7_9_1_13_15_17-19_2016.qxp_9/11/13/15/19/23/25 23/04/2019 19:06 Page 5
NEWS TOP STORY
Paperchase Trials Nakedness Retailer announces changes to its buying team Paperchase has instigated a trial of naked cards in its stores involving three of the retailer’s best selling card ranges. The results of the trial, which involves Paperchase’s Birthday Best, Simple Birthday and Party Time collections, are to be reviewed before any decision is taken as to whether this approach is to be adopted across more card ranges. Last September, as part of its mission to minimise its impact on the environment,
the cards at Paperchase as there have been movements within the retailer’s buying team. While Frances Burkle is now its product director, Tish Bas has been promoted to head of buying. Tish now heads up all of Paperchase’s buying teams, which comprise 27 people in total. Following the departure of senior card buyer Hazel Walker (who joined Waterstones recently), Natalie Alexander has been appointed senior buyer of cards and wrap at Paperchase. Natalie has been a member of the Paperchase team for the last five years, latterly as senior buyer for gifts. “Having come from the gifting side of Paperchase the card industry is a whole new world for me so I’m really excited to get learning within my role… I’m taking the mantra of ‘no question is a stupid question’ a bit too literally to make sure I’m absorbing all I can. Paperchase is so renowned for its cards that I’m keen to make sure we continue pushing the boundaries, finding the innovation and keeping our customers happy,” commented Natalie.
Paperchase issued revised Product and Packaging Guidelines for suppliers. This covered the substrates used for the packaging (of the actual products as well as shipments) and even how samples are submitted to the buyers for consideration. “We already only accept FSC or recycled paper and are now trying to reduce the use of plastics across our entire production process. In particular any plastic packaging or single use plastic,” stated Emma Clooney, Paperchase’s greeting card buyer. It is not only its environmental sourcing that changes have been on
Above: Natalie Alexander is Paperchase’s new senior buyer for cards and wrap. Above left: Paperchase is trialling the reactions to stocking unwrapped cards in its stores. Left: Paperchase’s Conscious Living range launched at the start of this year, including notebooks that used to be coffee cups, pens that used to be plastic bottles, erasers made from diverted landfill materials, storage items that are 3D printed sugar cane.
John Lewis prepares to undress John Lewis & Partners is working towards going naked on cards to coincide with its Autumn replan, which goes into stores in October. “We are currently working with our publishers to achieve this, so it’s not all confirmed as of yet, but that is the current target we are working towards,” Lizzie Batchelar, assistant buyer of cards, giftwrap and seasonal events at John Lewis & Partners told PG. Following trials with Woodmansterne, the department store group is advocating that all its supplying card publishers adopt the Smart Seal method of keeping the card with the envelope without need for any additional wrapping. Reinforcing its commitment to further improve its environmental credentials, the department store group has collaborated with Caroline Gardner and Jutexpo (an eco-friendly reusable bag company) to produce a new shopping bag made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Each of the bags, which feature a striking pineapple design, is made using 7.6 recycled plastic bottles. They have been manufactured using Jutexpo’s HALT process, which turns post-consumer plastic into a soft, durable fabric called rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), which can be wiped clean. The bag is now on sale in store and online for £8. Left: The eco bag that has been made from recycled plastic bottles by Jutexpo in collaboration with John Lewis & Partners and Caroline Gardner.
Mother’s Day card sent from heaven Amid all the positive reports from card retailers about the success of Mother’s Day this year, one story of one little girl’s card went off the emotional scale - with a Royal Mail’s act of kindness applauded by the public and the media. Four-year-old Ella Lennon, who lost her mother Jennifer to cancer last December, posted her Mother’s Day card to her ‘Mummy in Heaven’. The card, which was Despicable Me-themed, featuring one of the Minions characters from the film, included the message: ‘You’re one in a minion Mum...Happy Mother’s Day…I love you, Ella x’. Two days after posting her card from her home town of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, thanks to a kind gesture from someone at Royal Mail, little Ella received a heart-warming response which read: ‘To my beautiful Ella. Thank you so much for my very special Mother’s Day card. You’re one in a Minion to me and I love you very, very much. Millions and billions and trillions is how much I love you! You are growing up to be a special big girl and I am so proud of you, and even though I am in heaven I watch over you every day! Lots of love, hugs and kisses, Mummy.’ The letter’s envelope included the return address of ‘1 Angel Gate, In the clouds, Heaven.’ Ella’s father Dean took to social media to thank the thoughtful individual at Royal Mail for sending the response that meant so much to his daughter. ‘I would like to thank the kind-hearted person at Royal Mail,’ he posted. Ella’s auntie Linda Ross (sister to Ella’s mummy) was also full of praise for the Royal Mail gesture, sharing images and the story on her Twitter feed. Media all over the world latched onto this true tale of such human kindness at a time of loss for Ella and her family; a perfect illustration of how a single Mother’s Day card can make a difference to so many people’s lives. Above: A photo of little Ella Lennon posting her Mother’s Day card was featured on her Auntie Linda’s Twitter feed.
FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT PGBUZZ.net PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
11