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Over The Counter
Paper Back Writer
Below: Some lovely and unusual stationery at Loveone. Below left: Cards sit beautifully with gifts and can help create a theme.
In the run up to Stationery Week this month, independent retailer, Cathy Frost, owner of card and gift shop Loveone in Ipswich, shares her insight as to how retailing greeting cards and stationery opened up new avenues and opportunities for her business. The retailing of greeting cards has been a revelation to me. My retail journey started 10 years ago and back then selling cards did not register on my radar. It was something other retailers did. I was very much rooted in my homewares emporium and cards seemed a distraction, taking up valuable space. How wrong I was proved to be. When the recession took hold in 2008, I was forced to completely re-evaluate the products that I was selling. Faced with a sink or swim scenario, in January 2009 I took myself off to Top Drawer in London. I kept an open mind - my relationship with all things stationery had begun.
It was odd really because I had always loved stationery, sending it and receiving it. I can still remember the thrill of cards arriving on my birthday, loving the glitter that fell off the Christmas cards (it was the 1970s), a new notebook waiting to be filled, and the anticipation of all those beautifully giftwrapped presents under the tree. The recession was definitely a time for reflection. I now find myself buying 1000’s of cards every year, happy days! Loveone became a gift shop. Reassessing customer expectation and the 20
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
inevitable reduction in spending presented me with obvious challenges, but also new opportunities. We became a onestop shop, offering the full gift buying experience. From the selection of the present, wrapping the gift and, of course, choosing the right card. I now find myself wrapping gifts purchased in my neighbour’s shops. I rediscovered the joy of crisp mitred edges and perfect folds! Our greeting card selection started with a small collection covering all the major highlights of the 'gift calendar' and consumer occasions. I came to realise that cards offered an affordable purchase to many customers who were apprehensive about coming into a small independent shop. At the very least a customer could purchase a card, it was still an opportunity to come into the shop for a browse. It was often the case that far more money was actually spent, once customer confidence had been gained in terms of product price, range and customer service. It had all started with the humble greeting card placed strategically at the front of the shop. Loveone now has a reputation locally for stocking designs from the quirkier end of the card market. In fact, I now actively seek out the smaller publishers, new artists or start-ups. These ranges are then worked in among more established ranges, this helps build customer acceptance of some of the edgier products. Over time I have listened and observed my customers. I have noticed quite a shift in my shopping tribe, to a much broader customer base, less age or gender specific. This has led me to take a few risks and try out many new brands, in fact some recommended by my well-informed regulars. One particular customer shared his love
of letterpress cards, and these are now a permanent fixture instore. By watching customers make their card selections it has made me reassess my own thought processes when I purchase a card: It is a very complex interaction, with considerations including sentiment, occasion, image, text inside and out, typeface, colour, size, branding, with price often being an afterthought. For many there is a real emotional attachment to selecting the appropriate card, especially when considering events such as the loss of a loved one or the expression of first love. Loveone now utilises many avenues to discover new card ranges. The annual trips to the trade shows are still an important part of the buying process. I focus on Top Drawer and Pulse, both are London based. This is partly a geographical consideration, but it has the right level of content for me as a small buyer. And of course the Progressive Greetings Live show has now also been added to our buying calendar, especially as it is a dedicated greeting card show.