8_10-11_13_17_19_21_23_muk.qxp_9/11/13/15/19/23/25 28/06/2019 09:30 Page 8
NEWS Views on the news
TOP STORY
Top Of The Pops? Sales dampened by late Easter and brutal weather The incredibly rainy weather, late timing of Easter and gravitation to supermarkets for last minute purchasing are just some of the reasons given for Father’s Day sales being somewhat ‘Daddy cool’ for many greeting card specialists this year. “Father’s Day sales were a little flat,” summed up Mark Janson-Smith, md of the award-winning Londonbased Postmark group, revealing that sales in its four stores were down about 5% compared to last year. “The weather the week running up to Father's Day was particularly brutal, which did not help as it impacted on footfall being down about 20%.” John Lewis & Partners’ card buyer, Lisa Rutherford revealed that the Father’s Day card sales for the department store group were “adrift” this year, attributing the drop in sales partly down to the card displays for the occasion being put out two weeks later than in 2018 due to how Easter fell this year. Scribbler’s Father’s Day like-for-like sales were flat, which John Procter, coowner of the specialist group sees as “disappointing” given that its Valentine’s and Mother’s Day like-for-like sales were both up 10%. “Without question the bad weather, especially in our northern stores, impacted sales,” John commented, adding that purchasing was “very late”. A very late purchasing pattern worked in Sainsbury’s favour, with the supermarket sharing that its Father’s Day sales of greeting cards and wrap/bags were up, both in value and volume. Carly Pearson, buyer of cards and wrap for the grocer admitted that there was a final frenzy of buying. “Sales were
very back-ended, with 50% of purchases for the whole event coming in the last three days.” On the indie front, Knaresborough’s Dragonfly Cards & Gifts’ Father’s Day sales pattern was even more extreme. As Rachael Barnes, co-owner of the beacon indie revealed: “Some 60% of all our Father's Day sales came in the last two days, which really meant we had to hold our nerve. At the beginning of the week it looked like I'd over bought, but by the end of Saturday it was definitely a different story. Anyone that says the high street is dead just needed to look in our shop on Saturday we couldn't fit another person in!” After a frantic finish Dragonfly ended up on a par with the previous year’s Father’s Day takings. In what was her first Father’s Day as senior card buyer for Paperchase, Natalie Alexander summed it up as “a good season overall.” Contrary to the buying patterns experienced at Sainsbury’s and Dragonfly, Paperchase saw more of a steady climb. “Unlike Valentine’s Day, for Father’s Day we saw the sales build gradually rather than Top: Paperchase was pleased with all in the last week -although this the way Father’s Day panned out. Above: Humorous cards sold well was potentially affected by the for John Lewis, such as this weather,” suggests Natalie. Woodmansterne design.
Thortful’s thoughtful initiative Online card retailer, Thortful, answered the pleas to create a range of cards that could be sent to bereaved dads this Father’s Day. The Forgotten Fathers collection followed on from the reaction Thortful received to its range of bereaved Mother’s Day cards that it offered earlier this year and sold in aid of the Kicks Count charity. Left: A Dandelion Stationery card from Thortful in the Forgotten Fathers collection.
FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT PGBUZZ.net 8
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
A trio of indies share their Father’s Day sales experiences. l Michelle Ellingham, owner Box of Delights in Flitwick was among those to cite the weather as having played a part in its customers’ Father’s Day purchasing. “Our Father’s Day sales were definitely showing signs of improvement at the beginning of June. Unfortunately due to a deluge of rain for the whole week leading up to Father’s Day this did affect footfall, so overall our sales were approximately the same as last year,” reveals Michelle. l Andrea Pinder, co-owner of Unit 7 and Presentation (in Manchester and Barrowford), summing up the performance in her two stores, revealed: “Father’s Day for us was up on cards and down on gifting.” l Meanwhile down in the South-West, Tabi Marsh, of Papilio at Heritage in Thornbury was pleased that her Father’s Day sales were up both on cards and gifts. Tabi experienced an increase in the number of people buying a card that just said ‘Dad’ rather than a specific Father’s Day design. “Following the trend from other Spring occasions, Father’s Day buying was late. The rain meant sales in the week running up to it were definitely focused on the end of the week, but it came good,” Tabi told PG. Below: The GCA’s freely downloadable Father’s Day PoS (developed by UKG) was widely used.
Multi-tasking Dads Clintons adopted a fun slant to its Father’s Day PR this year, issuing findings of research (based on texts) which highlight how the role of our dads have changed and how the greeting cards for their special day reflect this. The survey, based on texts sent from offspring to their fathers, show how being a ‘taxi driver’ is the most common request from their kids, followed by loaning them money, then shopping related tasks and food-linked wishes. The top ten tasks as highlighted by Clintons’ research were: 1. Lifts 28% 2. ‘Loans’ of money 17% 3. Shopping 12% 4. Food-related requests 11% 5. Requests to borrow something valuable, eg car 8% 6. Requests to have friends over 7% 7. Requests for help with DIY or tech 6% 8. Tip-offs about damage caused to something at home 3% 9. Alternative to Google 3% 10. Advice on style and fashion 2% Above: A card design from Emotional Rescue that reflects one of the many roles dads have.