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OVER THE
COUNTER
BY DAVID ROBERTSON OF JP POZZI, ELGIN AND BUCKIE.
Not Loving
2021... Yet! Every month for the last ten we have all hoped that things would be a little bit better. We had hope that the vaccines would be the answer… and indeed they are. However right now, it feels like we are not yet loving 2021 and are being unfairly hard on ourselves while craving getting back to what we all do best and love the most. So 2021 what about you?…Welcome, great to see you, but in truth what has really changed? The New Year was brought in with a whimper. I have seen lots of jokes about people having had their ‘14 day trial of 2021’ and they just want to give it back! Sadly, this is not possible, no exchanges are accepted. So, we just have to get on with it, but not without recognising the impact this emotional rollercoaster is having on our psyche, our businesses and our sector.
We have stopped and started so many times since last March. We have shed real tears not just on lives being lost, but as we watched businesses built with hard work and passion be adversely affected or in some cases destroyed. We as card people were unnerved on hearing the bad news about Paperchase while rumours are rife of many others in difficulty in what was once such robust sector. What gave me a chink of hope though was randomly coming across a list of GCA members from 1997 and realising that a great number of those card companies are 24
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
still trading now. What does this prove? We are resilient that’s what, which is something we all need to remember. Right now though as I write this most indies, card and gift stores are closed and our sector is largely being serviced by garden centres (England only) and supermarkets that grow stronger by the day. If anything, we are back to where we were in November. Locked down and waiting on our turn for a literal shot in the arm. A shot that hopefully will allow concerts to happen, a cinema visit, a hug from a family member and… appointments to see real card samples! If you read this column you may think this start is similar to last month’s, well it is. That is how I feel. I think that is how we all feel. We haven’t really gotten over last year and here we are again. January is usually an exciting month in the greeting card world. We usually have Top Drawer, which gives us a first look at the trends that will come and then we are deluged with new line extensions and everyone wanting to show you product.
Above: We all could do with some industry ‘sunshine’. David Robertson at PG Live 2019 spending his Sunshine Ticket with Wendy Jones-Blackett. Left: The word ‘pivot’, a buzzword for 2020/2021, would earn 13 points in Scrabble! Below: David is a believer in not comparing yourself or your business to others.
Now don’t get me wrong, the cards are still coming. The designers haven’t lost their edge or stopped their creative brains working, even on furlough. It is just difficult when our doors are closed and we don’t know when they will open again to get as excited as we usually feel about new products. Many of us pivoted (defo a word of 2020 - scores 13 points in Scrabble!) to Click & Collect. We offered delivery and writing services and while so many of us have worked hard to create a valid online presence, what real sales will it generate in comparison to our doors being open? As I write this (on 11 January) there is no getting away from the overarching message to stay at home - only go out once a day for a walk and maybe once a week for shopping. And with the death rates and hospital admissions as high as they are, who can blame the government and the media for hammering home this message. Yet, this all leaves me and no doubt many others too, feeling inadequate. I feel like I am not doing enough, when the truth is I am. “It’s just a shop” I hear so many people say. Yes it is, but it is my shop. It is my livelihood. It is my bolt hole. It is my place of safety. It is my constant of the last 34 years. I want to let you guys know that if this is how you are feeling, it is ok. If you can’t