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cardsharp So, how was Christmas trading? This is the question so many of us in the greeting card industry are asking. To Cardsharp’s mind, we are always a bit dazed in the post festive Christmas period, but also rather confused, confused because despite the general negative media headlines, our sector seems to have performed surprisingly well. Cardsharp embraces his Jimi Hendrix ‘Dazed and Confused’ self while trying to make sense of it all, enjoying what he sees as rays of hope.
dazed
and confused So far, so good, feels Cardsharp as he listens to the feedback from the cardie retail frontline about festive trade. Is it because the winners tend to speak out while the losers keep quiet, wonders Cardsharp before jumping with whoops of delight. Initial feedback from the likes of Scribbler, many good indies and small chains has certainly been very positive. Our largest bricks and mortar specialist, Cardfactory, was among the last of the big retail names to reveal its official festive trading update, but its announcement of a 7.8% increase in like-for-like sales, with bumper single card sales delivered a positive message from the sector too. As for troubled Clintons, the sound of
silence, has been as loud as ever! Certainly, the photographs of ransacked, nigh on empty supermarket Christmas card racks on Christmas Eve indicated that whatever many media commentators might claim, Christmas card sending as a tradition, was very much alive and well. And speaking of his own experience, the number of Christmas cards Cardsharp received from non-industry friends was way up, not just on postal strike affected last year, but the year prior to that too. Thinking about it though, in 2021 we had the Omicron Covid scare, and in 2020 we had Covid and the November lockdown. So, it could be argued that 2023 was the first ‘normal’ festive trading period we have had since 2019? The ‘official data’ is very confusing. Generally, on the face of things, there seems to have been a trend this Christmas of food sales and essentials doing well and non-food sector performing poorly. The British Retail Above: Cardsharp channelled his inner Jimi Hendrix to not be left ‘dazed and confused’ by the true picture of Christmas trading. Left: Scenes of decimated Christmas card displays in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose on Christmas Eve.
28 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Consortium stated that “The festive period failed to make amends for a challenging year of sluggish retail sales growth, as weak consumer spending continued to hold back spending.” It reported a weak build up to Christmas and a subdued Black Friday performance. So, in the words of the immortal Jimi Hendrix, Cardsharp feels ‘Dazed and Confused’, but is attempting to make some sense of it. Firstly, although there were winners and losers, most of the big grocers seemed to do very well with their bricks and mortar sales other than in non-essentials. Which begs the question of whether greeting cards have become essentials, because of the volume of sales compared to previous years? Christmas card sales levels definitely seemed to be at odds with the decline in sales of gifts, housewares, jewellery and many other non-food sectors. As Cardsharp pens this, greeting card publishers will be hoping that he is right and that returns and credits are at minimal levels. As, if this is the case, with retailers left with very little residual stock they can start again from scratch with their buying for this year.
