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’Aving a laugh! Laughter is the best medicine, credited with strengthening the immune system and boosting moods – and you can get all that from a funny greeting card! A good giggle and the power of a card’s welldocumented ability to cheer someone up continues to be reflected in PG’s annual Retail Barometer charts. As customers are always looking for the next guffaw, retailers and publishers are under pressure to provide new designs and themes – but one that’s going nowhere is Brits’ love of insults and making fun of mates and loved ones. Check out this Focus On…Humour Cards special publication to find out what’s new, what’s funny, and what’s the latest insult!
Top of the table PG’s exclusive Retail Barometer survey shows humour again tops the genre growth chart. Independent retailers love hearing their customers laugh and their responses about 2024 sales revealed the category showing the largest increase compared to the previous year. While humour held on to the top spot for at least the fourth year
WHAT’S INSIDE? Page 7 Today’s Titters Publishers reveal what’s been making them laugh recently. Pages 9-11 Sticks and Stones… Traditional insults may be dying out, what’s your favourite? Pages 13-15 New Releases There’s plenty of fresh funnies happening – and many will be at PG Live! Pages 16-17 Retailers’ Reactions From the shopfloor, retailers reveal the top sellers on the funny front. Pages 18-19 Humorous Henries A look at how the top funnies from the 2024 awards came about.
Below: Humour sales hold on to first place.
running, other stalwarts showed why they’re the backbone of the racks – relations and occasions held on to second place for the second year running as Christmas singles retained the third spot. Mother’s Day sales climbed four places to fourth, although Father’s Day dropped a spot into 10th, and the mini-cards phenomenon has entered in 12th place.
Funnies travel well British humour isn’t just a hit over here, Americans love it too, as the finalists for the 2025 Louie awards prove. With no less than three of its five nominations raising a giggle, Redback Cards is hoping it’ll be third time lucky in the US version of The Henries awards, and owner Chris Stanley will come home with a trophy this year. The winners will be revealed at the Louie awards ceremony on 27 July during the Las Vegas World Market Expo where the US GCA’s annual Noted trade show for the greeting card industry is located for 2025 – the move to Sin City means a later date for the Louies, which are usually announced in April.
HUMOUR NEWS
After reaching the finals for the past two years, this time Redback is through in Children’s Card Above $5.50, Humorous $5.50 & Below, Christmas/ Seasonal Humorous, Congratulations/Special Occasion $5.50 & Below, and Celebrating Women. Pleased that designs from the Holy Flaps, Cloud Nine, and Zeppelinmoon humour ranges have made it through, plus Hebe Studio and Shine, Chris joked: “Wow, gotta say I wasn't expecting that! I’m thrilled to be finalists in so many categories, and genuinely surprised. Trip to Vegas...well, if we must?!” And Brits are also represented in other categories, with The Art File and Ohh Deer having two nominations apiece, while Rosanna Rossi, Santoro, and Paper D’Art have each clinched a finalists’ place.
Focus On Humour Cards is published by Max Publishing Ltd, publisher of Progressive Greetings Worldwide and Progressive Gifts & Home. It is distributed with the May edition of Progressive Greetings Worldwide. Editor-in-chief: Jakki Brown (jakkib@maxpublishing.co.uk); Features Editor: Tracey Bearton (traceyb@max-publishing.co.uk); Advertisement Director: Warren Lomax (warren@max-publishing.co.uk); Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London, N7 9DP www.max-publishing.co.uk Tel: 020 7700 6740. Home of The Henries, The Retas and Progressive Greetings Live. Copyright: 2025
Right and below: Redback’s three humour nominees and owner Chris at the 2024 Louies with Rosie Made a Thing’s founder Rosie Harrison who pipped him to the trophy.
FOCUS ON HUMOUR CARDS
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