PG Retail Barometer
HOME IMPROVEMENTS While the last year’s trading was not easy for all indie card retailers, things are defo on the up for many, as reflected in the findings of PG’s recent Retail Barometer, with 50% reporting growth in 2024 and around the same expected for trade in the coming year. Taking matters in their own hands, it was improvements to their greeting card displays on the back of the public’s greater appreciation of cards, and a continuing ‘shop local’ trend that put more money in indies’ tills, with stationery cited as an area to write home about for the year ahead. PG delved into the findings of the only annual survey into the health and wealth of the independent greeting card retailer to find out more about the boons and banes of the last year’s trade as well as areas highlighted as potential to be realised.
What happened to your average spend per customer 5% Increased Significantly
14% Declined
53% Increased Slightly
28% Remained The Same
Business Boons
How Was Business 2024 v 2023?
21% Worse
The PG Retail Barometer is an annual survey of independent greeting card retailers. This latest survey includes both independent retailers who are Cardgains members (accounting for around 1,000 rooftops) as well as those who are not a member of the buying group. All surveys were completed by 10 January 2025.
50% Better
29% Same
After four years in succession of the ‘shop local’ drive coming tops as having been the biggest boon to their trade in the last 12 months, it was improvements to their own greeting card displays that delivered the readies, echoing the sense that public has a growing appreciation of the role greeting cards play in our social communication. Broadening their selection of gifts once again came up trumps for many respondents, while engagement with customers through social media as well as other promotional activities also made a big difference to an indie’s trade, with 78% of respondents saying they used social media regularly for business purposes. Continued on page 38
How Has Your Business Fared Over The Last Year? PG looks back at the last nine years of PG’s Retail Barometer data. 2024 v 2023 50% Better 29% Same 21% Worse
2023 v 2022 47% Better 29% Same 24% Worse
2022 v 2021 44% Better 32% Same 24% Worse
2021 v 2020 65% Better 22% Same 13% Worse
2020 v 2019 19% Better 16% Same 65% Worse
2019 v 2018 31% Better 38% Same 31% Worse
2018 v 2017 37% Better 31% Same 32% Worse
2017 v 2016 38% Better 27% Same 35% Worse
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 37