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VIEWPOINTS
Was
Mum The
Word?
The later timing, the good weather and the fact that we love our mums, all boded well for Mother’s Day this year. So how did this major Spring Season event stack up for card retailers? PG asked retailers to reveal their star performers as well as share whether they had noted any changes to buying habits for this year’s event. Left: There was no missing it was Mother’s Day in Loft and Spires in Bury St Edmunds.
Lucy Sticka co-owner of Little Paperie in Ashbourne, Derbyshire: How were sales?: “It went really well for us this year - in fact we almost had a sell out of Mother’s Day cards! We opened our concession last month so that brought in extra sales, but we had to keep swapping cards between the two locations and organise extra last minute deliveries.” Changing buying habits?: “It was a bit strange with it being so late this year. As soon as Valentine’s Day was over we were getting asked all the time for Mother’s Day cards. We had been a bit reluctant to put them out so early, but also didn’t want to lose sales. We had strong sales early on in March and so had to restock a few designs towards the day or would have lost those last minute sales over the final weekend.” Above right: Little Paperie setting up before the Derbyshire Spring Market, held in the Roundhouse building. Left: Part of the Mother’s Day display in Little Paperie. Right: Wendy Jones-Blackett’s small Mother’s Day cards did well in Little Paperie.
Star performers and sales boosters?: “Stop the Clock’s designs always sell really well for us and they had a great selection for Mother’s Day this year. The smaller square cards by Wendy Jones-Blackett and Molly Mae sold out first and we also found a lot more people were asking for cards without sentiment so just a nice floral design or something quite simple. Our Mother’s Day sales were boosted by our involvement in a big local event the week before, called the Derbyshire Spring Market. For this we basically emptied the shop and replicated it in the middle of Derby’s amazing Roundhouse building where it’s held. We made a feature of our Mother’s Day gifts and cards there and sold a lot of Mother’s Day cards, while our mini framed prints were a big hit too.”
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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