September 2026 Issue 5 Volume 27
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September 2026
contents 28
REGULARS
the team Editor Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk Advertising Manager Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk
08 Leader
Meet our new editor
10 News
01442 289940
What’s occurring in the industry
Managing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
11 GCA News
Get your conference tickets!
14 Spotlight
The Medici Gallery rolls out the red carpet
Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
Retailers tell us how they are preparing for the Golden Quarter
Design Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk
What’s new for your shelves
34 Diary of a Card Shop 50 Shop Talk
53 Diary of an Agent
Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
Dave Langdon gets set for September
55 Retail 100
Sara Allbright explains why autumn offers retailers a valuable opportunity to refresh before Xmas
44
FEATURES 12 Hyve Opinion Jackson Szabo explains why we need to make it easier to visit the high street
16 Cover Story Alljoy Design on why cards matter
18 Focus on... Greetings Lab
20 Show Preview Autumn Fair
26 Retail Interview With Daniel Lee, owner of The Card Gallery in Dorset
27 Publisher Focus International Cards & Gifts
Keep in touch follow us: @greetingstoday
42 Retail Interview RBUK in Rochdale
44 Publisher Focus Kingfisher Cards
46 Feature
www.facebook.com/ greetingstodaymag greetingstoday
Spring Seasons
48 Retail Interview Zest Contemporary Gifts
greetings-today
49 Trends Fabulous frogs
52 Coffee Break With Paul Urban of Kingfisher Cards
54 Trends Highland cows
28 Publisher Focus Pigment Productions
Lema Media Ltd Unit 1 Broomstick Industrial Estate High street Edlesborough Buckinghamshire LU6 2JA
Telephone: 01442 289930 www.greetingstoday.media
30 Show Preview Top Drawer A/W26
35 Focus on.. Licensed products
36 Retail Interview With Steph Lloyd at Utility, a collection of six stores in the North West
38 Feature Cards and gifts for garden centres
ContentsSeptOctnm.indd 1
54 Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers, nor any organisation mentioned in the text. Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by contributors and writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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Two shows. One ticket. Your biggest buying moment. For the first time, Autumn Fair and Glee run side by side on 8–9 September. Source greeting cards, stationery, gifts, and home and garden inspiration, all under one roof.
NEC BIRMINGHAM
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leader Editor Naomi MacKay
A
nd just like that, summer is over and we’re all slipping back into ‘new term’ mode – whether that means sending the kids back to school, trying to get back into better habits than the ones we adopted on holiday, or gearing up to display (or buy!) all that’s new at the autumn trade shows. And there’s certainly plenty to shout about. In this issue, we preview two of the season’s big shows, Autumn Fair (NEC Birmingham, September 6-9) and Top Drawer (Olympia London, September 13-15), as well as casting an eye towards Brand Licensing Europe (Excel London, October 6-8), with a special focus on licensed products. We’re also delighted to welcome a new column from Spring and Autumn Fair organisers Hyve, looking at the importance of retail and the vital role of the high street. The team is encouraging retailers to join its campaign for free parking in town centres – something that has come up time and again in our Shop Talk section over the past few years. It’s well worth a read, so turn to page 12 to find out more. And talking of retailers, we have a flurry of Retas finalists in this issue, including Rochdale’s RBUK (p42), whose owner Rachel Buckley has spent more than two decades building relationships, curating beautiful products, and creating a shop that has become part of her local community. Then there’s Utility (p36), a collection of six stores in the north west, whose senior retail buyer Steph Lloyd explains how each shop is shaped by its local demographic, but united by the same playful, design-led approach. Meanwhile, our Cover Star is Alljoy Design, with director Ling sharing the story of the publisher’s journey from its beginnings, and how the team came to realise just how important a role greeting cards play. You can read the full story on page 16. As Daniel Lee, owner of Dorset’s The Card Gallery, says in our retail interview on page 26: “We’ve had moments recently where customers have been looking for quite niche or less commonly discussed occasions, such as divorce cards, and ordination cards. What’s interesting is not just the occasions themselves, but the conversations that come with them. People often appreciate receiving a card that acknowledges a life event that isn’t always widely represented in the traditional range. It really highlights how greeting cards play a role in all of life’s
LeaderSeptOctnm.indd 1
Send your views and submissions for the magazine to rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk moments, not just the obvious celebrations.” It’s a message the Greeting Card Association is always keen to get across. We’ve got news on Thinking About You Week, while autumn also brings the annual GCA Conference. Find out more about both on page 11. I began this Leader talking about that ‘new term’ feeling but, for me, school’s out. This issue marks my final one as I say goodbye to Greetings Today after a wonderful few years getting to know the fantastic, creative people who make up this industry. I’m hoping it won’t be goodbye for good, though. I’ll be continuing to work as a freelance writer and editor, as I have done for the past two decades, and I’d love to stay connected with the greetings industry, and hopefully work with some of you again in a freelance capacity. Do get in touch via LinkedIn – I’d be delighted to hear from you. And now, it’s time for me to hand over to the new editor, Rachel. I’ll leave her to introduce herself to you – and I know you lovely lot will give her exactly the same warm welcome you gave me when I first became editor.
H
ello, I’m Rachel Redhead, and I’m absolutely delighted to be introducing myself as the new Editor of Greetings Today. It’s a real honour to be taking over from the wonderful Naomi MacKay, who has done such a fantastic job with the magazine over the past few years. I have some big shoes to fill, and I’m looking forward to building on everything Naomi has created. Although I’m new to Greetings Today, I’m certainly not new to Lema Publishing, having worked for the company a (fair) few years ago, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know the greetings industry, its people, businesses and, most importantly, the stories behind them. I hope to meet as many of you as possible at the shows and events over the coming months, but I’d also love to hear from you via email, phone call or even a zoom chat with a coffee. Please do get in touch and introduce yourself – I’m always keen to hear what you’re working on, what’s going on at your business and what you’d like to see more of in the magazine. There’s lots to look forward to, and I’m thrilled to be starting this new chapter with you all.
Rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk
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In the News
Henries finalists announced
Finalists in the Henries Awards will be waiting with bated breath for the awards night on October 1, to find out if they have won. We don’t have room to mention all of them, but they include:
Best Diversity and Inclusion Range
• Multi-faith Festivals from Woodmansterne Publications • Peace & Blessings from The Art File • Pride In London Collection from the Greeting Card Association
Best Humorous Range
Bookspeed celebrates
four decades in business Edinburgh-based wholesaler Bookspeed was founded in 1986 by Annie Rhodes and Kingsley Dawson, after the pair identified a gap in the market for a reliable next-day book distribution service. Four decades later, Bookspeed supplies curated book ranges to more than 2,500 retailers across the UK and beyond, spanning sectors including gift and lifestyle, heritage, visitor attractions, food and farm, and garden centres. The company is now led by Kingsley Dawson’s son, Lewis Dawson, as CEO, with a team of around 70 employees. Its continued expansion has included a 50% increase in warehouse capacity last year, strengthening its ability to support its growing customer base. Bookspeed will mark the milestone at Top Drawer in London, where retailers will have the opportunity to discover its latest selection and celebrate the company’s 40-year journey.
www.bookspeed.com
Home & Gift Association
launches The Buyers Circle The Buyers Circle is a new free service designed to help retail buyers across the home, gift and stationery sectors source more efficiently, discover relevant suppliers and build valuable industry connections. Created by the Home & Gift Association in response to the increasing demands placed on today’s buyers, The Buyers Circle aims to connect buyers directly with relevant suppliers from the association’s trusted industry network. Rather than adding to already crowded inboxes, the initiative takes a curated approach. Buyers simply share what they are looking for – from new product categories and licensing opportunities to seasonal launches and specific sourcing requirements – and The Buyers Circle does the legwork. Importantly, buyers remain in control, with their contact details not shared and introductions only facilitated where there is a genuine buying need. A key feature is the bespoke Meet the Buyer opportunity, with sessions available online, at a buyer’s own premises or at the Home & Gift Association’s offices.
homeandgiftassociation.org.uk 10 www.greetingstoday.media
• Gin & Frolics from Rosie Made A Thing • Heard They’re Absurd from Bewilderbeest • Huzzah! from The Art File • Quackers from Earlybird Designs
Best Licensed Entertainment or Character Card Range
• The World of Peter Rabbit from Museums & Galleries • KPop Demon Hunters from Danilo Promotions • Paddington Heritage Range from Moonpig • Quentin Blake from Woodmansterne Publications
Best Licensed Heritage, Lifestyle, Art or Design Card Range • Angela Harding from Museums & Galleries • Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Everyday from Cardology • Cath Kidston from The Great British Card Company • Laura Ashley from Ohh Deer • Lucy Claire Illustrations from Danilo Promotions
Best Christmas Counter Range
• A Cup of Tea Christmas Pop-ups from Alljoy Design (pictured) • Christmas Dreams from Rush Design • Happiness from Raspberry Blossom • Louise Mulgrew Christmas Collection from The Art File The awards are held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. Full finalists roundup at www.thehenriesawards.co.uk/finalists
Why Brits prefer a card over a party New Moonpig research has revealed a shift towards smaller, more meaningful gestures as consumers rethink celebrations and gifting habits. The era of the extravagant birthday celebration could be changing, with the new research showing that Brits are increasingly turning towards more personal, affordable and meaningful ways to celebrate. The study highlights a significant shift in consumer spending and gifting habits, as people look to reduce financial pressure and move away from expensive social commitments in favour of smaller gestures that help maintain connections. According to the research, 63% of Brits now value receiving a physical card in the post more than a big party or expensive meal, highlighting the continued importance of thoughtful, traditional gifting in an increasingly digital world. The findings also show that 56% prefer celebrating birthdays with cards or small tokens rather than extravagant gestures, while 62% are actively scaling back social commitments to save money or manage their budgets. www.greetingstoday.media/moonpig-research-shows-shift-in-consumers
Deliver a smile Thinking of You Week runs from September 21-27. The initiative encourages consumers to send a card to let someone know they are in their thoughts. During the week, greeting card retailers are being encouraged to get involved in the Happy Card Project, an initiative that brings together local schools, families and charities while celebrating the power of sending cards and spreading kindness. By encouraging children to create cards designed to brighten someone’s day, the initiative helps spread joy while raising money for good causes in local communities. The children’s artwork is displayed in-store and customers are invited to vote for their favourite design. The winning card is then professionally printed and sold by the retailer, with all profits donated to the young designer’s chosen charity. The project was launched by project co-ordinator Heidi Early, of Earlybird Designs, in her Stoke Newington shop two years ago, alongside former manager Hannah Sharman, who now runs the store. Hannah said: “We’ve run the Happy Card Project twice now and it’s always hugely popular. It brings new families into the shop, strengthens community connections and gets children excited about greeting cards. We’ll definitely continue it every year.”
GCA NEWS
Meanwhile, GCA member publisher and retailer Tim Gould of Folkestonebased Objectables has been putting his own spin on the Happy Card Project over the summer, inviting customers of all ages to design a greeting card that will bring a smile to someone’s face. To ensure creativity is celebrated across generations, there will be winners from a range of age groups, including under 10s, teens and adults. Each winning designer will then receive a pack of their professionally printed cards. Tim also plans to print several hundred copies of the winning designs and distribute them during Thinking of You Week. Plus customers purchasing a greeting card in-store during the week will receive one of the specially designed cards. Find out more at www.thinkingofyouweek.cards/blog You can download free posters, logos and other signage at www.thinkingofyouweek.cards/get-involved/toolkit
Promoting card sending Get your Conference
tickets!
As we went to press, more than two-thirds of tickets were sold, so get in quick! The event is being held in Milton Keynes on September 24, and as always there’s a great lineup of speakers. Cydney Ball, buying manager for John Lewis, will be providing insight into the nation’s beloved department store, Sarah-Jane Porter will consider how card messages are evolving with society, and GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson will look back on her 40-year career in cards. Mark Callaby of Ohh Deer will also be chairing the Retailer Panel discussion – What retailers want: trends and getting stocked – featuring buyers from Tesco, Waterstones and Stamp, among others. If you have a question for the panel, email it in. Another nice touch is that for anyone attending alone or for the first time, there is a pre-conference coffee at 9.30am, hosted by Daniel Prince of Danilo, Yvette Clarkson from Heyyy Cards and Grace Jackson of Grace Jackson Design. Let the GCA’s Danielle McCarthy know if you’d like to attend. Mark and Danielle (pictured) can both be contacted on hello@gca.cards Find out more and book your tickets at www.gca.cards/gca-annual-conference-and-agm
The 2026 Cardmitment POS was shared by Wendy Jones Blackett at the GCA Retail Forum and is available to download from www.gca.cards/toolkits The GCA is continuing with its media campaign to promote card sending – with a real push in the last quarter. If you have stories you’d like the GCA to share with the media to encourage card sending/share the joy of cards/ shine a light on your business, contact press@gca.cards
Scam warning Retailers are reminded to hang on to their card payment terminal while customers are paying. A new scam is distracting the retailer while a payment is being made – allowing the ‘customer’ time to enter a refund code into the hand-held terminal. This was discussed at the recent GCA Retail Forum and it was suggested that retailers should also update the security code on their device regularly – and definitely not leave it at the default 000.
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OPINION
Every visit matters Jackson Szabo, portfolio director, Spring & Autumn Fair, explains why making it easier to visit the high street could be one of the simplest ways to support independent greeting card retailers
I
ndependent greeting card retailers understand something that’s often overlooked in conversations about Britain’s high streets: success isn’t built on one big shopping trip. It’s built on regular visits. Every birthday, anniversary, celebration and thank you creates another reason for someone to come into town. Those repeat visits don’t just support card shops, they benefit gift retailers, florists, cafés and countless other independent businesses that rely on a vibrant local high street. That’s why Spring & Autumn Fair has launched a Parliamentary petition calling for a minimum of 90 minutes’ free parking in town and city centres across England. The campaign is built on one simple principle: if we make it easier for people to visit the high street more often, we make it easier for them to support the independent businesses that keep those communities thriving. The petition wasn’t created because we started with an opinion. It was created because we started with evidence. Earlier this year, we launched Voices of Retail, in partnership with Faire, to better understand the realities facing independent retailers and the communities they serve. Rather than relying on assumptions, we wanted to identify practical changes that could genuinely help businesses succeed. One finding stood out above all others. When we asked retailers which intervention would have the greatest positive impact on their business, 38% identified free parking. Consumers reached exactly the same conclusion, with 63% saying free parking would encourage them to visit town and city centres more often. For me, what makes those findings so compelling isn’t simply the statistics, it’s the fact that retailers and consumers independently arrived at the same answer.
Greeting card retailers understand better than most that one visit often leads to another. A customer may come into town to buy a birthday card, but they’ll often leave having picked up a gift, flowers, or wrapping paper, or stopped for a coffee along the way. Those linked visits are what keep high streets vibrant, and greeting card retailers are often at the heart of them.
‘’If we make it easier for people to visit the high street more often, we make it easier for them to support the independent businesses that keep those communities thriving’’ That’s why we’re calling for 90 minutes. Not because we believe free parking is the complete answer, but because it’s one practical change that makes those everyday visits easier. It gives people time to browse, time to support more than one business and time to enjoy everything their local high street has to offer. Our research reinforces that opportunity. Almost all consumers (95%) told us they would spend more if their local high street offered a better mix of
shops, while 96% want to see more independent retailers alongside cafés, bakeries and other experiences that make town centres places where people genuinely want to spend time. For years we’ve talked about saving the high street. I think it’s time we started talking more about making it easier for people to use it. That’s why we’re asking greeting card retailers not simply to sign the petition, but to become part of the campaign. We’ve created a free retailer toolkit with window posters, QR-code stickers, social assets and digital materials to help businesses encourage customers to support the petition in-store and online. Every greeting card retailer already has conversations with customers celebrating life’s biggest and smallest moments. Together, those conversations can become a powerful collective voice for Britain’s high streets.
Sign the petition. Download the retailer toolkit. Help us make every visit count. Sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/772686 Download the retailer campaign pack by emailing: visitor@autumnfair.com Download the findings of the full Voices Of Retail Report: www.autumnfair.com/voices-retail-report To register to attend Autumn Fair: www.autumnfair.com
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spotlight spot light
Cooking up a treat
Sparkle and shine The Equilibrium Radiance Collection from Joe Davies combines timeless elegance with contemporary style in a beautifully curated range of sparkling jewellery. Designed in the UK, the collection includes eye-catching solitaire pendants, tennis-inspired bracelets and elegant statement earrings, all plated in genuine silver for a luxurious finish. Ideal for everyday wear, special occasions or gifting, the versatile designs can be worn alone or layered to create a more contemporary look. Presented in new Equilibrium magnetic fastening book-style gift boxes, the collection offers excellent shelf appeal and makes a striking addition to a jewellery display. Visitors to the Joe Davies Autumn Fair stand (Hall 7, stand A40-B41) can also discover inspiring new additions to the Leonardo Collection, alongside the vast range of Joe Davies’ gifts and Equilibrium jewellery and fashion accessories. Joe Davies is also strengthening its photo frame offering with the addition of more than 30 new silver frame designs. Combining classic styling with modern finishes, the expanded collection has been developed to offer retailers an even broader selection across one of the UK’s most established gifting categories.
Pigment unveiled KITCHEN this summer – an eclectic, trend-led edit designed to drive impulse-driven sales. The range brings together independent artists, fresh studio artwork, and treasures from Pigment’s design archive, all unified by authentic words and modern humour. Designed specifically for trend-conscious retail environments, KITCHEN delivers maximum visual impact on the rack to grab shoppers’ attention instantly. Combining relatable wit and bestselling editorial. “Whether it’s the perfect easy birthday send or a little addition to pair with a gift, KITCHEN is designed for maximum impulse appeal,” says Amy Thirkell, head of product at Pigment. “These are the kind of cards where shoppers find one for a friend – and simply can’t resist grabbing another.”
Pigment Productions
01423 520098 admin@pigmentproductions.com www.pigmentproductions.com
Joe Davies
0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk
Spring re-fresh
Cath Tate Cards is unveiling a vibrant selection of new designs for Spring Seasons 2027, with fresh additions across much-loved collections including HotFoils, Life Is Rosie, Lost Plots and Twisted Lyrics. The new designs will bring the wit, colour and creativity that customers know and love across its bestselling ranges. Award-winning collection Lost Plots expands with brilliant new designs for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, while new HotFoils sub-range HotFoils Snacks adds a playful touch with a fabulous selection of new Valentine’s Day cards. For retailers looking to refresh their Spring Seasons offering, visit Cath Tate Cards at stand S10 at Top Drawer A/W.
Cath Tate Cards
0208 671 2166 orders@cathtatecards.com trade.cathtatecards.com 14 www.greetingstoday.media
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Quirky new vibes
On the tube The girls at Kali Stileman Publishing are delighted to introduce their latest and loveliest wrapping papers… paint tubes! This design is inspired by Kali’s favourite medium; her trusty oil paints that are found in every corner of their studio. The gift wrap features lots of colourful paint tubes against a duck egg background, and is printed on heavy-weight paper sourced from sustainable forestry. This wrapping paper is a gorgeous addition to Kali Stileman’s extensive collection; with this one being the 140th to be published! Its cool and colourful design is perfect for any age, style and occasion.
Kali Stileman Publishing
Ornament Art’s quirky photo art designs bring a new vibe to Spring Season cards. The Mother’s Day edit featuring the colourful style and signature vintage ceramics offers both heartfelt and humorous options to send thanks, flowers, love and smiles to mum’s. For dads, the 80s-inspired neon bright Dad Rocks card is a fun and nostalgic homage to father figures and their sometimesdubious taste in music! And, the deliciously cute Hoppy’s Days card from the Henriesnominated Hot Cakes range is bright, fresh and perfect for sending feel-good Easter messages. These Spring Season cards are designed to reflect the friendlier, less formal relationships many people now have with their parents – they are funny, playful and reflective of the real conversations we have in our families today.
Ornament Art
07971 704650 joanne@ornament.art | www.ornament.art
info@kalistileman.co.uk www.kalistileman.co.uk
Think positive
Award-winning stationery brand Sunshine Lane celebrated its most successful collection launch yet at StationeryFest in July. The new Patchwork Positivity range flew off the shelves, receiving an unprecedented response from attendees. The collection merges traditional patchwork aesthetics with modern junk journalling tools, comprising a 36-pattern, A5 paper book, functional and decorative sticker sheets, seven mix-and-match washi tapes, and a highly popular new line of 12 matte ‘emotional support’ quote pens. Customers loved the brand’s new sticker vending machine, while the new guided notepads – including layouts such as My Micro-Wins, for low-energy days – emerged as bestsellers. Founded by a mother-and-daughter team with professional backgrounds in social work and mental health nursing, Sunshine Lane infuses wellness expertise into every illustration. “Seeing the incredible response to the Patchwork Positivity collection at our fourth StationeryFest was a defining moment,” says Emma Fox, founder of Sunshine Lane. “We wanted to create tactile, ‘anti-hustle’ stationery that brings joy without adding pressure. The connection customers made with our notepads and pens proves the growing demand for stationery that actively supports mental wellbeing.” Following this B2C success, the collection is now available for wholesale purchase, bringing this community-tested aesthetic to retail buyers.
Sunshine Lane
emma@sunshinelane.co.uk www.sunshinelane.co.uk
SpotlightSeptemberOctobernm.indd 2
Glee-ful Greetings
UK Greetings (UKG) is back at the Glee show at the NEC, Birmingham, in September, offering visitors a sneak peek at the new products launching soon. And this year marks a special milestone as UKG celebrates the 10th anniversary of its partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Incredibly, the 2.1 million cards and gift wrap items UK Greetings sold in 2025 accounted for just over half of all the RHS licensed products sold that year. And this partnership continues to innovate even further with new Mother’s Day designs and an expansion into partyware – all on show at this year’s Glee. Even more exciting for retailers attending and purchasing at the show, the RHS are giving away 10 free memberships in a prize draw. The lucky winners can use the memberships themselves or run their own in-store promotion for one of their customers to win it.
UK Greetings
01924 436384. www.ukgreetings.co.uk www.myukgaccount.co.uk www.greetingstoday.media 15
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COVER STORY ALLJOY DESIGN
‘What we do m Alljoy Design director Ling shares how the pop-up card specialist first began, its mission to make ‘everyone happy’ and how the team is often reminded of the importance of what they do…
‘M
ore than a greeting card.’ A greeting card carries thoughts, feelings, and memories that are sometimes difficult to put into words. It celebrates life’s happiest moments, offers comfort during the hardest ones, and reminds someone they’re loved, appreciated, or simply being thought of. Although it may be just a small piece of paper, it often becomes part of a memory that lasts much longer than the occasion itself. Every so often, we’re reminded just how meaningful a card can be. A few years ago, we came across a public comment from someone who had chosen one of our Father’s Day cards. He shared that he hadn’t spoken to his father for many years, and felt this was the moment to take that first step and try to reconnect. His words have stayed with us. It reminds us why what we do matters. Alljoy Design was established in Dublin in 2009. One of the first challenges we faced was choosing a name. We wanted something simple, meaningful. ‘All’ represents everyone, and ‘joy’ represents happiness. Put together, Alljoy simply means ‘everyone happy’. It isn’t just our company name. It’s also the kind of company we hope to be. We
hope the people we work with enjoy working with us just as much as we enjoy working with them. If we can make the people around us a little happier, then we feel we’re on the right track, just like everybody else would do.
Alljoy simply means ‘everyone happy’. It isn’t just our company name. It’s also the kind of company we hope to be When we first entered the greeting card industry, we didn’t know what to expect. What we found was an industry that welcomed us with warmth, generosity, and encouragement. Publishers, retailers, distributors, agents and many others shared their experience and offered advice. That kindness helped us find our place, and it’s something we’ve never forgotten. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to meet and work with many wonderful people throughout the industry. Some of the people who welcomed
16 www.greetingstoday.media Cover Story Alljoynm.indd 1
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matters ’ and supported us when we first started are still part of our journey today, with new friends joining along the way. Those relationships have become one of the most rewarding parts of being in this industry.
We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of an industry built on creativity, kindness, and human connection On this journey we have been grateful for the encouragement we’ve received through the Henries Awards. As previous winners and being shortlisted this year has meant a great deal to us. It’s encouraged us to keep learning and doing our best alongside everyone else in this industry. One of the things we’ve especially come to enjoy is meeting people at trade shows. The shows are opportunities each year to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and spend time with people who share the same passion for this
industry. We always come away encouraged by the conversations and creativity around us. As time has passed, we’ve come to realise that ‘more than a greeting card’ has another meaning. Every card is far more than the finished product on a shelf. The humble greeting card represents the work of designers, illustrators, paper suppliers, printers, manufacturers, warehouse teams, distributors, sales agents, retailers, shop staff, delivery drivers, and many others. Some roles are visible, while others happen quietly behind the scenes, but everyone plays a part. Without these links in that chain the card simply wouldn’t exist. Looking ahead, we’re excited to see the greeting card industry continue to grow and evolve. It’s a privilege to be part of that journey with so many talented, generous, and passionate people. As the Alljoy journey continues we will endeavour to do our best, learning from those around us and trying to play our part as this wonderful industry moves forward together. Above all, we feel incredibly fortunate to be part of an industry built on creativity, kindness, and human connection.
Alljoy Design
info@alljoydesign.com www.alljoydesign.com Autumn Fair Stand 8541 www.greetingstoday.media 17
Cover Story Alljoynm.indd 2
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Why Autumn Trade Shows Should Be on Every Retailer’s Calendar When buyers think about trade show season, the spring events naturally grab most of the attention. But as retailers, it’s worth remembering that the autumn shows offer something equally valuable – the opportunity to discover emerging brands before they become widely known. This September, Greetings Lab is delighted to return to Autumn Fair at the NEC Birmingham for the second year running. Last year marked our debut at the show, where we introduced a collaborative stand showcasing a collection of independent greeting card publishers, many of whom had never exhibited at a national trade show before. The response from retailers exceeded our expectations, with buyers commenting on the quality, originality and freshness of the brands on display. Following that success, we’re back again this year with another carefully curated line-up of independent publishers. For retailers, our stand offers an efficient way to discover a number of exciting new brands in one place, while meeting the designers behind the products and hearing the stories that make their collections unique. Alongside Autumn Fair, Top Drawer London also provides an excellent opportunity to source new products, with several Greetings Lab members exhibiting there too. Adriana Lovesy, keynote speaker at Autumn Fair 2025
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While the autumn events may be smaller than their spring counterparts, they are often a more relaxed environment to have meaningful conversations, explore new ideas and spot trends before the busy buying season begins. Independent publishers continue to bring creativity, innovation and personality to the greeting card market. Whether you’re looking to refresh your existing card selection or discover the next brand your customers will love, the autumn trade shows are well worth the visit. If you’re attending either Autumn Fair or Top Drawer, we’d love to welcome you and introduce you to some of the newest independent publishers joining the industry. You might just discover your next bestselling range.
Ornament Art brings a fresh photographic perspective to the greeting card market, transforming vintage ornaments, retro treasures and nostalgic finds into bold, contemporary designs packed with personality. Founded by husband-and-wife duo Jo and David Short just 18 months ago, the brand has already built a collection of more than 350 card designs, alongside striking gift wrap. Expect colourful, feelgood ranges that blend humour, nostalgia and modern styling, including their Henries finalist Hot Cakes collection.
www.ornament.art
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Discover New Greeting Card Talent at Autumn Fair Visit the Greetings Lab Showcase Eight carefully selected independent publishers
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Making its trade show debut at Autumn Fair, Cosyfish launches four beautifully illustrated greeting card collections, including the whimsical Cute & Curious range. Hand drawn in the brand’s signature red and blue pencil style, the collections combine charming characters, gentle humour and imaginative storytelling with a nostalgic feel. From quirky fish to enchanting woodland-inspired designs, Cosyfish offers retailers a fresh, distinctive collection full of personality, originality and standout shelf appeal that is sure to spark conversations with customers.
Autumn Fair marks the first trade show appearance for Tipsy Vanilla, introducing retailers to its colourful collection of birthday, everyday and Christmas greeting cards. New additions include fresh designs in the flame-foiled Cake Topper birthday range, expanded Flutters everyday collection and the launch of Festive Sketches a hand-drawn Christmas range combining pencil illustration with vibrant colour and red foil finishes. Julie Loydall’s uplifting designs offer retailers contemporary cards with plenty of feel-good appeal.
www.cosyfish.co.uk
www.tipsyvanilla.co.uk
Exhibiting at Autumn Fair for the first time with the Greetings Lab, Twenty Birds will showcase its distinctive geometric greeting cards alongside two brand-new collections. The new Nose to Toes range features tactile embossed and foiled noses and paw pads across charming cat and dog designs, while the playful Baked Goods collection introduces eye-catching die-cut cards inspired by bakery favourites. Designed by Monica Gabb in North Yorkshire, Twenty Birds combines contemporary design with craftsmanship to create memorable cards that truly stand out on display.
Fifi’s Handcrafted will make its Top Drawer debut this September, introducing retailers to its awardwinning collection of handcrafted greeting cards featuring beautifully crocheted keepsake embellishments. Founded during lockdown, the business has grown rapidly thanks to its distinctive concept, combining contemporary design with handcrafted detail to create cards customers love to treasure long after the occasion has passed. Perfect for boutiques and independent retailers looking for something genuinely different, the collection offers strong gifting appeal and an unforgettable point of difference.
www.twentybirds.co.uk
www.fifishandcrafted.com
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SHOW PREVIEW AUTUMN FAIR 2026
Discover the next bestsellers As the retail industry gears up for the Golden Quarter, Autumn Fair returns to the NEC Birmingham from September 6-9 with one of its strongest-ever showcases of greeting cards, stationery, gift wrap and paper products
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his year, Autumn Fair becomes even bigger. With Glee co-locating alongside the show on September 8–9, buyers can access more than 1,250 exhibitors, 500,000-plus products and more than 20,000 buyers across home, gift, garden and fashion retail, creating Europe’s largest buying event for the second half of the year. For greeting card retailers, the timing couldn’t be better. The UK’s greeting card market continues to be one of the strongest in the world, with consumers increasingly choosing premium designs, sustainable production, independent artists and personalised products. Among the well-known names returning this September are Ohh Deer, Five Dollar Shake, Paper Salad, The Art File, The Eco-friendly Card Co, CardGains, Collins Debden, Raspberry Blossom and Twizler, offering buyers everything from contemporary humour and premium finishes to sustainable stationery, diaries and gift wrap. Alongside these favourites, buyers can discover an exciting line-up of first-time exhibitors helping to shape the next generation of paper products. Jellow will showcase its interactive greeting cards and gifts designed to create memorable moments, while illustrator-led brand Lydia Mae presents beautifully produced greeting cards and gifts inspired by nature, family life and everyday moments. Visitors can also explore the Greetings Lab Designer Showcase, introducing 10 emerging publishers, including Twenty Birds, exhibiting at Autumn Fair for the very first time and providing retailers with an opportunity to discover fresh creative talent before it reaches the wider market. Stationery also continues to evolve. Brands such as Collins Debden continue to innovate with premium planners and organisational products, while companies
throughout the Gift destination are increasingly blurring the lines between stationery, gifting and lifestyle. Buyers will discover beautifully designed journals, desk accessories, illustrated gift books, wrapping paper and contemporary paper goods that reflect the growing consumer demand for products that combine practicality with design-led appeal.
Even more inspiration The co-location with Glee on September 8-9 gives greeting card and stationery retailers even more opportunities to discover complementary products that encourage add-on sales and increase basket spend. Alongside Autumn Fair’s extensive Greeting Cards, Stationery & Wrapping sector, buyers can explore leading publishers including Woodmansterne, Hallmark and UK Greetings, as well as licensed stationery specialist Grupo Erik, whose ranges span calendars, journals, planners and gift stationery featuring some of the world’s best-loved entertainment and lifestyle brands.
Beyond the show floor Beyond product sourcing, Autumn Fair has invested heavily in helping retailers grow their businesses through an expanded content programme. New for 2026 is the Counter Talks Stage, created in direct response to the findings of the Voices of Retail report, bringing together leading experts to discuss the issues shaping independent retail today. Sessions will explore everything from visual merchandising and social media to licensing, AI, consumer behaviour and profitability, giving visitors practical ideas they can take straight back to their businesses. Greeting card retailers will also benefit from the return of the Greeting Card Association Lounge, providing a dedicated networking hub for publishers, retailers and industry professionals, while the popular
Gift of the Year Showcase offers inspiration from some of the industry’s most innovative products. Meanwhile, Pitch Live returns with a new morning format, giving emerging brands even greater visibility and buyers the chance to discover tomorrow’s bestsellers early in the day. New for this year are the free 1-to-1 Mentor Sessions, where visitors can pre-book personalised consultations with leading retail experts covering topics such as visual merchandising, buying strategy, customer experience and business growth.
The future of live selling Another major attraction this year is Whatnot’s Live Selling Party, taking place in The Clubhouse on Monday evening from 4-8pm. As live shopping continues to reshape the retail landscape, the event will give buyers, brands and retailers the opportunity to see one of the fastest-growing sales channels in action. With more than a quarter of exhibitors making their Autumn Fair debut and over 30% exhibiting exclusively at the show, there’s no shortage of new discoveries to make. Discover more and register at www.autumnfair.com
What: Autumn Fair & Glee Where: NEC, Birmingham When: September 6-9 (Glee Sept 8-9) Web: www.autumnfair.com
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SHOW PREVIEW AUTUMN FAIR
Standouts
for the seasons The Art File is showcasing its bestselling Everyday, Christmas 2026 and Spring Seasons 2027 collections at Autumn Fair at the NEC Hall 8 Stand H32
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ith hundreds of new designs to choose from, there’s something for everyone looking to celebrate an important event or occasion. This year, The Art File has launched more than 20 new collections across cards, stationery, gifts and wrap. Some recent notable new card collections include Herdy, a new art collection created in collaboration with the Herdy brand, and Little Wonders, a series of sparkling landscape birthday cards. Then there’s Sunpatch Cats, an adorably cute card collection made by the talented Susie Esse, and Songbird, a beautiful series of cards created by Kate Heiss. Other standout releases include new designs across bestselling card ranges, new looks in gift bags, wrap and new stationery. The Art File will be showcasing Spring Seasons 2027 for those who want to plan ahead for next year. This collection includes more than 100 new designs across all the major spring events for 2027. Autumn Fair will also offer the last chance to order from the multi-award-winning Christmas 2026 collection, which has been curated to make your festive gift-giving even more magical. With more than 190 new designs, from a range of charity cards to a selection of luxurious boxed cards and hand-folded 3D pop-ups, there’s something for everyone in this stunning collection.
The Art File
0115 850 7490 sales@theartfile.com www.theartfiletrade.com 22 www.greetingstoday.co.uk
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Come and visit us at
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SHOW PREVIEW AUTUMN FAIR
Hall 7 Stand A40–B41
Gifts, accessories
and more
With the busiest buying season just around the corner, Autumn Fair is the perfect opportunity to discover a wide selection of new ranges from Joe Davies
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uyers visiting the Joe Davies stand in Hall 7, Stand A40–B41, can explore more than 700 new additions to the Leonardo Collection, alongside fresh new launches from Equilibrium, including jewellery and fashion accessories. Packed with new ideas and proven bestsellers, the stand promises plenty of inspiration for retailers preparing for the months ahead. Building on the continued success of sentiment gifting, Joe Davies introduces Crochet Smiley Pots for relations. Combining adorable, handcrafted crochet flowers with meaningful messages for the special people in our lives, the collection offers retailers a charming range of affordable gifts for every occasion. Petals of Light Suncatchers from Joe Davies combine graceful floral motifs, shimmering crystal prisms, and inspirational messages to create gifts with lasting emotional appeal. Beautifully packaged and ready for display, the collection is ideal for card and gift shops and garden centres alike. Joe Davies continues to make the renowned Leonardo Collection from Lesser & Pavey even more accessible to independent retailers. Favourites such as the expanded Tuscany range are available in small, little-and-often quantities. The partnership allows customers to top up bestselling lines with ease and keep displays looking fresh throughout the year. The trend for tactile accessories shows no sign of slowing down, and the Equilibrium Faux Fur Accessories Collection is set to be another standout this season. Following the successful response to last year’s launch, the range has grown to include an even wider selection of beautifully soft faux fur bags, scarves and gloves. Available in versatile shades including black, mocha and cream, the collection captures the continuing appetite for rich
textures and understated luxury, offering pieces that feel indulgent while remaining effortlessly wearable. Whether draped over a coat or carried as a finishing touch, these luxurious accessories bring warmth, style and irresistible touch-me appeal to the season’s displays. The much-loved Equilibrium Forget Me Not Collection also introduces a selection of beautiful new designs this season. Taking inspiration from the tiny blue flower that has long symbolised love, friendship and remembrance, the collection features coordinating necklaces, bracelets and earrings, each designed in the UK and plated in genuine silver or gold. Finished with delicate enamel detailing and presented in elegant Equilibrium-branded gift boxes, these graceful floral designs bring together timeless styling and lasting sentiment in pieces that will be worn and cherished for years to come. As a 100% employee-owned company, Joe Davies takes genuine pride in helping independent retailers succeed. Alongside award-winning customer service and an extensive collection of gifts, jewellery and fashion accessories, the retailer-friendly ‘little and often’ ordering, low £100 minimum order and free nationwide delivery make buying refreshingly straightforward. If you’re visiting Autumn Fair, be sure to stop by Hall 7, Stand A40–B41 to explore the latest collections, catch up with the friendly team and discover plenty of fresh ideas for the season ahead.
Joe Davies
0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk
24 www.greetingstoday.co.uk
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Hall 7 Stand E72
Cracking collections! Artcuts introduces new licensed designs from Wallace & Gromit to William Morris, with its distinctive range of wooden gifts, decorations and keepsakes
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ritish designer and manufacturer Artcuts is bringing new licensed ranges to Christmas 2026 with the launch of its Wallace & Gromit collection, created in partnership with Aardman. With the much-loved charm of Britain’s favourite inventor and his faithful canine companion, combined with Artcuts’ renowned quality, the new range features beautifully made wooden Christmas decorations, magnets, keyrings and keepsakes. Joining this exciting launch is Artcuts’ elegant collection of William Morris Christmas decorations. Inspired by the timeless patterns of one of Britain’s most celebrated designers, the range offers retailers a striking seasonal collection that complements both contemporary and traditional festive displays. Since 2012, Artcuts has built its reputation as a family-run British business committed to designing and manufacturing distinctive wooden gifts and decorations. Every product is designed and made in the company’s Surrey workshops, where creativity, craftsmanship and attention to detail remain at the heart of everything it does. Using only the finest materials, including sustainably sourced birchwood alongside carefully selected fabrics, handmade papers and comprehensive printing facilities, Artcuts creates products that are designed to stand out at retail. Beyond its latest licensed launches, Artcuts continues to offer an extensive range of own-brand seasonal decorations, everyday gifts, home décor and personalised keepsakes. Its bespoke keepsakes and asset-based decorations service is also a key offering, appealing to museums, visitor attractions and retailers. As a UK-based manufacturer, Artcuts gives retailers the flexibility and reassurance of buying British, with the benefits of short lead times,
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responsive customer service and continued stock availability throughout the Christmas season. With two iconic British licensed collections, beautifully crafted original designs, and a commitment to exceptional quality, Artcuts continues to demonstrate the strength of British manufacturing, combining creativity and craftsmanship. Retailers visiting Autumn Fair will have the opportunity to discover all the latest collections and see its distinctive gifts and decorations in Hall 7 on Stand E72.
Artcuts
01342 843843 sales@artcuts.co.uk www.artcutstrade.com
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RETAIL INTERVIEW THE CARD GALLERY
Marking
all of life’s moments For Daniel Lee, owner of The Card Gallery in Dorset, greeting cards are about far more than birthdays and anniversaries. They’re a way for people to mark life’s milestones, navigate its challenges and stay connected with those around them
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s owner of The Card Gallery in the heart of Wimborne, Dorset, Daniel Lee has built his business around a simple philosophy – helping customers find the right words for every occasion. A Retas finalist nomination is welcome recognition for a business that prides itself on offering a warm welcome alongside an extensive card selection – ‘’We work hard to create a welcoming environment where people enjoy shopping. Building those relationships and helping people celebrate life’s occasions is at the heart of what we do,’’ says Daniel. Located on the busy High Street of this picturesque, historic market town, The Card Gallery benefits from the town’s strong footfall and growing population. As more people move into the area, the customer base has become increasingly diverse. ‘’Our aim is to continue evolving with the town,’’ Daniel explains. ‘’Ultimately, we want to be the place people think of first when they’re looking for the perfect greeting card, and to remain a positive part of the local community as the town grows.” Listening to customers has helped shape a card selection that balances timeless favourites with modern trends. Humour continues to be one of the shop’s biggest strengths, particularly designs that work across multiple occasions rather than being limited to birthdays. Emotional Rescue and Twizler from Second Nature are among the strongest performers. Alongside humour, traditional family occasions remain an essential part of the business. Milestone relation cards such as Dad 60th continue to generate strong sales, with IC&G providing one of the most comprehensive and reliable ranges for customers looking to celebrate important family birthdays. Current design trends reinforce that desire for
cards that feel both contemporary and meaningful. Daniel has noticed growing demand for premium finishes, bold colours and artwork-led designs, while humour continues to evolve with fresh captions that resonate across different generations. At the same time, heartfelt family messages and milestone celebrations remain consistently important
‘’There’s growing demand for premium finishes, bold colours and artwork-led designs, while humour continues to evolve with fresh captions that resonate across different generations’’ While many retailers increasingly focus on digital marketing, Daniel believes some of the most effective ways of attracting customers remain reassuringly traditional. “Social media is not the primary driver of customer engagement for us. Being located in the heart of a busy town means we benefit from regular faceto-face interaction with our customers every day. Those personal relationships and conversations are incredibly valuable and give us direct insight into what our customers are looking for. In many ways, our shop window remains our most effective marketing tool. We invest a lot of time in creating eye-catching displays that reflect the seasons, key occasions and new product launches. Word-of-mouth
recommendations, customer loyalty and an inviting shop environment continue to be the most powerful ways of connecting with customers,’’ he says. That community focus extends beyond the shop itself. Daniel believes Wimborne’s thriving independent retail scene benefits every business, creating a destination where customers know they’ll discover something unique. “When customers visit Wimborne, they’re not just visiting one shop – they’re experiencing a town full of unique, independently owned businesses that offer something different from the high street chains. Many of our customers take great pride in supporting local businesses because they can see the positive impact it has on the town. ‘’ Daniel also sees opportunities for publishers to better reflect changing customer interests. One area where demand currently outstrips supply is female sports-themed relation cards. As women’s sport continues to grow in popularity, he believes customers increasingly want cards celebrating daughters, granddaughters and other female relatives who are passionate about activities ranging from football and rugby to gymnastics and cricket. Daniel has also noticed increasing demand for cards marking events that sit outside the traditional calendar: “We’ve had moments recently where customers have been looking for quite niche or less commonly discussed occasions, such as divorce cards, and ordination cards. What’s interesting is not just the occasions themselves, but the conversations that come with them – people often appreciate having a card that acknowledges a life event that isn’t always widely represented in the traditional range. It really highlights how greeting cards play a role in all of life’s moments, not just the obvious celebrations.”
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PUBLISHER FOCUS
International Cards & Gifts
Family values, British design, trusted service International Cards & Gifts is a family-run greetings card publisher, and relationships have always been at the heart of everything it does
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ased in Dorset, ICG has proudly designed, created and produced its everyday greeting card collections in the UK for many years. As an independent publisher, its focus has always been clear: to support independent retailers with commercially successful, high-quality products, backed by the personal service they deserve. Independent card shops continue to play a vital role on our high streets, and the ICG team understands the challenges they face in today’s economic climate. That’s why they work closely with their customers, listening to their feedback and responding with fresh, relevant collections that help keep their displays inspiring and their businesses thriving. The experienced sales team visits every customer regularly, building lasting relationships and providing the support that only a dedicated, family-run business can offer. ICG’s portfolio includes more than 2,000 unique designs, competitively priced and high quality to suit every occasion and every retailer. It also offers cello wrapping on request and the company prides itself on its reliable, next-day delivery service, helping customers replenish stock quickly and efficiently. Each year ICG introduces more than 500 new everyday designs, alongside exciting new Spring Seasons and Christmas collections, ensuring that retailers always have fresh, relevant products to offer their customers. While the team is passionate about creating beautiful greeting cards, they are equally passionate about delivering outstanding service. Being awarded the industry’s Gold Service Award in eight of the past 10 years is an achievement every member of the ICG
team is incredibly proud of. Because this award is voted for by customers, it means even more. It reflects the trust they place in ICG and recognises the commitment, care and consistency that every member of the team brings to their role every day.
‘’Being awarded the industry’s Gold Service Award in eight of the past 10 years is an achievement every member of the ICG team is incredibly proud of’’ As our industry continues to evolve, ICG’s values remain the same – proud to be a British, family-run publisher, committed to creating beautifully designed greeting cards, delivering exceptional service and supporting the independent retailers who remain at the heart of its business. Whether you’ve worked with the publisher for years or are considering ICG for the first time, the team looks forward to building a lasting partnership based on quality, service and trust. If you would like to know more about IC&G and have the chance to try its product, contact customer services on 01202 897494 and quote ‘SP1’ for a free starter pack.
One of the original Heidelberg machines used for die-cutting
One of the original Letterpress machines for foiling
International Cards & Gifts 01202 897494 customerservice@icgcards.com www.icgcards.com www.greetingstoday.media 27
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PUBLISHER FOCUS PIGMENT PRODUCTIONS
The serious business o Making people laugh is quite a talent, and one that the team at Pigment Productions have in abundance. Here they tell us more about the ‘secret sauce’ that leads to success… Humour barometer
‘’Getting humour right is an obsession for us,’’ says Pigment’s creative director Martin Powderly. ‘’Our remarkable humour spinner has generated several million pounds of card sales every year for over a decade. I doubt there’s another like it. Our refreshes are a serious business; winning a space on the spinner in our six-monthly refresh is a competitive affair. ‘‘We have approximately 1,000 spinners across the UK and Ireland, so we get a terrific read of what works and ‘what is funny but maybe doesn’t resonate at the till’. It’s been the spark for so much of our product development, experimenting and monitoring real performance across the UK, Ireland and with our terrific partners in the US. With this discipline we have developed our ‘secret sauce’ that keeps our wider humour offer consistently top-performing at retail. ‘’Right now we’re seeing an upturn in classic humour. After a long time in the greetings industry, I’ve noticed that whenever times become more uncertain, humour sales get stronger. We’re seeing it again now. Humour cards are accounting for an increasing proportion of our sales. Perhaps when life feels hard, people like reassurance that others see the ridiculous side. And besides, a funny card is very affordable. ‘’Whether it’s ageing, parenting, menopause, work, or simply getting through another wet Tuesday morning, a great card says, ‘It’s not just you!’. For a few minutes, it swaps a worry for a laugh.’’
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ead of studio Rob Palmer (pictured above) says: ‘’For more than 20 years I’ve had the privilege of working in the wonderfully peculiar world of humour greeting cards. I doubt any other industry has quite the same meetings as we do! ‘’On any given day, you might find a room full of grown adults passionately debating whether a birthday card about menopause is funnier if it’s illustrated with a pigeon, a sausage dog or an air fryer. Entire afternoons disappear discussing the optimum size of a googly eye, or whether a joke needs an exclamation mark or not.
‘’From the outside, creating humour cards can look deceptively simple. Come up with a joke, put it on a card: job done. The reality is that humour is the trickiest genre in the industry to get right. ‘’Behind every card is a team of talented people trying to do something surprisingly difficult: make a shopper stop, smile and choose our little piece of printed magic over hundreds of others. When you put it like that, perhaps spending an hour arguing about a googly eye doesn’t seem quite so ridiculous after all. ‘’At Pigment, we obsess over details most people will never notice. Typography, composition, illustration styles, word counts, punchline placement, readability at a distance, and how a design may resonate in a busy retail environment. These things matter enormously. ‘’We’re old-fashioned enough to print out everything for review. Screens lie. A design that looks brilliant illuminated on a monitor can look and feel completely different when printed. Humour needs impact. We like to stop shoppers in their tracks. If people can’t read the joke from a couple of feet away, you may already have lost them. ‘’One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen over the past few years is the changing way people consume humour itself. Historically, humour cards often followed a simple formula: setup on the front, punchline inside. The shopper would pick up the card, read the front, open it and get the payoff. ‘‘Today, meme culture has fundamentally changed that behaviour; many of us are consuming hundreds of jokes every week through social media. Humour is faster, more immediate and often more visual than ever before. Increasingly, shoppers want the punchline without the effort of opening the card. If a design doesn’t land instantly, it may never get the chance to be opened. ‘’That shift has created fascinating challenges for designers. The visual language of memes, social media and online humour is finding its way onto card racks, while traditional joke structures continue to evolve.
28 www.greetingstoday.co.uk
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s of being silly ‘’We’re seeing the greeting card audience splitting in interesting ways. In many respects, we’re designing for two distinct generations simultaneously. On one side, there’s the traditional card buyer who still enjoys familiar formats and established humour styles. On the other, there’s a growing millennial audience looking for something different – more conversational, more self-aware, often more shareable. ‘’Younger card shoppers are moving away from the vintage photographic humour that has been a cornerstone of the industry for decades. Those cards remain important and continue to perform well, but there is clearly a growing appetite for fresh visual styles, contemporary references and humour that feels NOW. ‘’For us, that has means pushing into new territories, new themes, developing ranges that speak to younger audiences while retaining the broad inclusive appeal that cards need to succeed. ‘’The thing I love most about working at Pigment is the sheer variety of customers and shoppers we create for. Independents, specialists, online retailers, bespoke collections for national chains – all with slightly or radically different audiences, different requirements and different ideas about what makes people laugh. ‘‘No two days are ever quite the same. One morning we might be discussing sentiment trends, the next we could be debating whether alpacas in sunglasses are better than a hamster in a bucket hat! ‘’Additionally, in the past few years we have felt an obligation to explore AI as a tool. But interestingly, we’re seeing and feeling a growing appreciation for work that feels unmistakably human. Handmade illustration, crafted typography, imperfect artwork and artisan design all seem more valuable than ever. We’re collaborating with more freelance illustrators and designers than ever before. The variety of styles, perspectives and personalities they bring helps keep us fresh, relevant and authentic.’’
You’ve got to read this
‘’One of the things I love about selling humour is that it’s one of the few areas of a card shop that people don’t rush past,’’ says Pigment sales rep Grainne Cooley (pictured below). ‘’People stop. They pick up one card, then another, they laugh, and before long they’re calling someone over to say, ‘You’ve got to read this’. ‘‘I’ve seen that happen in tiny village shops, busy garden centres and large independent retailers alike. It reminds me that greeting cards aren’t just something people buy because they have to – they’re something people genuinely enjoy browsing.
‘’Over the years, the Pigment humour spinner has evolved as trends and tastes have changed, but the principle has stayed exactly the same: keep it fresh, make it easy to shop, and give people a reason to stop. ‘’As a rep, one of the nicest parts of my job is hearing retailers tell me a new caption has become an instant favourite, or watching customers laugh while they’re standing in front of the spinner. In a world where so much shopping has moved online, those little moments still matter, and that’s why our humour continues to earn its place in independent retailers.’’
Finding common ground
Seeta Wrightson (pictured above right) is a writer for Pigment, and a stand-up comedian.
‘’As a stand-up comedian, I see on a daily (or rather, nightly) basis how different types of humour can resonate with audiences. I also see changes in the types of humour comedy-goers are expecting, and comedians are creating. ‘I’ve learned with humour writing that it’s important to factor in the tried-and-tested relatable themes (ageing, for example) with topical ones (current trends, current events, changing attitudes). That’s how you tap into multiple audiences. ‘’I’m a big fan of self-deprecating humour and jokes that make you say, ‘I thought it was just me!’ or ‘that’s so us!’, because they work well for making people feel seen – even when it’s something quite universal. I got married recently and I’ve added jokes about the stress of planning it to my set, and it has resonated in a new way with my audiences. Finding common ground, shared experiences and relatability in humour helps connect people. Ultimately that’s what humour does. It brings people together.’’
Pigment Productions
01423 520098 admin@pigmentproductions.com www.pigmentproductions.com www.greetingstoday.co.uk 29
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SHOW PREVIEW TOP DRAWER A/W26
Fast forward to design The UK’s design-led retail trade show Top Drawer A/W is returning to the new-look Olympia London from September 13-15
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his season, Top Drawer continues to invite retailers to ‘fast forward to design’, as it brings together a curated mix of contemporary brands, emerging talent, and established suppliers from across Europe and beyond. Positioned at a key moment in the buying calendar, the show provides buyers with access to more than 25,000 products from more than 500 hand-selected brands – 30% of which are making their show debut – across the Greetings, Gift, Home, Fashion, Play, and Launchpad show sections. As retailers face growing pressure to differentiate their offer and stay ahead of evolving consumer trends, the value of curated product discovery has never been greater. Long established as a trusted destination for design-led retail, Top Drawer meets this need through an exhibitor lineup that brings together originality, craftsmanship, new talent, and established industry favourites. Launchpad returns to spotlight emerging creative businesses, while the show’s partnership with the University of the Arts London (UAL) continues to provide a platform for the next generation of designers and makers. The Trends Feature, curated by The Better Trends Co., will once again explore the consumer and design movements influencing the retail landscape, translating key trend shifts into commercial opportunities for buyers. Beyond product discovery, Top Drawer remains an important meeting place for the industry, bringing together buyers, brands, and designers for three days of meaningful conversations, relationship-building, and business development. As Edinburgh-based retailer Paper Tiger commented
on the January edition of the fair: “Top Drawer London was a great way to kick off the year. It’s always a pleasure to see so many suppliers in one place, and reassuring to discover ranges that genuinely feel right for today’s customers. The show continues to deliver strong product, meaningful conversations, and the chance to reconnect with familiar faces while discovering what’s new. It’s a valuable few days that sets the tone for the buying season ahead.” David Westbrooke, event director at Top Drawer, said: “One of the biggest challenges facing retailers today is finding the time to properly research, vet and source new products. That’s the hard work we do on their behalf. “Our team spends the year identifying contemporary brands, fresh talent, and innovative products from across the world, carefully curating an edit that brings together quality, originality and commercial relevance. The aim is to create the most diverse and considered offering possible, helping buyers cut through the noise, and source with confidence. “Top Drawer has always been about championing great design, but it’s equally about making discovery easier. By bringing this curated community together in London, we create an environment where retailers can see products first-hand, meet the people behind the brands, and uncover opportunities they may never have found online. “In a market where everyone is competing for attention, thoughtful curation matters more than ever – it’s what continues to set Top Drawer apart. So, if you’re looking to find your next bestsellers and fill your shelves with the very best design-led products from around the world, fast forward to design at Olympia this September.”
Speakers at the fair include Wilfred EmmanuelJones, founder of The Black Farmer; Louise Healy, co-founder of The Better Trends Company; Lisa Paashe, founder of EKTE Vision; and Kim Hulse, founder of K Hulse Consulting.
What: Top Drawer A/W26 Where: Olympia London When: September 13-15 Web: www.topdrawer.co.uk
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This new range of licensed greetings cards offers a fresh take on the incredible flora and fauna illustrations in the Natural History Museum’s archives. Featuring British and exotic wildlife, a trend-led palette and contemporary styling (a smaller rectangle size and branded kraft envelope) the result is a naturally compelling collection.
E: sales@mgml.co.uk *UHHWLQJV 7RGD\ 6HSW2FW B)3B [ B1+0 9 B35,17 LQGG Kingfisher.indd 1
museumsgalleries.co.uk
Tel: 01373 462165 13/08/2026 16:13
SHOW PREVIEW TOP DRAWER A/W 26
M&G opens the V&A’s Cabinet of
Curiosities More artists
Museums & Galleries (M&G) offers a mighty collection of stunningly diverse imagery from the V&A’s collections on greeting cards and gift stationery on Stand C39
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&G’s new Cabinet of Curiosities collection for the V&A, on show at Top Drawer, expands its commercial appeal exponentially. This new range is a curated kaleidoscope of patterns, prints and colour from across the V&A’s archives. Featuring intricate embossing and both blank and birthday designs, the aim is to make beautiful, tactile, sendable cards. Ben Dorney, creative director at M&G, explains: “As with retail and all successful collaborations, evolution and staying fresh is key. The Curio range became our answer to the question: ‘where should we go next?’ with our largest heritage card licence. At the point where we were looking for ways to refresh and add creativity to an already expansive offer, the V&A team inspired us with a fabulous batch of research under the title The Cabinet of Curiosities. This brought together an (originally Victorian-era) varied mix of artistic gems, eye-catching one-offs and objet d’art, where eclectic style and rich presentation was the common thread. ‘‘This research and some mood-boarding gave us the launching point. The concept combined beautiful details in a ‘display frame’ – what became a decorative border. Stylistically, the border and central element work together but aren’t from the same image, providing nice contrasts, complementing styles and colours. It also allowed us to hero small elements, animals, birds or florals that may have been lost in their whole original image, but could shine when removed. ‘‘Detailed embossing of the border and central elements added a luxury feel, with a slightly smaller card size and Kraft envelope all pitching to a more contemporary customer. ‘‘We went though many, many versions, lots of material and lots of discussion to find the right mix
and final creative style! The V&A creative team were brilliant throughout, offering feedback, ideas and research and, most crucially, being open to a more creative-led approach to the museum’s assets. It was a genuinely collaborative approach. ‘‘We’re thrilled with the result, and also the response from customers, which is the ultimate verdict. The range has been very well received and clearly gives retailers a more design-led, contemporary (but still heritage-inspired) look. ‘‘We’re already looking at new designs, which gives us more opportunity to play with beautiful images. The Cabinet of Curiosities is an endlessly interesting place to be!” Jon Morse, senior creative manager/brand licensing, V&A, says: “We’ve enjoyed a hugely successful relationship with Museums & Galleries for many years and are still excited to see how they are inspired by the V&A’s collections in new and innovative ways. ‘’The latest collection of greeting cards celebrates a Cabinet of Curiosities theme – unusual pairings of museum objects that traverse territory and time. Geometric tiles sit against delicate vintage florals, while George Barbier illustrations are beautifully framed by Anna Maria Garthwaite silk designs inspired by the Rococo period. Each card is embellished with an embossed frame to elevate the artworks further. ‘’The collection is at once surprising and an excellent representation of the museum’s holdings.”
M&G will be showing its complete greeting card ranges at Top Drawer, including its emphasis this year on developing its offer with contemporary artists – the much-loved Angela Harding range in cards and Advent calendars, the vibrant and inspirational Henry Fraser range, and new launch Faye Bridgwater’s glorious explorations into colourful landscapes and florals. Also new this year is M&G’s Henries Awardnominated Peter Rabbit range, joining Brambly Hedge, Paddington Bear, and Guess How Much I Love You in M&G’s heritage character ranges.
Museums & Galleries
01373 462165 sales@mgml.co.uk www.museumsgalleries.co.uk
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In M!NT condition M!NT celebrates its 20th anniversary of publishing humour cards with a return visit to Top Drawer on Stand C39
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wenty years ago, Debbie and Alan Williams launched the company with the Knit & Purl range of cards, which is still going strong. Debbie still designs and hand-knits all the characters featured in the cards, alongside her day-job as group financial director. At Top Drawer, M!NT will be showcasing for visitors its full current collections for cards, from Knit & Purl to new and current hits in the fast-moving world of humour greeting cards, including:
To Be Frank Group creative director Ben Dorney reinvigorated the brand, created the new M!NT logo, and took humour into the present with the To Be Frank collection of cards, gift bags and stationery combining dead-pan humour with a design-led look and unique blend of brilliantly-finished neon colours. Sophie Bylina-Williams, administration and relationships manager, explains: ‘‘A team effort created the magic – printer and production team pushing technical boundaries; studio design and copywriting in collaboration with an industry wordsmith – and the result is a unique look and tone-of-voice, the last word in colourful humour.” To Be Frank’s initiation point is cards, but the brand has moved seamlessly into stationery, gifts, and homewares products.
Knit & Purl An early and significant success for M!NT came with the now-classic Knit & Purl range of quirky hand-knitted animals and objects. The range has sold consistently well for 20 years, and to this day is refreshed and developed by the entire creative team spread out between Corby in Northamptonshire and Frome in Somerset. M!NT lead designer Anita Dragicevic stages and photographs humorous scenarios featuring the knitted characters, creating a unique and industry groundbreaking collection of mainstream humour cards, a range which is still commercially relevant to this day.
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“Many imitators followed but the original has been, and remains, a sales phenomenon,” explains Sophie. “With its home-spun ultra crafty look and funny, accessible puns, it’s a creative team effort coming up with new ideas and fun puns, which inevitably leads to a shopping list of knitting for Debbie. Octopus, vinyl record, sheep, beer glass, avocado, cheese and many more have all received the knitted treatment.”
Katie Abey Katie Abey is an award-winning and prolific artist, committed to making a positive difference in the world. Her superpower is channelling her thoughts and feelings into the animals, objects and illustrations she creates. Katie explains she “now transmutes all of the feelings into all of the art”. Focusing on quirky and slightly off-the-wall animals in surreal, day-glow colours matched with smart and witty captions, Katie says her work is created to uplift, and she is passionate about making people feel proud of their individuality and all of the things that set them apart from others. Her motto is ‘Embrace your weirdness!’.
Lost the Plot by Louise Nisbet This is a fruit and veg-themed humour range by Louise Nisbet, a talented and prominent illustrator. Featuring fun garden produce and amusing captions, this eco-range is printed on recycled board with recycled kraft envelopes. Louise Nisbet works from her studio at home in the north west of England where she lives with her husband and children. She loves to walk in the countryside, especially in the nearby Lake District, which is a constant source of inspiration in both her life and work. Louise says: “Nature, animals, and storytelling through art are at the heart of my work, and I’m always brimming with fresh ideas and positivity… One of my favourite places being the neighbouring Lake District, which has always been a constant source of inspiration.” See all of M!NT’s ranges on stand C39.
M!NT Publishing
0116 2304197 sales@mint-publishing.co.uk www.mint-publishing.co.uk
13/08/2026 13:13
INDEPENDENT OPINION
Diary of a
card shop
Tim Reynolds and Charlie Wheatley at the Medici Gallery in London’s South Kensington celebrate their Retas win, along with the agents and reps who visit, and the tourists who visit the shop in summer
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long hot summer this year in the UK has meant many people from all over the world flocking to London, and especially to here – ‘Albertopolis’ – ie South Kensington [named for its proximity to the Victoria and Albert Museum]. As our shop forms part of the tube station, we have seen record numbers of tourists and Brits visiting the museums, and our shop. Perhaps turning the tide of fashion, sales of postcards have been very strong with our visitors, especially those supplied by our super active agent, Howard ‘The Stationery Runner’ Gregory. He is famous for supplying us with the designs of Victoria Eggs, Rocket 68, Ilona Drew and Lagom Design, which have been flying off the spinner. Also, Medici’s own postcards, from our vast archive of classic fine art dating back over 100 years, continue to be very much loved. And not just the postcards but also wrapping paper and cards made by our friends at The Porch Fairies. As an independent retailer, we have never had restrictions on what we buy for our shop (except perhaps for reasons of bad taste). We believe it’s the huge variety of styles from William Morris to Dean Morris, that have been the key to our longevity and success, as well as of course our location! Following yet another Retas awards nomination last year we were grateful recipients of the entire cowboy set from the awards ceremony. So, for the summer to autumn of 2025, we revelled in our shop turning into the ‘Medici Saloon’, replete with bullet holes, cowboy hats, horseshoes, a lot of rope and swing doors at the entrance! It sure was mighty fine! The lovely agents and reps that we see regularly and sometimes get the red carpet out for (yes, we actually have one, but it’s
just 3m long) continually bring to us the wonderful ranges of the established ’acts’ and we are very thankful for them. But we also try to seek out new and inventive artists, especially those who chose London as their subject matter, such as the drawings of Eileen MacDonald, or the detailed work of Lisa Holdcroft’s Little London Cards. Her wrapping paper of all the West End theatres is a knockout (but they will keep changing their names!). Also, the beautiful cards from Japan via Privacy Records are another recent find that have adorned our shelves.
‘’Medici’s own postcards, from our vast archive of classic fine art dating back over 100 years, continue to be very much loved’’ As I write this, our window is a riot of colour from giant flowers that we received following our win in July at the Retas Awards (see pictures). This is our third statuette following five successive nominations as the best independent card retailer in London. But as stated at the beginning, the success of the area and the amount of daily traffic through our Victorian station means that our landlords, Transport for London, have overturned the wishes of the local council and all the local residents groups, to start development of the station and our building next year. However, if or when demolition comes, we shall re-group and continue elsewhere. After all, we’ve been through two World Wars since 1908. And as everyone knows, as it says on our paper bags, Cards Make People Happy (it’s a fact).
Tim and Charlie in their ‘wizard’ outfits ready for this year’s Retas
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FOCUS ON...
The Art File
LICENSED PRODUCT
The Art File publishes more than 20 licensed collections, including working with The English Heritage, Sara Miller London and many other talented illustrators. Licensing enables The Art File to search for specific design styles and resources that complement the existing portfolio, offering customers a more comprehensive range of options. Alongside the design content, The Art File team looks at the wider brand, and most importantly, they love to get to know the designer or artist behind it. They always see licensing partners as long-term relationships, who assist each other in growing the brands together. This summer, The Art File reveal three new licensed collections – Sunpatch Cats, Songbird and Herdy. Sunpatch Cats is the perfect card collection for cat lovers everywhere, created by Sydney-based artist Susie Essie. Songbird is a beautiful series of cards created by talented designer Kate Heiss. This new series of cards features beautiful birds in their habitats. The Herdy birthday card collection is a collaboration with the fabulous Herdy brand. Featuring Herdy and Sheppy on their adventures in nature, every card in this collection is full of colour and fun.
01158507490 | sales@theartfile.com | www.theartfiletrade.com
Rainbow Designs From cherished childhood favourites to fresh, feel-good characters, Rainbow Designs’ licensed collections bring plenty of cuddles and nostalgia to gifting. Combining quality, collectability and timeless appeal, the best-selling portfolio spans much-loved names including Paddington, Peter Rabbit, Disney Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Men Little Miss, and Harry Potter, along with the new Care Bears Baby and the viral sensation, Pembe the Pink Cat. Bringing a contemporary twist to licensed character gifting, Pembe the Pink Cat is all about joy, kindness and self-expression. The new collectable plush range features six adorable 15cm cuddly characters, each paired with an uplifting affirmation such as Be You, Have a Hug and Thank You. Six plush keychains and two super-soft 23cm characters add further gifting options, making the range especially appealing to tweens, teens and young adult collectors. This year, Disney Winnie the Pooh takes centre stage as the beloved character celebrates his magical 100th anniversary. Rainbow’s Commemorative 100th Anniversary collection captures Winnie the Pooh’s enduring appeal with an adorable infant toy Gift Set and a beautiful Commemorative Plush Toy, complete with a bespoke anniversary tag, a beautiful keepsake gift for fans young and old.
The name is
the game From fan-favourite characters to iconic brands, licensed products bring personality, nostalgia and instant recognition to the greetings market. Our roundup showcases the latest designs and collaborations that are helping retailers capture shoppers’ attention
01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk
Joe Davies
The award-winning Fox Under The Moon collection from Joe Davies continues to delight with its thoughtfully illustrated designs and uplifting words by acclaimed artist Stacey McNeill. Combining heartfelt sentiments with gentle storytelling, this licensed range includes sentiment jewellery, ceramic hearts, mugs, coasters, pretty notebooks and gift boxed bookmarks. Beautifully designed to inspire comfort, encouragement and positivity, the collection offers meaningful gifts for every occasion. The Fox under the Moon sentiment jewellery recently won a prestigious Gift of the Year Award, further highlighting the collection’s strong consumer appeal.
0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk | www.joedavies.co.uk
Pyramid International A recent highlight for Pyramid International includes being nominated at The Licensing Awards for Best Licensed Paper Products or Stationery Range, with the KPop Demon Hunters Huntrix stationery collection. While this licence is still in its infancy, it steadily strives alongside evergreen brands. From Harry Potter to Stitch and Minecraft, Pyramid International has continued to bring new product to the forefront of enduring IPs to encourage repeat purchases and ensure licensed collections are always trend-led and cutting-edge.
0116 284 3640 | sales.support@pyramidinternational.com www.pyramidinternational.com. www.greetingstoday.media 35
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RETAIL INTERVIEW UTILITY
The same but d Steph Lloyd, senior retail buyer for Utility, a collection of six stores in the North West, explains how each shop is shaped by its local demographic, but united by the same playful, design-led approach Congrats on your Retas nomination as a finalist. What do you think sets you apart? We work hard to offer a greeting card range with something for everyone. Our selection spans humour, pop culture, design-led cards and heartfelt sentiments, so customers can always find the right card for any occasion. Tell us a little about the shops, location, demographic and what your shops offer. We have six gift stores across Liverpool, Manchester, Altrincham and Chester, each shaped by its local high street and customer base but united by the same playful, design-led approach. Our customers are drawn to fun, thoughtful products, with a strong interest in stationery, home fragrance, fashion accessories and gifts that feel personal and a little unexpected. Alongside our core card and stationery offer, gifts are an important part of the mix, from small pick-up treats to more considered presents. We aim to create stores that feel inspiring and easy to shop, where customers can find everything from a great greeting card to a complete gift solution in one visit. How important a part of your offering are greeting cards/stationery? Greeting cards are at the heart of our offering. They are what our stores are best known for and continue to be our largest department, making them a key part of our identity and success. Stationery is a hugely important part of what we do and our biggest category after greeting cards. From Legami’s collectable Erasable Pens and
Suatelier stickers from Stone Marketing, to Designworks Ink’s beautiful A Dopo journals and Ohh Deer’s fabric daily planners, we pride ourselves on offering a strong range of stationery and desk accessories. It’s a category that appeals to students, professionals and junk journal enthusiasts alike.
demand for stickers over the past year, with designs by Manchester-based artist Abbie Frank of Proper Good proving especially popular. Liverpool local Lucy Maggie has also been a long-standing favourite, and we’ve stocked her fun, distinctive greeting cards for many years.
Which categories or occasions are currently performing best in your shops? Pop culture remains one of our strongest-performing categories, with our own-brand celebrity card range consistently among our bestsellers. Designs featuring icons such as Bob Mortimer and Oasis, along with characters such as Nessa from Gavin & Stacey, continue to strike a chord with our customers. Other standout performers include: • Studio Boketto x Edyta Demurat – a strong seller since its launch last year, with SB554 (Happy Birthday To You – Bunch of Flowers) proving to be one of our bestselling cards of 2026. • Lucy Maggie S1124 (Colin Birthday) – another firm customer favourite. • Cath Tate’s Pina Colada range – first introduced through a small number of Valentine’s designs, which performed so well that we have since expanded the range into our everyday offer.
‘’Stationery is a hugely important part of what we do, and our biggest category after greeting cards’’
Do you feature cards/stationery from local/ regional artists? We champion local and regional creatives across our card and stationery offer. Eleanor Bowmer’s stationery and greeting cards are particularly popular with our customers, alongside her wider tableware and gift ranges. We’ve also seen a significant rise in
Have customer shopping habits changed over the past few years, and if so, how? Customer shopping habits are always evolving, and it’s important for retailers to keep step with changing retail trends. With the growth of online omni-channel retailing and the competition that bricks-and-mortar stores face, it’s important that the shopping experience in-store is premium and considered. This can be done through the careful curation of products, visual merchandising and a high standard of customer service, and should be at the forefront, for businesses working in tandem with the convenience of shopping online. What role does social media play in promoting your shop and connecting with customers? Social media is really our shop window between
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different visits. It’s where we show the personality behind the brand in a way that feels like a conversation rather than an advert. In-store content tends to resonate most. People respond to the staff. There’s a warmth and enthusiasm that comes through on camera that you can’t manufacture, and that’s what keeps people coming back to our pages. Gift guides and trend edits have also landed well. Buying gifts can feel overwhelming, and we think it’s our job to cut through that. We try to curate a range that works across different budgets, ages and tastes, and the guides help communicate that in a way a product page alone can’t. Whether someone’s treating themselves or shopping for a difficult person to buy for, we want them to feel like we’ve done the hard work. The algorithm is brutal for small businesses. But we keep showing up because the connection is real, even if the numbers aren’t always glamorous. Community connection has grown organically over the years rather than through anything we’ve actively tried to engineer. We just try to create a space that welcomes and serves as many people as possible. That’s always been the goal – so far, so good. Are there any major trends currently shaping your business? One of the strongest trends shaping our business is the continued appeal of nostalgic, licensed characters. In recent years, we have seen particularly strong success with classics such as Miffy, Snoopy and Moomin, alongside British favourites including Wallace & Gromit and more recently, Paddington. That appetite for the familiar is also feeding through into card sales, with Hypa’s Wallace & Gromit designs consistently ranking among our bestsellers. How important is the online side of your sales? It’s a vital part of the business. The increasing convenience of buying online cannot be matched
and it enables us to reach a global audience. For a successful omni-channel business both the physical stores and website should work together to capture sales across the board.
‘’Social media is really our shop window between visits. It’s where we show the personality behind the brand in a way that feels like a conversation rather than an advert’’
experience and community connection – is that something you do, and how does that work for you? Brand storytelling for us lives in the product selection, the way the store is merchandised, and the people on the shop floor. When those three things are aligned, the brand communicates itself. Customers pick up on it quickly.
How do you encourage customers to shop locally and support independent retail? Each of the stores acts as its own community of shoppers, whether it’s the student population visiting our Manchester Oxford Road store between lectures, or the families exploring LiverpoolONE store during the summer holidays. If you know who your customer is, you can tailor the experience to that customer profile, through the product mix and merchandising, rather than the ‘one offer fits all’ approach larger retailers adhere to. When paired with warm, friendly and knowledgeable teams giving great customer service, people will come back to visit again and again. A recent Voices of Retail survey from Autumn/Spring Fair and Faire highlighted that the shops doing well prioritise brand storytelling, in-store
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FEATURE GIFTS FOR GARDEN CENTRES
Rainbow Designs
Rainbow Designs Gibsons Games Thames & Kosmos
Gifts take root in garden centres
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arden centres have evolved considerably beyond their traditional role as destinations for plants and gardening products. For suppliers, this broadening of the garden centre offer is creating new opportunities – and gifting is proving to be an increasingly important part of the mix. The latest figures from the Garden Centre Association (GCA) highlight the strength of the category. Its Barometer of Trade recorded gift sales 11.99% higher year-on-year in January 2026, with gifts among the strongest-performing non-gardening categories. By May, gift sales remained 2.65% ahead year-to-date, demonstrating that the category is continuing to make an important contribution to garden-centre revenues. This sits within a wider trend identified by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), with non-gardening categories increasingly supporting the garden-centre sector. Its latest Market Update, covering June 2026, reported that non-gardening sales were 5% ahead year-to-date, while catering was up 7%. The figures underline the continuing evolution of garden centres into broader lifestyle destinations, particularly as the sector navigates challenging weather and rising business costs. For Rainbow Designs, that changing retail environment makes garden centres a key channel for gifting. Gary Hughes, head of UK Sales, says: “Garden centres are a hugely important retail channel for us because they provide the perfect environment for inspirational gifting.” He believes the appeal lies in the way today’s garden centres encourage shoppers to browse and discover products as part of a wider day out. “Today’s garden centres have evolved into lifestyle destinations where customers are looking for thoughtful gifts as well as enjoying a day out,” he says. That environment lends itself particularly well to character-led products, where nostalgia, storytelling and emotional connection can influence purchasing decisions. Rainbow Designs’ portfolio includes heritage favourites such as Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Disney Winnie the Pooh and Guess How Much I Love You, alongside Mr. Men Little Miss, Happy Yappers and Birdies. Gary says demand for gifting in the channel has increased as consumers look for products that feel distinctive and meaningful. “Shoppers are looking for gifts
that carry meaning and create lasting memories,” he explains. He believes the combination of heritage, nostalgia and playfulness works particularly well within the relaxed shopping environment of a garden centre. For suppliers, this creates an opportunity to cater for a wide range of gifting occasions, from birthdays and new babies to gifts for grandchildren or simply a small treat. Rainbow Designs has responded with collections spanning premium keepsakes, baby gifts, wooden toys, collectable plush and accessible impulse purchases.
Shoppers are looking for gifts that carry meaning and create lasting memories Gary Hughes, head of UK sales Rainbow Designs Among its strongest fits for the channel is Peter Rabbit. The character’s enduring connection with the countryside makes it a natural match for the garden centre environment, while its broad product range allows retailers to appeal to different ages and price points. This year, Rainbow Designs is also highlighting its Special Edition Peter Rabbit Commemorative Soft Toy, created to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter. Alongside Peter Rabbit, Paddington is another strong performer, bringing multi-generational appeal through classic plush and baby gifts. As garden centres continue to broaden their retail offer, the combination of trusted characters, emotional gifting and products designed to encourage discovery looks set to remain an increasingly valuable opportunity for the channel.
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Pick & mix
wax melts Celebrating nature’s
beauty
Many of The Art File card and gift wrap collections are inspired by the beauty of nature, making them perfect gifts for garden centres. From bestselling card collections such as Natural Phenomenon and Nature Trail, designed by Kate Heiss, to stunning notebooks with botanical themes, there’s something for every type of nature lover.
The Art File
Joe Davies distributes the Organico Wax Melts collection, offering retailers a beautifully presented home fragrance range that’s perfectly suited to garden centres and gift shops. Available in a wide selection of fragrances, the collection also features convenient pick & mix gift boxes, allowing customers to choose their favourite scents while encouraging impulse purchases and repeat visits. As with all Joe Davies ranges, Organico Wax Melts are available with the ‘little and often’ £100 minimum order policy, making it a lowrisk, high-reward option for garden centres and gift shops alike.
Joe Davies
0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk
01158507490 sales@theartfile.com www.theartfiletrade.com
Learning through PLAY Paddington’s Favourite Things
Paddington Aqua Reveal
© P&Co. Ltd. 2026
Splash with water for colour
Soft Toy with Memory Cards Mem Me Memo M em mo m ory o ry yC Ca Card arrrd ds
-www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk -sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk -01329 227300
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FEATURE GIFTS FOR GARDEN CENTRES
Heritage, play and
collectability Rainbow Designs brings much-loved characters and engaging, high-quality plush to garden centres. From the timeless favourites of Peter Rabbit, Paddington and Guess How Much I Love You to the colourful collectable Happy Yappers, Birdies and Cutydoos, the range combines heritage, play and collectability, to inspire gifting and impulse purchases. The bestselling Peter Rabbit collections feature Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny across a range of plush and wooden infant toys and thoughtful baby gifts. From soft toys, comfort blankets and infant gift sets to developmental and wooden toys, the Once Upon A Time and Signature collections provide plenty of choice for gift buyers. A highlight this year is the new Special Edition Peter Rabbit Commemorative Soft Toy, presented in a beautifully illustrated keepsake box, designed to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter. Loved by generations, Rainbow’s evergreen Classic Paddington and Paddington Baby ranges offer timeless character plush gifts that are a natural fit for garden centres. The new Paddington Gifts Sets, featuring a plush Paddington coupled with either a Trio of Muslins or Milestone Cards, make thoughtful keepsake gifts for little ones.
For heartfelt gifting, the Guess How Much I Love You collection offers adorable choices from the Nutbrown Hare plush with ‘I Love You’ on his tummy to adorable infant gift sets, that are perfect for celebrating new arrivals and special moments. Adding colour and collectability to garden centre displays is the new Cutydoos range, featuring eight adorable animals available as plush and keychains, while the engaging Happy Yappers collection brings interactive fun with six different birds that chirp, sing, and talk back. In addition, the Birdies range of soft plush birds with playful sound features provides another colourful, accessible pick-up gift option.
Rainbow Designs
01329 227300 sales@rainbowdesigns.co.uk www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk
Growing wild Thames & Kosmos has a range of products that inspire, educate and entertain people of all ages, and are ideal for garden centres. Wildblooms – Plant seeds and let your flowers flourish! Clever planning and a little luck will transform an empty meadow into a thriving ecosystem. Use combo effects strategically to grow your flowers and create the largest meadow in this new board game. The Game of Birds – In this stunningly illustrated card game, players compete to become the most successful conservator of threatened birds. They do this by protecting birds from modern threats while building a strong avian portfolio that improves their chances of survival. Hydroponics Lab – There’s no watering, no soil – and yet your greenhouse slowly fills with vegetables. Find out how it works, become a botanical sleuth, and enjoy your homegrown vegetables with the Hydroponics Lab. This kit includes everything you need to build your very own hydroponic greenhouse and grow three different varieties of salad greens.
Thames & Kosmos
01580 713000 sales@thamesandkosmos.co.uk thamesandkosmos.co.uk 40 www.greetingstoday.co.uk
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Classic games Gibsons is expanding its Gift of the Year Awardwinning Art File Classic Games Collection with the introduction of two beautifully designed traditional favourites: Cribbage and Mahjong. Featuring the distinctive artwork of award-winning publisher The Art File, both titles combine timeless gameplay with contemporary design, creating products that are as attractive on display as they are enjoyable to play. Crafted using sustainably sourced paper and wood, the games reflect Gibsons’ ongoing commitment to sustainability and quality craftsmanship. Cribbage offers players a stylish take on the beloved card game, while Mahjong brings the iconic tile-matching experience to the collection in a visually striking format designed to appeal to both seasoned players and newcomers alike.
Game changer Wholesaler Bookspeed is now supplying products from independent company Clarendon Games. Bookspeed is bringing these popular games back to its product ranges with improved pricing of 50% off the recommended retail price. The product range includes games for both adults and children. Bestselling items include traditionally designed after-dinner trivia packs with a retail price of less than £10, and humourous adult games for entertaining. The range offers items for all budgets, and will appeal to many types of customers. Bookspeed is an Edinburgh-based independent wholesaler offering books and games to retailers of all types and sizes, typically working across the gift, lifestyle, garden and heritage sectors.
Bookspeed
0131 467 8100 sales@bookspeed.com www.bookspeed.com
Gibsons Games
020 8661 8866 https://gibsonsgamestrade.co.uk www.gibsonsgames.co.uk
The perfect plot The Henries-nominated Simon Drew collection continues to be a firm favourite with garden centres. Simon’s distinctive drawing style, witty observations and wonderfully eccentric humour make the range a natural fit for garden centre shoppers, with a fantastic selection of gardener-themed designs (and other hobbies) that bring personality and charm to the shelves. The newly launched Simon Drew Notebooks offer a brilliant extension to the collection: the perfect gift item for garden centre customers. Another range that continues to flourish in this sector is Lost Plots. With its intricate details and strong designs, the collection performs beautifully across both greeting cards and notebooks, making it a natural choice for garden centres looking to offer customers something creative, distinctive and gift-worthy.
Cath Tate Cards
0208 671 2166 orders@cathtatecards.com trade.cathtatecards.com
Feature GiftsForGardenCentresnm.indd 4
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RETAIL INTERVIEW RBUK
‘Always a warm w Being shortlisted as a finalist for a Retas award is recognition of the hard work that goes into running an independent greeting card retailer, and for owner Rachel Buckley it is a reflection of more than two decades of building relationships, curating beautiful products, and creating a shop that has become part of its local community
R
BUK in Bury Road, Rochdale, has been serving customers for more than 25 years. During that time the surrounding high street has changed considerably, but the business has remained a constant, welcoming generations of customers through its doors and continuing to evolve while staying true to the passion for greeting cards that inspired it from the very beginning. Reflecting on the recent nomination as a finalist in the Retas, Rachel, who co-owns the shop with sister Rebecca, says the recognition is something the whole team is proud of. “We love what we do and work hard to create an enticing shopping experience. We take great pride in the appearance of our shop, creating attractive window displays that are regularly refreshed to showcase our cards and gifts. Our customers often describe us as a destination shop, where there is always a warm welcome and a friendly chat. Choosing just one card can sometimes take half an hour.” Attractive displays, carefully considered merchandising and genuine customer service all play their part in making the visit memorable. The business has become deeply rooted in its local area since opening more than 25 years ago. “While many of our neighbouring businesses have changed over the years, our loyal customer base and steady stream of new faces have made us one of the longest-running businesses in the area. Our shop appeals to a wide demographic, with generations of families continuing to shop with us year after year. Many of our customers have become friends, and we value the relationships we have built within the
community just as much as the products we sell.” And of course greeting cards remain firmly at the heart of the business and continue to drive footfall.
‘’Our customers often describe us as a destination shop, where there is always a warm welcome and a friendly chat’’ “Cards are our bread and butter. Our love of cards is what first sparked the business, and it’s what continues to bring customers through our doors. We are often complimented on the wide range of cards we offer, with something suitable for every occasion. Our selection allows customers to shop for multiple occasions all in one visit, making us a convenient and trusted choice. We also have many loyal customers who arrive with a shopping list in hand, knowing they can rely on us to help them find exactly what they need,’’ Rachel adds. Careful buying and regular range refreshes ensure there’s always something new to discover. Rachel works with a wide variety of design-led publishers, balancing established favourites with new collections that reflect current tastes and trends. Wedding cards are particularly strong performers, with collections from Janie Wilson, Five Dollar Shake and Cinnamon Aitch proving especially
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m welcome’ popular. Birthday and everyday occasions also continue to perform well, with customers regularly choosing designs from Rosie Made A Thing, Rush Design, Wendy Jones-Blackett, Caroline Gardner, Paper Salad, Belly Button Designs and Lucilla Lavender. One range that has exceeded expectations is Ginger Betty’s Marmalade Skies collection, combining uplifting sentiments with birthday designs that resonate strongly with customers. Rachel has also recently refreshed the humour section by introducing Twisted Lyrics and Pina Colada from Cath Tate Cards, both of which have already found an enthusiastic audience. Gift bags have also become a particularly successful category, especially those produced by publishers including The Art File, Belly Button Designs and Caroline Gardner, alongside coordinating gift bags and tissue paper from Glick. One feature that sets the shop apart is the writing table – “We offer a dedicated table within the shop where customers can sit and write their cards. Equipped with a range of pens, it’s regularly used for writing cards and sometimes even wrapping gifts. Customers love the idea, especially when they are short on time or have left things until the last minute.” Like many greetings retailers, Rachel has observed changing consumer habits in recent years, particularly during the festive season. “Over the past couple of years, we have noticed a decline in Christmas card sales, with the rising cost of second-class postage being the main reason customers give. Despite this, Christmas remains an important season for us, and many customers still visit the shop to choose cards for close family and friends.” Outside Christmas, however, customer demand remains healthy, with shoppers continuing to value meaningful occasions and thoughtful messages, and Rachel has also noticed changing trends in the types of sentiments customers are seeking. “They are buying more cards centred around encouragement, positivity and self-care. Cards celebrating friendship, achievement, or simply designed to brighten someone’s day are increasingly being requested. Ranges from The Art File and Raspberry
Blossom are particularly popular at the moment, reflecting customers’ desire to stay connected and thoughtful in meaningful but simple ways.” Although the business operates entirely from its physical shop, digital communication still plays an important supporting role, says Rachel. “Social media is a great way for us to remind customers about upcoming occasions, introduce new cards and gifts, and offer inspiration for different celebrations and events. Both platforms serve us well, and it is always lovely when customers come into the shop having seen one of our posts. We really enjoy engaging with our customers online and sharing what is new in store. We do not have a website and rely solely on in-store sales, so social media and word of mouth remain our most valuable marketing tools. Even when we are closed, our shop window continues to work hard for us and is a brilliant way of encouraging sales and attracting customers into the shop.”
‘’We offer a dedicated table within the shop continues to require more thought than any other. cards often involve careful consideration where customers can sit Sympathy as customers search for exactly the right words difficult times. and write their cards’’ during “It’s not necessarily that they are struggling to That reliance on personal recommendation extends beyond Rachel’s own business. Supporting fellow independent retailers is something she feels strongly about and actively promotes through conversations with customers every day. “Through the many conversations we have with our customers each day, we are always happy to recommend independent places to shop, eat and visit. If we are unable to help a customer with a particular card or gift, we will always direct them to another nearby independent retailer who may be able to help. We believe strongly in supporting one another and helping independent businesses thrive.’’ Finally, Rachel believes one card category
choose, but more that they want to ensure the right sentiment is conveyed. For some people a ‘thinking of you’ message feels more appropriate than ‘deepest sympathy’, depending on the situation. It’s also the category where customers most often ask us, ‘What do you think?’ and we are always happy to help guide them towards the right choice. Cards from Molly Mae are often perfect for these occasions, offering thoughtful and sensitive wording that really resonates with customers.” Beautifully designed cards and carefully chosen publishers are essential, and combined with the personal advice, welcoming atmosphere and genuine community spirit it has made Rachel Buckley’s business a destination shop for more than 25 years.
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PUBLISHER FOCUS KINGFISHER CARDS
In desperate need o Kingfisher Cards MD Paul Urban goes on a journey through time and space as Spring Seasons launches
W
here does all the time go? Dr Who famously said: ‘’People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... Timey-Wimey... stuff.” Well, I know how he feels! As I write this it’s Spring Season launch time. Agents are out with the latest spring brochure; house accounts have all the information they need, and export customers have been updated with all the options available. In the ‘timey-wimey’ world of publishing however, all the preparation for that will have been done much, much earlier, and my work has already moved on to next year’s everyday range. Starting work on what for us is always a big project (our brochure runs to 1,700 designs plus gift offering!) with basically seven months of this year’s sales data (or less for the latest products) as a guide isn’t easy, but this is a data-driven business. ‘‘I really like that’’ is no help if it’s not moving through, and ‘‘not the sort of thing I would buy’’ is irrelevant when it’s flying off the racks. The new catalogue usually launches by mid-end December, so it has to go to print before the end of November, and any new product has to get to the printers before then. That’s before I even mention next Xmas. You can almost see it being a stand-up routine: ‘‘What are you doing at work mate in this hot July weather?’’
‘‘I’m working on Christmas product.’’ ‘‘Christmas? It’s not even August!’’ ‘‘Nah. Not this Christmas, next Christmas, you know, 2027.’’ ‘‘You’ve got to be joking! What about the stuff for this Christmas?’’ ‘‘Don’t panic, I did that before last Christmas!’’ You can see the problem. This industry is all about the future. What comes next? What will have sold well and what won’t have. Not what has and what is, but what will be. THAT is why I need a Tardis.
This industry is all about the future. What comes next? What will have sold well and what won’t have Just pop forward a few months and see what really worked. Just pop back and stop yourself producing something that didn’t. Best of all, disappear for a month on holiday and then come back to the exact moment you left without finding a desk full of paperwork and a list of problems as long as your arm. Well back to the present, which is where we are all stuck even though we are trying to see into the future when developing ideas. So, we’ve just launched Spring Seasons for 2027
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of a Tardis! and because I am contrary and hear that lots of other publishers are cutting back or getting out of Spring Seasons altogether as it becomes ever-more difficult, I have gone the other way and almost doubled our offering. Not only that, but it is almost all new, as I was keenly aware that we had not invested anywhere near the amount of effort into Spring Seasons as we had for everyday and Xmas product. The result is 130-odd new designs, a fresher look, a bigger choice.
I like the Christmas trade though. It has a buzz and a hopefulness and an anticipation that the Spring Seasons calendar seems to have lost At least I don’t have to worry about Spring Seasons again until after Christmas. (That’s this Christmas. I’m already doing next Christmas – keep up!) So, outside the Tardis and back at Kingfisher Cards command post, all of the Christmas product is pouring in. (For this Christmas, obviously). My new right-hand man James ‘you never told me there would be this much stress’ Mitchell is somewhere at the top of some 3-metre-high racking ‘finding some space’ as we’re fast running out. The downside of our biggest-ever Christmas range and biggest-ever Christmas sell-in, is the biggest-ever Christmas print order.
But within four weeks of it arriving, the bulk of it will be gone! I like the Christmas trade though. It has a buzz and a hopefulness and an anticipation that the Spring Seasons calendar seems to have lost. Even though Royal Mail/Post Office (can’t remember what they like to call themselves nowadays) are doing their level best to kill Christmas trade with the ludicrous price of stamps and a virtually random delivery schedule, the main Christmas trade still gives its annual breath of life reinvigorating the hard-pressed retailers up and down the country. Back into the Tardis and next year’s product development. We launched a new range in June called Picturesque, and it has been a clear winner. I am sure we will be developing that. We are currently working on new artwork for other projects, which will refresh all parts of our everyday offering, and the studio is hard at work on next year’s ever popular Flashback ‘Born in the Year’ cards range. Data can only tell you so much though, gut feeling is still where Kingfisher ends up going when it comes to product. I reckon 200-250 new designs should do it, but first I need to decide which of this year’s range to leave out, which isn’t as easy as it sounds!
Kingfisher Cards 01803 431515 sales@kingfishercards.co.uk www.kingfishercards.co.uk
Dog’s Paw One thing that clearly won’t be left out is Dog’s Paw. I acquired this brand at the end of last year, having been told by several retailers it was worth acquiring. If ever the ‘not the sort of thing I’d buy’ line held true, this was it. It was outside of my comfort zone, but it really flies through the shops, and getting the word out on this brand is a key mission this year as I’ve been completely converted to the idea and I’d hate to think retailers were missing out. Simply put, Dog’s Paw enables us to produce a range of cards that can be personalised to your town – ‘Exeter’s best son!’ and so on. The cards are bright and fun, and the town personalisation really makes it a unique selling point. What’s more, we only need to supply to the retailer in standard packs of six cards per design without the retail price being un-commercial (around £1.99-£2.29). We also do Soccer Nuts cards (which we are expanding with more available teams) and Rugby Nuts for the fans of that funny-shaped ball. Because we were asked, we now do Town personalised mugs (£8.99 retail, gift boxed) and they are flying out. To be honest, if you are a retailer reading this article and you haven’t seen or tried the Dog’s Paw range, I really think you are missing out. In a time where there is so much generic product and there is so much competition with other retailers, to have something unique to your town adds a huge USP. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for the next range/product that I hadn’t even thought about running, so don’t be surprised if something surprising pops up in next year’s offering. With my love of a gamble, it usually does! Anyway, back to the Tardis for another jaunt around the universe. I’ll be back before you know it. No, really, I will.
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Company profile KingFisherCardsnm.indd 2
13/08/2026 12:37
FEATURE SPRING SEASONS
Kingfisher Cards
The Art File
All about For
Ornament Art
balance
Spring is shaping up to be a season of increasingly varied gifting and card-buying, as consumers look beyond traditional messages and embrace products that reflect the way relationships are lived today
UK Greetings
F
rom Easter through Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, there’s a growing appetite for cards and gifts that feel personal, playful and relevant – whether that means a heartfelt message, a family in-joke or simply a little something to brighten someone’s day. For cards, that means the familiar balance between sentiment and humour is becoming more nuanced. Jo Short at Ornament Art notes that Spring Season designs are reflecting the “friendlier, less formal relationships” many people now have with their parents, with funny and playful cards mirroring the real conversations taking place within families. Paul Urban at Kingfisher Cards similarly highlights the breadth of the Mother’s Day market, with demand spread between traditional, word-led designs and brighter, more contemporary humour. Father’s Day is no different, with agent Dave Langdon in his column in this issue pointing to the enduring appeal of both heartfelt and funny cards. His observation that “words of affirmation and ridicule” can both be winners neatly captures the opportunity for publishers to cater to very different family dynamics – and for senders to choose a card that genuinely sounds like them. Beyond cards, spring gifting is also broadening. Rainbow Designs’ Gary Hughes points to a growing interest in meaningful, lasting gifts, alongside the rise of seasonal gifting as an occasion in its own right. ‘’It is no longer just about the occasion itself, it’s about giving something that will be treasured long after the consumables have disappeared,’’ he says. As a result, the spring season offers retailers a rich mix of opportunities: traditional sentiment alongside contemporary humour, occasion-led purchases alongside everyday treats, and gifts designed not simply to mark a date in the calendar, but to celebrate the relationships behind it.
every occasion The Art File will showcase its Spring Seasons 2027 collections at Autumn Fair, with cards covering every major occasion. With 14 new card ranges and 13 extensions to bestselling card collections, there’s something for every major Spring Seasons event. Notable new collections for Valentine’s Day include a series of adorable cards by Louise Mulgrew, a beautiful landscape card collection called Little Wonders, and a playful series of cards called Happy Things. There are also five new ranges for Mother’s Day, three new collections for Easter and two ranges for Father’s Day. Discover the full collection at Autumn Fair by visiting The Art File on stand 8H32.
The Art File
01158507490 sales@theartfile.com www.theartfiletrade.com
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Spring has sprung!
Silver for the season Jewellery remains one of the most popular gifts for Mother’s Day, and the Equilibrium Sentiment Collection from Joe Davies offers a thoughtful way to celebrate this special day. Featuring elegant necklaces and bracelets plated in genuine silver accompanied by a heartfelt message for Mum or Nan, transforming a beautiful accessory into a treasured keepsake. Presented in a luxury Equilibrium branded gift box, the collection is perfect for marking the occasion with a lasting reminder of love and appreciation. Visit Joe Davies at Autumn Fair, Hall 7, stand A40-B41, to discover the entire Equilibrium Collection and many more inspiring Mother’s Day gifts from the vast Joe Davies range.
Joe Davies
0161 975 6300 sales@joedavies.co.uk | www.joedavies.co.uk
Spring Seasons are certainly springing up at Kingfisher Cards. A new range of more than 130 designs covering all the four seasons has been launched and the new brochure is available. ‘’The trends we have been seeing are much more complex than in everyday cards,’’ says managing director Paul Urban. ‘’Valentines is much more about the main relations and less than ever on open cards, with traditional romantic designs working best. Mother’s Day is much more varied with an even spread between the more traditional wordy card and the brighter more fun contemporary designs. ‘’Easter packs do very well for us, and we have launched some lovely multi-packs of square cards. Father’s Day is much less traditional now and we find a mix of humour and simpler designs works best here.’’ Email for a copy of the latest Spring Seasons catalogue.
Kingfisher Cards
01803 431515 sales@kingfishercards.co.uk www.kingfishercards.co.uk
Heartfelt gifts
Bubblegum is back with a bang in Spring Seasons with a typically bright and bubbly offering on Mother’s Day. The iconic characters with their big smiles and warm, fun vibes cheerfully deliver Mother’s Day wishes to those special girls in our lives – mums, grandmas and mother figures of all kinds. Designed in seasonal colours with floral graphics and foil, they’re bursting with the joys of spring! And when it comes to Father’s Day, dads, grandads and father figures are also treated to a fabulous collection, which showcases Bubblegum’s trademark blend of fun and occasional cheekiness. These designs are a nod to superheroes with halftone effects, star bursts, neons and foil before print – a fitting tribute to the living legends in our own families! For gift dressings, UK Greetings is once again offering customers more gift products to make those special occasions extra-special. Bringing a touch of nostalgia to those celebrations, Flower Fairies offers delicate floral designs alongside beautifully illustrated fairies. Spread across a collection of bags and roll wraps, they perfectly complement the successful card range.
Spring is a season filled with meaningful gifting occasions, from Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day through to Easter, creating the perfect opportunity for retailers to inspire customers with gifts that celebrate love, friendship and new beginnings. Rainbow Designs’ portfolio of timeless licensed characters and charming plush collections offers gifts for every spring celebration. Easter naturally shines a spotlight on bunnies, and Rainbow’s much-loved Peter Rabbit collection of infant and preschool gifts continues to delight families, and these classic characters remain perennial favourites with children of all ages. The adorable Playtime Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny plush, available in two sizes, are perfect for Easter surprises, spring gifting and birthdays alike. For heartfelt gifting, the beloved Guess How Much I Love You collection captures the sentiment of both Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The Little Nutbrown Hare in Gift Bag and the Large Nutbrown Hare, each embroidered with the touching words ‘I Love You’, are just two of the gifts available in the collection, that make thoughtful keepsakes that are treasured long after the occasion has passed. Adding a fresh seasonal twist for Spring 2027 is the new Cutydoos Spring Collection. Featuring five irresistibly cute 13cm collectible plush designs – three pastel-coloured bunnies, a chick and a sheep – each with a pretty spring flower motif and sparkling glitter eyes, the range offers affordable impulse purchases and Easter gifts for children, tweens and young adults. Supplied in an eye-catching illustrated CDU, the collection is designed to create standout in-store displays throughout the spring season.
UK Greetings
Rainbow Designs
Double bubble!
01924 436384 www.ukgreetings.co.uk | www.myukgaccount.co.uk
01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk www.greetingstoday.co.uk 47
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RETAIL INTERVIEW ZEST
A unique
local flavour L
After 22 years serving the community of Crowborough, Zest Contemporary Gifts has become far more than a card and gift shop. Under the direction of Jane Hunnam, the business has evolved into what she describes as “a small department store”
ocated in the Fernbank Centre in Crowborough, East Sussex, the shop attracts customers from both the local area and further afield, including visitors from around Royal Tunbridge Wells. The generous retail space allows products to be displayed in dedicated departments – greeting cards, gift wrap, jewellery, clothing and carefully selected gifts – creating a shopping experience that feels larger than a typical independent retailer. “We have a large shop that enables us to display in departments; I call it a small department store,’’ says director Jane Hunnam. Greeting cards remain a key part of the business and are central to the way customers use the shop. “Greeting cards and wrap are an important part of our business as we like to give the complete gift purchasing experience. Customers shop for cards with us from a large geographical area – some buy for a month as they have made the journey to us for that purpose.” Zest works with a wide mix of established publishers and smaller suppliers, giving customers a strong choice across humour, contemporary design, relations and special occasions. Among the publishers performing particularly well are Wendy Jones-Blackett, Rosie Made A Thing, Five Dollar Shake, Woodmansterne, Ling Design, Pigment Productions, Two Bad Mice, Molly Mae, Lagom, Paper Salad and Sarah Kelleher. For gift wrap, Glick and Penny Kennedy remain important suppliers. One aspect that gives the shop a unique local flavour is its support for artists connected to the Crowborough area. “We have some very talented artists among our staff in the shop and we have sold their cards. Also we sell postcards by local artists from the Crowborough Arts group,’’ says Jane. Customer behaviour has changed noticeably
in recent years. Jane has observed that shoppers are increasingly purposeful when they visit. “I feel shopping habits have changed; people don’t just pop in for a browse these days. They come in for a purpose; to buy cards and a gift or a little something for themselves. We offer a free gift-wrapping service, which the customers really appreciate.” Jane says visits are becoming more intentional, with shoppers often combining cards, gifts and a treat for themselves in one trip.
‘’One aspect that gives the shop a unique local flavour is its support for artists connected to Crowborough’’
a friendly shopping experience getting to know our customers. We work with local business in joint promotions, and we gift wrap for local charities.” Despite the strong range already in store, there are still gaps in the market that Jane would like to see suppliers address. Relations such as great-grandson and great-granddaughter remain difficult to source, as do stylish age cards for younger family members, and special anniversary designs for husbands and wives. When asked which occasion customers find hardest to buy for, Jane has a clear answer. “Bereavement – it’s a delicate issue and you need to find the right words.” That sensitivity perhaps captures what independent card retailing does best. Customers are often looking for guidance, reassurance and a retailer who understands the importance of finding exactly the right sentiment. After more than two decades Jane Hunnam and the team at Zest have built a business around providing precisely that.
Social media, meanwhile, has become an increasingly valuable marketing tool, helping the business stay visible and showcase new arrivals. “Social media is getting very important these days; it helps to promote new lines and remind people we are still here! We have a following on Facebook and Instagram and have customers come in saying they have seen things on these channels and want to see it in the shop. We like to use these channels to showcase new stock and show the friendly side of our shop.” Alongside social media, the shop’s growing website is extending its reach beyond East Sussex, particularly during key trading periods such as Christmas. Jane is also passionate about encouraging people to support independent retail: “We use social media to promote shop local and support. We also provide
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Penguin Ink
The folk at Penguin Ink love a party hat, and for the Celebration Notes greeting card range, they added a birthday frog, with suitable headwear, of course. The letterpress C6 cards feature favourite animals, including a guinea pig, wearing neon party hats with modern calligraphy Happy Birthday.
Penguin Ink www.penguinink.co.uk
Trends:
Cinnamon Aitch Cinnamon Aitch is bang on trend with three frog designs. Colour-popping Huffalumpa, with its fun die-cut edges, sees a quirky graphic frog added to the menagerie, while the popular Skylark range sees two more fun-filled frogs leaping across the cards. This is in addition to the current frog design the range offers, which is the bestselling design of the range to date. Popular with UK and overseas customers alike, this range continues to grow and has become a firm favourite with animal and nature lovers. Printed on beautiful, heavyweight board and C6 in size, each illustration is carefully painted by hand, ensuring each animal is full of character! All designs are supplied with a custommade spotty envelope, and can be supplied naked if requested.
Frogs Hop to it and get some of these fabulous frogs on your shelves and spinners!
0121 773 6833 | hello@cinnamonaitch.co.uk | www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk
Pigment Productions
Frogs are having a major moment in pop culture, fuelled by everything from TikTok trends to the rise of cottagecore and nature aesthetics. The Frog card from Pigment’s Animal Antics classics is a long-standing no.1 bestseller for the publisher. It hits the sweet spot between quirky internet culture and relatable silly humour! Everyone over 50, ahem, can relate to it.
01423 520098 admin@pigmentproductions.com www.pigmentproductions.com
Lovely Paper
Stuff
Bringing plenty of personality to Lovely Paper Stuff’s range is the brilliantly punny Toadly Awesome card. The card features a grumpy toad, donning a thumbs-up and wearing sunglasses – a bit more personality than your average congratulations card! The design reflects Lovely Paper Stuff’s love of bright colour, character-led artwork and humour that doesn’t take itself too seriously. They’re the kind of cards people pick up, laugh at and take to the till.
07786 886223 wholesale@lovelypaperstuff.com www.lovelypaperstuff.com
Lil Wabbit
Independent UK greeting card brand lil wabbit unveiled a new licensed collection created in partnership with French textile artist Heknitt, celebrated online for his much-loved knitted frogs. The collection debuted at PG Live and includes 25 designs across a mix of everyday and seasonal occasions, from birthdays through to Christmas. Combining lil wabbit’s playful and contemporary aesthetic with Heknitt’s detailed knitted frog creations, the range offers retailers a fun and distinctive collection full of personality. The collaboration reflects both brands’ shared appreciation for creativity, animals and light-hearted design.
lilwabbit.co.uk lilwabbit.orderspace.com faire.com/direct/lilwabbit
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SHOP TALK
Greetings Today catches up with retailers to talk about their plans for the Golden Quarter, end-ofterm cards and what’s selling well
Carl Dunne
Owner Cards & Gifts Dronfield, Derbyshire It’s close to the Golden Quarter. What are your plans in terms of stock, offers, new products etc for Christmas? What are my plans? Hmm. So over the past few months I have been trying to source new gift suppliers with stock around the £5 and £10 mark to make this more affordable. New product-wise, for Christmas I’m going to be stocking light-up ornaments again this year. A few years ago when I had these in two shops we had three pallets of stock, so I’m hoping to get close to that again.
‘’Our other new supplier is Pigment Productions, and we took a stunning spinner for the humour range of cards. This is selling so well – customers just stand there giggling away’’ How well did end of school year/graduation/ thanks teacher stock sell? What brands did well? Our customers like to leave this until the last minute, so it only started kicking in towards the end of July. We always do really well with Glick/Paper Salad thank you gift bags along with the House of Sarunds Galaxy thank you. New to us this year and already sold out were the Paper Salad thank you bright coloured cards with the new chocolate bars. We always upsell the chocolate as it’s a nice surprise gift if you pop it inside the card. For graduation we’re very lucky that we get two hits on this as we’re on the border of Sheffield first and then in August we get the second hit for Derbyshire, so we get double bubble! Normally we do well with relation captions but this year it’s gone mad with open graduation and now we’re on our second set of stock for this. What’s been selling particularly well for you? Any surprises? Our other new supplier is Pigment Productions, and we took a stunning spinner for the humour range of cards. This is selling so well – customers just stand there giggling away. Again, so nice to see that we can put smiles and giggles on customers’ faces. Any other issues you wish to highlight? The overheads are now in my opinion the highest we have seen. The money we get in just doesn’t go as far as it used to, so we’re looking at so many other avenues as well as new lines to bring into the business.
Nish Kanabar
Director Ace Cards of Wetherby Wetherby, West Yorkshire Did you go to Harrogate? How was it – did you discover any hidden gems? Did you find everything you wanted? We were due to go, but unfortunately we did not get there this year, but we were looking at the build-up closely, and all the suppliers featured. We have enquiries in, with a possible greeting card supplier, and a confectionery supplier. It’s close to the Golden Quarter. What are your plans in terms of stock, offers, new products etc for Christmas? We plan as soon as the festive ranges become available, generally at the start of the year, so stock starts to arrive with us from early September onwards. Our suppliers are really good at newness.
‘’Our suppliers are really good at newness’’ How well did end of school year/graduation/ thanks teacher stock sell? What brands did well? This period is healthy for added sales. We do well in this range from UK Greetings, IC&G, Ling Design, Noel Tatt, and Words ‘N’ Wishes. Thank you teacher is the slower seller out of the range. What’s been selling particularly well for you? Any surprises? No surprises, but we always do really well with the Second Nature pop-up cards and quilling cards, with an added sale of a frame. They are nice cards to keep after the event. Any other issues you wish to highlight? We are pretty fortunate in this sector, where there is a lot of creativity from publishers, so the ranges keep fresh all year round. Apart from general rising costs for all businesses we trade well.
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Denise Ballard
Fourteen Lifestyle Stroud Gloucestershire It’s close to the Golden Quarter. What are your plans in terms of stock, offers, new products etc for Christmas? As far as Christmas goes our usual greeting card offering probably takes the longest time to get right, with regards to a really good all round selection, mostly cheeky, a good portion of downright rude and some for everyday! Xmas that did well last year were as always Dean Morris, Brainbox Candy, Studio Boketto, Timmy Loves, and Mungo and Shoddy. Low price-point items remain strong for us; small pick-up items around £10 and socks – glorious socks! Games perform really well at Christmas so hoping to find some new titles. What’s been selling particularly well for you? Any surprises? Stress balls of all shapes and sizes have been good and sweary socks remain very strong! Miffy (Haus Distribution and S-c Brands) and Snoopy (S-c Brands, Auroraworld and House of Disaster) continue to perform and the new sticker packs from Jolly Awesome are selling well. Cards have always been our strongest seller and it’s great to be able to support such great independent card companies, they just get better and better. Indie brands I support are Go La La, Flamingo Candles, Big Potato Games, Talking Tables, Redback Cards, East End Prints, Urban Eccentric, Octopus and Sock Therapy socks.
Paul & Helen Southgate Owners Cards n Things Norwich
It’s close to the Golden Quarter. What are your plans in terms of stock, offers, new products etc for Christmas? A lot of our ordering has already been completed, and we have done the groundwork of sourcing new suppliers ready for the Christmas season. In our gift range, we have recently launched Lisa Angel and Stoneglow in store, alongside popular ranges such as Bookspeed and Inis. We are also considering hosting a Christmas customer shopping evening with special offers, which will run alongside our loyalty card programme.
‘’For the first time, we have written to our MP regarding the increase in costs, such as business rates’’ How well did end of school year/graduation/ thanks teacher stock sell? What brands did well? Congratulations, graduation, and thank you teacher cards and gifts remain popular, and it is important to get the price point right across the gift ranges. Balloons and bunting were especially popular this year for graduation celebrations. IC&G has a great range of relation and title congratulations cards that always sell well. Prom cards (from IC&G and White Cotton) and decorations continue to gain momentum and grow in popularity each year. Any other issues you wish to highlight? For the first time, we have written to our MP regarding the increase in costs, such as business rates. We are thankful that our shop remains busy, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain profitability when operating costs are so high.
Rebekah Mudie
Owner/director Daisy Daisy - Beautiful Cards & Gifts Cardiff It’s close to the Golden Quarter. What are your plans in terms of stock, offers, new products etc for Christmas? I did the majority of my Christmas shopping for gifts and decoration stock at the NEC at Spring Fair back in February. I tend to source my stock from trusted suppliers I’ve used before but focus on their new lines for my customers. If something new jumps out at me then of course I follow it up. I also ordered the bulk of my Christmas card stock from my top-selling publishers earlier in the year to guarantee choice and availability. I order a large selection of relation and occasion singles covering all captions. I’ve ordered a similar amount of Christmas card packs and boxes to last year, particularly charity cards, which are most popular. Despite a great 2025 season I am nervous to increase my spending on Christmas cards due to the increased postage prices and reduced second class service by Royal Mail. We are in a position now where we certainly need to do more than ever to promote the tradition of sending Xmas cards and the joy they bring, particularly educating the younger generations. I do find that at Daisy Daisy our bestselling Christmas cards are the religious ones, so I always seek a wide choice of those.
‘’Our bestselling Christmas cards are the religious ones, so I always seek a wide choice of those’’ Welsh cards also fly off my shelves so they are a priority for me to order. My top publishers for seasonal stock are Great British Card Company, Ling Design, Woodmansterne, Noel Tatt, Jonny Javelin, IC&G, Second Nature. I also purchase Christmas cards from Museums & Galleries, The Art File, Five Dollar Shake, Caroline Gardener, Rachel Ellen and Welsh publishers including Alffabet, Paintbox, Max Rocks and more. After Christmas we do have a halfprice sale over a few weeks in order to sell through on any leftover stock so that I minimise returns to the bigger publishers and am not left with older stock for the next Christmas. Customers do love a bargain! How well did end of school year/graduation/ thanks teacher stock sell? What brands did well? The end of the academic term did bring a flourish of sales for us and we found that more customers were buying for graduation celebrations but fewer people were buying thank you teacher cards. I had to keep topping up on graduation cards, both general and the ones for relations. I used IC&G – their cards with the year on are very popular. I also ordered from The Art File and Belly Button Designs. I got Welsh graduation cards from Dandelion, and Paintbox. Thank you teacher was not a great hit card-wise. We did sell a lot of pick-up gifts but not so many cards. Perhaps school classes are now buying or making one larger card for the children to all sign or it’s less celebrated?
We want your opinions! If you would like to take part in Shop Talk in an upcoming issue, please email rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk www.greetingstoday.media 51
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Opinion
Coffee Break... …with Paul Urban, MD, Kingfisher Cards Greetings Today chats with Kingfisher’s Paul Urban about AI, the challenges facing the industry right now, and wastage produced by sale or return policies Kingfisher’s Picturesque range
What trends are shaping the greeting card market now? To be honest I’m not a great worrier about trends, especially in a market as diverse as greeting cards. I always tend to try to do my own thing and aim at the areas of the market where I see a niche. The problem with trends is someone starts a bandwagon rolling and then everyone jumps on it. In six months, something new and fresh is in everyone’s range in some variation or other and that just waters down the concept. There’s certainly a lot of bright colours out there and lots of neon, so I would think that’s pretty much the latest trend. How is AI influencing card design, writing and business operations? This is a tricky one because it is improving every month. On the operations side we are using it more on accounts and also on the stock control side. Both are working well but what would be really great is a full accountancy package that completely removes the need for an accountant! On the design side, we are starting to use it to develop ideas and also helping when we re-format or develop some of our existing artworks. We are treading very carefully with it but I do think it is a tool designers can use to speed up the design process. I don’t think it can replace the innovative and imaginative side of the creative process. I would say though that I fully expect the Amazon/internet arena to be full of AI ‘designs’ that bear an uncanny resemblance to existing publishers’ designs. I think the game changer with AI for design would be if it enabled layer building in design rather than a flat format, because currently any AI design needs as much work re-formatting as it takes to create it from scratch using InDesign or similar. What has been your most successful product launch in the past year and why did it resonate? Picturesque absolutely. A simple format and nice artwork – I think it just had such a wide appeal. We are just developing it from open birthday into our captions ranges.
What challenges are publishers and retailers facing in today’s market, and how are they adapting? The retailer’s challenges are essentially the publisher’s main challenge. If retail was booming, then it would be easy for the publishers because retail would be going through more product and cashflow for all concerned would be much better. As it is, retail is one of the toughest arenas to be in; many high streets are a ghost town, and the internet businesses seem to have an unfair advantage. Until the government reforms rates, stops escalating the cost and complexity of employing staff, and stops councils using car parking as a cash-cow then it is not going to improve. I’m not holding my breath on any of those! Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for growth in the greeting card industry over the next five years? I’m not sure about growth, I think it’s more evolution. There is a bit of a shift from the traditional card shops so that cards are an important part of a more varied offering. There is also a wider spread of retail outlets with garden centres and farm shops being areas that appear to be doing better. Obviously, the internet continues to grow and that is a worry for the high street, which is where the bulk of greeting cards used to be bought. Any other issue you’d like to highlight? I was talking to someone the other day who is very invested in the ‘green movement’. They absolutely couldn’t understand the concept of the sale or return element of seasonal products, especially the fact that most of the returns are just binned. They were pretty sure that sooner or later it would be a major PR headache for our industry if a programme/article highlights the fact that the industry creates so much wastage. I couldn’t disagree, but on the other hand unless the whole industry did firm sale only, I don’t see how we could alter it. In truth we should probably be ashamed.
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Opinion
Dave enjoying the last month of summer with his daughter Ada
Diary
of an agent
August has thrown some challenges at agent Dave Langdon, but he’s keeping positive and looking forward meeting everyone at the autumn trade shows
A
ugust is a strange month. While parents take time off, my coastal customers are swamped with seasonal trade. Combine that with Christmas deliveries already shipping, Q4 stocking up, and the annual air-con debate, and it’s a mix of calm before the storm and total pandemonium. Add to that me trying to move house and my boiler being condemned, and I’m ready for September and trade shows. Anyway, enough about my boiler, Dave here reporting from the East. I have to confess I missed Harrogate Home & Gift this year due to personal reasons, but having five of my companies (Ohh Deer, Museums & Galleries, M!NT, Global Journey and Boxer Gifts) attend and have my back, I can report that footfall was down, but order values were higher than last year. That seems to be the trend across all trade shows at the moment. A worrying trend, which makes me recall wise words from a Widdop Illingworth Uncle (I think it was Stuart), “What are we doing to make trade shows unmissable?”. You can say the organisers of Autumn Fair and Glee have tried to follow Stuart’s advice, for the first time combining the two shows. With Glee not starting until Tuesday, are we going to have two waves of footfall? Who knows, but I think at such a busy time of year, it makes absolute sense to combine the two shows and give buyers more to look at when their time is so limited in the run-up to Xmas. I’ll be at the NEC straight from a wedding in Cornwall so will be 50% Cornish pasty. If you see a doughy pastry ball resembling a middle-aged man, roll me between CGB Giftware, Global Journey, Paper Salad and Ohh Deer. And hopefully not towards the Casino. With Christmas card buying mostly wrapped up, attention now switches to Spring Season preorders. After many years of pre-selling spring, I find the best tactic is to order all Spring Seasons
together for January delivery. That way you’ll be in no danger of hitting carriage orders for smaller Easter and Father’s Day orders, and it’s another job done for the year. I feel pretty chuffed to have such great ranges from Emotional Rescue, Paper Salad and Ohh Deer all ready to order. Broken-record-boring-Dave, but my advice this year is the same as last year. Focus on both extremes; heartfelt and funny. Words of affirmation and ridicule for the win. If my Dad opens his Father’s Day card and laughs, I have succeeded for another year!
Cambridge Confectionery
‘’I’ll be at the NEC straight from a wedding in Cornwall so will be 50% Cornish pasty’’ Finally, my top giftware lines for Christmas and Q4 will hopefully be: • Rudi & Bear – Launching via CGB Giftware at Autumn Fair, hand made and baby safe. • Cambridge Confectionary – 9 Assorted Chocolate Fingers - £9.99 RRP. • Silly Beans (Ohh Deer) – Good luck if you haven’t already pre ordered. • Peppermint Grove 100ml Diffusers – a great gift at £13.99 RRP (Lemongrass and Lime top scent). • Boxer Gifting Books – Bob Mortimer Book a bestseller - £6.99 (50% margin). • M!NT To Be Frank Keyrings – £2.99 RRP, already selling well. • Museums & Galleries Puzzles – Every year, a bestselling line. Here’s hoping to see you at either the NEC or at Top Drawer, and best of luck getting ready for Christmas.
Paper Salad
Dave Langdon covers East Anglia for Museums & Galleries, Ohh Deer, Paper Salad, Global Journey Gifts, The Cambridge Confectionery Company, M!NT, Peppermint Grove, Star Editions, David Fischhoff, Boxer Gifts, CGB Giftware.
Tel: 0780 363 1430 Email: dave@easalesltd.co.uk Web: www.easalesltd.co.uk
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13/08/2026 17:33
Pigment Productions Few motifs have demonstrated the staying power of the Highland coo! Combining the popularity of cosy countryside and with an undeniable cute factor, these shaggy Scottish icons have evolved from a regional favourite into a global phenomenon. This Highland Coo card from the hand-drawn Life in Pencil collection created by Yorkshire artist Shaun Vickers captures rich, intricate detail in pencil, blending fine art with lots of character and a touch of Pigment punnery!
01423 520098 admin@pigmentproductions.com www.pigmentproductions.com
Trends:
Holy Mackerel Head over to Holy Mackerel to find these beautiful Highland Coo cards by Scottish artist Ailsa Black. Ailsa takes her inspiration from the creatures she meets on her walks around the beautiful coast and landscapes of Dumfries and Galloway, and you can see why she was struck by these handsome creatures! Part of Ailsa’s Fields and Fathoms’ range of blank art cards – each is 15cm square and comes with a colour-matched envelope in a plant-based native bag.
01395 578571 sales@holy-mackerel.co.uk www.holy-mackerel.co.uk
Highland cowss With their shaggy fringes and fluffy coats, who can resist a Highland cow? Not these publishers that’s for sure!
The Art File
The Art File has published a new flat wrap design featuring Highland cows. This adorable design features Highland cows and thistles on a lovely green background.
01158507490 sales@theartfile.com | www.theartfiletrade.com
Tache
Dunoon Featured here in Dunoon’s Benmore shape, this Highland Coos mug brings this iconic animal to life in vibrant colour. Holding a generous 750ml, the largest mug in the Dunoon collection showcases a bright orange Highland cow with a wonderfully tousled fringe, rosy pink nose and playful expression, making it a true statement piece for tea, coffee or hot chocolate lovers. The Highland cow holds a special place within Dunoon’s collection, celebrating a beloved icon while subtly nodding to the company’s original roots in the Scottish coastal town of Dunoon. Today, that heritage is beautifully married with British craftsmanship.
01785 817414 sales@dunoonmugs.co.uk www.dunoonmugs.co.uk
Tache is celebrating Britain’s ongoing love affair with Highland cows with two charming designs from its popular On the Farm collection. The range was inspired by founders Pennie and Frank’s move to the countryside a few years ago, where they now find themselves surrounded by rolling farmland and plenty of four-legged neighbours. Adding an extra personal touch within the collection, each design includes a daisy in honour of the couple’s daughter, Daisy, making the collection particularly special to the familyrun business. Designed and handmade in the UK using FSC-certified materials, the collection combines Tache’s signature playful illustration style with premium finishes and beautifully printed envelopes.
01202 691435 hello@tache.co.uk www.tache.co.uk
Pikkii Fold your own delightful herd of paper Highland cows. Bring a little Scottish charm to your day with this playful herd of 50 fold-yourown cows. Each sheet folds into a friendly little Highland cow ready to trot across your desk, star in a homemade farmyard adventure, or simply make you smile. Kit includes 50 pre-printed origami squares in two sizes, easy-to-follow instructions and pure joy!
0203 580 9874 hello@pikkii.com trade.pikkii.com
Kali Stileman Publishing Kali Stileman has a super wrapping paper, celebrating all things Scottish! This fun flat wrap features everything from hares and Highland cows to pretty thistles and iconic landmarks. This wrapping paper comes as flat wrap and is printed on lovely thick paper sourced from sustainable forestry.
07344 707167 info@kalistileman.co.uk www.kalistileman.co.uk
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13/08/2026 16:22
Opinion
RETAIL100
Falling into autumn retail Retail100 Consulting director and co-founder Sara Allbright explains why autumn offers retailers a valuable opportunity to refresh displays, embrace seasonal trends, and bridge the gap before Christmas
H
aving worked with American brands for several years and visited retailers in the US at this time of year, I’ve often wondered whether the UK will ever start to engage with the season of ‘Fall’, which drives so much of preChristmas retailing across the pond. Autumn in the UK can often seem less significant for retailers, with no major seasonal events until Halloween at the end of October. As it’s not relevant to everyone, how can retailers best make the most of this beautiful time of year? Pumpkins are starting to break away from their comical and scary incarnations as Halloween decorations, becoming more sophisticated and desirable in their appearance and use. We have Starbucks to thank for the rise of the pumpkin spice latte but, as a scent, especially for those who like something more gourmand (inspired by edible treats), the fragrance is starting to appear more widely across the candle categories. When I say pumpkins, I should perhaps more accurately be referring to the beautiful, decorative fruits that brighten homes at this time of year – gourds, not to be confused with ghouls! These colourful members of the squash family bring a touch of autumnal charm to homes and displays. Candlelight also resonates well with customers as the daylight hours get shorter and people want that warm glow in their homes, before having to start relying solely on their lighting schemes. Consumers also start to reconsider their lighting choices at this time of year, so updates such as decorative lampshades or novelty lighting can be quick wins for retailers. This change of season is also a great excuse for those who indulge in yearround door decoration to update their wreaths with a distinctly autumnal flavour.
The leaves that fall at this time of year, with their array of colours, make the perfect base for other details of autumn, such as pumpkins. Building on this, any range of artificial flowers should certainly be leaning into these colourways before everything goes glitter, gold, and poinsettia for Christmas. That being said, many retailers might already have their Christmas ranges on display, and there has also been a rise in themes that pay homage to autumn, with acorns and woodland animals abounding. If you’re not ready to embrace Christmas early, why not do it in stages and have a September and October theme for decorations before you go full-on tinsel? There are also elements of the American celebrations that are unlikely to make any impact here, and while the holiday of Thanksgiving certainly gave us Black Friday to latch on to, I don’t foresee a retail opportunity in the celebration itself any time soon – although a pumpkin pie is always a welcome treat.
I do think, however, that in the current climate, taking a moment to give thanks is perhaps not a bad idea. If you’re running a business and have made it to this point in the year, then it’s definitely worth giving yourself a pat on the back before the Christmas madness kicks in.
Sara Allbright is a director and co-founder of Retail100 Consulting: a consultancy firm that brings together more than 100 years of combined retail experience to help retailers and brands grow. Prior to Retail100 Consulting, Sara worked in buying roles at John Lewis for 18 years, predominantly across home and seasonal categories, including eight years leading gift and home fragrance buying. She specialised in brand relationships and helping small emerging brands grow into market leaders, and has extensive experience of own-label sourcing across multiple categories and countries. Email: hello@retail100consulting.co.uk Visit: www.retail100consulting.co.uk I www.linkedin.com/company/retail100-consulting
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CHRISTMAS IS COMING! Order your UK-produced General and Captioned Christmas cards today!
(t) 0116 230 4197 (w) www.mint-publishing.co.uk (e) sales@mint-publishing.co.uk