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Retailer Face To Face
In The
Zone
This time last year James Taylor, trading director of Cardzone, had two wishes for the Nottinghamshire-based specialist card retail group. The first was for a replacement map for his father (and md of the business) Paul Taylor’s office wall (and one that this time included Northern Ireland and Eire, an area of expansion for the retailer). The second was to be able to populate it with more marker pins to reflect the company’s progress as it edges closer to its goal of trading from 200+ stores. PG pinned down Paul, James and fellow director Jo Hancock to find out what they have mapped out for the coming year. “Well, we have the new map, and have a fair few additional pins in there. All we now need to do is find time to fix it on the wall properly!” states James Taylor, who joined Cardzone four years ago and is now its trading director. With an estate of 135 varied stores located the length and breadth of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, a lean management team, a spate of acquisitions to bed in while maximising the all important Christmas sales, understandably hanging a picture in Cardzone’s HQ has not been a top priority. “We were really pleased that our Christmas trading ended up better than expected, especially on single cards which out-performed footfall,” says managing director Paul Taylor of the retailer group’s 4% like-for-like increase in single Christmas card sales against a 3.5% decline in footfall. “We didn't get everything right though, our boxed cards selection and gift dressings
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
could have been better. Both areas we are addressing for 2020,” admits Paul honestly. The strengthening of its buying and management team, plus investment in a showroom (to be installed within its Hexgreave Hall headquarters near Newark) will facilitate these improvements. Well-respected industry executive, Mark Goshawk, (who worked for UKG for many years) came on board six months ago on a consultancy basis to assist in the Spring
Above: (left-right) Cardzone’s managing director Paul Taylor, director Jo Hancock and trading director James Taylor outside the company’s HQ, Hexgreave Hall in Nottinghamshire. Left: Not only was James keen to source a new map for his dad’s office wall, this time one which included Northern Ireland and Eire, but also another box of pins to show the retailer’s expansion, as well as have some in reserve. Below: The upmarket Paper Kisses concept debuted in a couple of Cardzone’s Scottish stores. The last year has seen its Southwell store as well as Royal Wotton Bassett be converted to this look. Below left: Acquiring established and successful independent card retail businesses, such as Tidings in Cirencester, is likely to continue to be a route of growth for Cardzone.
Seasons and Christmas ‘number crunching’, while Kim Baker, one the retailer’s area managers, is moving across into the buying department to assist James on the gift buying, merchandising and display aspects. “Having a proper showroom and Kim’s skills will be invaluable in enabling us to better plan and streamline our gift displays,” believes James. “And it will also make the stock control planning for the greeting card displays easier too,” quips Jo Hancock, a vital cog in the Cardzone operation, having worked alongside Paul since he started the business and who is a director and shareholder. “We have always had a lean and mean management structure,” says Paul. “While we will remain very hands on and agile in making quick decisions, we recognise that we are now of a size when we need to put some more blocks in place as we gear up for growth,” he adds. While having long been seen as a ‘serious’ mainstream greeting card specialist