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Face To Face
The Grand Having a plan and seeing it through over the last six months of upheaval has been somewhere between difficult to nigh on impossible for many businesses. Yet IC&G has not only managed to launch its fully-fledged planning service, but has successfully installed new greeting card displays and fixtures into some 24 independent retailers’ stores with many more installations in the pipeline. PG caught up with Simon Wagstaff, joint md of the Dorset-based publisher to find out more. There is no denying the high regard independent retailers hold IC&G, as underlined by its winning the Gold award in The Henries 2020 Best Service to the Independent Retailer category for the fifth year in succession last December. “It was nerve-racking waiting for the announcement to be made at The Henries. We have always put our customers first and they have showed us great loyalty, but so many other publishers are doing a good job. You just cannot take anything for granted, in life as well as in business, as the pandemic
has showed us,” said Simon with a modesty which is at the heart of the business he coruns with his brother Ian. “Although the event took place virtually, it still felt fantastic to hear that we had won the Gold again, and it has made us even more determined to do more for our customers,” he added. Its super quick turnaround on orders as well as continued improvements on the product front, with a dedication to offering a broad array of captions has seen it rise through the publishing ranks over the last decade. The addition of a fully-fledged
Barley’s all fluffed up The launch of the planning service isn’t the only major development in the IC&G camp, as Barley Bear, the publisher’s cute champ has had a makeover during lockdown too! “Originally, I made Barley Bear using a felting technique,” explains Tracey Colliston, the artist behind the cute character. “But we wanted to give him a softer look so I have now made him from some fluffy textured fur. Being just lightly filled with stuffing, he’s really flexible and extremely huggable - he can’t wait to give lots of hugs!” The new look Barley is debuting on 28 relations and occasions designs as well as in the Christmas selection. Left: A new look Barley Bear design.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
planning service is the next bold step up the ladder, but is not one the company has rushed into, nor taken lightly. It has been on the cards for almost four years, coinciding with Tony Roberts joining the company as sales director. Although Tony, as planned, retired at the end of March, he leaves IC&G most definitely well on its way as a planning publisher, with 24 Top: IC&G owners Simon (right) and Ian Wagstaff with their Gold Henries’ Best Service trophy. Above: An example of what an IC&G replan could look like. Inset: IC&G is happy to work with all publishers on the planned displays.