Progressive Greetings July 2023

ON THE CARDS

“Are you ready, are you ready for love?” sang out Sir Elton John and Jacob Lusk, but they were not alone as the huge crowd at Glastonbury as well as millions of us sofa festival goers all joined in with harmonious solidarity. The whole set was overwhelmingly emotional, winning over the hearts, minds and souls of the nation who all submitted to the sheer joy of it all.

There have been several other examples of this within our industry in the last few weeks. First up was Progressive Greetings Live. As a co-founder and owner of the show, I fully admit a vested interest, but just as in every year since its inception 15 years ago, Jim and I still had sleepless nights and stressful months leading up to it, worrying if people would come, if our lovely exhibitors’ efforts on the product front would hit the spot, that it would be enjoyable and fruitful for business.

While nothing can be perfect for everyone, it really was a very special two days. I loved every second of it, seeing retailers and overseas distributors lapping up all the newness on the stands, as well as hearing the animated banter in the aisles, at The Retas/Greats Champagne Reception, in the lunchroom and of course at the Opening Night Party. It really did bring out the best in the crucial elements of our wondrous industryits people, its products, its retailers and its suppliers.

This sense of togetherness, being more than the sum of its parts came to the fore again at the Cardgains Lookout London Charity Challenge, which saw 50 members of the greeting card community undertake a 25 mile route around the capital, raising over £42,000 (and counting) for Motor Neurone Disease Association, in memory of our dear friend David Hicks, the founder of Really Good and Soul, who died last year.

The whole event, led by House of Cards’ Miles Robinson, was superb. In a master stroke, Cardgains sent out an open invitation for anyone in the industry to participate, not confining it to the

buying group’s official suppliers and retail members, which widened the circle. No doubt the personal connection to David gave the fundraising extra impetus seeing the initial £25,000 target being totally smashed out of the water with an astonishing £42,000 having been raised as PG went to press, with extra coffers to come from The Retas charity raffle.

And more industry love was to come a few days after the walk, as Pride in London saw some 50 members of the greeting card community join together under the GCA banner as official marchers, all wearing t shirts with the slogan ‘send a card with pride’, with the 10,000 free greeting cards that the walkers were handing out to the crowds all being enthusiastically received, so much so that the great card stash ran out before the end of the march. This is great reassurance of how our products are so cherished, something that the GCA will be tapping into with its exciting PR and marketing campaign to stoke up Christmas card sending this year. All we now need is for Sir Elton to write us a special Christmas hit single… what about ‘Don’t let the sun go down on you before you’ve written your Christmas cards’?!

Above: The ribbon cutting of PG Live was in the hands of retailers and overseas distributors.

Left: (second right) House of Cards’ Miles Robinson with Wrendale Designs’ Lisa Marcuccio (far right) with PG’s Warren Lomax (left), Jakki Brown and Tony Roberts just before setting off on the Cardgains walk.

Below: The greeting card industry did itself proud at the Pride in London march.

9-19 News

All the latest happenings and developments in the trade.

21

Lookout Out London

All about the recent Cardgains Charity Challenge.

22-23 Over The Counter

All My Ex’s Live In Texas

David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi tunes into C&W and tells his own story.

24-25 Cardsharp

Clawing at Copycats

Cardsharp highlights how copying and plagiarism are real fears for card publishers.

27-33 Viewpoints

Positive Vibes

Retailers shares their top picks from the recent PG Live show.

35-37 PG Live In Pics

Picture This

A flavour of PG Live 2023 in photos.

38-41 Industry Issue

Art v AI

How AI is throwing up worries as well as opportunities for the greeting card industry.

42-43 In Conversation with…Alison Butterworth

It’s In The Bag

Three months after the MBO of Nigel Quiney, Paper Rose and Grass Roots, the new owners share the plans.

45-49

Innovations

Publishers’ new ranges and designs.

51-53 Focus on…Spring Seasons

Springing Into Action

PG tracks the trends in the 2024 Spring Seasons launches.

55 Art Source

The Long Game

Artist and illustrator Sarah Long shares her creative journey so far.

57-59

What’s Hot?

A trio of retailers reveal their best-selling ranges.

60-71

Sources of Supply

Tracey Bearton Features Editor traceyb@max-publishing.co.uk

Jakki Brown Editor/Joint Owner jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk

Warren Lomax Joint Owner warren@max-publishing.co.uk

Ian Hyder Joint Owner ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

Tracey Arnaud Sales Manager traceya@max-publishing.co.uk

THE

PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION

Card Size: 159mm x 159mm | Blank inside

Available Wrapped or Unwrapped.

Trade Price: £1.12 per card | Retail: R.R.P £2.55

C3368

C3373

C3363

C3360

C3353

C3365

C3374

C3366

C3356

C3361

C3359

C3376

C3372

BRAND NEW HUMOUR RANGES!

TOP STORY

Slow Burn Father’s Day

Sales steady with last-minute rush

Dads are a slow burner when it comes to greeting cards with the majority of retailers experiencing the traditional last-minute rush for Father’s Day. However, sales figures tracked at least equal to last year and, in many cases, rising on both cards and gifts despite the cost-of-living crisis, so making a fuss of Dad is working well.

“Father’s Day for us was definitely up on last year by around the 25% mark,” Milford Cards & Gifts coowner Kayleigh Hisim told PG. “It was a slow burn and then a mad rush at the end for both cards and gifts.”

For Jason Billings-Cray, the recently appointed John Lewis and Waitrose buyer for cards and collections, the store group was “really pleased” with Father's Day sales, tracking ahead of last year.

Below: Part of Highworth Emporium’s Father Day display.

Below left: Paper Tiger’s Michael Apter lapping up the Father’s Day rays.

Below middle: Cards from the pets did well for No. 14 Ampthill.

Putting Father’s Day cards out straight after Easter helped Helen Southgate, coowner at Cards ’N’ Things, Hellesdon, maintain its sales on a par with last year: “We’re very fortunate that we have a separate area in the shop just dedicated to seasonal times of the year so we never have to take off any everyday stock to accommodate this.”

At No14 Ampthill owner Jo Barber revealed that while her sales held steady, she noticed a different split in what people bought. “Daddy cards weren’t quite as strong - maybe more children are being encouraged to make their own cards this year,” said Jo. “Dad captioned cards remained strong, as did Grandad, but there was an uplift in cards from pets to their dads, such as Dog Father, thanks for the walkies, paw-some dad, etc.”

Hallmark connects dots with RNIB

Hallmark’s charity partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is focused on making cards more accessible for blind and partiallysighted people.

“Accessibility is so important - cards are all about helping people to connect and nurture their relationships, so every single person has the right to share in the joy of sending and receiving them,” highlights Claire Marsom, Hallmark’s head of creative.

In 2021 Hallmark ran a study asking people how easy it was to find greeting cards that represent them, unfortunately, a quarter of all respondents living with sight loss said that they found this difficult - with its new range, available from next month, Hallmark aims to remedy that.

The new Better Connected range not only includes Braille but also acts on the importance of colour contrast, type size, font style and the tactility of design.

Above: Better Connected is Hallmark’s new braille range with RNIB.

“Copycats stink!”

The rip-off merchants and copycats cause all sorts of damage to artists and small businesses, but Angela Chick Illustration has had a minor victory thanks to social media.

He added: “We had an early launch of Father's Day collections this year, nine weeks ahead of the event, as we were seeing appetite from those super organised customers, searching JL.com for cards and gifts well in advance. Though we have those keen early shoppers, the week before the event remains our biggest week.”

In Edinburgh, the late surge is the norm, but Paper Tiger md Michael Apter was “delighted” with the sunny sales at its new Morningside store which helped to track ahead of last year on like-for-like sales.

It’s always last minute at Highworth Emporium too where the gorgeous sunshine caused co-owner Aga Marsden a bit of a problem: “Footfall was significantly lower due to the heat and our sales figures are more in line with 2019.”

Up in Sheffield, Cards & Gifts Dronfield’s Carl Dunne was “shocked” there’s been no real change in sales quantities on previous years despite the price rises from suppliers. He said: “We saw good sales on comedy captions and the expensive ones are still flying off the shelf. We see high sales on the step-Dad, like a Dad and Grandad captions.”

Berkhamsted’s &Quirky had a good Father’s Day, as partner Paul Cheshire explained: “In comparison to last year, we sold more cards. Also, we notice as it’s the mums buying the cards and they seem to purchase one for every child in the family - rather than dad just buying the one card for Mother’s Day.”

An early launch for Father’s Day straight after the coronation has worked very well for Anne Barber at Market Harborough’s In Heaven At Home “From the onset it was much better than in previous years, could even be my best ever!”

The designer, artist and greeting card publisher let rip with a deserved rant in art form on social media after Chinese online fast fashion giant Shein pinched her design for her Mood Pin, and was selling copies until Angela’s public campaign forced it to stop.

“Copycats stink!” Angela said. “Shop small and shop direct. And whatever you do don’t support companies like Shein who have ripped off loads of independent artists. I’m not the only small business impacted by this. Help us spread the word as this copycat stuff is damaging so many small businesses and, before long, some of us may be gone.”

As Angela told PG: “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth seeing people carrying on supporting these big businesses that are known to rip off artists and independents. It goes beyond morals - they're supporting thieves. It's even more disheartening seeing other small businesses doing the same as you can even find loads of copies on Etsy. We are in this together and should be supporting each other, not trying to make a quick buck off someone else’s work.”

(See Cardsharp pages 24-25)

Above: Angela took to social media to tell the sorry tale of copyists.

PG Live Hit The Spot

Laurence sets hearts aflutter at a very positive gathering

Everybody who was anyone was at the PG Live show last month - from all the major retailers and leading indies to overseas distributors from all corners of the globe - and even the self-confessed “Original Gangster of Maximalism”, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen made sure he didn’t miss out!

In his impeccable suit and trademark bouffant hair, LLB appeared on The Great British Card Company’s stand on the first morning of the show to promote the latest licensing collaboration between the publisher and designer - and his very presence set a few hearts set aflutter as he charmed the folks and made time to talk and have photos with retailers and exhibitors alike.

that is LLB who said he liked my cards. Absolute highlight of my life!”

Of course, Laurence was actually at the show to launch the range he’s produced with GBCC, and David Byk, ceo of the Swan Mill Group which owns the publisher along with Ling Design, Penny Kennedy and Waterwells, is absolutely delighted with the collaboration.

Card buyers on the move

There are new and moving faces on the buying front in the greeting card world with a number of changes at John Lewis and WHSmith.

Jason Billings-Cray is the new card buying name at John Lewis and Waitrose, having jumped in at the deep end with a visit to PG Live on only his third day as the buyer for everyday cards and collections.

“It was a great opportunity to introduce myself to publishers, meet colleagues, and get to know the wide variety of products out there,” Jason told PG.

He’s been with John Lewis for seven years, having started on curtains, then cushions, before moving to the Christmas Shop, and now cards and collections where Jason joked “there’s a theme there, only C products so far!”. He has taken over from card and stationery buyer Claire Taylor, who has moved onto housewares to replace former card buyer Lisa Rutherford, who is taking a sabbatical.

Jason added: “One of my favourite areas in Christmas was paper, wrap, crackers and cards so I’m delighted with the move and excited to delve deeper into the wonderful world of cards.

“I studied history of art and contemporary art theory at university, studies that I loved, combining my interest in art and all things visual with analytics and theoretical

For Lampeter-based indie Creative Cove’s Sandra Jervis, meeting Laurence was the icing on the cake for her first trip to the PG Live and she had no qualms about sharing her crush: “I’m completely giddy over LLB! I was actually emotional as I knew he was coming to the show and he’s beautiful! I messaged my husband and said ‘I’m leaving you’ and he asked if he wanted transfer fees!”

Having spent time on GBCC’s stand, Laurence was taken around the show, including up to Springboard and Springboard Intro – which took quite some time as he didn’t turn down anyone who asked for a photo.

“What I loved about him was his graciousness,” commented Sarah Laker from Stationery Supplies. “He knew everyone would want a photo and just went with it.”

Jess Crawford, Icka Print owner said exhibiting at PG Live was “amazing - I had the chance to catch up with lots of my lovely stockists plus I met the legend

“We really enjoyed having Laurence on the stand and he was so chuffed with the cards we’ve created from his designs - and we took loads of orders for them too. He was really charming and had so much time for everyone. He has a store in Cirencester so can really relate to lots of retailers and chatted to so many people for ages about his experiences and how he designs.” From the GBCC perspective, David said “LLB is keen to do more cards with us having seen them and, with so much positivity from all those who visited the show about them.”

(See pages 27-33 for retailers picks from PG Live and pages 35-37 for the show in pictures) l Over 60 stands have already been booked for PG Live 2024, which takes place June 4-5 at London’s Business Design Centre.

observations. This is why I love my job as a buyer, I'm very visual in my approach, attracted to great design and colour, combined with a desire to edit, curate and build the perfect assortment for the JL and Waitrose customers.”

The demise of Paperchase has seen senior buyer Carlo Marinelli move to WHSmith Travel as buying manager, where he’s working alongside buyer Louise Chambers and merchandiser Lauren Moore, while in the WHS Retail side Scarlett Ford has joined as a new card buyer to work with buying manager Claire Castle and assistant buyer Christina Worthy

And the new WHS-owned Curi-o-city retail chain now has Clare Morant as buying manager for cards, assisted by Stephanie Bassant

Above right: Jason Billings-Cray kicked off his new card-buying role with a visit to PG Live.

Above: WHS Travel’s Carlo Marinelli, Lauren Moore and Louise Chambers at the PG Live retailer drinks.

Above: Laurence was right at home with the PG Live flamboyant greeting card outfits.

Below left: Laurence took time to speak to publishers in the Springboard area, including the StreetGreets sisters.

Bottom: GBCC’s head of creative Lucy Ledger unveiling the LLB range to Laurence.

These are kids cards like never before!

A brand new gamified augmented reality experience for kids who love to be creators!

Ofcom To Peg 2nd Class Stamps

GCA pushes for reliable postal service

Delivering good news for the greeting card industry, Ofcom is planning to peg the price of second-class stamps to inflation at most, until at least 2029 so postal services remain affordable, while parcel prices will no longer be subject to a safeguard cap.

The watchdog said it had made the proposal for the safeguard cap taking into account the impact on the financial sustainability of maintaining the six-day letter delivery under Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation.

“We might not be sending as many letters as we used to,” Ofcom’s director of post Marina Gibbs said, “but, when we do, it can be an important way for family and friends to keep in touch. So, we’re proposing that stamp prices for second-class letters should only rise by inflation, and no more, to make sure there’s always an affordable option available to everyone.”

The Ofcom response echoes the arguments being put forward by the GCA on behalf of the whole greeting card industry regarding the

While the results have not been made public as yet, ceo Amanda Fergusson revealed that they reflect just how crucial good service levels from Royal Mail and affordable stamp prices are to the greetings industry.

Amanda has raised the survey at the Genesis Initiative meeting at the House Of Commons recently, as well as at the Independent Retailers’ Confederation (IRC).

“We are in close dialogue with Royal Mail who have assured us how much they value our industry and want to support the sending of cards,” Amanda told PG.

Amanda cites Royal Mail’s confirmation that it will be supporting Thinking Of You Week 2023 with a special postmark again which will be printed on all mail stamped and posted between 1824 September 2023 as part of this. “The message will be Send A Card, Deliver A Smile For Thinking Of You Week,” she revealed.

To make sure the universal service remains affordable and Royal Mail can recover its costs, Ofcom periodically reviews whether stamp prices should be capped and is now looking at the April 2024-March 2029 period after the last cap was set in 2019 for five years.

GCA Conference shapes up

Industry issues, consumer research, insights from retailers and publishers all feature on the agenda of the 2023 GCA Conference & AGM, which this year is taking place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, on Thursday 28 September

Adam Dury, of Card Factory has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for this year’s event, with Sarah Laker of Stationery Supplies adding an indie retailer perspective with her talk. Making a return visit, after their popularity at last year’s Conference will be members of the Kantar consumer research team tracking greeting card consumer buying habits. Wendy Jones-Blackett, namesake of the Leeds-based publisher will share her story - from her blacksmithing days at art college to leading publisher - while GF Smith’s Mark Jessett will no doubt delight and enthuse attendees with his passion for paper.

The networking is all set to start on the eve of the event, with Yorkshire-based publisher UK Greetings kindly agreeing to host a meet-up in a Leeds city centre hostelry from 6pm on 27 September.

Tickets for the Conference are available from the GCA website (www.gca.cards) and cost just £90 including lunch.

Above: The branding for the GCA’s 2023 Conference.

Harrogate beckons

crucial importance of maintaining a reliable and affordable postal service so the tangible, meaningful sending of cards is maintained, something that is very important to the mental wellbeing of the nation.

The news comes off the back of a GCA’s initiated survey, which garnered over 200 responses from the industry, the results of which will be fed back to Royal Mail on what is deemed imperative about our postal system.

Jigsaw qualitative research of 44 indepth interviews conducted in April and May 2023 saw all participants report either reducing their general spending or struggling financially but said how important it was to them to send and receive physical birthday and Christmas cards, to keep in touch with family and friends - particularly with those less digitally confident.

Ofcom’s consultation on the proposals is ongoing until 1 September and the GCA will be making a submission.

With over 500 brands, five marquees and five halls, Home & Gift (16-19 July) is kicking off the Autumn/Winter/ Christmas buying season, say show organisers Clarion “As Home & Gift 2023 approaches, I’m eagerly anticipating an event that celebrates creativity, fosters connections, and showcases the very best products and brands on offer,” show manager David Westbrook told PG. “From my first time there in 2006, I’ve seen the show shift and evolve with the market, bringing it into the modern age and allowing our visitors to experience the sheer creativity and innovation of the brands on show. With over 30% of the exhibitors making their show debut this year, there will be endless inspiration for visitors to immerse themselves in across the multiple halls and marquees.”

Brand new for 2023 is Craftshowcasing one-off designs handmade by skilled designer-makers - which will be sitting alongside the show’s flagship sectors: Design-led Gift, General Gift, Home Accessories, Jewellery and the Fashion and Food Emporium.

Right: Second class stamp prices will be pegged to inflation.

Below: GCA ceo Amanda Fergusson attending the recent Genesis Initiative. Below left: The Royal Mail float at Pride joined with the GCA in handing out greeting cards to the crowd.

Taking Pride In Cards

The GCA

troupe hand out 10,000 cards on annual London march

The greeting card industry went all out loud and proud at the Pride In London parade - with 10,000 free greeting cards handed out to members of the public to spread the positive message of diversity and inclusivity.

“The whole day was incredible, we had the best time,” Mark Callaby, md of Ohh Deer and GCA council member who heads up the D&I sub-committee told PG. Mark spearheaded the organisation of the industry association’s first official participation in the annual Pride event in the capital on Saturday,1 July, with publishers, retailers and trade suppliers joining the march, proudly sporting the special GCA Send A Card With Pride tshirts and banners.

Mark added: “Our entire group were laughing and soaking it all in. It was a joy. And seeing people receive our cards with delighted faces made it even more special.

“We actually ran out of cards about a quarter of the way round - madness considering we had 10k! It was literally the best time ever. Even Jamie [Mark’s partner in business and life] said to me ‘that might have been one of the best days of my life’!”

It was a day of big numbers with more than 30,000 participants from 600 organisations taking part in the parade, and well over a million people took to the streets to watch and enjoy the performances across five music stages in central London, with Rita Ora performing in Trafalgar Square alongside the event’s headliner and Queen star Adam Lambert. People from across the greeting card industry were among the GCA’s 50 marchers, and Dean Morris, who worked on organising the event with Mark and David Rice-Nicholls from Ricicle Cards, added: “Amazing day marching with the Greeting Card Association at Pride In London. There was so much love from the crowd. I felt very proud to be part of the greeting card industry.”

Left: Mark Callaby with one of the placards.

Cardology fixes up The Repair Shop licence

TV phenomenon The Repair Shop has fixed it for a great new range of products from Cardology as the publisher is one of the first companies to be granted a licence to use the IP from the hugely popular show. The range is set to launch at Autumn Fair after working with licensing agent The Point.1888

Seeking to make the most of the appeal of the runaway hit show about repairing cherished items that the public take to the experts in the barn at the Weald & Downland Museum near Chichester, The Repair Shop brought in the licensing agent, The Point.1888 to develop new products based on the brand, including toys, make it yourself, homewares, repair, DIY kits and 3D cards!

An important goal in the brand licensing strategy is that every new product has a purpose, adding value to the user’s life in some way. Without revealing Cardology’s product plans, David Falkner, md said: “As a card publisher, just occasionally a stand-out property comes along that speaks directly to intergenerational connection. The Repair Shop adds further themes of consistency and belonging during times of change, and the application of time, love and thought, all of which we know our customers respond strongly to when selecting Cardology products.” These developments come hot on the heels of The Repair Shop’s recognition by BAFTA for Best Daytime Series and a RTS nomination for The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit. As well as Cardology, there’s an ongoing health and beauty, stationery and gifting partnership with licensee Sting In The Tail, while board games developer Rachel Lowe is working on a new game and puzzle.

Left: The Repair Shop experts are a hit with TV viewers.

Game, set and match

Retailers Postmark and Medici are among those who were game on for creating window displays to mark Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

Foregoing the traditional strawberries and cream the two London-based greeting card retailers have pulled off different master strokes to mark the tournamentPostmark opting for a giant Jellycat tennis ball and Medici Gallery getting Peter Rabbit out on court!

Above: Postmark’s Wimbledon store partnered with Jellycat for its special tennis window.

Below: Medici Gallery nailed the tennis theme with a detailed display.

Henry & Co backs Paddington’s birthday

Paddington Bear has taken up residence at Henry & Co stores as the royal favourite is celebrating his 65th birthday.

“We’re currently celebrating the 65th birthday of Paddington across our stores,” Henry & Co retail operations director Sharon Green told PG.

As an extra incentive to fanfare Britain’s fave bear, leading Paddington licensee Rainbow Designs is running a best-in-class window display competition, with Henry & Co’s Heswall store pulling out all the stops with its entry.

In addition to the window displays, Henry & Co has also instigated several retail activations. “We have blank birthday cards for our customers to design their own personal happy birthday message and post to Paddington in our very own red postbox. The winning design will get to give Paddington a home!”

Above: Paddington in Henry & Co.

Below: All set for Pride, the GCA group get ready to march.

TOP STORY

MBO At Widdop

Brothers Stephen and Dan Illingworth take the helm

Brothers Stephen and Dan Illingworth have just completed an MBO to acquire the long standing gift company, Widdop and Co outright, following in the footsteps of their forefathers. “It will secure the future of the company for a fifth generation of our family,” stated Stephen Illingworth, the company’s new owner and ceo.

“Dan and I are thrilled to take over after what has been a lifelong dream and journey. Our predecessors have built the most incredible platform for us to build on,” commented Stephen, “and it is an honour and privilege to take the helm in our 140th year for what will be an exciting new chapter of growth and innovation in our industry.”

He continued: “We are very grateful to our father in particular for supporting us on this journey, and we cannot wait to share with the world our vision for the future.”

This news comes hot on the heels of Widdop’s PG Live launch of an extensive collection of gifts and homewares based on a licensing collaboration with Raspberry Blossom , which went down a storm with retailers at the show.

Loxleys’ investment cuts waste

A £100,000 investment has seen greeting card printer Loxleys save over 6.2tonnes of plastic from going into landfill each year by sending the greeting cards it produces for publishers out wrapped in a paper band instead of plastic film. This landfill save is the equivalent to the weight of one African elephant, two Ford trucks or three adult hippos! The print company’s new fullyautomated paper banding line creates an eco-band that’s a sustainable solution to transit packing, collating cards and envelopes in multiples of threes and sixes, replacing the need for traditional OPP plastic film. Loxleys’ md Tony Lorriman commented: “We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of a greeting card - our recent investments in new technology demonstrate this commitment by increasing the sustainability of our production process.”

The innovative new equipment is suitable for cards up to a maximum 9x6” size and has the capacity to gather and band 20million cards and envelopes per year, securing each set with a fullyrecyclable paper band.

Tony said that, as a specialist manufacturer, Loxleys believes it is its responsibility to continuously develop eco-friendly alternative solutions, and the investment in paper banding eliminates the use of plastic within the transit bagging process, offering publishers a more sustainable way to group and ship their cards, significantly reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The machine is also capable of being adapted to run other solutions within the eco-range, allowing future development of innovative plastic-free production and packaging for greeting cards. Loxleys has also completed a full transition to LED lighting throughout its premises, reducing on-site energy usage and decreasing carbon output by 9,316 KgCO2e., and an investment in voltage optimisation technology will cut its energy usage by a further 7%. The printer has also replaced the traditional method of chemically processing printing plates to use a sustainable chemical-free plate production method.

Foil is good for soil

Foil has taken a bit of a battering in recent years as a greeting card and wrap finish because of concerns over its sustainability, but new research has shown that Foilco’s products, used by many greeting card publishers, can actually be good for the soil. The recent study by the B Corp-certified manufacturer and supplier of stamping foils proves the foils it produces can be composted - and even improve the germination rate of some seeds.

Rose Happer, Foilco’s brand environment and sustainability officer, explained that composting is the biological degradation process of solid organic materials under controlled conditions to obtain a stable material that can be used as organic fertiliser, helping local authorities and businesses achieve targets to increase recovery rates and divert waste from landfill. “Put simply,” she said, “compostable materials give nutrients back to the earth after they break down - they feed the soil.”

And the testing by Intertek checked out two of Foilco’s most popular stamping foils - a pigment and metallic foil, both printed on to coated 300g board - concluding that they are fully compostable, meeting the EU EN 13432 standard defining how quickly and to what extent a biodegradable material must degrade under industrial composting conditions.

At the end of the test, the Foilco samples had disintegrated by 99.2%, leaving only 0.8% of the test sample, far less than the maximum 10%. After 135 days, 92.61% of the organic carbon in the foil samples had converted to carbon dioxide.

The toxicity test on the compost sample containing the pigment and metallic stamping foils showed no adverse effect on the seedling emergence or growth, and Rose said: “In fact, the root and shoot growth rates of some of the seedlings tested were slightly more than in the control sample.”

Above: The investment saves significant plastic waste.

Right: The paper band machine in action on a Danilo’s Gruffalo cards print run.

Above: Widdop’s new owners Stephen Illingworth (left) and Dan Illingworth are shown with Adam Attwood, who has worked in a nonexecutive and consulting capacity for 17 years, and now joins as part time board chairman going forward. Left: A selection of the new Raspberry Blossom range was showcased on the Widdop stand at PG Live last month.

TOP STORY

What A Walk

Cardies stride to raise £42,000+ for MNDA

The Cardgains Look Out London event totally smashed its fundraising target as 50 cardies trekked 25 miles in a circular route around the capital in memory of David Hicks, founder of Really Good and Soul, who died last year, having been suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. Members of the greeting card community put their best feet forward recently with the Cardgains Charity Challenge surpassing all expectations and had raised an incredible £42,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) as PG went to press, with more to come.

In addition to the Cardgains team, among those participating included representatives from Abacus, Cardology, Creative Sparrow, Danilo, Doodlepress, Emma Bryan Design, Emotional Rescue, Gemar, House of Cards, Hugs & Kisses, Hyve, The Imaging Centre, Marina B, Nigel Quiney, Pioneer, Progressive Greetings, Presentation, Rush

for quite a sunny day, and fundraising has been beyond anything we could have imagined.” As she added: “The biggest thank you goes not only to those who took part but to those who sponsored us and raised such an amazing amount for MDNA - it’s unbelievable!”

Speaking for the Emotional Rescue contingent of David Greaves, Jennie Rutter and himself, Brett Smith joked: “Did we enjoy it? Are you mental! But the lunchtime sandwiches were good!”

Danilo md Daniel Prince, added: “I had a fabulous time with industry friends, and am personally really pleased to do something to help support MDNA, I love the whole thing, even the training! I am so delighted by the support I have received, enabling me to raise almost £5,000 for this worthy cause.”

promised dip in London’s Serpentine if he and Rush Design founder wife Lorraine hit their £2,000 personal fundraising target, admitted: “My feet are throbbing like sausages! But it was amazing. It was no walk jn the park although we did walk through certain parks!”

Indie retailer Caroline Ranwell, of Hugs & Kisses in Tettenhall, said: “Jonny and I were £50 off raising £2,000 - but just as we finished the walk, PG’s Jakki Brown donated to take us over that milestone!” while the comments from their pal Andrea Pindar, of Presentation Cards & Gifts in Barrowford, about the only bit of her wasn’t aching wouldn’t look out of place on a Dean Morris card!

Design, Skylight Media, Start

Licensing, UK Greetings, Woodmansterne, Words n Wishes and Wrendale Designs

And even before the troops started stepping out from Paddington Basin in the warm rain at 7.45am on June 29, the buying group’s £25,000 target in memory of industry legend David Hicks had already been exceeded - and, by the time that evening celebrations were over the total had topped £39,000 and has been climbing ever since.

Cardgains’ managing director Penny Shaw commented as the last walker was safely back: “It has been a fantastic day, the weather was kinder than had been anticipated as the rain cleared up

And sales agent Ian Bradley, who had been bracing himself for the

Skylight Media’s Simon Pryce commented: “I felt wonderfully connected to the industry and to London, exploring parks I’ve not been to before.”

And the last word goes to Cardgains’ chairman and House of Cards’ co-owner Miles Robinson, who brought the annual charity event down south for only the second time since it started in 1998.

“It was a smorgasbord of sightseeing around London,” Miles told PG: “I’ve been humbled by the support that we’ve had which has been totally amazing and we’ve all had a fabulously wonderful day.”

Below: All finished! The walkers celebrate after completing the 25-mile trek. Below middle: Cardgains’ managing director Penny Shaw as everyone was about to set off on the walk.

Below right: At the halfway lunchstop. (Left-right) Nicole Mendelsohn (David’s wife), Pioneer’s Anna Hickman and Michelle Comerford with Skylight Media’s Simon Pryce and House of Cards’ Mark and Leila Wignall.

Below left: United we stride! Presentation’s Andrea Pinder (far right) with retailer chums Hugs & Kisses’ (second right) Caroline and (far left) Jon Ranwell with Rush Design’s Lorraine and Ian Bradley.

Below right: House of Cards’ Miles Robinson and Wrendale Designs’ Lisa Marcuccio (left) were among the first walkers to make it back to base.

These last few weeks I have been without a car so have been using our company van after the drivers have delivered the newspapers. One of my drivers is a massive country music fan and I have found myself leaving the radio tuned into Absolute Country, his go to station. Beetling around in the van I feel like I am a moving billboard for the stores, so achieving two jobs at once!

Country music has always been known for its storytelling… the wife has left, the dog has died, you have gambled all your money and all of this drama is wrapped neatly up in a four-minute song. Country music has this way of amplifying everything!

These last few weeks has felt like my life is a country song. While thankfully none of the aforementioned has happened to me, it does feels like every turn is a challenge and every problem has a story.

All My Ex’s Texas... Live In

Every businessperson I speak to at the moment, mentions ‘the pressure’ they are feeling - few able to keep it to within Dolly Parton’s big hit of working ‘9 to 5’!

We recently marked the 35th anniversary of our original store on June 19. The pressure my folks felt back at the start, living on £100 a week for years, should all be gone, yet somehow challenges are still ringing in my ears. We operate from our own buildings, but my continual drive to improve both the physical buildings and the way we do things has led to a lot of investment over the last six years and on top of Covid this has put a huge pressure on us in the same way it did to many others.

I keep hearing phrases like “you guys are doing alright”. This may be true in some ways but in others the constant struggle to pay bills, meet payroll demands and develop the business does not get any easier.

Pressure was always described to me as a sink filling with water. It rises quickly and you may hit the overflow, but if the water keeps coming at a speed the overflow won’t cope with eventually things will swamp you and be too much.

I see lots of common threads in pressure for business…

l Pressure of Staff - You can’t do everything yourself so finding them,

keeping them and making sure that it is cost effective to have them working is a constant challenge.

l Pressure of banks - The general lack of help. Most now don’t have a relationship manager and if they do it is all on their terms.

l Pressure of interest rates - Whether that be on business finances or indeed personal monies.

l Pressure on footfall - Many town centres are still finding it hard with nonreturners. People are also simply shopping less due to a lack of funds and making last minute decisions.

l Pressure of core bills - So many were forced to tie into energy contracts that were not fair while we are also seeing costs of everything from phone, broadband, insurance all spiralling due to inflation.

l Pressure on things beyond your control - This last weekend we had a far

OVER THE COUNTER BY DAVID ROBERTSON OF JP POZZI, ELGIN AND BUCKIE.

Above left: Willie Nelson sang: “Mamma don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys” but a card retailer’s life is also beset with challenges.

Above: David Robertson with his wife Nicola and their son Hudson on his recent first birthday celebrations. Below: Coping with pressure means ensuring you don’t overwhelm your personal ‘overflow’.

right Nazi speaker in our town centre which drove the public out and resulted in 40 riot police coming in. This killed our Saturday trade. Quite simply eight people with extreme views should not be allowed to affect so many livelihoods.

Many of the above was discussed in a two-page article in the Sunday Times Business pages on 18 June which included comments from various business owners in the Norfolk market town of Downham Market. The headline was ‘Trade is roughly half what it used to be’. To use the country analogy, it’s Groundhog Day but it is interesting that these same problems seem to be replicated throughout the UK.

Building a business is exciting, empire building my folks used to call it. I was so driven, had so much energy and every day was an opportunity but just like the country songs say, you can take the wrong road and find yourself somewhere down the wrong path. Even maintaining what you have built is difficult.

To cope, I have created a little set of things to help me juggle the pressure. These may seem simple and in essence they are, but they do make a difference.

First and most crucially with pressure is that you need to recognise what is going well. Allow yourself a little time to enjoy a success along the way. It doesn’t need to be a big thing. It could be a good sale, a new window display or getting a better margin - small wins.

Identify the triggers that really stress you. I know that sometimes I need a power nap or I feel I am constantly fighting sleep and this makes me stressed. Also shop rotas and holidays wind me up so I

Below

have passed this on to others to deal with.

Building a structure within my immediate team I have a daily meeting with my office manager and follow up with each store manager. This allows me hopefully not to miss too much and gives them support at the same time trusting them to do the job.

Manage my time better Pals, drivers and colleagues have always questioned my time management as I always try to pack too much in and should learn it should be quality over quantity.

My one year old son, Hudson’s favourite word currently is “NONONONONONO”, said while shaking his head. I always thought the best thing to do was to say “yes” and figure it out later, but in reality using Hudson’s word should free up a chunk of time and perhaps people value you a little more when you don’t agree to do everything.

Sharing the workload and setting reasonable expectations of those that work with you should result in things getting done in a positive way.

Find tools to help and speed up processes. We have recently switched to a new accountancy package and while we had the pain and time of the initial set up, in the long run it should help us find better ways to do things.

When you unwind; properly unwind Now this is perhaps the biggest challenge for me on this list. I seem to have developed a condition where if I don’t sit in front of this laptop every night then I feel I am betraying my work. I find that the only way I truly relax is by booking something, whether that is cinema tickets or a personal training session

OVER THE COUNTER

or going for dinner with a pal. If it is not a fixed thing, then I will tend to work and watch or work and listen. And in truth you never really switch off that way.

As I have discovered with Hudson and my dog Hiro, children and pets do force you to stop for a bit, but I do need to find ways to spend more quality time with them.

People speak about stress and pressure as being negatives when trying to build a healthy workplace for both yourself and staff. In my opinion you need enough pressure to help you achieve and feel that you get things done. You need a little stress to show you care and people can only rebound and thrive if they are challenged a bit in the first place.

Balancing this so you don’t put too much pressure on yourself and others is of course the trick.

Writing every PG column is thought about and discussed often throughout the month but it is only when the deadline looms that my ideas really start to take shape. This is of course a common thread in lots of creative people. We need that ticking clock to force the focus to achieve what we need to happen.

I also know that I need to sort my sleep, my diet, my downtime and a million other things. Knowing what you should do and actually doing it are two different things. Going back to my recent radio waves…

Work drives me ‘crazy’ and you feel that sometimes ‘you are so lonesome that you could cry’!

We ‘walk that line’ every day each night you feel like a bit of a ‘Gambler’ standing by your laptop hoping that there won’t be any cause for ‘D-I-V-O-R-C-E’ due to all the hours worked.

Hopefully the boots are not made for walking as I don’t need to find my ‘Jolene’ and I know that ‘the country road will take me home to the place I belong’.

I am no ‘coward of the county’, I am saddled up for this business and as each of us tell our own stories through our lives and businesses we hopefully will keep largely in tune to make it as harmonious as possible.

Yeeeeee Haaaaaaa!

To contact David email: jppozzi@btconnect.com

Left: The West Norfolk market town of Downham Market was the subject of a ‘Groundhog Day’ article in the Sunday Times about business challenges. Below left: Hank Williams lyrics ‘you are so lonesome that you could cry’ resonates with many indies from time to time.

right: Make sure you are suitably shod for that country road that takes you home!

Clawing at

“It’s a thin line between love and hate” goes the old Persuaders song. Similarly, there is a thin line between inspiration and copying, believes Cardsharp. Arguments about where this line is pre-date the greeting card industry and are as old as art itself.

The Renaissance masters were all heavily influenced by each other. The pre-Raphaelites of Victorian times all aped each other with both their style and subject matter. And who came first with the Cubist movement? Was it Picasso, Matisse or George Braque? Was Picasso really square or was George just ‘Bric-a-Braque’?!

There are no easy answers, but it does seem that copying or at the very least plagiarism remains a real fear for modern day card publishers.

Every artist or publisher of art is influenced by what has gone before and what is around them. Sometimes two almost identical looks can appear simultaneously just by chance, including in greeting card ranges. Cardsharp remembers back in the late 1990s two great innovators in the greeting card trade who were indeed great friends - the late David Hicks of the Really Good Card Company and Alan Hawkes, the then owner of Paper Rose - both released ranges of naïve bright colourful art cards that were considered revolutionary at the time. They were indeed virtually identical in their design approach and feel, but both agreed they had each picked up something in the ether so to speak at exactly the same moment. In this case,

the Really Good range, Happy Hefalumps went on to become an enormous commercial success while Calypso put Paper Rose firmly on the greeting card map.

But there is the ether, influencing, pure plagiarism and direct copying. And often Cardsharp reflects it is hard to know which is which. Organisations like Briffa and ACID offer advice, but no legal guarantees, and some would say the law itself is too slow to recognise the rights of the artist who has been deliberately copied. And while there have been victories, case history tends to favour the copyist when it comes to the law.

Leave aside, the downright theft of designs and intellectual rights that still takes place in the Far East with many greeting card designs being translated onto other products with no permissions (more of that later), arguably more disturbing are the violations that are closer to home - copying ‘with a few tweaks’ that ensures that the perpetrators stay just on the right side of legal. The uncertainty of the result of any case brought against copiers, plus the huge legal costs involved, means that many publishers who feel properly justifiably they have been copied do not take it further.

Cardsharp knows of one particular publisher whose insurance against this has been to build a special fund that it dipped

Left: A post from Tate Britain, after its complete refresh for the first time in ten years, showing modern day artists copying from the masters! Above right: Happy Hefalumps was a huge success in the 90s for Really Good, sparking a wave of similar ranges.

Right: There is nothing positive about copycats.

into to hurl vitriolic legal letters at publishers, who they feel had stepped too closely on their patch. They knew that they would have little chance of winning any case that went to court, but were throwing down the gauntlet and letting their adversary know that any battle would be long and costly and not worth the effort. It invariably worked.

Cardsharp does feel though in the last couple of years, the problem of copying is getting worse. The ubiquity of the internet and social media, Instagram especially, means that so many designs and styles are in the public domain very quickly.

One of the worst offenders is the Chinese fast fashion giant Shein, who seems to shamelessly steal online images from artists for its online sales business. Full marks to illustrator and publisher Angela Chick, who had her designs stolen

recently and launched a social media campaign entitled Copycats Stink which forced them to remove the offending product from its website, and Cardsharp recalls Berni Parker and Bug Art taking similar action a few years ago when they suffered at the hands of an equally pernicious practice. But sometimes, (and perhaps Cardsharp is being overly naive) when the issue of copying raises its ugly head, the accused may be acting in all innocence. A studio artist may take an easy route and ape a popular line by another publisher. The creative director or managing director that gives the go ahead to publish a design/range may not realise that it is a copy of someone

else’s work. Cardsharp has heard of this scenario on several occasions and normally a reputable publisher will admit the mistake and withdraw the said design or range.

But there have been more egregious incidents recently where a brokerage publisher, unable to secure a deal for a successful range from a publisher who refused to supply them, has shamelessly ripped off that publisher’s range. This practice totally demeans this company, as both a broker and a publisher.

In fact, the last thing you want to get, as a broker or a publisher, is the reputation of being a copycat.

Increasingly retailers who have had to become more discerning and knowledgeable, are putting black marks against publishers cutting very close to the bone when it comes to copying. Publishers be warned! Being ‘overly influenced’ could actually be bad long term for your financial health for your company, concludes Cardsharp, stay the right side of that thin line!

Moonpig fails to bring home the bacon

Cardsharp read recently that the Moonpig flotation of 2020 is now known in City circles as the ‘Flying Porker’, having seen its initial launch price of £3.50 drop down to £1.50.

You would have thought a period of humility might come in the wake of this terrible performance, but no, after launching a shameful advertising attack on traditional bricks and mortar card retailing last year, the print on demand market leader is now setting its sights on Card Factory (who’s share price more than quadrupled in the period that Moonpig’s has more than halved).

A Moonpig social media marketing campaign for Father’s Day included a poster, featured the Moonpig logo, photoshopped onto a telephone box outside a Card Factory outlet, with the inane caption: “His card should come from the heart not a card factory”.

The Moonpig geeks who no doubt devised this so called marketing strategy have not only broken the first rule of advertising, namely don’t knock and name a competitor as it only elevates and promotes them, but launched it on the Friday before Father’s Day on the Sunday, when it would be almost too late for anyone ordering a card that day from Moonpig for their dad to receive it in time for the big day, even using its £3.99 tracked delivery service. So, all it did was to highlight Card Factory’s - open all day Friday, Saturday and indeed Father’s Day - advantage over Moonpig.

In fact, the whole thing backfired as Card Factory re-used the image with the words, “We are over the Moon(pig) that other brands want to feature our stores on their feeds. Thanks for sharing the love. P.S. We are also open Sunday for those last minute Father’s Day’s cards and gifts.” Game, set and match, Cardsharp thinks to CF.

But seriously, reflected Cardsharp, Moonpig does need to grow up. Perhaps this latest ploy is desperation on its part given its poor share price performance or borne out of frustration of that this ‘Disrupter’ is not being able to disrupt the way it anticipated. Perhaps they think they are being clever, but to Cardsharp’s mind, these techies need to learn that the greeting card industry works because it engenders good feelings in human beings, and all of us in the industry need to be on the same side to promote greeting card buying and giving. By all means promote Father’s Day but not at the expense of others in the industry. Play the game boys, or you may end up as sausage meat!

Above: Card Factory was quick to respond the marketing put out by Moonpig this Father’s Day. Left: Can you think of anything ‘wurst’ than biting the hand that feeds you?!

Left: Angela Chick quite rightly took to social media to highlight her copying experience on Shein.

Positive Vibes

Mix together thousands of fabulous new designs, an incredible bunch of talented people, a host of passionate retailers, lots of super engaged overseas distributors, a sprinkling of committed trade suppliers and a mega happy feeling of being together and what do you get? Progressive Greetings Live 2023, that’s what!

PG caught up with a selection of retailers who were only too happy to share some of their top picks from the show.

Caroline Ranwell owner of Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall

“What an amazing show, I believe it was the best one yet. I loved it and wouldn’t have missed it for the world! There was even more of a buzz than ever this year. It was full of fabulous people, fantastic product, everyone just seemed so happy and so enthusiastic - there was a huge feeling of camaraderie. It was just like visiting lots of lovely friends and really not like work at all! Oh… and a huge bonus was getting up close to Laurence LlewelynBowen, he was great!”

Stand outs: “I placed order with existing suppliers Wendy JonesBlackett, Rush Design, Paper Salad and Five Dollar Shake, who all had lots of great new product.

I also placed orders with Raspberry Blossom, Paper Shed and Ohh Deer who are all new suppliers for me, all very different product, but really lovely ranges.

I loved Raspberry Blossom’s colourful and retro style designs and also liked the range of matching gifts from Widdop too.

Paper Shed Design’s gorgeous watercolours of cute animals are beautiful and I think they will sell really well. I ordered a lot of Cath Kidston cards from Ohh Deer which are really pretty and I know my customers will love them.

I actually ran out of time as I walked the hall first and then planned to go back to order, so I came back with a list of orders to place with Sarah Kelleher , White Cotton Cards , Kali Stileman , Citrus Bunn and Smiling Faces .”

John Procter co-founder of Scribbler

“PG Live is essential for our industry - and it always has been as it is so focused on cards; fabulous cards from so many great publishers. The opportunity of seeing everyone, bringing everyone together from all sides of the greeting card industry family makes it unique. We really loved it this year, both as an exhibitor and as a retailer.”

Stand outs: “On the Village Green we thought Oh Squirrel and Stormy Knight stood out, while up in the Springboard area, we really liked Hutch Cassidy as the designs were so impactful with a great sense of colour. Sylvia Prince was also impressive, such a comprehensive range with great appeal. Dinosaurs Doing Stuff was a lot of fun; Katie Tinkler Illustration had some lovely designs, while Battered Cards and Letterbox Lane also stood out. It was also good to see so many strong refreshes and new ranges from the more established brands. We loved Redback Cards’ MOJI range, Caroline Gardner’s new mini pom poms range, all of Pigment’s new ranges and we agreed Five Dollar Shake’s collection was on top form.”

Above: Caroline Ranwell (left) of Hugs & Kisses with Raspberry Blossom founder and creative star, Rebecca Green at the show.

Right: Paper Shed’s cute animal designs scored with Caroline.

Below: Boofle was happy to be at PG Live too, especially like the show, it was his 15th birthday too.

Above: Scribbler’s John and (right) Jennie Procter with PG’s Jakki Brown.

Below: Sylvia Prince on her stand.

Lucy Cornwall assistant buyer of home & gift for Oliver Bonas

“Great show again this year, and there was definitely a real buzz. It was lovely to catch up with old and new suppliers and see all the new collections.”

Stand outs: “There were some great stand out ranges for us this year, in particular The Violet Eclectic range from East End Prints caught our eye, with its bold, fun colours and retro elements and also the wonderful cards by Sakina Saidi with their empowering messages and great design”

Mark Janson-Smith managing director of Postmark, 14 shops in London, Birmingham and Glasgow

“It was such a great show, one of the best yet. The buzz and atmosphere around the whole place was so inspiring.”

Stand outs: “Stand out for us were the new ranges from Pango Productions and Lucie Maggie Designs. Of the latter I've been stopping by the stand for a few years now so it's nice to finally start working with her.

There was also lots of wonderful newness from most of our existing suppliers.”

Sally Matson owner of Red Card, Petworth

“Even with severe jetlag, I really enjoyed PG Live. I was really impressed with how many companies had new releases for the show - as this is another reason to visit. I thought the social media coverage for the show this year was fantastic; it’s great to see all the exhibitors really buying into PG Live with both new ranges and social media coverage.”

Stand outs: “In the Springboard area I really liked Sarah Gregory Designs and will be following up to place an order. In the Village Green I loved Penguin Ink and will be placing an order with that publisher soon.

Lapping up all their new designs, I placed orders with Rosie Made a Thing, Susan O’Hanlon, Ohh Deer, Brainbox Candy, Kali Stileman, Stop the Clock, Pigment, Caroline Gardner, Earlybird and Redback, spending my lovely Silver and Sunshine Tickets with the latter two.”

Cathy Frost owner of LoveOne, Ipswich

“PG Live was great - I placed several orders and caught up with some old friends that I hadn’t seen for a while. It was so great to be back at PG Live. I was able to catch up with designers I hadn’t seen for a while, have a good chat about all the new ranges and business in general. As a retailer it’s always interesting to hear about the market from the creatives’ perspective.”

Stand outs: “I placed several orders. Special mentions go to Ricicle Cards, Oh Squirrel, Hutch Cassidy and Stormy Knight, as these all had especially fabulous new designs that I am adding to our shelves. It was also good to make some new contacts and I am very excited to be ordering from Sakina Saidi as she has been on my radar for some time so it was great to finally get to meet her.”

Above: Love One’s Cathy Frost with Ricicle Cards’ David Nichols-Rice.

Left: A design from Stormy Knight’s new Globetrotter collection.

Above and top: (right-left) Oliver Bonas’ Lucy Cornwall, Nicola Connolly and Kate Salmon who came to show with Oliver Tress, founder of the retail business.

Left: Sakina Saidi and her designs caught the eye of the Oliver Bonas buying team at PG Live.

Below: Mark Janson-Smith (second right) with agents (left) Jo Bannister and Joanna McFarlane and Portfolio’s David Corner at the show.

Right: Pango brought both its cards and gifts to the show.

Above: Sally Matson (left) spent Red Card’s Sunshine Ticket with Earlybird Designs.

Left: A Sarah Gregory Designs’ approach to a sympathy card.

Sam Ody

lead buying manager of everyday cards for Tesco

“The show was SO very good and we came away completely inspired. You could really tell there had been a real bounceback post pandemic. Everyone we saw brought their A game to the show. There was lots of inspiration, newness and clears points of difference between the stands!

We came en mass as it’s such a great show and we see it as important for everyone to come along to see the publishers and all the new product they have been developing and are working on. Next year we’ve already said we will come both days as there is so much to see.”

Stand outs: “We thought Paper Salad, Emotional Rescue and Danilo had some great new designs and ranges.

It was great to see some new development from Paper Saladbranching out into Christmas crackers. We all loved Folx from EMO. Danilo had some great new licences and style guide refreshes; in particular Roald Dahl and some of the book-led licences. We also saw some new designers that would be perfect for our Introducing collection, but we are keeping them under wraps for now!”

Miles Robinson

co-owner of House of Cards, a group of seven stores in the Home Counties

“What a super show with a lovely buzz and happiness about it.”

Stand Outs: “We spent our tickets with Tache, Bexy Boo, Paper Rose and Paper Shed, all of whom we felt really stood out.

In addition, we loved Bewilderbeest and also noted Raspberry Blossom , Stormy Knight , Pango , Bold & Bright and Battered Cards .”

Hazel Walker and Megan Douglas card buying team of Waterstones

“What a show! We love visiting PG Live, as it always has such a great atmosphere - and this year’s event felt particularly inspiring and there really seemed to be excitement in the air! It was lovely to see so many card publishers under one roof, existing suppliers, as well as discovering some new ones. We had a wonderful time seeing all of the fab new product and it is always a great chance to catch up with all of the brilliant people in the greeting card and giftwrap industry. We came away excited and inspired - the product standard was so high that it will make our selection process very tough!”

Stand outs: “Raspberry Blossom really gave a taste of summer with its wonderfully vibrant stand and was it great to see that they are bringing their unique style to giftwrap too. We also really enjoyed having a chuckle at all of the brilliant puns on the Bewilderbeest stand. However, with so much excellent product on display, we ended up with a very long list of highlights!”

Above: Bewilderbeest continues to hit the spot with its artistry.

Clare Morant buying manager of WHS’ Curi.o.city and concept stores

“I thought the show was great - there was a good mix of big and small suppliers, which is what I look for when I visit a trade show. Being at PG Live gives me the opportunity to meet suppliers in person and to develop a relationship with them.”

Stand outs: “The majority of suppliers exhibiting I was aware of, but I did discover East End Prints. Their unique designs and different styles caught my eye and I have already set them up as a supplier for WHSmith and the new concept store Curi.o.city, and will be buying a range of their cards and postcards for the stores. I also liked Raspberry Blossom which has forged a licensing partnership with Widdop, a supplier I worked with previously to design a range of Christmas decorations and gifts. Their designs are colourful and on trend so we will be buying a selection of their products.”

Above: East End Prints’ stand attracted a lot of buyer attention.

Above: House of Cards’ (right-left) Miles Robinson, Lisa Riley and Nigel Williamson conferring on a range at the show.

Left: HoC was ‘feline’ good about Tache.

Above: The Tesco team was out in force at PG Live. Sam Ody (third right) and colleagues spending time with (third right) Michelle Hindle on the Belly Button Designs’ stand.

Above: A design from Paper Salad’s Fleurescent range that debuted at PG Live.

Anne Barber owner of In Heaven at Home, Market Harborough

“I am so happy I came to PG Live - I wouldn’t miss it for the world, what a fabulous day it was for me. It is the most lovely show - the atmosphere is so happy, upbeat and friendly. I got so carried away talking to suppliers old and new this year that I completely missed lunch!!”

Stand outs: “I was particularly pleased to see all the new suppliers in the Springboard and Springboard Intro areas and did three laps around there making sure I didn’t miss anything. While there I found KDee Designs and fell in love with Kathryn’s wooden element adorned cards, especially the cute ones with sausage dogs so I spent my Silver Ticket with her. I also spotted Petimo in the Springboard Intro area (not realising it is quite local to me) and bought a wide range of cards from them across nine different ranges. Ordered on Tuesday and hand delivered by Sophie to the shop on Friday - that’s pretty exceptional customer service isn’t it!!! I have already raised another order.

I also spent time with Raspberry Blossom ordering more stationery and cards and their joyous Christmas collaboration of cards, cushions, candle holders and mugs from Widdop & Co. Again, it was the sausage dog cushion and mug that did it for me. A bit of a theme emerging here…Henry, my miniature dachshund, said that we needed more (even more) sausage dog merchandise at the shop and his wish is my command!

Thea at Bold & Bright had some great new cards featuring the antics of Janice and Jeffrey and had made some Halloween designs in response to my request so I placed a nice big order for best sellers and newness with her.

I also visited Poet & Painter to select more funny newness; Deva Designs for cards, gift bags, and plush; Woodmansterne/Cardmix/Proper Mail and The Great British Card Company to see all their new ranges; Counting Stars for fashion and glamour from their Haute Hippie range and my friend Sarah Kelleher for floral loveliness.”

Penny Bailey co-owner of Bailey’s in Ainsdale, Crosby, Maghull and Southport

“We had such a lovely day at PG Live. I took my two store managers, Caroline and Aimee, for the first time and they really enjoyed it. It is quite a trip for us to do in a day, but well worth it to see all the fabulous greeting card companies under one roof. I'm always enthusiastic about cards, but PG Live gives a boost to that enthusiasm and really makes me think about what is working well for us, what we should do differently and what our customers would be pleased to see.

The best part though was catching up with our current suppliers and fellow retailers, hearing their news, comparing notes and friendly Retas’ rivalry banter! Thank you to everyone for the great show, champagne reception, coffees and lunch.”

Stand outs: “We bought Robert James Hull's adorable watercolours of animals with pompoms. The tricky bit was choosing which to leave out. I predict good things for this company.

We also bought a spinner of Alljoy's 3D pop-up cards to trial in our Maghull store. The price point is competitive, there is a design for everyone and something a little bit different to set us apart from the big retailers.

I thought I'd finished my Christmas card buying for this year but couldn't resist Wendy Jones-Blackett's Christmas ranges, so they were ordered as well.

It was great to see new designs from our current suppliers too. Hallmark's new offering was impressive. The new look Forever Friends will be a hit, I'm sure.

I loved the new additions to Paper Salad's Hunkydory range, which offers consistently good sellers for us. Plus, Raspberry Blossom's new gift range with Widdop was super cute! And while we're talking cute, Lucy Driver Illustrations really ticks that box, and are in my 'possibilities for the future' pile; and Ginger Betty's new baby range provoked serious “aaahs” from us."

Sharon Green retail operations director of the Henry & Co group

“It was my first visit to PG Live, so I was excited to attend. I felt it gave me the opportunity to network with existing suppliers, to build my profile in the card industry and also meet new suppliers with a view to possibly bringing some newness into our current ranges. I was specifically given a mission by a couple of stores to find cards relating to farming.

What I enjoyed most about the event was getting to know other card and gift retailers, having the opportunity to share what is working for them and how they operate their own stores. There was such a fantastic buzz, and everyone was chatty and friendly.

The hospitality was outstanding, from entering the building and being greeted by the reception team and ladies dressed in cards. Upon entering the main building, I was given a goody bag, which came in useful as I visited stands and

Above: Penny Bailey (far right) with colleagues (far left) Caroline Cropper and Aime Howes spending their Sunshine Ticket with Robert James Hull. Top right: Contemporary styling from Lucy Driver Illustrations hit the spot for Bailey’s.

Above: Henry & Co’s Sharon Green enjoying chatting to House of Cards’ Nigel Williamson at The Retas’ champagne reception.

obtained more brochures. The layout of the show was easy to navigate, and signage was clear and accurate.

The complementary cups of tea and coffee were appreciated and not forgetting the free lunch with the large table seating providing another great opportunity to network and chat about the industry. The gift of vouchers for being shortlisted for The Retas finalists and winners was a lovely touch. My mission was to spend them on trialling something new in one of our stores.”

Stand outs: “Abacus’ photographic BBC Countryfile range filled the gap of my farm-related quest so I used my voucher to trial it in our Ashbourne store.

I was also drawn to Really Wild Cards and its audio greeting cards which we may give a go while Eleanor Bowmer also had a point of difference with her die cut cards.

I thought the Scribbler card kiosk was an interesting concept, enabling retailers to offer a ‘Moonpig’ experience in a bricks and mortar store. Likewise Say it with Songs’ record cards that plays a song via a scannable code eg. you are so beautiful! I am still mulling over how we would communicate the concept to customers, but it is a lovely idea.

UKG as ever was a great stand to visit, continually excelling in offering a broad selection of quality cards at all price levels and sizes.”

Above: Abacus’ BBC Countryfile range chimed with the rural/farming flavour Sharon was looking for.

VIEWPOINTS

Stand outs: “ Pigment’s newness was lovely to

Jane Armour owner of Jane Armour Trading, Taunton

“What a successful PG Live. I enjoy visiting trade shows and have a particular fondness for this one. I love the fact that the majority of the show is greeting cards, that its small enough to zoom round in a day if you can’t spare longer, but there is enough to look at and talk about if you can stay for the two days. I placed 13 orders for delivery over the two or three weeks following the show and a couple of Christmas orders were placed as well.!”

Stand out: “The Art File and Caroline Gardner, two of my existing suppliers both had some cracking new cards that just had to be ordered! I like reconnecting with suppliers I haven't ordered from for several years - James Ellis and Cinnamon Aitch spring to mind, both had some beautiful cards, very different from their styles that I stocked in the past, obviously orders were placed! I love meeting potential new suppliers and this year I loved the humour on display, and ordered from, Oh Squirrel, Bewilderbeest and Comedy Card Co

I had a stern word with myself when I arrived on day 1, that I have no room for more wrap and wasn't going to order any. That plan went out the window when I saw what Paper Mirchi had to offer and again, obviously, an order was placed!”

Heidi Early co-owner of Earlybird Designs in Stoke

“PG really was a great show wasn't it? It's our absolute favourite show from both a publisher and retailer perspective. There's everyone there that I love and want to talk to!

The organisation of the show is superb. As an exhibitor it is so good to have electric, lights and furniture included in the package, plus the water stations, the free tea and coffee, the free lunch, the drinks in the evening, all of these really add up to make it stand out as a show.

I really feel that PG Live is absolutely at the heart of our industry. Jakki, Warren, Tracey, Jim and Ian and the team are really visible, they sort any problems out promptly and they really know everyone, no-one is just a number or just a stand. And I think, in today's climate, this kind of connection and community is absolutely priceless!”

Stand outs: “I love that all my firm favourites were at PG Live - Ohh Deer, Stormy Knight, Brainbox Candy, Dean Morris, The Art File, Paper Salad (to name just a few) but then there's also newer suppliers like Ickaprint with whom we spent our Retas’ Silver Ticket - Jess' face was such a picture of joy when we handed the ticket to her! We love her colours and images. And we also found a new supplier, Henries award winner Bewilderbeest, where we spent our Sunshine Ticket! His detailed illustrations give the funny puns trend a whole new lease of life.

I also absolutely loved Hallmark's paper flowers in the lunchroom, we had our own handmade paper flowers on our stand, so it felt like we were completely on trend!”

Newington

Top: Earlybird’s Heidi Early (right) and Hannah Sharman spending their Sunshine Ticket with Bewilderbeest’s Iain Hamilton.

Above right: Ickaprint’s founder Jess Crawford with some of her contemporary designs.

Abby Oddy assistant buyer of cards, wrap and party for Sainsbury’s “PG Live was great - it was lovely seeing all the newness!!”

see and Say it with Songs was fab too.”

Right: Say it with Songs’ founder Ellie Fitzgerald on her PG Live stand.

Above: Jane Armour pointing to her shop’s name on The Retas’ Wall of Fame at the show.

Right: A co-ordinated by Paper Mirchi’s owner Rani Moochhala!

Progressive Greetings Live 2023 brought into sharp focus the strength and vibrancy of the greeting card industry, both on the product newness and people fronts. PG shares a snapshot of the recent trade show.

Right: The PG Live meeters and greeters were walking exhibits of the new launches.

Far right: Alphabet Soup’s Susan Freeman and Sarah Ellis showing off both sides of the keepsake tote bags, featuring designs by Abacus Cards and Clare Maddicott.

Below: Just one of the busy aisles on the main mezzanine section of the show.

Left: It was an uplifting moment for Golden Goose’s Adam Bass as The Art File’s James Mace lifted him aloft to mark the greeting card launch of the English Heritage licensing collaboration.

Left and below: Some of the Hallmark team who smashed the challenge of creating a wonderful lunchroom, with over 700 handmade flowers.

Below: The one and only Laurence LlewelynBowen (third left) celebrating the launch of Great British Card Company’s LLB card range with the publisher’s David Byk and Christina Milstead (second right) and WHSmith’s (right-left) Scarlett Ford, Claire Castle and Christina Worthy.

Above: Raspberry Blossom’s Rebecca Green (left) with Nickery Nook’s Elizabeth Wilson, who was attired in a jacket she had made from goody bags, including those from PG Live and Raspberry Blossom.

Above: The Danilo team having a ‘turtley’ good time at the show!

Left: The Windles’ sponsored tea trollies were once again a very welcome sight for visitors and exhibitors.

Right: As expected, the Champagne Reception for Retas and Greats winners and finalists was popular, including among the Retail Buddies. (Right-left) Chris and Tracey Bryant, Expressions; Katrina Raill, Etcetera; Jo Webber, Jo Armor; Aga Marsden and Victoria Packford, Highworth Emporium and Libby Holden, Lovely Libbby’s.

Below: (right-left) Wishes of Cockermouth’s Fiona and Victoria Robinson enjoyed a catch up with Bailey’s Caroline Cropper, Penny Bailey and Aimee Homes.

Above: Let the fun ‘be gin’! Bill Greeno (left) and Mark Long promoting Abacus’ liquid show offer.

Far left: Saxophonist extraordinaire Graeme Airth was sponsored by Skylight Media to add dulcet tones to welcome visitors and during lunch.

Left: Tatty Teddy was there to encourage visitors to take a turn on the ‘Spin to Win’ competition on the Carte Blanche Greetings’ stand.

US

and soon to be US GCA president, Andy Meehan,

Designer

Left: Paper Salad’s cofounders Karen Wilson (left) and Claire Wilson with a special cake to mark the publisher’s 18th birthday.

Right: The opening night party saw exhibitors, such as Widdop’s Stephen Illingworth (far left), White Cotton Cards’ Georgie Francis (fourth right) getting together with retailers and agents after a busy day at the show.

Above: (right-left) Peter and Verena Giovanazzi of Paperateria Verlag caught up with Deva Design’s Andrew Maddock and Reuben Duffy at the party.

Below: Having come all the way from Sydney, (fourth right) Jenny Cummins of McMillan Cards made the most of the opportunity to catch up with publishers and friends during the show and at the party.

Left: Hallmark’s new md, Graeme Karavis christened his first PG Live with a cuppa with PG’s Jakki Brown.

Left: Topping off a truly international gathering, GCA ceo, Amanda Fergusson (second right) and president Chris Bryan (second left) met up with their counterparts from the

GCA, Nora Weiser

who was exhibiting on the

Greetings stand.

Above: Start ‘em young. Lucy Nicholson introduced her baby daughter to the wonders of PG Live.

Above: Sharing the love…Oh Squirrel’s Katie Wagstaff (left) with Sarah Holmes, Pencil Me In who came all the way from Elgin.

Below: (left-right) Rosie Made a Thing’s Rosie Harrison, Penguin Ink’s Lizzie Parker and Dandelion’s Jess Greaves enjoyed cashing in their Golden, Silver and Sunshine Tickets.

Art v

With the lack of laws governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) Ohh Deer cofounder Mark Callaby has an interesting solution: “Maybe AI could write them!”

Joking aside, AI is throwing up worries as well as opportunities for the greeting card industry.

PG hears from real voices around the greeting card industry on the art versus artificial intelligence debate…

Originality will win out Iain Hamilton owner and artist of Bewilderbeest

“I am concerned that while the AI image generation is not perfect yet, it will be very soon, given how fast the technology is developing. The ability to create high-quality images from a few prompts, in seconds, is worrying for the greeting card industry.

However, I don’t foresee we'll all be signing on at the job centre anytime soon. You still have to have a good and original idea in the first place which, believe it or not, does take practice. Also, an understanding of what works on a card and what doesn't, both in terms of design and content.

AI development is not going away, so it's best to try to focus on coming up with original ideas that AI, by its very nature, can't manage - worst case scenario, your future robot overlords will hopefully keep you around because you make them laugh.”

Above: Iain Hamilton says he won’t be at the job centre soon.

Left: You need a brain like Iain Hamilton to come up with a Bewilderbeest card like this!

Business shortcuts, but not art

Mark Callaby, managing director of Ohh Deer

“We've looked at AI for generating artwork, but we definitely feel that it's not quite there yet and there are definitely questions around the integrity of where these images are actually coming from.

I think AI can definitely help in business in general, whether it's helping with spreadsheets or similar as, ultimately, if something can make a job easier or more efficient then why wouldn't a company be looking into it?”

Above: Mark Callaby thinks AI will help business in general.

Right: An Ohh Deer card which accepts the uncertainties of life.

Creatives draw from life

Hannah Curtis, owner of artists agency Creative Sparrow

“Does AI pose a threat to our industry? In a word, yes - but it also poses a threat to humanity unless we learn to coexist, the human and the AI.

The topic needs to be taken seriously and regulated carefully if we are to use it to our advantage. Creative industries have spent years shouting into the void to be protected and supported - I’m sure we all remember the awful advert during Covid of the ballerina being told she could retrain so she had skills that were actually needed. As creatives we’re already needed!

Recent estimates suggest AI will eliminate 300 million jobs

Left: Life marches on…a design by Andrew Thornton, who is represented by Creative Sparrow.

Above: Man and machine have to work together.

worldwide, and in China it has already replaced some video game artists and illustrators based there.

Being an illustrator is already an incredibly difficult career, with plagiarism rife, cheap stock images used instead of skilled photography and now AI potentially threatening the creative way of life even further.

As Jeff Goldblum’s character Ian in Jurassic Park so rightly stated: “Scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think whether they should.”

The issue is that, as yet, there is no ownership and no regulation of AI. Many artists claim AI is the opposite of art, which is fundamentally about interpreting something you see and feel within you so that it exists externally for the world to see.

An online campaign #NoToAIArt highlights that AI generators are illegally using images claimed to be in the public domain because they exist on the web - in 2023 everything exists on the web but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong to someone. The IP always belongs to the original creator who is now being plagiarised by these generators, in some cases even citing the artist’s name to encourage anyone to create an image in their style.

But the finished product isn’t the whole part of the journey. When paying a creative for their services your payment includes their knowledge, their experience and training, their life lessons and all of the hard work they have put into becoming who they are at the point you employ them.

On a personal level I know my artistic journey started long before I ever knew what I wanted to do in life, as it draws from everything

that makes me who I am - my childhood, my love of colour, my family’s retail business, childhood storytelling, zest for life, fine art degree, love of reading, my first job, my second and third, my love of people, of connections and collaborations, the launch of my agency and my desire to keep learning.

I’m not finished and never will be, you get the best of me because I’m constantly learning, soaking up everything I see, hear and read and distilling it through human emotions and feelings. AI can never replicate that as the tools are neutral, it’s what you put into them that makes humans creative.

Having been in the greeting card industry for many years I know the level of skill needed to create the perfect card doesn’t come easy to all illustrators but, since the release of the Procreate app, clients have taken a real shift to requesting hand-generated artwork while steering away from anything that looks too digital.

There’s no doubt some manufacturers will try out AI-generated images as, unfortunately, cost is the biggest factor for them over the skill and beauty of a design created by a human.

AI will no doubt change the way we live, interact and thrive and will be hugely beneficial in many fields but there does need to be some regulation especially in the creative industries.

This is the sort of topic that should be discussed as an industry, because the artist is rarely recognised and, in a lot of cases, not even credited as the creator of the work, which is something that needs to change - perhaps the dawn of AI will persuade publishers to all start crediting the creative so we know there was one!”

Copyright laws need work

“AI, and its development at an exponential pace, is on the tip of everyone’s tongue, with its uses spanning the gamut of ground-breaking and enabling technology through to the unauthorised use of machines plundering others’ intellectual property with little or no regulation.

Some may say plundering is a sanitised word for stealing, the consequences of which threaten many with the greeting card sector.

Inevitably, there will be plethora of legal cases that will determine IP ownership and create case law, but at what cost?

As many in the UK’s creative industries are lone, micro or SME businesses, in the fast-moving world of greeting cards, the cost and time involved in taking legal action to determine ownership is not an option, but help may be at hand as some of the behemoths such as Disney begin

Right: Hannah in front of an original artwork she created at art school 20 years ago. (Image: Bev Cunningham)

Above: AI can only copy not create original content or design.

bringing cases which help to define the law more clearly.

Under UK law you are the owner of any work you produce - if you’re employed the copyright belongs to the employer - and that copyright lasts, generally for the life of the author plus 70 years, with that copyright having been created automatically whatever you’ve produced, be it an artwork, painting, poem, sculpture, or story.

However, currently works created by AI are not protected by copyright in the UK even if produced from a text prompt written by a human, so they can be used by anyone for any purpose.

ACID’s Faith Capstick said: “The question is where the anxiety and fear resides for artists, and understandably so. For an artist who has built up years of experience through trial and error to create

Protect yourself

their style, it would be an awful feeling to know a computer has amalgamated segments of your work and spat out something which resembles your individual, original, and unique style. Worryingly, it may come down to what the US calls the Fair Use doctrine, whereby using copyright material is justified as freedom of expression.”

Daniel Gervais, professor at Vanderbilt Law School, added: “Two factors have much, much more prominence, what’s the purpose or nature of the use and what’s the impact on the market. Another burning question is, will copyright law allow robots to learn?”

The government is intent on creating the UK as a Global AI Superpower but, following its consultation on AI, they were thwarted recently when a group of major IP creators and rights-holders campaigned and were successful in limiting the use of text and data mining. This may be a short-term reprieve, but it demonstrates the collective power of campaigning.

While some are treating AI as the third industrial revolution, it could be a doubleedged sword. The IP minister is intent on creating the right balance between an economy that protects the interests of the

How can you combat unauthorised use of your work by AI? There is no silver bullet, but here are some suggestions from ACID:

l Research effective use of a digital watermarking tool.

l Support the creation of an industry-standard licensing model accessible by all from micro to macro. For example, picture agency Shutterstock say: “We’re powering the future of AI, the right way,” with use through a licensing business model.

l Sign the ACID IP Charter promoting IP ethics, compliance, and respect - and tell everyone you’ve signed it.

l Support a move to create a universal code of conduct for companies that create AI models to be trained ethically.

l The greeting card sector is a national asset so include an additional statement on the back of the card, saying: “All artwork is originally created by (insert your name). Any infringements in my copyright will be pursued vigorously,” and ACID members add the member of the organisation logo as a deterrent.

l The ACID IP Databank provides a useful tool as a safe and trusted deposit bank to lodge new designs which helps create an audit trail behind original creative work - essential evidence if you must prove IP ownership.

creator while also ensuring that the digital economy has the freedom to operate. For creative workers to get fair remuneration from those who use their work without permission, this continues to be a challenge.

Nimble thinking translated into visionary futureproofing of creative work via carefully thought-out policy and agile regulation is essential to establish the relationship between IP and generative AI.

While balancing the needs and expectations of consumer choice and the UK’s government ambition for digital growth, there must be safeguards to provide confidence to innovators and investors.”

Great potential Claire Marsom, head of creative for Hallmark

“It’s hard to escape the impact of AI right now, particularly in the creative industry. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content including text, imagery, audio and synthetic data. The tech isn’t brand-new though - it was first introduced in the 1960s in chatbots.

Now in 2023, the open source and user-friendly nature of AI programmes such as Dall E, Midjouney and ChatGPT make AI an exciting - and sometimes slightly scaryventure as we all look at how it could help us do things differently and more efficiently.

At Hallmark, we’re always keen to explore new ways of working, AI included.

Left: ACID offers IP help for creatives.

Above: Hallmark’s Claire Marsom thinks AI is useful for some tasks and could free up more time for creatives.

We’re starting to use and research ways in which AI could be a useful tool for all our teams across the business, including how it could support our brilliant creative team by generating inspiration for mood boards, trend research and writing prompts.

By minimising these types of tasks, and other repetitive or admin-based work with AI, our creative team could focus on the more complex and imaginative aspects of their work. They’d have more time for creativity and exploration to continue our aim of creating meaningful products for the consumer.

While AI is a fantastic resource, we continue to be extremely mindful of privacy and ownership. We have a strict policy to not share any confidential information with AI tools - and we take our intellectual

Useful but terrifying James Mace, sales and marketing manager of The Art File

“The advancement of AI technology over the past five years has been extremely exciting but also mildly terrifying at the same time. However. the thought of, essentially, having access to a supercomputer in your pocket can greatly increase efficiency and delivery of projects, scenarios and information gathering for both personal and business purposes.

Recently I’ve been making use of AI technology for long terms and conditions documents, contracts, instruction manuals, land registry and that sort of thing. You simply input the document and ask the AI to analyse and summarise this document into a 2,000-word synopsis - saving me hours of reading, while still getting all of the important information I require. It’s extremely handy, indeed!

I suppose the question most people in greeting cards, myself included, are asking is: “How is AI going to affect the creative industries?”

After quite a bit of research and testing, I'm pleased to say that, in my opinion, AI will not overtake or replace the human creative skillset because it features a lot of key

property very seriously, so AI is no exception.

AI is everyone’s favourite new toy so is here to stay, and we believe its impact and use will grow. However, we also believe future generations will continue to seek out handcrafted and human-made art and writing too - just look at the continued rise of craft fairs with Gen Z for example!

AI has the potential to bring exciting opportunities to the greeting card industry, yet we’ll always remember that we are people creating products for people, and that's what connects us as human beings.”

aspects with two major ones that AI - for the time being anywayjust can’t replicate.

These are having actual feelings, which are a building block of all creative fields, and originality. AI will always have to look at previous data in order to process the task it’s given, meaning that nothing original and unique can be created from it which, of course, is extremely important in our sector.

AI is a computer programme that will complete any task you give it, in the most efficient and statistically positive way, which is great for data-based, research and information-gathering tasks, but not for the artistic or creative side.

The unique talents of artists, designers, illustrators, musicians and other creative professionals will be safeguarded and superior, at least for now.

Mind you, with the UN creating an AI technology think tank earlier this year, along with all major governments investing in the tech, the other question I have is: “How will other powers use it?”

Left: Technology combines with artistry on the new Forever Friends designs which feature a QR code to bring the bears to life.

Above: James Mace (right) with Adam Bass, md of Golden Goose licensing agency, on The Art File stand at the recent PG Live show which saw them launch its English Heritage range. Left: The Art File’s latest catalogue which features designs created without the use of AI.

It’s in the

Equipping sales reps with a trio of large sample bags is a great way to show off a publisher’s greeting card designs, and that’s just what Alison Butterworth and John Lowey have done with their three brands.

The move came at the June sales meeting launching Spring Seasons 2024 for Nigel Quiney Publications, Paper Rose, and Grass Roots, the three publishers now owned by the pair since completing a management buyout in April.

Alison explained: “We do now have a more streamlined sales team and it was a big launch because they all needed full sample sets for all of our brands so customers will be able to handle the samples or order directly from the iPad.”

She confirmed the trio of publishing brands will remain separate, with their own logos and product portfolio, although Grass Roots is moving from the Paper Rose base in Nottingham to be nurtured by NQP’s design studio at Saffron Walden.

“I do think they complement each other,” Alison added, “it’s a strong, broad array to choose from and having a selection of product styles will be important over the next few months, because it’s really tough out there for retailers.

“A lot of customers found Christmas difficult, but Spring Seasons 2023 has sold through well. Obviously, we’re hoping for a good Christmas ‘23 and Spring ‘24 as we had low returns for spring ’23, so we’ve got a good basis to sell in the new range.”

Despite the separate identities and locations, John admitted they will be continuing to work on economies of scale with what could be considered the back-office features such as IT, cost overheads on items like packaging, and storage.

The real strengths of the companies are the separate design studios, with Sarah Tanser-Frain, Alana Rourke and Jazmin Carter leading the Nottingham team, while Carl Pledger remains in charge of the in-house artists in Saffron Walden and coordinating the freelancers for the pure design side which gives NQP a real breadth of artistic skills, able to cover everything from cute

There’s

through traditional to contemporary, with each an expert in their style.

Alison explained: “Brand identity for each publisher is key, and we’re also excited about new and novel product ideas, what else we might be able to offer our customers.

“Product is my first love, so we're excited about what we can do at Paper Rose, making sure we are maintaining those hero ranges, which is really important. Artisan is still a great selling brand for Paper Rose, for example. Strategy wise, there's quite a lot of work going on to see where we take Paper Rose next.

“For Nigel Quiney there’s obviously Pizzaz. It's 16 years old now and the sales are unbelievable. It’s a phenomenon. We

a brand-new bag of tricks at the Nigel Quiney, Paper Rose, and Grass Roots group of companies as new owners Alison Butterworth and John Lowey begin putting their stamp on the business they took over in a management buy-out just three months ago. Here PG delves into their story and the future plans.

Left: Nigel Quiney’s Pizazz range continues to evolve. Below left: Paper Rose’s design studio is to remain in its Nottingham premises while Grass Roots will be in with NQP in Saffron Walden.

Below right: Alison Butterworth on the Nigel Quiney stand at the recent PG Live.

In conversation with...Alison Butterworth

Buy-out background

The management buy-out may be only a few months old, but both Alison Butterworth and John Lowey have plenty of greeting card industry experience under their belts.

Having started her card career with Gibson Greetings, Alison had a break working for the Post Office, before going to EMS Christmas goods, moving through Hallmark and Carlton Cards, when she was headhunted as NQP’s creative director in 2005 before being handpicked as managing director by then-owner Simon Elvin in 2014.

Meanwhile John brought his financial acumen and training as a chartered accountant to sister company Paper Rose in 2007, where he was financial director before becoming managing director.

Even though Simon was known for allowing his various businesses to run separately, there were already many links with Alison having been involved in Paper Rose’s design side, while John oversaw NQP’s management accounts.

After buying the complete Simon Elvin publishing business in late 2019, Paper Design Group moved to sell on around the start of 2023 due to ceo Ian Jackson’s ongoing health issues, which led to Cardzone directors Paul and Christine Taylor’s company Pillarbox Designs acquiring the giftwrap specialist Glick, Polytint Cards and Simon Elvin Ltd, with the other direct-to-retail card publishers going to Alison and John on a 50-50 financial basis.

John commented: “The MBO discussions were lengthy! Alison and I were immediately interested in being able to run the companies for ourselves - we've been doing this for a long time and, in some ways, it shouldn't be too much of a change to do it for yourself, but you don't ever think you'd get that chance.”

Alison added: “While the opportunity came a bit out of the blue, John and I were absolutely delighted to join in buying Nigel Quiney and Paper Rose.

“The double deal made a lot of sense as it means we cover the contemporary side of the market with Paper Rose and the more traditional side with Nigel Quiney, with the Grass Roots brand being a very traditional bonus which people love.”

As to the challenge as a newly-owned business, Alison accepts: “It's not going to be plain sailing, because it is hard out there on the High Street and there will be difficult decisions to be made. But, at the same time, we think we've got the right teams on board to take us forward.

“You try not to think about it too much, you just get on with the day-to-day running of it and having John on board gives me confidence on the financial front.

“We’ve both got a similar vision and having strengths in different areas is great because getting the finance right for small to medium companies is so important, to make sure your stock levels are sustainable, and that you invest in the right amount of product while maintaining a strong cashflow.

“The most important thing though is our forward strategy, which we are in the throes of finalising. We've got lots of ideas which we get together to discuss regularly. This week, for example, we're at Paper Rose for a Grass Roots meeting where NQP’s art manager Carl Pledger and I are meeting with the team to discuss the product portfolio.

“The staff are great, they’ve been with us a long time and I think they care even more now because they're aware of the management buyout, and the fact we're now running it for ourselves.

“It seems to mean even more to them, and that's really wonderful because they're coming along with us on this journey. And they care just as much as we do about taking Nigel Quiney, Paper Rose and Grass Roots into a new future.”

work closely with the artist who is very creative, constantly looking at interior design, at products outside of greeting cards, and she's always looking for that the next new thing.

“We've worked with her on several ranges for quite a long time now but, for the present, we've segmented Pizzaz into several sub brands. The original Pizzaz became Pizzaz Classic, then we added Pizzaz Male, which does really, really well, and there is also Pizzaz Gallery.

“It's got a life of its own. It's a multipurchase so, when people go in store, they buy two or three cards at a time, which is why it’s the retailer's favourite, and it gets those sales through the till. Added to that Flower Press is a new range that's doing really well too. Having started off in general

Above: John Lowey, who looks after finances behind the scenes.

Left: Contemporary designs from Paper Rose’s You Go Girl range.

Right: Jane Duffield, area sales manager for Nigel Quiney and Paper Rose, with the bags of samples now in her armoury!

birthday, it's now moved into captions and is a beautiful little range.”

Independents are actually the mainstay of NQP’s business, with a smaller showing in the national chains, while it’s the other way round for Paper Rose, giving the companies a secure grounding across the retail spectrum, particularly with the lifestyle changes wrought by the pandemic.

“We’re in peak spring selling at the moment,” Alison explained, “so our reps are going out with all these extra bags of products, and they’ve got their iPads too. Some customers want to see every single physical design, but others will be happy as

they know what the quality is like to place orders on the iPad.

“The reps have to be quite focused on how they sell to each customer but, if they want it, it’ll be in the bag!”

A selection of products being launched to pep up retailers’ displays.

Into Focus

Peartree Heybridge has just launched Aperture, a photographic card collection featuring the work by Yorkshire born artist and photographer Tania Paling Sparkes. The 27 designs depict Tania’s photographic art taken in the British Isles, covering nature and the outdoors. All 150mm in format, the cards have a high gloss finish and each comes with a white envelope.

Peartree Heybridge

01423 876311

www.peartreeheybridge.co.uk

Eventful Year

Dandelion Stationery has expanded its card ranges to cover both minor and religious occasions that take place throughout the year. These include 50+ new designs for baptism, christening, holy Communion, Jewish celebrations, Diwali, Chinese New Year and lots more. Cards are available to order in quantities as low as three with no minimum order.

Dandelion Stationery 01332 504940

www.dandeliontationery.co.uk

Harrogate Home & Gift stand DP1 C26

Rising To The Occasion

Wrendale Designs has expanded its occasion card range with the addition of 12 colourful new designs. Each features the beautiful artwork by company founder and creative maestro Hannah Dale, the cards which, which cover a variety of occasions, are enhanced by gold foil lettering. They are printed on 350gsm sustainably sourced board.

Wrendale Designs

01652 680253

www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk

Birds Of A Feather

Greece Is The Word

Elysian is one of The Art File’s main launches at the Harrogate show. Elysian is a Greek word meaning blissful, beautiful and divinely inspired. This stunning collection embodies this meaning with all the 12 greeting cards, with matching gift wrap and bags, finished with embossing, gold foiling, and a gold-dipped spine effect. Created by in-house designer, Beth Kemp, the designs are inspired by Greek culture, human forms and the beauty of simplicity. This collection embraces the imperfection in illustration, featuring sketchbook illustrations that are tastefully illuminated by gold printed on a beautifully textured off-white 300gsm board.

The Art File 01158507490

www.theartfile.com

Harrogate Home & Gift DPI Stand C5

Hello Petal

Summer Florals is a range of 18 new designs from Sarah Kelleher. With her trademark gold foiled text Sarah has brightened things up, think of summer garden parties billowing with flouncy vibrant flowers. All are printed onto FSC card and come with a recycled brown envelope.

Sarah Kelleher

07768 123957

www.sarahkelleher.co.uk

Having attracted a lot of attention at PG Live, Twenty Birds is broadening its collection for the trade. In addition to the greeting cards, company founder Monica Gabb’s distinctive bright geometric illustrations are available on fine bone china mugs, 100% cotton tea towels, printed fabric decorative hanging birds, and giftwrap all printed and produced in the UK.

Twenty Birds 07887684780

www.twentybirds.co.uk

Home & Gift DP1 stand A81.

A selection of products being launched to pep up retailers’ displays.

Champagne Supernova

Nova is Noel Tatt’s brand new female contemporary range based on the artwork of talented artist Ellise Wilkinson. Each design is original and creative in thinking, encompassing an uplifting sentiment. All 160mm square, the cards are printed on FSC 300gsm Stucco board finished with foiling and embossing and come complete with a crisp white envelope, available wrapped or unwrapped with a card Klasp.

Noel Tatt 01227 811600

www.noeltatt.com

On The Ball

Tennis balls, cricket balls, golf balls, Stripey Cats’ creative cat Jonathan Crosby is on the ball and hopes to score a direct hit with its new Sports Stars collection. There are 10 wibbly-wobbly eyed designs, from footballs to shuttlecocks, and even something for those who adore Barry Baseball and Amy the American football.

Stripey Cats

07866713826

Stripeycats.co.uk

A Midsummer Model

Holy Mackerel has had a midsummer refresh, with a host of new Erica Sturla designs featuring her signature polymer clay figures joining the portfolio. The new additions include birthday cards for Godchildren and older grandchildren cards for snooker fans, a new wild swimming card in her Full Montage range and a rather attractive ‘Mr Darcy’ in the Funny Olde Worlde heritage collection.

Holy Mackerel 01395 578571

www.holy-mackerel.co.uk

Pretty Pawsome

Following the success of its ‘from the Dog’ and ‘from the Cat’ designs for Mother’s Day 2023, Paper Shed Design has now included ‘from the dog’ and ‘from the cat’ Birthday designs in its brand new everyday catalogue.

Paper Shed Design 0118 9744283

www.papersheddesign.com

Golden Moments

Crumble and Core are going for it with its new Bright Blooms Collection. There are 44 cards in the range covering wedding, anniversary, birthday, relations, ages, new home, get well and sympathy, each adorned with gold foiling and come with shiny gold envelopes. The collection also spans cards with silver earrings and new silver and beaded bracelets as well as new navel/belly bars, plus some scented candles. Crumble and Core 01825 841412

www.crumbleandcore.com

In The Pink

Inspired by the new Barbie Movie and the hot pink trend, Hello Sunshine is a new female-focussed range from Petimo celebrating all things positive. Featuring a Barbie-inspired drop shadow script font, in bright popping pastels, The range includes 36 designs for birthdays, ages and relations. The 5”x7” cards are printed on FSC carbon balanced board and come with a pink or yellow envelope, available naked, clasped or in a biodegradable/compostable cello.

Petimo 07801 652225

www.petimo.co.uk

A selection of products being launched to pep up retailers’ displays.

Party Animals

From funky lions to decorative party parrots, mischievous foxes to relaxed sloths, Hutch Cassidy’s Magical Party Animals Die-Cut Collection is designed to transport you to a land of wonder. There are eight designs in this new collection, all featuring fresh illustrations, handpainted by company founder Nicola Hutchinson, that will stand out on a card rack.

Hutch Cassidy

07971649270

www.hutchcassidy.com

Sunny Days

James Ellis has been working with talented artist, Bea Muller, to produce Sunbeams, a beautifully illustrated range of birthday and occasion cards. With a dreamlike quality inspired by the great outdoors and nature, the inaugural range comprises seven birthday and six occasion designs. Teal green gardens, parks and countryside, inky blue skies, colourful flowers and graceful birds are the main theme of the range with details picked out in gold foil. The cards come with white laid envelopes and are held together with a peelable clasp label. They are made of FSC certified material and are plastic free and 100% recyclable.

James Ellis 0117 9277667 www.jamesellis.com

What’s Bugging You?

Lesser and Pavey’s licensing collaboration with Bug Art has spawned a stationery collection of 10 designs that cover A5 notebooks as well as memo pads with a pen, all featuring the distinctive bright, fun, cheerful illustrations - from a quirky cow to a naughty monkey, from a mad hare to a floppy-eared hound - enhanced by gold foil elements. These are joined by cushions, fine china mugs, drinking glasses, trays and ceramic coasters.

Lesser & Pavey 01322 279225

www.leonardo.co.uk

Spring Is In The Air

Ling and GBCC have recently launched its Spring Packages 2024 collection. The two sibling publishers give retailers the option to choose an individual season through to all four Spring Seasons with some 14 different packages available.

Ling Design 01892 838574

www.lingdesign.co.uk

GBCC 01452 888999

www.greatbritishcards.co.uk

Walk On The Wild Side

Fay's Studio has just launched additional Christmas designs into her popular In The Wild greeting card range. Each 155mm square card is developed from Fay's original pen and ink hand-illustrations which are created with her recognisable pointillist techniques. Each card is made from 100% recycled FSC board and comes hand-finished with flecks of biodegradable eco-glitter. All the cards are blank inside and come wrapped with a recycled kraft brown envelope in compostable wrap.

Fay's Studio 07817 412086

www.faysstudio.com

On The Map

Globetrotter Collection is Stormy Knight’s latest collaboration with American illustrator Marisa Schoen. Certain to trigger a serious case of wanderlust these travel-themed designs are die-cut into postage stamp shapes. From the Rockies to Santorini, each design features a much lusted after travel destination, illustrated beautifully and finished with a gold foiled postmark and birthday message. Each card comes with a fleck craft recycled envelope.

Stormy Knight 0117 9098684

www.stormyknight.co.uk

For all of the frustrations of their moveable dates and anticipating appetite in a condensed consumer buying period, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and Father’s Day not only generate sizeable sales for retailers, but also reinforce the importance of sending a card to show you really care and cherish that connection.

With many publishers having recently unveiled their 2024 Spring Seasons collections, PG springs into action to track the trends.

Though the smallest of the four Spring Season, the moveable feast of Easter plays an enormous part in the card industry as it affects the largest one of them allMother’s Day.

Always 21 days apart, Easter Sunday can be as early as 22 March, or as late as 25 April, meaning Mother’s Day falls between 1 March and 4 April, with extra pressure on retailers to sweat the sales when they fall in the same month.

With an early Easter in 2024, David Byk, ceo of Swan Mill Group, which owns Ling Design and Great British Card Company (GBCC), knows retailers will be planning for the condensed period between Valentine’s Day on 14 February and Mother’s Day on 10 March: “We know retailers prefer a longer period between the two so will have to move quickly.

“Easter packs suffered a little in 2023 on the back of the Christmas postal strike issues but we think Royal Mail won’t let us down at Christmas 2023 so that send and Easter money wallets will come back next year. And we’ve backed that view with great product!”

For Dandelion Stationery founder Jo Wilson Easter has been growing in popularity over the past three years, something that’s been noticed at Danilo too where marketing manager Claire Bates explained: “We’ve seen an increase in demand for Easter cards and money wallets over the past few years. There are also good opportunities to grow Easter, as it’s a multi-card sending occasion, where people tend to send more than one card plus the cards are suitable for both adults and kids.”

Despite still being key sales opportunities for all retailers, Laura Darrington commented that everyone had to deal

with the Covid hangover. “It has been challenging since the pandemic with footfall on the High Street down, not to mention the carried-over Spring Seasons stocks from when stores were closed. However, there is still a demand for all Spring Seasons with a slight decline in Valentine sales for us while our Father’s Day sales have increased over the past couple of years.”

And she added: “After meeting with John Lewis/Woodmansterne recently, one interesting point discussed was that the week before Mother’s Day is one of the most important sales weeks of the year post-Christmas. This highlights how seasons can really generate sales and get the public out and about ready to shopping.”

In line with the GCA’s industry market report and echoing the experience of many other publishers, Mother’s Day is the largest of the Spring Seasons for Wendy Jones-Blackett, while Easter is second with its Quicksilver designs always selling out, and Wendy has found Father’s Day sales are also strong though the stillimportant Valentine’s Day hasn’t grown at the same rate.

She added: “As a result I’ve focused very much on strong graphic designs for the

calendar covers the years 532-632AD!

Above: The Art File is happy to tap into Brits sending 35m Mother’s Day cards each year.

Far left: Ling and GBCC covers all bases with their enlarged 2024 collections.

Below left: Mother’s Day is big for Laura Darrington.

Below right: A traditional design from IC&G.

Bottom: Mother’s Day remains the tops for Wendy Jones-Blackett.

focused captions alongside titles that could carry over to other occasions. I’ll be adding some surprise captions to our handmade ranges in September.”

IC&G’s regional sales director Allen Taylor confirmed: “The major takeaway is that Mother’s Day is very much the key driver in all the Spring Seasons, it’s by far our largest season by value while Easter remains the largest volume for us.

35million Mother’s Day cards each year, “because everyone knows a text or an email just isn’t going to cut it with your mum”, and its top-performing Sara Miller London brand helps reflect gratitude, love, joy and optimism for mums everywhere.

At Nigel Quiney and Paper Rose Spring Seasons are so important for the sister publishers, both covering all four main occasions,

and joint owner Alison Butterworth revealed they saw such low returns this year that a big 2024 launch has already happened with its traditional Grass Roots brand even coming back with a Mother’s Day offer.

NQP’s 2023 results found that the Mum on Mother’s Day caption performed better than Mum on Mothering Sunday, while the wife caption was so good an extra design has been added for 2024, and Someone Very Special On Mother’s Day was also among the top performers.

On the Valentine’s Day card front, wife was the best-performing caption for NQP this year, accounting for nearly 30% of its sales for the event, with the publisher’s other bestselling captions being From Husband and From Wife.

the seasons recover from lockdown and confidence returns for our independent customers. We have certainly seen a demand for retailers to present the seasons earlier in stores.”

Lockdown or no lockdown, as The Art File’s sales and marketing manager James Mace points out it is no surprise that Brits send nearly

The shape of Spring Seasons

Top left: An Easter design from NQP. Top right: Belly Button’s designs go all out to be special sends. Above right: Distinctive Dandelion styling on this Father’s Day design.

Above left: The Bear character from The Art File lends itself to Valentine’s Day.

Left: Uplifting messaging on this Father’s Day card from Hallmark.

With “positive volume growth” despite shorter selling windows, Hallmark is aiming to expand caption breadth and introduce more special sends. As its head of creative Claire Marsom explained: “We’ve noticed an interest in special and personal sends with our traditional cards having worked well across the whole of the Spring Seasons.

According to the most recent GCA Market Report that was released last September, the Spring Seasons greeting card sales account for 11% of the total market sales (excluding Christmas), with the British public having spent £167 million on cards for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day accounts for the biggest chunk, as an astonishing £68.2 million worth of mum’s day cards were bought last year.

Valentine’s Day card sales came in next, with a value is £47.1 million, an impressive £44.3 million was spent on Father’s Day cards and £7.4 million on Easter cards.

A broader reach

In keeping with the positive drive for diversity and inclusion, the four established card sending Spring Seasons events are being joined by other events in the in calendar.

As Dandelion’s Jo Wilson commented: “Over the last three to four years we’ve seen an increase in demand for other spring occasion cards, in particular St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day so we’ve increased our offering in this area.

“We also see quite a demand for Jewish occasion cards such as Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah. We have launched a new Other Occasions brochure this year which has over 72 designs dedicated to smaller but equally important occasions such as Communion, St David’s Day, Halloween, Passover, Diwali, Eid and Chinese New Year.”

Hallmark sees love as a universal language, so has added more Valentine’s Day captions using Gaelic, Welsh, and braille, plus Claire Marsom, its head of creative noticed a rise in Galentine’s Day cards, along with designs aimed at friends, pets and singles.

This year’s Hallmark collection includes cards for more religious festivals such as Rosh Hashanah, Diwali and Eid, as well as designs to help customers celebrate International Women’s Day, which falls in March.

The Art File also now includes cards for other sending events within the spring calendar, such as St Patrick’s Day and multicultural festivals.

For Danilo, Galentine’s Day on 13 February has also grown to celebrate female friendship and empowerment with appropriate designs from licences such as Wonder Woman, Grease, Friends, Barbie and L.O.L Surprise! increasingly in demand.

Above: Laura Darrington’s love designs. Left: Danilo’s Galentine’s Day designs empower.

“The captions for Mother’s Day were diverse, with more offerings for bonus mum, foster mum, close mum figures, blended households and LGBTQ+ families. And we’ve seen an increase in empowering motherhood messages and supportive sends too.”

Spring Seasons remain important for Dandelion, with Mother’s Day definitely the biggest, followed by Valentine’s. As Jo Wilson revealed: “We see a much higher demand for open cards as opposed to specific occasions - our Fabulous Dad-style captions sell in far higher quantities than Happy Father’s Day, which makes absolute sense as they offer more appeal to a retailer who can use the same captions all year round to cover birthdays, etc.”

The high-end design-led offer at Belly Button Designs makes Spring Seasons sales significant for the publisher. As founder Rachel Hare said they’re “the kind of Valentine's and Mother's Day cards you like to spend a lot of time choosing” and she’s found sales strong this year with Mother's Day the biggest occasion “but our Father's Day sales are getting busier and busier every year”.

Bucking the mums are tops norm, Father’s Day is Danilo’s strongest season, with Claire Bates saying many of its licences lend themselves well to these sending situations, as well as everyday male sends.

The Art File is raring to go on the Father’s Day front, with 25 new designs full of appreciation for dads in 2024. As James Mace explained: “Each year the British public send over 20m Father’s Day cards so these are for the super dads,” and also pointed out that there are 24m missives of love sent for Valentine’s Day too, proving even reserved Brits are still romantics at heart.

On the trends front, the lighter side of life is making its presence felt as IC&G’s Allen Taylor explained: “Valentine’s

Day has certainly seen an increased trend to humour, as a traditional supplier we’re looking at increasing our offer in humour to accommodate this.”

And that’s all good for the Comedy Card Company where co-owner Alan Auld laughed: “Our eight inches design sold very well at Valentine’s - you hear 'eight inches of pleasure' and it must be a pizza, right!”

It works at Ohh Deer too where Father’s Day fun has kept the occasion the winner for spring, as customer experience manager Alex Turner said: “Humour does well for us so, historically, Valentine's Day and Father's Day have been our strongest. During planning we really focused on improving the humour element in our Mother’s Day 23 range and it seems to have worked!

“It's always great to offer a card that's not restricted to a specific event or occasion. We try to do this as much as we can within our ranges - only a third of the Dad range is specific to Father's Day, the rest can be sold all year round.”

Hallmark’s Claire Marsom added: “For Father’s Day, some humour trends never go out of style. We saw plenty of jokes about lending money, dubious advice and, of course, dad jokes. Popular visuals ranged from the classic BBQs, cars and sheds, to dinosaurs, cooking and technology. Many designs featured trophies and medals - it seems lots of fathers were competing for the title of Best Dad this year!”

Seasons

Mum’s The Word

In the UK, Mother’s Day is rooted in the Christian observance of Lent, the period leading up to Easter, and comes from Mothering Sunday, which started in the Middle Ages as children who had left their families to work in domestic service were allowed to go back to their home, or mother, church.

Lent starts with Ash Wednesday, the 40-day period before Easter which acknowledges the time the Bible says Christ spent in the wilderness, so that date is exactly 46 days before Easter as Sundays aren’t counted.

And Mothering Sunday in the UK is the fourth Sunday of Lent, 21 days before Easter Sunday, so ranges from as early as March 1 to as late as April 4 - the name changed to Mother’s Day after the American tradition reached the UK following the First World War.

Back in 1907, US woman Anna Jarvis campaigned for a day to honour the role played by mums, suggesting the second Sunday in May as that was when she held a service for her own mother when she died. By 1911 all US states were taking part in the tradition and Mother’s Day was declared a national holiday by president Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

Although many countries now follow America, some such as Ireland and Nigeria use the same date at the UK, while Russia, Vietnam and Afghanistan mark it on March 8, which is International Women’s Day, and France celebrates it on the last Sunday of May, although it’s moved to the first one in June if it coincides with Pentecost Day, which is the 50th day after Easter Sunday.

Above: A regional focused design from Dandelion.

A key trend for Danilo, among other publishers is the growing demand for cards from the pet. “People in the UK love their four-legged friends so much cards from pets are now big business,” Claire Bates explained. “The boom in pet ownership under lockdown has helped companies to increase sales of from the pet cards.”

As Claire summed up: “While everyday cards account for the biggest chunk of the card market, the extended Spring Seasons celebrations are still proving to be great occasions to remind loved ones how much they mean to you.”

Left: As its name reinforces, Comedy Card Company goes for laughs. Below middle: Humour lands it for Father’s Day from Ohh Deer. Bottom left: Bottom right: Furbabies have augmented Spring Seasons card sales.

Art Source

The GameLong

From children’s books to puzzles, badges to t-shirts, as well as a whole host of greeting cards have been adorned with Sarah Long’s distinctive artwork. Having started out working for a greeting card publisher, for the last few years the Sussex-based illustrator has been working freelance, represented by the Bright agency. Here Sarah shares her creative journey.

“I was never one of these kids that was drawing all the time when I was youngin fact even now I’m one of those illustrators who doesn’t carry around a sketch book, which must count as some sort of crime against the art world! However, I was definitely more excited by the designing of the maps, graphs and science illustrations in my school books than the accompanying text that was supposed to have been the main focus. In hindsight this was an obvious indication of my passion, but not to me at the time.

In 2004 I graduated with a BA (hons) in Illustration from Cambridge School of Art having mainly worked in pen/pencil and acrylics. I taught myself Photoshop in the year following uni and finally got a job as an in-house illustrator for a greeting card company a year later, in London. After three years it was time to move on and so I threw myself into the world of product design for a company based closer to home. It was so refreshing to move from the boundaries of the square card to bags, ceramics, textiles and other giftware.

Some 12 years later (and after a move back into greeting cards) I was made redundant.

However, the Bright agency welcomed me into their family with open arms and since then I have been commissioned to work on so many incredible projects across not just cards, but young adult novels, puzzles, non-fiction children’s books and so much more.

Now my illustrations are all computer-based created on a desktop Mac with pen and tablet. My colour palettes are bright, a

bit clash-y, but with a curveball contrasting colour thrown in to work alongside the richness of it all. When I’m working on self-development pieces for my portfolio I like to inject a little sarcasm in there, something to create a smile, a message to not take it all too seriously. Most of my inspiration comes from fashion magazines. Sometimes the photo shoots are bonkers and I’m totally up for it.

With my client work it has to be a little more commercial so I really love to add in the small design details like badges, t-shirts, room details etc to squeeze in some extra information.

Maintaining balance is key. Being freelance definitely has its ups and downs so I like to run away from my anxiety, literally, by jogging along the seafront where I live in East Sussex or when it’s not blowing a gale, get some time on my paddle board. I think that taking breaks is just as important as working but it’s hard to listen to your own advice when you have imminent deadlines and are juggling multiple projects.

I always know deep down if a design is working or not. And a detailed brief can sometime be trickier than a loose one so I try to look at it from this viewpoint: if I was looking for this product in a shop what would I love to see?

Speaking of which; seeing my designs in shops or on the TV is brilliant and bizarre. I usually stand there silently not quite believing I get to do this for a job! when really I’d love to grab the tannoy and announce to everyone that “I designed this”!

Again, it’s a balance!”

you are an artist, photographer or verse writer and would like to be considered to appear in Art Source, please contact PG’s Jakki Brown on jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk. This is an editorial feature and as such is free of charge.

Left: Sarah Long has broad design experience, but cards have been a constant.

Below: A new design Sarah has created for Falcon Puzzles.

Below far left: A new celebratory design by Sarah.

Below left: A fresh approach to a Father’s Day design from Sarah.

Bottom left: This Sarah Long design appears in Clare Maddicott’s Boujee range.

Bottom right: Sarah’s sense of humour shows itself in this Christmas design.

PG

ASKED A SELECTION OF RETAILERS FOR THEIR BEST SELLERS.

Category Name of Publisher

Everyday Photographic Relations

Five Dollar Shake

Woodmansterne

Product/Name Range Comments

Stargazing; Midnight Garden

Loose Leashes; Framed

“Gorgeous, extra special cards with sparkles and details.”

“Who doesn’t love an animal blank card depicting photographs of animals doing silly or cute stuff?!|”

Humour Art

Cute

Two Little Monkeys

Jazz; Vanilla

“Perfect for males and females, with illustrations of cakes, bottles and balloons.”

Keeping in touch

Giftwrap Gifts

Cinnamon Aitch

Susan O’ Hanlon

Ginger Betty

Stephanie Davies

Artebene

Oli Olsen

Category Name of Publisher

Everyday

Caroline Gardner

Toasted Crumpet

Eloise Hall (now Holy Mackerel)

Margo

Generally

Owl’s Nest

“Cats and Dogs with silly sayings”

“Just lovely.”

“Gorgeous illustrations of hedgehogs, rabbits and squirrels - perfect for children and adults.”

Bohemian, Folklore and Twilight

Rollwrap

Keyrings

“Beautiful illustrations that are very suited to our shop.”

“Gorgeous 3m rolls in plain and pattern. Our best-selling wrap by far.”

“Hundreds of whimsical designs, all boxed.”

Product/Name Range Comments

Humour Local Cards

Male Children’s Wellness & Sympathy

Giftwrap Gifts

Rosie Made a Thing

Wotmalike

Elsee Crafts

Sarah Sutherland

Rosie Made a Thing

Molly Mae

Belly Button Designs

Molly Mae

GBCC

Caroline Gardner

Anne Davison Studio

Fiddy+Mabel

Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally Generally

William Morris

Generally Generally Wild Swimming Collection

“Always classic.”

“Both have lovely designs for older females.”

“Never lets you down.”

“Our customers respond well to these.”

“Both sell very well for us.”

“Lovely designs.”

“Nobody does it better than Molly Mae.”

“This is proving very popular.”

“Both have lovely designs.”

“Beautiful. We are in a coastal village, so these sell well.”

Julianne Moore, owner of Mimi, Hartney Wintney and Wokingham. Two very popular cards, clothing and gifts shops in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Cilena Easton and Dawn White, co-owners of Artichoke, Tynemouth. A popular medium sized card and gift shop in a North Shields coastal village.

Top: A Jazz design from Two Little Monkeys. Above: One of Oli Olsen’s many keyrings.

Above: Wotmalike taps into local dialects.

Right: A mug from Fiddy+Mabel.

Vipin Patel, co-owner of Natsons, Barnes. A busy newsagents which is revered for its greeting cards, located in a lovely SW London area.

Caroline Gardner Tracks

Lucilla Lavender

Lagom

Cath Tate

Paperlink

Redback

Citrus Bunn

Woodmansterne

Emotional Rescue

Portfolio

Susan O’Hanlon

Ginger Betty

The Art File

Museums & Galleries

Wendy Jones-Blackett

Paper Salad

Ohh Deer Tracks

Caroline Gardner

Redback

Abacus

Woodmansterne

Museums & Galleries

Woodmansterne Tracks

Molly Mae Tipperlyhill

Think of Me

Ginger Betty

Stewo

A Trio of Retas 2023 Contenders

“Stocking these publishers means we can cover all captions and design styles, which our customers love.”

“These all publish extremely popular ranges that means we have a superbly cheerful shop. They are always in demand.”

“Perfect cards for when you want to express real emotion.”

“All of these publishers produce very well designed age cards that are well presented.”

“Everyone’s favourites when it comes to photographic cards.”

“They all have a classy touch with great imagery.”

“All great creations to mark those wonderful moments.”

“Customers enjoy choosing the wrappings and the accessories to match.”

Top to bottom:

Humour from Citrus Bunn.

Two of the recently launched children’s age cards from Wendy Jones-Blackett.

A new design from Museums & Galleries.

Tipperlyhill scores for Natsons.

When this edition of PG went to press, it was a matter of days away from The Retas 2023 awards events. All three retailers featured here were excited to be in finals. Natsons, a former Retas’ winner was up for Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards - South as was MiMi while Artichoke was a contender in the Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - North East England category. All the winners will be revealed in the August edition of PG.

glick.co.uk trade.glick.co.uk

To appear in the Product Directories contact Warren Lomax

T: 020 7700 6740 email: warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact Tracey Arnaud

T: 07957 212 062 email: traceya@max-publishing.co.uk

from the Including firmfavourites and brand new designs

Brands include: Keepsakes,Words ofLove, Jelly Beans, Bella Rose, Champagne and many more

Tel: +44 (0)115 986 0115 customerservices@paperrose.co.uk www.writefromtheheart.co.uk

Hallmark Cards PLC Dawson Lane, Bradford, BD4 6HN UK&NI: 0800 90 20 900 ROI: 012 480 104 customerqueriesUK@hallmark.com

THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF GREETING CARDS IN THE WORLD

To appear in the Product Directories contact Warren Lomax T: 020 7700 6740 email: warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact Tracey Arnaud T: 07957 212 062 email: traceya@max-publishing.co.uk

One of the UK’s leading publishers of Charity Greeting Cards. Impress offers a wide collection of images, including fine art, graphic, photographic and cute. We also offer a bespoke design service for bulk orders and/or mail order fulfilment.

To appear in the Product Directories contact Warren Lomax

T: 020 7700 6740 email: warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact Tracey

PRODUCTS: World’s leading publisher of high quality plastic greeting cards. Also an extensive range of quality greeting cards covering Everyday, Occasions, Christmas and Spring seasons.

BRANDS: Cherished Thoughts, Sweet Sentiments, Buddies Always, Symphony, Thinking of You, Style, Special Wishes, Special Times, Young Editions, Groove Sensations, Forever Blessed, Grey Skies, Classics.

Products:

& Bows

GREATEST COLLECTION OF GREETING CARDS IN THE WORLD

Polypropylene & biodegradable bag specialists

Over 40 years quality service to the trade Hotfoiling also available

T 01206 396209

E sales @badgerconverters.co.uk www.badgerconverters.co.uk

We’ve been p clarity and high q 01274 220 220 wwww.wrapid.co.uk sales@wrapid.co.uk

producing bags of high quality for over 30 years.

Territory Sales Managers Various areas across the UK

Abacus Cards is a family run business proudly supplying our high quality products supplied to wonderful Customers throughout the a wide range of Customers from Card and Gift Stores through to Garden Centres, Farm Shops, Department Stores, and all sorts of retailers in between!

To help us develop our business with our fantastic customers and

determination, plus a great sense of humour is a must!

generous bonus scheme, various incentives, iPad ordering system fantastic industry, do not miss out!

sean.edwards@abacuscards.co.uk

of our industry, who are self motivated, have endless drive and

Business Development Agents Numerous opportunities across the UK

Abacus Cards is a family run business proudly supplying high quality products to our customers throughout the UK and the rest customers from Card and Gift Stores through to Garden Centres, Farm Shops, Department Stores, and all sorts of retailers in between!

having enjoyed success on your area. for seasonal ranges, new accounts, and special promotions, We only wish to hear from Agents who are tenacious, driven and

talented sales team.

WE’RE HIRING!

Allsorted is searching for more ‘SUPERSTAR’ Territory Managers to join our highly successful team, and our growing business.

Are you the best - or at least one of the bestsales reps in your current and previous teams?

An address book with lots of Garden Centres, Visitor Attractions, Department Stores would be a major plus! As would great Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Books are a great product; would you be passionate about selling them?

You’ll get to sell bestsellers - great ‘brands’ – and some thoughtful gift books, fabulous

sean.edwards@abacuscards.co.uk

Full-time Territory Managers

with smaller ‘patch’)

Locations • South East • West Midlands • North East:

kids’ books: our range includes books with some truly thought-provoking and inspiring content. Your job will be to persuade prospects that our service is the best in our marketplace, then to match the right books to the right place, and then to do what you say you’re going to do, and more!

You must be persuasive, honest, hardworking, positive thinking, dedicated, smart,and really enjoy helping customers to be even more successful.

You’ll get a choice between a car allowance and mileage reimbursement.

If this sounds potentially right for you, then contact Lincoln by email with CV and covering letter at lincoln@allsorteduk.com

(a part-timer would be considered too,