High Street offer. It’s just me and the dog, Nessa, in the shop and we’ll have been open for four years on April 21.

Is there any occasion or category that is currently seeing growth?

Not because more people are dying, but sympathy is expanding, mainly because there are a couple of new designers around who are doing something different.

Not that many years back sympathy was just a lily on the front and that was it. Especially in the last few months new designs have been coming through and there’s Inspired Goodbyes I found at Spring Fair. I’ve had them in for a few weeks and I’ve found people in tears reading them because they’re so different – and they’re selling. I also have the Art Press ones and Alice Scott from Pigment, and I still have the traditional ones but it’s a real growth area – perhaps people are coming to me because they know I have nice designs.

It used to be in card shops that it was Hatches, Matches and Dispatches so sympathy always followed on from Get Well Soon – in case you didn’t make it! I’ve actually moved my sympathy cards into a more prominent position, I don’t hide them away, they’re at eye-level.

Anything that mentions the local area sells well too. I do very well with Megan Claire, her ‘best mummy in Malvern’ turned out to be my best Mother’s Day seller.

I saw Buddy Fernandez at Spring Fair and they were such nice lads with cards that say it like it is. I’ve taken 20 of their tamer cards just to try them, in terms of the more, shall we say, Dean Morris ones I’d have to put them in a special area! They’ve only been here a couple of days and already there’s a lot of interest and the This’ll Do card has been selling well.”

How important is Easter now as a sending occasion?

I don’t go Easter-mad, and a lot of the Easter cards I do sell tend to be images of Easter but don’t mention it in the words, there’s lots of rabbits, daffodils, sheep etc in the designs. I have small Easter packs from Cinnamon Aitch and that tends to be my offer. I know it’s a growing area because you see everything from Easter trees to Easter crackers but I’m waiting to see how quickly it builds up as I’m not seeing anything major in my shop.

Of all the publishers you stock, which card would you like to receive for your birthday?

I really love Redback Cards at the moment with the body-paint hand animals from artist Guido Daniele. I must admit when I get sent a card these days the first thing I do is look at the back – is that what all card retailers do?

’

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FRANKLY SPEAKING WITH SARAH PORTER

A

S WITH many girls – and boys, I suppose, though I have no personal knowledge – much of my teenage years was spent sitting in a huddle with my friends discussing the distressing question of How Keen Is Too Keen?

How long should you wait before replying to an email to avoid seeming desperate?

If someone doesn’t message you back, is it OK to send them two in a row? Should you put kisses at the end?

How to seem interested, but not TOO interested, while still making them interested in YOU? Now that I’m a fully-grown adult woman who has learned the importance of a) honesty and b) not giving a flying arse what anyone thinks anyway, I thought this wasn’t a heartache I’d ever be facing again.

It’s with a certain amount of amused frustration, therefore, that I find myself in pretty much the same situation now – and asking the same questions – with regards to customers.

At least professional courtesy means that if I have time, I’m allowed to reply to emails immediately rather than waiting the length of a Destiny’s Child album; but almost all the other dilemmas still apply.

Say you meet someone at a show who seems interested in your stuff, after the show you email them to make contact, but hear nothing back; do you email again?

How long should you leave it before you do, and then what do you say to them? “Hey, I had a great time with you the other day, I think we could have something special, why haven’t you called?” doesn’t seem exactly ideal.

This goes for existing customers too – I’m never quitee sure how long after an order you’re supposed to leave it before you get in touch to see if they need anything else.

I’ve had a couple of bad experiences with people snapping that if they want anything THEY’LL contact ME, which is absolutely fair enough as there’s nothing worse than feeling like someone’s trying to hustle you.

It doesn’t, however, really help with my uncertainty over the appropriate time and level of customer contact.

Like the pimply heartthrobs of my youth, I find myself viewing buyers as strange, elusive creatures whose favour must be won through delicate social intricacies, and who might be liable to turn cold on

‘

Playing it cool

Treat ’em mean to keep ’em keen may work in teenage romances but Sarah Porter really isn’t convinced that it’s the most professional way to deal with her potential business customers. you if you don’t strike just the right balance.

I remember once discovering an errant, fairly important business card in the bottom of my bag, which someone had given me at a trade show a month before and I’d managed to lose track of.

Like the pimply L heartthrobs of my youth, I view buyers as strange g elusive creaturess

’

Rather than just getting in touch like a normal human being, I sat fretting for a good 10 minutes.

Had I missed my opportunity? Would it be weird to suddenly contact them out of the blue after so long?

Would they even remember who I was?

I also suspect it’s not just me who feels this way – the squillions of commentaries and lists from

My World’s erudite PR, marketing and NPD manager, Sarah Porter has been elected to the GCA council. She’s known as Frankie outside work and blogs about the trials and tribulations of being a relative newcomer to the world of greetings card publishing at www.myworld.co.uk/blogs/news as well as compiling the regular My World newsletter.

T: 0191 305 5165

36 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

slick LinkedIn-ers on how to drive your customers wild with consumer desire bear a suspicious similarity to the teen Cosmo articles I devoured voraciously, albeit without the constant references to white eyeliner.

I’ve grown out of the Cosmo tips but, if someone offered me a reliable set of rules for appropriate interaction with potential leads, I’d probably bite their hand off or snog them inappropriately.

As it is, I’ve developed a sort of default setting of two strikes and out.

One email, then a follow-up email a week or so later then, if you still hear nothing, just leave them alone.

It seems more respectful than incessantly spamming someone until they either buy something or get a restraining order.

This doesn’t stop me from obsessively refreshing my inbox when I’m hoping to hear from a particularly big buyer, or spending 10 minutes crafting a suitably casual follow-up message.

Does anyone else worry about this? All hints and tips gratefully received @MyWorldCards Hang in there, everyone – next up, the January sales!

Artists’ directory If you are an artist/cartoonist/illustrator/verse writer or image library and would like to be part of this feature contact the advertsing department on 01442 289930 for more details.

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PRODUCT & SERVICES DIRECTORY GREETINGS CARD PUBLISHERS & PARTY PRODUCT SUPPLIERS To advertise To call advertise Ian MacFarlaine call 01442 on 289930 01442 289940

spotlight

A selection of this month’s latest releases

● PAW Patrol is a new CGI action adventure series which is generating great excitement and interest. Set to be an upcoming hot property and developed by Keith Chapman, who also created Bob the Builder, the TV show is co-produced by Spin Master Entertainment and Nickelodeon.

Amscan International are proud to support Nickelodeon by launching a brand-new range of more than 30 items, including tableware, decorations, party accessories and favours, as well as latex and foil balloons.

The fully co-ordinated unisex designs can be pre-ordered now for delivery in Q2 2015, and show the six heroic puppies and tech-savvy pal Ryder.

Also keep a look out for the new Paw Patrol AirWalker balloon available this summer.

T: 01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk

T: 0844 357 6091

● GETTING your name out so retailers know who you are, what you do, and where to find you is crucial – so making sure names and websites are spelled correctly is very important.

Allan + Bertram have only been selling their calendars to retail for a couple of years and are already making a name for themselves, and launched their new collection of wall and easel products officially at Spring Fair.

They’re also in the March issue of Greetings Today Calendars, Posters & Prints editorial feature – so it’s a shame tangled typing fingers this end led to the misspelling of the company name and website.

Highlights of the Allan + Bertram collection under this year’s A Fresh Perspective slogan include motoring classics such as Vantage, Octane and Evo licensed calendars, the ever-popular British Army official calendar and brand-new official licensed Cyclist title, plus there is the unique natural wildlife calendar range, and Lindy’s Cakes showing her latest sugarcraft.

T: 01509 509509 www.allanandbertram.com

Make every occasion count with greeting cards from Abacus Cards Limited, The Studio, Oaks Drive, Newmarket, Suffolk,CB8 7SX t: 01638 569050 f: 01638 569051 e: info@abacuscards.co.uk w: www.abacuscards.co.uk

38 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

● JUST Saying is a new contemporary typographic occasion range from Red Berry Hill, launched at Spring Fair this year.

The range comprises 20 occasion titles from new baby, thinking of you and wedding to congratulations, new home and civil partnerships.

www.redberryhill.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

A selection of this month’s latest releases

spotlight

PRODUCT & SERVICES DIRECTORY GREETINGS CARD PUBLISHERS & PARTY PRODUCT SUPPLIERS To advertise call Ian MacFarlaine on 01442 289940

● CAROUSEL Calendars have secured an exciting mix of new licences for their 2016 calendar collection.

The brands, including household names like RSPCA, WWF and National Trust, add to the comprehensive range of the largest calendar publishers and distributors in the UK, and Carousel will publish more than 50 new titles with other brand highlights including Matt Sewell, Sooty, Silvey Jex, Off the Leash and Katarina Sokolova.

To kick-off the licensing contract with the RSPCA – a brand recognised by 98 per cent of the population – Carousel are publishing a stunning range of calendars in slim and wall formats with titles encompassing kittens, puppies, horses and wildlife.

This new deal will contribute to the charity’s annual task of raising more than £115 million to support continued work aimed at preventing cruelty to animals.

The WWF collection includes slim and wall calendars, a slim diary and an A5 diary, all featuring stunning images of rare and endangered animals. Titles will include Endangered Species, Wild & Free and Fragile Earth.

As part of the National Trust licence, Carousel have developed a stylish range of regional recipe A4 calendars for Ireland, South East England, Northern England, Wales, Yorkshire and the West Country.

These will sit alongside a household planner featuring illustrations from Lucy Loveheart and a selection of seasonal and gardening titles. They are also publishing a Curtis’s Botanical calendar to expand on the success of a product range developed with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. On the humour front, there’s a new series of comical illustrations from Silvey Jex, the artists behind the extremely popular Wrinklies calendar.

These images, on topics such as gardening and cycling, will be published under the collective title Young At Heart. In addition, Carousel have an exciting new licence with popular illustrator Rupert Fawcett to publish his amusing canine capers in an Off The Leash slim calendar.

With Sooty & Sweep recently returned to our screens in newly-created episodes for ITV, Carousel are thrilled to have acquired the licence for a wall calendar, featuring fun pictures of the much-loved characters.

Carousel’s art category also boasts notable developments after securing the rights to publish Beryl Cook’s unmistakable paintings as a slim and wall calendar with an A5 diary also available. Equally distinctive are the bird illustrations of Matt Sewell and digital paintings by Ukrainian fantasy artist Katarina Sokolova. Carousel will be the first UK publisher of dated product for both these artists, producing a selection of high-quality calendars and diaries.

T: 01392 826482 www.carouselcalendars.com FROM

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PRODUCT & SERVICES DIRECTORY GREETINGS CARD PUBLISHERS & PARTY PRODUCT SUPPLIERS To advertise call 01442 289930

spotlight

A selection of this month’s latest releases

● NOAH’S Ark Ink are very happy to launch the first two of many new ranges for 2015 with the Mole Colour and Mole Cloud ranges.

This features a hand-drawn mole across eight A6 designs with fun captions highlighted with bright colours ideal for a wide range of fun occasions.

The joyful collage of colour and textures that make up the Mole Cloud range sees six 145x145mm designs with a wide range of everyday messages.

07810 751 760 www.noahsarkink.tictail.com ● IN THE Symetria butterfly house, they believe that the littlest details can make the biggest impression.

Infusing a gleeful colour palette with the added charms of a charismatic little bear and illustrated by founder and children's picture book author Ben Joel Price, Symetria’s adorable 12-strong collection retains their signature use of design and space.

T: 07830 112066 www.symetria.co.uk ● TAKING the time to get feedback from stockists has given 4sided.co.uk the knowledge to make improvements to their packaging and displaying issues.

They have designed a larger, circular sticker that, in addition to the original individual card image, now displays the words “4sided greetings cards write, peel, stick”, so there is no confusion as to what the product is and how to use it.

Also, a bespoke, 16-pocket counter-top spinner has been created

by Wire Fittings, that will allow a retailer without much space to stock the cards and an additional feature enabling retailers to display an assembled card on top – it’s available free on orders over £150, and free display samples are also available.

T: 07803 501983 www.4sided.co.uk Designs that will get your customers coming back for more!

Life quotes to make them laugh out loud

All our designs are tried and tested in an award winning store Ramblingmansion.co.uk contact@ramblingmansion.co.uk

40 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

● ORIGINALLY launched at Spring Fair as a small capsule collection of 12 designs, Sabivo’s XO range has quickly grown to 40-plus hand-drawn designs fusing the current trend for hand-written typography and neon colour to cover everyday, relations and milestone birthdays.

T: 0116 225 8255 www.sabivo.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

A selection of this month’s latest releases

spotlight ● IN A galaxy far, far away…well, Yorkshire…Hallmark are incredibly excited to share their new Star Wars card and gift packaging collection!

The designs have been an ongoing creative project for more than a year, with their talented team all chipping in and the result is a truly diverse collection which features photographic iconic characters, hand-illustrated designs, Star Wars humour and sleek, stylistic looks as well as some fantastic innovation.

Card shops have already started to see the collection from Hallmark with a large Star Wars presence at the January Roadshows and the initial launch of everyday captioned and open cards available in store from April, followed closely by a Father’s Day collection – or, as Hallmark call it, I’m Your Father’s Day as they love a little Darth Vader humour!

Star Wars merchandise is already increasing on the shelves from last year, with the build up to the massively-anticipated Episode VII hitting the cinema screen in December, and The Force Awakens cards will be released from Hallmark alongside the film.

What’s great about Star Wars is the films have a passionate following and such a wide appeal, with boys and girls, old and young alike. Whether they remember the original films or they’re new to the Jedi, the licence will allow Hallmark customers to share their experience of the iconic movies with friends and families.

There’s an exciting launch programme of retailer activity planned for 2015, for which Hallmark intend to channel the force to bring it all to life.

From April retailers are able to participate in their retail campaign to offer their own customers the chance to win tickets to the cinema to celebrate the launch of the Hallmark Star Wars collection, which comes with free POS including a window poster, door sticker and bus tops.

Then they’re really stepping up the force with a Father’s Day card and gift packaging collection displayed on a new free 1ft FSDU design from Hallmark that contains as many cards as a traditional 2ft shipper for maximum impact with minimum floor space, and comes with a free window poster campaign. Further on in the year there will be Star Wars Christmas designs and GP as well as the Episode VII collection.

T: 0800 902 0900 www.hallmark.co.uk

● TWO new 155x55mm ranges have been launched

by A Farmer's Daughter for 2015, both incorporating beautiful natural designs and blank inside.

Leaf And Bud features pretty colour illustrations of fruit, flowers and grasses printed on luxuriouslythick recycled board, while All Around The Countryside is a collection of new occasions cards, with country-style wreath illustrations framing the captions.

07743 675 303 www.afarmersdaughter.co.uk www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

PRODUCT & SERVICES DIRECTORY GREETINGS CARD PUBLISHERS & PARTY PRODUCT SUPPLIERS To advertise call 01442 289930

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