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RETAILER UP CLOSE
COMiNG OF AGE
“Someone asked me recently what it’s like running your own business. I likened it to being on a rollercoaster that you can’t get off – it’s thrilling, scary and relentless!” exclaimed Mark Janson-Smith, who shares the ride of running the Postmark group of 15 stores with his wife Leona and loyal team. As the retailer celebrates its 21st birthday, PG toasts its success and its plans for the coming year.
“It’s definitely been a challenging year. We’re trading up, but there have certainly been ups and downs. Thankfully more ups than downs,” summed up Mark JansonSmith, who founded the greeting cards and
stationery business 21 years ago, which has now spawned 15 stores in London and Glasgow. Postmark punches above its weight, its number of stores belies the influence it
Big ‘hops’ for Lil Wabbit As part of its commitment to the greeting card industry, Postmark has been a sponsor of The Henries’ Lynn Tait Most Promising Young Designer award for the last five years. “It is so important to celebrate and support our talented designers and publishers,” believes Mark. Wanting to further leverage its commitment, this month marks the inaugural “unofficial part of the prize,” when the winner of the 2025 award, Georgi Doig, founder of Lil Wabbit is given pride of place in all Postmark stores, with a selection of the publisher’s cards featured in a counter-top display complete with explanatory header. Above right: (right) Leona Janson-Smith, who runs Postmark alongside her husband Mark presenting The Henries 2025 The Lynn Tait Most Promising Young Designer award, which Postmark sponsors, to Georgi Doig, founder of Lil Wabbit. Right: The explanatory PoS that features at the top of the special display of the Lil Wabbit cards in Postmark stores from this month as part of the retailer’s support of The Henries.
38 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Above left: Mark Janson-Smith and the retailer’s buyer Shannon Fisher in Postmark’s London HQ. Above: Postmark’s store in London Bridge station includes an animated screen in the window which changes regularly.
wields. It is rightfully held up high as a leader for its curated product selection as well as the retailing environment in which they are presented, including in some highprofile station locations. Postmark has set its bar high, and having proven himself as a marathon man, Mark and his team (notably including Shannon Fisher, the retailer’s buyer who also has a marathon under her belt) are all up for going the distance. The last year alone has seen new store openings for Postmark in