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When things get a bit scary and uncertain, it is human nature to gravitate to the more assured elements in our lives. In times of turmoil, personal relationships become even more valued, comfort is sought in established habits and routines while all things tangible somehow have more meaning.
As I write this, the situation in the Middle East is still escalating, its farreaching effects touching lives all over the world.
Tentatively parallels are being drawn to the pandemic, when the inconceivable became a reality. While we all would prefer to forget the emotional and business upheaval of those Covid years, it does remind me of how greeting cards really came into their own during that time as they reinforced the importance of kinship, of telling people you care about them.
And that caring and emotional connection is of course not confined to just those in our personal lives. The noisy, joyful banter and laughter emanating from the PG/N Smith Bar-travaganza at Spring Fair at the end of each show day was testament to the strong bonds within the greeting card community.
A case in point, for Warren and I, is the firm friendship we have been fortunate to have forged with Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson, co-founders of House of Cards, who started their retail business 36 years ago, around the same time as we started Max Publishing.
The recent news that they have decided to sell House of Cards to Paul and James Taylor at Cardzone came as a surprise to many, including me (my news hounding skills clearly need to be finetuned!), sending my professional and personal emotions into oscillation.
I really rate Paul (and James) for the passion and commitment they are showing to our sector, and completely get why they have bought House of Cards, recognising it as a brand that can be further scaled under their stewardship. However, I have so enjoyed my time in the greeting card ‘playground’ over the last three and half decades with Nigel and Miles that I am worried that the fun might be diluted with them not in the fray.
It won’t be of course, Miles is staying on working with Paul and Nigel will continue to be involved with HoC’s continuing sizable online side.
It just made me realise that relationships, both personal and businesswise, are complicated emotionally. I am just so glad that in times of peace, war and acquisitions, there are greeting cards there for every eventuality!
11-21 News
All the latest happenings and developments in the trade.
22-23 Over The Counter Is Loyalty A Dog’s Life?
David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi muses on the important subject of loyalty in our industry.
24-25 Cardsharp Spring’s Heart Monitor
With the end of the first quarter in sight, Cardsharp considers recent happenings, including Valentine’s Day trade as well as Cardzone’s acquisition of House of Cards.
27-29 Viewpoints That Loving Feeling
PG takes a Valentine’s pulse reading from a host of leading independents.
30-31 In Conversation With… Simon Duggan-Hill Wearing The Crown
A ‘getting to know you’ chat with Hallmark’s new international head honcho, Simon Duggan-Hill.
32-33 Retailer In Focus Stamp Of Approval
22 27 30 37
As UOE continues its impressive retail expansion, ceo Elliot Jacobs shares more of the plans for the new Stamp brand.
34-35 In Conversation With… Geoff Sanderson Talk Of The Toon
How Fenwick’s Newcastle store is scoring highly with its localised greeting card selection.
37-41 Focus On… Giftwrappings Flat Out Colour
PG embraces the giftwrappings scene in all its glory.
43-47 Innovations
Publishers’ new ranges and designs.
48-49 Industry Issue The Clock’s TikTok-ing
The TikTok march of the GCA Minis to get the message out there about greeting cards to their Gen Z peers.
51 Art Source Artistic Translation
Polish illustrator Ewa Rosa shares her creative journey.
53-54 What’s Hot?
A trio of retailers share their bestselling ranges.
55-63 Sources of Supply
The global greeting card gathering of publishers, retailers, overseas distributors and suppliers
JUMP FOR JOY - Progressive Greetings Live 2026… is not long now!
Over 170 fabulous companies have already booked their stands for Progressive Greetings Live 2026… and there are stands available to suit all budgets
PG Live 2026 is not to be missed!
PG Live is an incredible two day international celebration of greeting card publishers, retailers, overseas distributors and suppliers, where business meets pleasure. Get excited, be a part of it… don’t miss out!
Here’s
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852PRINTS
ABACUS
ABBOT PRINT
AFFIRMATIONS PUBLISHING
HOUSE
THE ART FILE
ALLJOY
ALPHA COLOUR PRINTERS
ANOTHER USE
APPLE & CLOVER
ARRTHI
ART PRESS
AVANTI
BELLY BUTTON DESIGNS
BEWILDERBEEST
BEXY BOO
BIRD & CO STUDIO
BIZZIE LIZZIE
BLUE IRIS DESIGNS
BOLD & BRIGHT
BRAINBOX CANDY
CARDGAINS
CARDOLOGY
CAROUSEL WORLDWIDE
CARTE BLANCHE GREETINGS
CATH TATE
CATHERINE RAYNER
CINNAMON AITCH
CITRUS BUNN
COACH HOUSE PARTNERS
CRAFTY CARDS
CREATIVE SPARROW
CUMMINS & PAPYRUS
THE CURIOUS PANCAKE
DANDELION GREETING CARDS CO
DANDELION STATIONERY
DANIELLE EAST ART
DANILO
DEAN MORRIS CARDS
DESIGNER GREETINGS
DEVA DESIGNS
DYSON DESIGN
EARLYBIRD DESIGNS
EAST END PRINTS
ELEOS HOUSE
ELIOT SIEGEL
EMELINE WATCHORN
EMOTIONAL RESCUE
ENVECO
FEATHER & HARE
FEDRIGONI
FI MOSZORO DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION
GET CARTER CARDS
GINGER BETTY
GLICK
GRACE JACKSON DESIGN
GREAT BRITISH CARD COMPANY (GBCC)
HAHUG DESIGN
HALFPENNY POSTAGE
HALLMARK CARDS
HAPPY STREET
HEATHER TREFUSIS ART
HEYYY CARDS
HOLLIE STARTUP
HYPE ASSOCIATES THE IMAGING CENTRE
IMPACT SOS IN REAL LIFE JACKSONS
JESSIE MAEVE STUDIO
JOANNE DEPACE
JUGZ STUDIO
KALI STILEMAN PUBLISHING
KDEE DESIGNS
KENJI
LA LA LU DESIGNS
LAURA DARRINGTON DESIGN
LIBS CARDS
LIL WABBIT
LILIAN G
LING DESIGN
LITTLE LONDON CARDS
LITTLE PAPER SOUL
LITTLE POTATO STUDIO
LITTLE ROGLETS
THE LONDON STUDIO
LORENZO ZANGHERI
LOUISE TILER
LOVELOSSDISCOBALLS
LOVELY PAPER STUFF
LOWLANDS STUDIO
LUCILLA LAVENDER
LUCKY INK
LUCY MAGGIE DESIGNS
LYDIA.LONDON
MAIREAD HALDORSSON ART
MARINA B
MARTHA & HEPSIE
MAYBUG DESIGNS
MEG HAWKINS ART
MEGAN CLAIRE
MERAKI
MIFKINS
MINT PUBLISHING
MISS YOU MAIL
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
N SMITH PACKAGING AND DISPLAY
NIQUEA D
NOEL TATT
NOT AT ALL JACK
NOT TODAY TUESDAY
OBJECTABLES
OH SQUIRREL
OHH DEER
OLIVE AND CLIVE
ORIGAMO
ORNAMENT ART
OTTER HOUSE
PAINTED PARASOL
PANGO PRODUCTIONS
PAPER BIRD PUBLISHING
PAPER MIRCHI
PAPER ROSE
PAPER SALAD
PAPER SHED DESIGNS
THE PAPER STUDIO
PAPERLINK
PARTISAN PRODUCTS
PEAR TREE PRESS
PENGUIN INK
PENNY KENNEDY
PICKLED PRINTS
PIGMENT
PINK & MINT
PINK TIGRA
PLEWSY
POET & PAINTER
POPSY & PLUM
THE PORCH FAIRIES
PORTFOLIO
PUNK CARDS
PUNTASTIC
QUIRKEE MOUSE
ILLUSTRATION
RAINEE COLLECTIONS
RASPBERRY BLOSSOM
REDBACK CARDS
REMAIL LIMITED
RICICLE
ROSANNA ROSSI
ROSIE MADE A THING
ROSS J DESIGNS
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
RUSH DESIGN
SABIVO DESIGN
SAKINA SAIDI
SANDERS DE ROEPER
SARA WILLIA LANDSCAPES
SARAH KELLEHER
SEEKPRINT
SPRINKLED WITH MAGIC STAFFORDSHIRE CAT
STEPHANIE DAVIES
STOATS & WEASELS
STORMY KNIGHT
STRIPEY CATS
STUDIO ANAIA
STUDIO BOKETTO
STUDIO FREWB
SUNSHINE LANE
SUSAN O’HANLON
SWEARY CARD LADY
TALLON
Founders Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson retain retail ownership of online business
House of Cards, the well-established greeting card and gift retailer with seven shops across the south east of England has been acquired by Cardzone. Founded 36 years ago by Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson, House of Cards has built a strong reputation for quality, creativity and customer service.
Commenting on the sale, Miles and Nigel said: “This is a very positive step for the business, our staff and our customers. Cardzone shares our passion for greeting cards and retail excellence, and we are confident that House of Cards will continue to thrive under its ownership.”
As part of the transition, House of Cards co-owner Miles Robinson will continue to work closely with Cardzone and the House of Cards team. He will play an ongoing role in supporting the business and sharing his extensive knowledge of the greeting card industry to help guide future development.
Miles and Nigel retain ownership and management of the House of Cards
online business, under the houseofcards.co.uk name which will continue to operate independently from the retail store portfolio.
As Paul Taylor, founder of Cardzone commented: “Miles and Nigel have built up a fantastic small multiple business and have a brilliant reputation throughout the industry. I wish to thank both of them for their support throughout this acquisition, wishing Nigel all the best for his future; and look forward to working with Miles in the years ahead.”
All House of Cards employees across
the stores in Caversham, Chalfont St Peter, Kidlington, Thatcham, Tring, Wallingford and Woodley, are transferring to Cardzone as part of the sale, with no job losses, ensuring continuity for staff and customers alike. Cardzone is committed to investing in and expanding the House of Cards brand in other store locations.
As Nigel added: “We will still be involved in supplying the stores from our warehouse until the end of June, and of course we will be going to PG Live with our online retail hat on. It is a big change, which has not quite sunk in, but you can’t turn down a good offer, and importantly we know Paul and James will look after House of Cards and our team.”
GCA’s ceo Amanda Fergusson is to step down
While also known for its many roundabouts and concrete cows, it’s Milton Keynes’ incredible history of the Bletchley Park codebreakers that has inspired the livery for this year’s GCA conference and AGM, which takes place on 24 September in Unity Place, in the centre of the city.
The branding for the event has been created by Woodmansterne’s in-house designer Becca Smart, a proud Milton Keynes resident. Becca was inspired by MK’s unique history of innovation, from WWII codebreaking at Bletchley Park, to being the UK’s first planned city on a grid system – now with 130 roundabouts – as well its role as the primary living laboratory for driverless transport and autonomous delivery robots.
As well as the livery, Woodmansterne is also sponsoring a pre-conference drinks event the night before, 23 September, in MK.
As ever the Conference agenda will feature inspirational speakers and discussions on the key topics affecting the industry.
Earlybird tickets are on sale now for the annual event from the GCA website for £105.
Following eight years of inspired leadership, Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA has announced her decision to step down from the role and leave the trade association from 31 December 2026.
“I am not retiring, I just want to have some time to explore other personal projects,” Amanda told PG. “It has been such a privilege to lead the GCA through what has been a period of change. I will leave at the end of the year, confident that the GCA is well positioned for continued success. We have an excellent Council and wider team at the GCA, so I feel now is the right time for me to step aside.”
Paying tribute to the wider GCA community, Amanda added: “I am so grateful for the support, commitment and passion of our members and Council and am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
Amanda, whose career in the greeting card industry spans almost 40 years, has been instrumental in the evolution of the GCA into a modern influential trade body with heightened member engagement, a strengthened governance, and elevated industry visibility with stakeholders and the media.
Current GCA President Karen Wilson, owner of Paper Salad said: “I speak for all the Council in saying that we are saddened by Amanda’s decision, her impact will be lasting and profound and we are incredibly thankful for her service.”
Summing up Amanda’s talents, Karen added how Amanda has led the organisation “with a rare combination of vision, integrity and dedication that has helped to shape the GCA over the last few years.”
Prior to taking on the role at the GCA, Amanda’s greeting card industry knowledge was honed working for Caroline Gardner, Hallmark and Andrew Brownsword
The GCA Council is to begin the search for a new CEO immediately with the aim of appointing a successor in the autumn to allow for a smooth December handover.
Owner Modella Capital appoints advisors having ‘underestimated’ loss of WHS name
TGJones’ owner Modella Capital has appointed advisers to look at restructuring the High Street greeting card, stationery and convenience retailer just a year after agreeing to buy the business from WHSmith
And the move, which is understood to threaten around 80 of the total 464 stores, comes only three months since its inaugural annual conference, entitled The Next Chapter, unveiled plans to expand to more than 500 shops nationwide, aiming to make the retailer the “hub of the High Street”. PR and advisory company Teneo has been appointed to put together the restructuring plan designed to put the retail business on a more sustainable footing.
However, Modella’s ability to act is constrained by the terms of its takeover agreement, which reportedly stops it from shutting underperforming shops for 12 months after the £40million deal was completed last June. It rebranded to TGJones as the WHSmith name was not part of the package.
It’s understood that Modella executives have conceded the business underestimated the impact of being unable to keep the WHSmith name above the stores.
Wrendale Designs’ founder Hannah Dale has stepped into the plagiarism row with a social media post that she’d rather not have had to share.
Showing her All Ears design protected by a watermark Hannah wrote: “This is a post I’d rather not have to make... From now on, we'll be sharing my artwork with a watermark. Unfortunately, we’re seeing my designs appear on counterfeit product across multiple different selling sites and some of them seem to be copying the artwork directly from the internet.”
Hannah shared how she finds this “incredibly disheartening, not only is it using my artwork without permission, but the quality of these products is usually dreadful and I feel that it reflects badly on us as a brand when customers purchase them thinking that they are Wrendale products.”
She also thanked everyone who had got in touch to share copyright-infringing sellers with Wrendale.
Balancing this saddening developed, Wrendale has also recently shared the good news that it has acquired Dora Designs, which specialises in home accessories.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The economic conditions for all retail businesses are tough. The combination of cost inflation, weak consumer confidence and adverse government fiscal policies puts significant pressure on all retailers. Against this backdrop, the management of TGJones is working hard to turn around this important retail business, and they are drawing on the best available advice in doing so.”
Following the retirement of Dora’s founders Mark and Angela Stevens last year, the plan is for Hannah and Jack Dale’s greeting card, gift and homewares business to relaunch the brand as Dora By Wrendale next January.
While the wet weather did its best to dampen passions for Valentine’s Day, with the 14th February falling on a Saturday many retailers enjoyed a final flourish of sales in the run up to the weekend.
The industry received a bonus push for the first Spring Seasons event of the year from BBC Breakfast, who dedicated a sizeable chunk of its TV programme on 13 February to Valentine’s Day, which included film footage shot at Spring Fair.
BBC presenter Peter Ruddick shared Parcelforce’s research that showed how Brits were due to spend £2.38billion on cards, gifts and flowers for the big love-in, as well as romantic meals.
And the four-minute segment then cut to online marketplace Faire’s UK general manager Charlotte Broadbent at Spring Fair talking about how Valentine’s Day is “really thriving” and second only to Christmas for a retail moment, with consumer spending higher than Halloween and Easter combined. She stated that pet cards and gifts have seen a 200% increase
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Dora Designs and have bought several of their doorstops over the years, both as gifts and for our own home,” said Hannah. “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Dora into the Wrendale Designs family.”
“which I think speaks to a broader theme around Valentine's, not just being about romance, but being about friends, family, yourself, and even our fourlegged friends”.
The big draw for the greeting card world was Stormy Knight director and GCA council member Sarah Jackson’s appearance, who was filmed at the show alongside her designs, revealing that the “you’re my fave human bean” card is her Valentine’s bestseller.
Sarah explained a shift in the text: “Actually, none of our cards have the caption Happy Valentine's Day. We either have something fun or just a simple, ‘I love you’. And it can be sent any time of year.
“We find that our market is generally the millennials, or sometimes even the Gen Zs. They don't want something that's traditional and really over sentimental. They just want something that's a bit more fun, just a simple message, really.”
(See Viewpoints pages 27-29 for retailers’ Valentine’s reports)
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Lots of EXCITING NEW Occasions and Wedding & Anniversary designs.
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Entry now open for spellbinding greeting card retailer awards
The greeting card community is on for a wizard time at The Retas 2026, waving those wands to cast the spell that sprinkles fairy dust over the most magical retailers.
The only awards programme that celebrate greeting card retailing in the UK are now open for entry.
All set to shine the spotlight on the best independent and multiple specialist card retailers regionally and nationally, as well as on the multifarious non-specialist retailers that stock cards this year’s Retas awards winners will be revealed at a wonderful spellbinding magical mystical-themed afternoon event, at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday, 2 July.
“If you are a greeting card retailer we encourage you to submit an entry. Think of the fame, the fortune, the morale boost and sense of pride, not just for you, but your team and your customers!
Meanwhile publishers, sales reps and agents are also being urged to send in nominations for those they feel have excelled over the past year, to make sure even the shyest retailers receive their fair share of fairy dust!” said Jakki Brown, md of The Retas owner and organiser, Max Publishing.
“And we have The Art File to thank for allowing us to plunder the assets of its Storybook brand as the basis of the look
for this year’s theme!” It’s all about card retail activity in the previous 12 months, with the closing date for retailers to submit their own entries is Wednesday, 15 April, while nominations from publishers, reps and agents need to be in a little earlier, by Friday, 27 March. A printable entry form can be downloaded from The Retas website (www.theretasawards.co.uk).
Underpinning The Retas 2026 is a strong roster of supportive sponsors which include Abacus, Alljoy Designs, The Art File, Belly Button Designs, CardGains, Carte Blanche Greetings, Cath Tate Cards, Danilo, The Great British Card Company, Hallmark, Ling Design, Ohh Deer, Meraki, Mint Publishing, Museums & Galleries, Paperlink, Pigment, Progressive Greetings Live, Rosie Made A Thing, Rosie Trow, Sensations/Xpress Yourself, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, UK Greetings, W Select, Wendy Jones-Blackett and Woodmansterne. Tickets to The Retas can be bought from www.max-subscriptions.net/tickets/#theretas
The now eight-year-old Amelia Kolpa wanted to beat the UK record for the most birthday cards received (which stood at 8,000), and having received over 300,000, she’s done it!
Amelia has neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer and is now receiving palliative care.
After the Cards For Amelia call out Hugs & Kisses’ owner Caroline Ranwell was able to add to the massive total in time for the youngster’s birthday by delivering gifts and over 400 cards to the Party Angels shop in Wolverhampton.
Caroline said. “None of this would have been possible without our incredible customers who took the time to write and also to send cards to the shop. A huge thank you too to our amazing, supportive suppliers who sent the most stunning cards.”
Penny Shaw is determined to go out with a blister or two as the retiring CardGains MD will be leaving the role the day after this year’s annual charity challenge –Many Miles, Many Smiles For Meningitis.
Penny, who started her round of farewells at Spring Fair after announcing her retirement from the buying group in January, has followed up, inviting people to sign up for the 20 mile Many Miles walk in Cheshire, which takes place on Thursday, 25 June.
“Following the huge success of Toni’s Trek 2025 and the amazing total of £65,000 raised,” she explained, “we are now in the early stages of preparation for the 2026 event, which will be the day before I retire!”
This year’s charity is Meningitis Research Foundation and walkers are each asked to pledge to raise a minimum of £300, with the overall target set at £20,000.
With a big birthday on the horizon, Penny decided she wants to spend more time with friends and family having been CardGains’ MD since 2022, crowning her 27 years at the Sheffield-based business that works with over 600 independent retailers and a raft of suppliers across greeting cards and gifts.
Current financial director Helen McManus will be stepping up to take over as MD from July.
(t) 0116 230 4197 (w) www.mint-publishing.co.uk (e) sales@mint-publishing.co.uk
New set up builds on International Cards & Gifts’ success
Simon Wagstaff has become the sole owner of IC&G, describing it as an “exciting new chapter” for the Dorset-based business. Following months of thoughtful discussion and planning, Simon has bought out his brother Ian’s shareholding, ensuring both the long-term strength of the company and the continuation of the brothers’ close relationship.
For more than 21 years, Simon and Ian have worked side by side, growing IC&G into a business of which they are both immensely proud and building on the company their parents founded.
Reflecting on the change, Simon describes it as “a positive and natural step for both of us,” adding that the decision was made with shared optimism for the future that allows both brothers to move into their next chapters - personally and professionally - happily and on great terms.
“I started working at IC&G when I was just 13 years old, alongside our parents,” says Ian. “After almost 40 years, I’m excited to embrace a new
chapter in my life, knowing the business will continue to thrive under Simon’s leadership. We’ve been incredibly blessed to work with such a dedicated team and so many loyal customers who have supported us for years.”
While being open about the ownership change, Simon is keen to reassure retailers that it will be very much business as usual.
“Nothing is changing,” Simon says. “We remain completely focused on creating beautiful products and delivering outstanding service.”
With National Stationery Week (11-17 May) on the horizon, sponsors and organisations are pledging their participation. The headline sponsors for the weekdays are already confirmed as Staedtler, Pentel, Maped Helix, Rhodia and Zebra Pen
Above: National Stationery Week and London Stationery Show are on the horizon.
Below: Stationery Supplies’ owner Sarah Laker, who lives and breathes stationery is the perfect person to co-ordinate National Stationery Week.
Greeting card publisher The Art File is sponsoring 1 Week To Go for the third year.
National Stationery Week is owned by Max Publishing, owners of London Stationery Show, which takes place in the same week (12-13 May, at London’s Business Design Centre).
This is the fourth year running that Sarah Laker, who owns Stationery Supplies in Marple and Wilmslow, is co-ordinating and driving the activities for National Stationery Week.
As Sarah enthused: “I’m genuinely thrilled by the incredible line-up of sponsors supporting National Stationery Week this year. Their enthusiasm reflects a shared belief in the power of stationery, the positive role it plays in creativity and wellbeing, and the joy it brings to everyday life.”
And the National Federation Of Women’s Institute is also planning to join in with NSW this year to celebrate the enduring appeal of stationery, having posted on social media that it’s on the lookout for letters and cards written by members.
“Do you have a treasured letter from your mother or grandmother, or an important piece of history preserved by your WI committee? Whether it’s an emotional exchange with a friend or family member, an opinion piece for a local paper, or a statement of views to her MP, we’d like to see writing about the WI, from WI women, from 1915 to now.”
Andy Milne, the former managing director of Nigel Quiney Publications and Glick, sadly died a few weeks ago, aged 77, after a short spell in hospital.
Formerly a professional footballer, Andy joined NQP in 1997 as managing director of the business that was then part of Simon Elvin’s group. Andy had previously been sales director of Hanson White
Remembering his long-time friend and colleague Simon said: “Andy was a hard
worker, who expected the same from his team. He had a strong commitment to training and developing people, which applied both to his team at Quiney, but also to coaching young footballers.”
When Andy retired in 2014, he left Alison Butterworth and Becky Dobson to carry on running Nigel Quiney and giftwrap specialist Glick respectively, then also part of the Simon Elvin group of companies before it was sold in 2023 to Paul Taylor’s Pillarbox Designs group along with Polytint and Simon Elvin Ltd. Becky, now MD at Glick, said: “Andy was a great leader and mentor to me over many years. He played a significant role in shaping Glick into the business it is today. He was hard but fair, he commanded respect. He expected high standards but gave his
time and wisdom without question.
Nights out at Spring Fair or in the Far East were always run with military precision – we knew exactly what time he needed to be at the bar and the white wine was always waiting!”
Having gone on to become joint owner of NQP and Paper Rose following a management buy-out in April 2023, Alison Butterworth commented: “We were shocked to hear of Andy’s passing, after a short illness. He was a popular MD at NQP and Glick, with a strong sales background. He promoted me to take over the job of MD, which was a great opportunity I’ll always be grateful for.”
Andy died on 18 February from heart failure after a short illness.
Henry Fraser is a mouth artist, author and speaker.
Paralysed from the shoulders down after dislocating his neck in 2009, he now paints using only his mouth. He taught himself how to draw and paint with pencils and paint by attaching utensils to a mouth stick – reigniting his childhood love for art. The bold and inspirational Henry Fraser card range is available to order now.
Lark, Stamp and Cardfactory continue their retail expansion
You’d think 21 babies would be enough for anyone, but Lark’s Priya AuroraCrowe is already going for at least one more, having popped out two in the past month!
Speaking of her ‘retail babies’ at Spring Fair where Priya, who runs the multi-award-winning retail business with husband Dominic Crowe, was part of the opening day’s Merchant’s Corner Independent & Irreplaceable: Building Shops People Want To Support conversation. She told the audience that asking which of Lark’s shops is her favourite “is like asking who’s your favourite child! I love them all in different ways”.
And that was before the opening of stores in Wandsworth and Barnes, with another one set to open in in the Bucks town of Gerrards Cross.
The last few weeks has also seen the unveiling of the first Stamp store, UOE’s new retail brand concept. The fresh livery and store layout, which
Greetings folk have made their mark on this year’s Gift Of The Year competition, organised by the GA, with cardies clinching 17 finalist places in nine of the categories with Ohh Deer and Fox Under The Moon each receiving two nominations after two rounds of judging from a panel of more than 120 industry experts.
The finalists in the Cards, Wrap and Stationery category are Audiobook In A Card from Spiracle Audiobooks; The Bouquet In A Book: Spring from David & Charles; Ink A Dopo! from Designworks Collective; Rainbow Dachshund Markers from Kikkerland; Recycled Sari Gift Wrap from Namaste and V&A Neon Floral Stationery from Ohh Deer
features greeting cards prominently, debuted in High Barnet, with an ambitious expansion plan now underway.
Cardfactory has undergone two rounds of openings and relocations this year already, pushing the estate up to 1,116 stores. Slough has been relocated, while Strathkelvin in Glasgow, Hull Willerby, Stirchley in Brimingham, and Dundee opening in January, followed by Blanchardstown, Bristol Imperial and Cheadle Hume recently.
(For more on Stamp see pages 32-33)
Harry Shah, a pioneer of electronic and sound effect greeting cards, passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. Harry built his reputation with his original card company Proliance, continuing it with the SoundTech business he founded, and continues to be run by two of his sons, Rahul and Rikesh.
Daniel Prince, managing director of Danilo, told PG: “We had the pleasure of working with Harry for almost 20 years. He was a larger-than-life character who lit up any room with his incredibly cheerful demeanour. I don’t think I ever saw him when he wasn’t smiling and laughing.”
Pigment’s creative director Martin Powderly, who also knew Harry for many years, commented:
“Harry had that rare ability to make everyone else feel comfortable too. He treated people equally – from the most junior to the most senior – and he genuinely cared. That humanity was at the heart of everything he did. Harry combined deep technical expertise with creative energy and an innate love of innovation. He was always looking for better, smarter solutions, and he brought an entrepreneurial spirit that operated confidently at an industrial scale.”
Finalists featuring in other GOTY categories include Stormy Knight for its Pop-out Christmas Bauble Cards; Belly Button Designs for its Boxed Ceramic Decorations, Rosie Made A Thing for its Party Feet socks, Neon Magpie for its Tiny Town Soaps and Cardology’s Battersea Dogs & Cats’ Notebook and Refillable Ballpoint Pen Range.
The GOTY winners will be revealed at the Gift Awards event, which is being held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday, 14 May, in conjunction with The Greats Gift Retailer Awards organised by Max Publishing.
Danilo has doubled down on its sustainability credentials as the Science Based Targets Initiative has approved the licensed greeting card, calendar, and wrap publisher’s near-term science-based emissions reduction targets.
This important sustainability milestone commits the Waltham Abbey-based business to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 42% by 2030, from a 2023 base year, and to measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions across its value chain.
Claire Bates, senior marketing and sustainability manager at Danilo, described this as: “an important step for Danilo, showing that our emissions reduction plans are grounded in climate science and giving us a clear, credible framework to focus on making meaningful reductions across our operations and value chain.”
Most of Danilo’s products already carry some recycling guidance and by 2027 every item will feature clear material and recycling labels, making it easier than ever for shoppers and stores to know exactly what to do at end-of-life.
As Clare added: “Danilo’s not just looking to reduce waste, we’re looking to turn sustainability into everyday action.”
Tiger Feet is on the move as the card, party and gift wholesaler’s private equity owner Ardenton Group is investing heavily in the business.
From April the company will be calling Lowry Park industrial estate the new home for the head office and flagship Manchester cash and carry, moving just a two-minute drive from its current base at Chapter Street, only two miles from the city centre.
“It’s a brand-new warehouse,” head of product
Daniel Rycroft, ceo Andy Dodwell, head of product Jo Formby and PG’s Warren
Jo Formby told PG, “new and improved with dedicated parking with e-chargers,
improved shop space with new tills, an easier shopping experience, and dedicated space for party supplies.”
With backing from Ardenton, Tiger Feet is also “introducing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help our operations run more smoothly and enable us to continue our commitment to providing an evolving range of products and exceptional service to help our customers grow – especially our website which is growing at a phenomenal rate,” reveals Jo.
A new digital strategy, which is being driven by the Leeds-based Wolfenden agency is designed to build brand visibility, accelerate sales, and increase market share.
Clinching 17 Louie Awards finalists places further proves the strength of British greeting cards as the US greeting card competition revealed that an incredible 10% of its 2026 finalists’ places came from across the Pond.
From over 1,000 entries, the US GCA judging panel picked 168 cards from 84 companies in the 56 categories – with 14 UK publishers making the grade, with three clinching two nominations each.
And it’s extra-special for AfroTouch Designs, where founder and creative Georgina Fihosy claims two of the three finalists’ spots in the Celebrating Black Culture category, with American publisher Junebug Ink taking the remaining slot.
list feels truly incredible.”
The third double finalist is Paper Salad, in Children's Card $5.50 & Below and Congratulations/Special Occasion $5.50 & Below, with owner Karen Wilson commenting: “We’re absolutely delighted! It’s incredibly rewarding to see the hard work, innovation and passion behind our Paper Salad designs recognised internationally.”
At US distributor Notes & Queries, MD Vanessa Harnik is thrilled that seven of the Brit publishers –Paper Salad, Stephanie Davies, Alljoy Design, The Art File, Paper Mirchi, Paper D'Art and Poet And Painter –represented by her business in the US have earned eight nominations.
There’s a new face at The Imaging Centre, but it’s a familiar one for many as Mark Jessett has joined as business development manager.
Well-known from his 20 years as a greeting card paper consultant at paper merchant GF Smith, Mark took on the role at the Mardenbased digital print specialist recently.
Mark is also an artist in his own right producing semi-abstract works, and runs the Field System shop, gallery and print workshop in Ashburton with his wife Milly Brown.
“We’re incredibly pleased to welcome Mark,” said The Imaging Centre’s MD Adam Short, “he’s a well-known industry figure who further strengthens the company’s commercial expertise and industry relationships.”
Mark is one of eight new team members at IC. With 25 years in digital print under his belt, Iain Crocker has joined as press room manager while the company’s customer account management team has doubled in size, growing from three to six account managers.
“Our team expansion allows for greater focus, responsiveness, and an even higher level of service for customers,” stated Adam.
In addition to the staff expansion, the company’s warehouse has also been reconfigured to create additional space, improve workflows and enhance productivity.
“Together, these investments represent a significant step forward for The Imaging Centre, positioning the business to deliver greater efficiency, stronger customer support and continued growth in the months and years ahead,” assured Adam.
we are incredibly proud to represent in the American marketplace.”
Other British publishers feted in The Louies include Anna Wright, Ohh Deer, Mifkins, Santoro and Stoats & Weasels.
“Being named a double Louies finalist feels incredibly special especially as AfroTouch turns 10 this year,” Georgina told PG.
Having made it through in Birthday Humorous Above $5.50 and Father's Day $5.50 & Below Redback Cards’ owner Chris Stanley said: “We’re beyond thrilled to be named finalists in two categories! With more than 1,000 entries submitted, earning a place on the finalist
As Vanessa commented: “We are continually in awe of the creativity and innovation our publishers bring forward – not only those highlighted in The Louies, but every publisher
The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on 17 August as part of the US GCA’s annual conference at the Seelbach Hilton, in
A key motivation for our visits to the Spring Fair, this year being no exception, has always been to find new products and be the first in our area to secure them for Buckie or Elgin.
Discovering these new product ‘gems’ may not make us a fortune, but they contribute to making our shops stand out from all the other stores in the vicinity.
And of course, we always want to keep these newly mined product gems for ourselves, or at least within a certain geographical area.
Even more so now, exclusivity, loyalty and new products are all key to a successful indie store.
Finding new, exclusive, different product always adds to any show visit for me.
What is also crucial, and cannot be overlooked, is new product from trusted longterm suppliers/publishers. It is a real balancing act of moving forward yet still being supportive of what has gone before.
I had a lot of impromptu conversations with suppliers and fellow retailers at the recent Spring Fair and when chatting and recommending products often the response would be: “Oh you/we can’t have that because…”
That phrase means that loyalty and exclusivity do still exist. Loyalty is one of those words that sounds positive, noble even. And wrapped up in that word for retailers is also exclusivity.
In retail, we use it freely. We talk about loyal customers, loyal staff, loyal suppliers. We build schemes around it. We reward it. We celebrate it.
But in business-to-business relationships, particularly between suppliers and retailers, loyalty is far more complex than a points card or a thank you lunch. It is commercial. It is emotional. It is strategic and increasingly, it is under strain.
In an era defined by margin pressure, digital disruption, direct-to-consumer models and ever-rising expectations, the traditional concept of loyalty between supplier and retailer is being tested more than ever.
Faire and other such mechanisms are also changing the landscape with their 60 day terms, discounts, guaranteed payments, but perhaps more than all of that is there is little control over what and where products end up.
The question is no longer whether loyalty matters, it does. The real question is: what does loyalty look like in 2026 and at what cost?
Historically, loyalty in supplier/retailer relationships was built on a simple, mutually beneficial understanding. As a retailer you would buy into a product range and give it the best space you could instore. Your team would present it to the public and you would give it time to grow.
The first brand that comes to mind in cards is Matt and Beth Genower’s Five Dollar Shake. Our history together goes back to the
very beginning of their journey and I count them as friends as well as suppliers.
They are a great example of a company that has grown hand in hand with their retailer stockists.
We have customers that ask specifically for the Five Dollar brand and despite the fact that a publisher does sell direct to the consumer, most customers still like to buy their cards from indie stores across the UK.
Through their agents 5$ manages their retail partners making sure that there are never too many in the same area, which gives that feel of exclusivity.
In our sectors of greeting cards, giftware and fashion, long-standing relationships have always been the norm with agents being trusted advisors. accounts being protected and exclusivity, either territorial or category-based, was seen as a reward for commitment.
Retailers have long relied on curated ranges and strong supplier partnerships while suppliers have relied on loyal stockists to build brand presence. Trust was often personal as much as contractual. Companies would rely on the feedback from so many small retailers to shape things, such as new captions and designs.
The most obvious fracture line in modern loyalty is the rise of directto-consumer (DTC) business.
Suppliers who once relied entirely on us indies now have their own contractual websites, social media shops and marketplaces. Many sell directly to the same consumers who walk into our independent stores.
From a supplier perspective, this is rational. Margins are higher, the brand message strong, feedback is instant and the data is richer. From a retailer perspective though, it can feel a little like betrayal.
If a retailer has supported a brand for years by investing in stock, training staff, giving space and building a local awareness when that supplier then undercuts them by offering B2C online, their loyalty is called into question.
loyalty is eroded. Beyond numbers, loyalty also carries and emotional attachment.
Retailers often see certain brands as part of their stores. Suppliers often view longstanding retailers as ambassadors, extensions of the brand in communities.
When the trust breaks, the impact is not merely financial, it can feel very personal. Outside of human interactions, the biggest shift in loyalty going forward is probably access to data.
With so many publishers there is a genuine relationship between retail customers and the company. Sometimes ranges are for you, sometimes they are not. Sometimes you buy lots, sometimes you don’t.
When it becomes difficult is if an agent or company is under pressure to hit targets. Loyalty and patience are easy to demonstrate when there are no money pressures.
I am well aware that loyalty needs to be earned and cherished. That said I seem to have had lots of incidents recently where relationships have been strained. I recently walked away from a company and also asked the relatively new agent not to call on my stores again. Last year she supplied a local retailer with products from a company I stock, but with different products. When I challenged it she said I was questioning her professionalism and to trust what she had done. I took this at face value and yet within months they had the same products as us in store.
Suppliers will argue that DTC is essential for survival. Retailers will argue that partnership means protection. Both are right. The tension for me lies clearly in alignment. If a supplier offers exclusives, pre-launch access, fair pricing parity and clear communication, DTC can coexist with wholesale. If not, resentment builds quickly.
Speak to any indie and they will have instances of other retailers looking at their product selection. Does it matter? Will it even look the same when on display in another store? Being upfront, honest and clear on what you expect is crucial.
survive in the absence of transparency. Exclusivity has long been positioned as the gold standard of supplier loyalty for indies.
This all works well as long as there is an ongoing honest conversation between retailer and supplier.
Exclusivity also carries risk. Retailers can sometimes not react or change as they feel they have to be loyal. Equally suppliers can get frustrated if orders drop off and sometimes exclusivity can even bring a little complacency on both sides. Exclusivity works best when it is earned, reviewed and looked at regularly. Never assume it is a lifetime entitlement.
If both sides are being fair, working on a sustainable margin, loyalty flourishes naturally. When one side consistently feels squeezed,
Suppliers can analyse what they are selling much more accurately through data. This is common when you see certain brands opening stores in certain places. There can of course also be a darker side to loyalty when it becomes coercive. Some companies may press for minimum order requirements tied to exclusivity. They may want you to buy into full collections, restrict carrying competitors all to keep you where they want you to be.
Equally retailers can exert pressure, demand special pricing, different credit terms or promotional funding based on historic loyalty.
When loyalty becomes leverage rather than partnership, relationships can deteriorate.
In my opinion true loyalty is chosen, not enforced. No one should feel trapped, it should always feel good to be loyal. For me it is all about transparency, fairness and the ability to discuss the difficult things.
They always say if you want loyalty get a dog, but in our industry most people want to do the right thing.
Ultimately it is not in perpetuity, it is about a partnership that you both choose to keep. And that is what keeps the tails wagging. l To contact David email: jppozzi@btconnect.com
Cardsharp was surprised to hear apocryphal reports that some supermarkets’ Valentine’s Day card sales were disappointing while many independents reported a very healthy heartbeat on like-for-like increases, especially on open Valentine’s designs rather than specific relations with an increase in sales of more design-led cards.
Cardsharp wonders whether the supermarkets’ offerings were too safe this year? Or perhaps buying a Valentine’s card from a supermarket for a significant other is deemed by some as a less thoughtful gesture than buying it from a specialist,
somewhat akin to the equivalent of buying a bunch of flowers from a garage forecourt. Who knows! And while there seems to be a real growth in owners buying cards from/to their pets, the American habit of sending specifically captioned Galentine’s cards does not seem to have taken off though encouragingly a general Valentine’s card is being more widely accepted as being appropriate for a wider send.
As Cardsharp penned this, our
leading multiple greeting card retailer Cardfactory had not released details of its Valentine’s sales. That said it did release a financial statement recently confirming its earlier warnings about the 'soft' retail footfall and a challenging retail environment. It reported that its Christmas sales were 0.8% down on the previous year, while revealing that its like-for-like sales were 2% down. However, Cardfactory still anticipates that it will show a year end profit of between £55m and £60m.
Meanwhile Cardsharp spotted that some other notable multiple non-food retailers had reported reasonable Christmas trading. The Works chain, which sells oodles of gift and children's stationery saw a 0.3 % increase in second half of the year sales while value retailer B&M recorded a 3% like-for-like increase in December.
The stellar performer is garden centre chain, Blue Diamond, which grew by a massive 19%. Admittedly this was helped by acquisitions, but its like-for-like sales were up a healthy 6%. There is no doubt about it,
Blue Diamond has become a major player in the greeting card market.
And there have been some other rays of Spring sunshine peeping through. Surprising many economists, retail sales actually grew by 1.8% in January on the back of stronger consumer sentiment with non-food performing particularly well. And inflation fell to 3%, raising hopes of a interest rate cut. And with inflation predicted to fall to 2% by the summer, that could be just the start of a series of cuts, which would give consumer
spending a much-needed boost.
Even violence against retailers and shoplifting offences, although obviously still at far too high levels, have dropped from their early 2025 peaks.
Virtually everyone in the greeting card industry knows the name of independent retail group, House of Cards, reflected Cardsharp. If ever the phrase 'punching above their weight' is appropriate in the UK greeting card industry, it must be applied to Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson, the co-founders of House of Cards. That came to mind for Cardsharp with the news that the two joint owners have sold their seven strong chain Home Counties card and gift shop group to the Cardzone/Clintons group, headed up and owned by Paul and James Taylor, who also own Glick, Polytint and Simon Elvin.
Miles and Nigel will stay involved in the greeting card industry that they both love, not least as they retain their successful online business. Additionally, Miles has pledged to work with Paul Taylor going forward, including on the greeting card side, while also continuing his position as chairman of Cardgains buying group, which has 600+ indie members, all of which is good news for the greeting card community.
Ever since House of Cards started 36 years ago, the dynamic duo of Miles and Nigel have been doyens of independent greeting card retailers. The lovely story of how Miles as young greengrocer and Nigel as a newsagent middle manager opened their first store before going on to add their magic touch to additional stores is greeting card magic. They have led where others have followed.
In the last three and half decades, Miles and Nigel have slowly and steadily built a mini-retail empire, based not on a strategy of aggressive over expansion, but by making their stores among the best gift and greeting card shops in the UK, buying sagely while also being very good payers to suppliers as well as developing a strong esprit of corps among their loyal, talented team.
But before Cardsharp gets too carried away there are still multiple clouds on the horizon for retailers from April onwards when the increased business rates come on stream. There is also an increase in the National Living Wage coming in as well as the change in statutory sick pay. All of this will put extra burdens on retailers both large and small, who are already hard pressed. So, where does all of this leave the economy and the industry? Cardsharp's gut feel is that the cut in interest rates, the fall in the rate of inflation, together with the brighter Spring weather will lead to a gradual feelgood uplift that should hopefully feed best wishes through to our industry.
Their achievements have been recognised many times, as testified by their multiple Retas’ winners’ achievements as well as being presented with the Honorary Achievement Award at The Henries in 2024 for their contribution to the industry.
What is apparent from speaking to everyone in the trade over the years, is that Miles’ and Nigel’s high regard is not just based on their commercial nous, but their higher sense of integrity. Negotiating with House of Cards has always been tough as the duo have always wanted a great deal, but one that worked for both parties and Miles/Nigel always brought more to the table than the orders they placed. It was always a badge of honour that once a deal was agreed an invoice would be cleared and paid within days. An indication of both their high profile and reputation in the greeting card industry is that the story about the sale of House of Cards that went out on PG Buzz late on a Friday afternoons had notched up over 1,300 openings within minutes of it going live.
What has always been so laudable about House of Cards is the support that Miles and Nigel have given to new young and emerging greeting card publishers. This was not just though stocking the most promising ranges in their House of Cards shops but also mentoring so many start-ups to take them up to the next level.
To Cardsharp’s mind, it is wonderful that Miles and Nigel will continue their involvement in the greeting card industry and great that their beloved House of Cards retail business has gone to a good home and will hopefully see this special brand expand. However, Cardsharp does lament that one of the finest examples of an independently owned greeting card chain is no longer as it was.
www.abacuscards.co.uk
Friday the 13th may be considered unlucky for some, but it was definitely a good day for the greeting card world as the final mad dash for Valentine’s cards really kicked in.
The first of the Spring Seasons cardsending events, which fortuitously fell on a romantic Saturday, certainly got retailers’ heartbeat rate up! PG took a Valentine’s pulse reading from a host of leading independents.
Paul Cheshire, partner in &Quirky, Berkhamsted Declaration of love: “Love proved stronger than the weather this Valentine’s season, as shoppers turned out in force and delivered a remarkable 116% increase in sales for us compared to last year.
Although the week leading up to Valentine’s Day saw slower-thanexpected trade, momentum built quickly by the Friday. And on the day itself, ‘love birds’ were flocking in to find the perfect card and gift.”
Signs of affection: “Many customers didn’t stop at just one card – some opted for a cheeky design for their partner alongside a more family-friendly option, while others picked up additional cards for loved ones. Parents too embraced the occasion this year, choosing thoughtful cards and small token gifts for their children.
This year, we made a conscious decision to limit the number of cards explicitly referencing Valentine’s Day. Instead, the focus shifted toward broader love and affection ranges – collections that resonate year-round rather than being confined to a single date in February.
This move not only expanded the appeal but also helped create a
more inclusive offering, catering to romantic partners, family members, and friends alike – and the results speak for themselves. Customers responded positively to the wider selection and the flexibility it offered.
For next year I think we’ll expand on the Pal-entines options as well as some more for fur babies as this was requested.”
Heart throbs: “We carefully curated a mix of styles, from sweet and sentimental to playful and boldly cheeky. The standout collections included the charming designs from Stormy Knight, Raspberry Blossom and Lucky Ink, which delighted customers looking for fun, cute and heartfelt options.
For those who prefer a clever twist of humour, the pun-filled creations from Ricicle, Running With Scissors and Lucy Maggie Designs proved popular choices.
Meanwhile, shoppers seeking something a little more daring gravitated toward the playful irreverence of Cath Tate Cards’ Piña Colada range and the cheeky humour of Buddy Fernandez’s Naughty collection.
We also introduced a range of bespoke Berkhamsted cards and prints from Timmy Loves which proved popular so will be an everyday addition to our ranges from now on.”
Aga Marsden, owner of Highworth Emporium, Highworth
Declaration of love: “We saw an 8.5% growth in value on Valentine’s cards and a 6% growth in volume year on year, which was absolutely amazing.”
Signs of affection: “There was lots of rain in the air this Valentine’s, that’s for sure and love definitely happened very late. The first week of February was very quiet – at one point I really couldn’t see how we were going to make up the lost turnover!
Then Friday the 13th arrived, the sun finally came out, and everything changed. We had an absolutely incredible day and more
Rob Sampson, co-owner of A Stone’s
Declaration of love: “Love for our card selection was definitely in the air this Valentine's! The headline is that our card sales were up 60% year on year - a massive increase.”
Signs of affection: “Our busiest day for card sales was, predictably, the 13th. However, perhaps surprisingly the second highest greeting card sales tally was on the 14th itself – nothing like leaving it to the last minute!”
Heart throbs: “Ranges that did particularly well for us fell into three main categories –contemporary designs, from suppliers like Marina B, The Art File and Charley Rabbit Cards; humour from Katie Tinkler Illustration and Highgrove Cards; and art cards from Zoe Rose. We're particularly impressed with the strong sales of the latter, as these cards featured images of animals cuddling up to each other but otherwise don't actually make any reference to Valentine's Day at all.
Cards with specific captions, such as to husband/wife/ boyfriend/girlfriend didn't sell as well as previous years for us, though that was in large part due to us struggling to find specific relations cards that we were excited to stock ourselves, so we ended up buying more open Valentine's cards. Hopefully next year there will be a wider selection of contemporary designs available in these categories that get us feeling loved up!
Gifts that performed strongly for us this year were jewellery, accessories, ceramic vases and dried flowers. Customers turned their gaze towards longer lasting gifts, rather than novelty or shortlife items.”
than doubled our turnover compared with the same day last year, which completely turned things around.
As always, Wife, One I Love, Partner and Husband were the leading card captions and, within open Valentine’s ranges, humour cards did particularly well.
I was very happy with how well higherpriced cards performed. Men definitely didn’t think twice about spending £5-£6 on a large, impactful Valentine’s card!”
Heart throbs: “Lucilla Lavender was our best performing publisher this Valentine’s season, followed by Tracks, UK Greetings, Ling Design and Marina B Gift wise chocolates did particularly wella greeting card and box of Belgian chocolates have always been a perfect Valentine’s combo.”
Declaration of love:
“Love was definitely in the air in Tettenhall as we had a great Valentine’s trade, as we finished just over 8% up on last year, so I was more than happy with that result.”
Signs of affection: “Trade was late as always but we almost sold out of Husband cards. As usual these sold earlier than the Wife cards –it’s the very organised ladies against the men leaving it to the last minute!
We did sell more beautiful hand-finished Valentine’s cards but this year our humorous ones sold well too so I’ll be increasing those for next year. We also need more much bigger cards as we sold out of those too.
We did offer a few Galentine’s designs but, strangely, sales were slow for us. Perhaps the ladies just bought a general happy Valentine’s card for their friends instead?”
Heart throbs: “Our bestsellers this year came from Five Dollar Shake, Wendy Jones-Blackett, Ling Design, Janie Wilson and Cinnamon Aitch
Our bestselling gifts by far was our luxury Belgian chocolates, which we sell prepacked as well as allowing the customers to choose their own selection which we pack in a pretty ballotin finished off with a beautiful satin ribbon.”
Nigel Williamson, co-founder of House of Cards, seven shops in the Home Counties that was sold to Cardzone 10 days after Valentine’s Day
Declaration of love: “We ended 14% up on our Valentine’s Day card sales compared to last year.”
Signs of affection: “When the 14th falls on a Saturday, as it did this year, you are more likely to sell more, and we did! A Monday or Tuesday Valentine’s Day is far less romantic!
For us, Valentine’s is now a largely a greeting card event, gone are the days when you sell a large teddy to go with a card, but the confectionery we stocked did well.”
Declaration of love: “Our Elgin stores’ Valentine’s sales were 14% up on last year. Our Task in Hand shop in Nairn is still finding its feet in the seasonal trade market in the town – and, sadly, we came up against BT digging up the pavement immediately in front of our doorway, then had a jammed lock on Valentine’s Saturday so trade was hugely impacted.”
Signs of affection: “We had a strong run up in the final days to the event and plenty of folk buying on the day too. Over at our gift shop
Seasgair Valentine’s Day itself was the biggest sales day of the week.
A lovely sunny day on the 14th meant lots of folk were out for a mooch, plus it was the schools’ long weekend locally and around Scotland so more visitors were in town. For a rugby day I was pleasantly surprised with trade.”
Heart throbs: “Oh Squirrel’s Nice Cock and Nice Tits cards were popular – cock won the competition with one tit left over!
We didn’t stock a lot of cards that state ‘Valentine’ so customers chose a huge variety of cards for their lovers, including Hole In My Pocket’s Caledonia card. This song was the first dance at my wedding so I understand the appeal. New cards from Yo Studio, Jade Fisher and Studio Boketto all sold really well too.”
Apter,
Declaration of love: “Sales were very positive - overall, we ended 12% up for the season by sales and volume, which is an encouraging start to the year.”
Heart throbs: “Our winning card collections and designs were the Caroline Gardner heart designs which are absolutely iconic and continue to resonate with our customers while Ohh Deer delivered the giggles! And we sold lots of Arthouse’s cards, chocolate and associated gifts too.”
Declaration of love: “We probably ended up about £200 up on 2025 which I see as good considering the hard times individual households are experiencing with the cost of living and their household bills going up every few months. It was nice to see customers still coming out and supporting the industry where they can.”
Signs of affection: “Our Valentine’s trade had a very, very late start. We were only talking a few £pounds here and there until Thursday 12th when it started to kick him – Friday 13th was an absolute bumper day and the Saturday itself was just for the leftovers and I can’t believe I actually sold two cards two days after the event!
We actually sold out of Husband and Wife captions and, unlike previous years, we noticed a big request for Valentine’s To My Son/Daughter. Again, we sold out. Then it was just kind of generic Valentine’s, I Love You style although we had a few people coming in and wanted something really blue so we were lucky enough to offer them the Dean Morris range.”
Heart throbs: “Our biggest sellers came from UK Greetings followed by IC&G, Second Nature, Nigel Quiney and, new this year for us, was Noel Tatt
Thanks to the team pushing our chocolate range we sold 36 bars of Toblerone with the Valentine’s captions. Then we sold through on our stock of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk personalised bars and lovey-dovey captions and, as we’ve switched to the Galaxy spinner display unit personalised from House of Sarunds, we sold to the Wife, Husband and One I Love – and brandnew was Girlfriend and Boyfriend, We also had other quirky chocolate items from Sarunds so, all in all, we must’ve sold over 100 items of chocolate bars personalised on a Valentine theme.
I did find a brand-new supplier at Spring Fair with what looks like a box of Paracetamol but they’re actually mints with very rude quirky expressions on them. Also, a grow your own boyfriend or girlfriend figurine which expand when put in water which both sold quite a few – the mints had too many expressions to say and are probably unprintable, but were a quirky little add-on gift.”
“Hallmark is a great brand with a strong heritage. My mission is to refocus on its core business of greeting cards,” stated Simon Duggan-Hill, who joined Hallmark last month as CEO of international to head up the greeting card publisher’s business globally, outside of the US and Canada.
PG went to meet the man who is set to shine up the Hallmark crown.
Only a few weeks into one of the top jobs in the entire global greeting card industry, Simon Duggan-Hill certainly does not profess to have all answers, nor is he, quite rightly, willing to be drawn on the details of the ‘grand plan’ to bolster Hallmark’s presence in the UK or elsewhere for that matter. But he is relishing the opportunity that this newly created position gives him to make a difference to a brand that pioneered greeting cards the world over.
Superseding a previous structure whereby the responsibility of heading up Hallmark’s operations outside of the US and Canada was
shared between two roles, the decision was made to find one leader with an international vision, who has the experience to be able to drill down into the respective needs and opportunities of different geographical territories.
what nailed it for Simon was “the company itself; the heritage, values and vision that it is
will come in handy, when moving from territory to territory!
When pressed as to what attracted him to the role, while accepting that “the challenge of such an important global role” was a lure,
As Simon said: “You cannot fail to be inspired by Hallmark’s origins, relationships with Winston Churchill and Walt Disney, nor how this huge privatelyowned business with such a strong remained true to its family values to
He describes JC Hall, the founder of Hallmark as “highly courageous and visceral. The risks he took to create a business were immense, but he remained forever focused. He talked about how the creative side was intrinsic to the business and that was how he established and built the brand. My job now is to help continue this legacy.”
While Simon’s career to date has not included greeting cards - “unless you count my experience as a Sainsbury’s merchandiser as a student!” he jokes – his CV is overflowing with a global non-food products acumen. Henkel, for whom Simon worked for almost 16 years, for example, is a who’s who of household names, including Persil, Schwarzkopf, Loctite and Sellotape.
And his passport has seen a lot of action,
having taken on senior management roles which have involved living in Germany, France, Middle East and China.
“All my roles have been great experiences, all contributing to a globalised view of how businesses and brands can and do operate. However, I am a big believer that there has to be the right balance between local and global,”
Over its 116 years of history, Hallmark has notched up a plethora of claims to fame, but one of the most notable has to be the publisher’s connection with Sir Winston Churchill.
Hallmark’s founder Joyce Hall first met Winston Churchill in 1946 in Fulton, Missouri when the British PM was over in the States delivering his rousing ‘Iron Curtain’ speech.
Recognising Churchill’s talents as an artist, a few years later, JC Hall suggested publishing some of his paintings on Hallmark greeting cards.
Churchill was always modest about his art, but when he was presented with the offer from Hallmark by his lawyers, he quickly responded: “That’s a good firm. Make a deal with them!”
states Simon. “You are never going to win in a market if you do not have local content, something that is arguably even more crucial in greeting cards than in many other sectors.”
Although it is still very early days into his Hallmark role, Simon feels that his lifelong love of greeting cards gave him an affinity with the brand from the off.
“I really love that I am now working for a company whose core product is based on emotions and enabling relationship connections. Producing something which helps people to express how they feel is very special,” is how Simon sees it.
Having spent his first few weeks in the role meeting members of the Hallmark team, visiting retailers and talking to suppliers, Simon is fast building a picture of the industry and Hallmark’s place within it.
“The creativity within this sector in the UK alone is incredible and there is such variety of retail stockists too. I am looking forward to getting to know more fellow publishers as well as multiple and independent retailers,” says Simon. “I get the feeling that Hallmark has been something of a sleeping giant for a little while, but we are waking up and definitely have a stronger role to play, and greeting cards will be at the core of this,” he added.
In the winter of 1950, the first boxed set of Churchill cards received four and half million pre-orders from shops, far exceeding Hallmark’s expectations which led to many subsequent ranges of cards, calendars and prints produced by the company.
Through Hallmark’s promotion, Winston Churchill soon gained the distinction of “the world’s most noted hobby painter.”
Through JC Hall’s instigation, in 1957 the very first exhibition of Churchill’s art, entitled Winston Churchill, The Painter, was hosted in museums throughout the US.
A friendship between JC Hall and Winston Churchill grew over the years, lasting right up until Churchill’s death in 1965.
Five of Churchill’s paintings, including Frankfurt Beach, Jamaica, which he gifted to JC Hall, are now part of the historic Hallmark Art Collection.building a long-term, successful licensing programme together.”
While footfall is a major worry for the majority of high street retailers, it does not really feature high up on Elliot Jacobs’ busy agenda. In the last year alone, he has tripled the size of the UOE estate, which he heads up, to 41 stores, with the inclusion of a Post Office within them and the wider services those provide, meaning they are now collectively serving nine million customers.
With the recent christening of its Stamp retail concept, PG rushed to keep pace with the company’s next frenetic expansion phase, which aims to take it to over 100 stores in the next couple of years, each injecting life into the high street.
“I love it, we have loads of great people in the team, all invested in what we are trying to create, albeit at a fast pace. It’s very exciting,” enthuses Elliot.
“It was back in 2019 that I sold the B2B side of the business to focus on building the retail aspect. It’s now 2026 and it’s finally happening!”
Welcoming shoppers in the inaugural Stamp shop, which opened in Barnet High Street in North London last month, is a pink neon sign declaring ‘For life’s moments’, positioned above an enticing greeting card display.
Someone who is most definitely relishing his ‘life moments’ right now is Elliot Jacobs, ceo of UEO Stores, who is on a mission to build the retail business he has owned since 1998 to become “the number one national stationery retailer in the UK.”
Having secured backing from private equity business, Next Wave Partners, Elliot has wasted no time in putting this investment to good use.
Seeing no point in doing things by halves, Elliot’s first coup in the scaling up of his previous nine store group was to clinch a deal to take on 30 formerly Crown-owned Post Offices.
This heady feat has involved a new structure being put in place, and seen the team’s head count soar from 58 to just shy of 300.
“Our first appointment was for a chief people officer!” laughs Elliot.
Among the other notable appointments have included Emma Wallington joining as head of buying, bringing with her experience gained at M&S, Muji and Debenhams and Joshua Astor, taking in the role of head of retail, whose 25 years retail experience has included working for Apple, Starbucks as well as the US pop-up card sensation, LovePop.
The unveiling of the Stamp rebrand is extra endorsement of the progressive direction of travel for this ambitious retailer, with greeting cards very much part of the journey.
“While I love the heritage of UOE, it was part of my childhood after all, we needed a fresh brand that would match the new retail experience we are looking to create,” says Elliot, who as a schoolboy worked at the original Universal Office Equipment shop in
all bar one of the existing stores –the Banking Hub in Ware being the only exception –this is not a prerequisite of future stores.
The first standalone Stamp store, with no Post Office, is due to open this month in Thame in South Oxfordshire,
having acquired Glynnswood, a longestablished stationery, art supplies and wool shop.
Finchley, that was founded as a typewriter maintenance business, before many years later a turn of fate led him to buy it when the owners retired.
“We played around with several new names, wanting to find one that wasn’t too corporate-sounding that people could easily say and spell,” explained Elliot about deciding on Stamp. “We wanted the stores to be welcoming and so, as part of this did away with the idea of uniforms for the staff, just using lanyards instead.”
Deciding on the name, creating the logo, developing the interior desig and new high tech facilities to the opening in Barnet was all completed within eight weeks, but that is just the start.
“The plan now is to convert 1-3 stores a month to Stamp for the next 18 months,” reveals Elliot. And in tandem with transforming its existing 41 stores to the new look, new sites are also being secured, with Elliot confirming “we have just agreed terms on another four, with more to follow.”
While the Stamp brand works well as a connector to the Post Office services currently offered in
Greeting cards, as in all of the retailer’s branches, will feature prominently in the offer in the Thame store, viewing them as integral to its ‘life’s moments’ mantra as well as being the most financially lucrative product area, after the packaging products it stocks.
The Thame store is to include its largest selection of greeting cards to date, the 40metre display, spanning well over 1,000 designs, which is a step up even from the revamped display in the Barnet store, which includes over 700 designs.
The card buying for the retail group is headed up by Louise Cambridge, who remains steadfast in her belief that Stamp will offer an independently curated selection, with no intention to shift to brokerage.
As Elliot reinforced: “Overall we buy from over 300 suppliers, and a far chunk of these are card publishers! We want to continue to only stock cards from small, independentlyowned publishers who each bring their own
originality and newness to our stores, tailoring the selection in each one to cater for the differing demographics.”
The ever-expanding retail estate has been segmented into nine different store types, with corresponding space allocation to its core areas of greeting cards, stationery, gifts, toys and craft, plus packaging.
Although the company’s original home turf is London, it now has stores as far afield as Stornaway in the Hebrides and Kirkwall in the Orkneys, with local tastes as well as sociodemographics reflected in the product front.
Stores within the capital, will be treated differently too.
“Our store in Knightsbridge has a completely different customer base to our one in Hackney’s Roman Road, for example,” elaborates Elliot. “But whenever they are, we want to be there for the community, to support the high street, which is more than this Government is doing,” he quips, his infectious enthusiasm turning to fair criticism with reference to the lack of activity on the reform of the Business Rates.
“Business rates are the biggest hurdle for us retailers. The Chancellor needs to get a new calculator – I will gladly sell her one!” says Elliot. “The Government is just standing back and watching while the High Street sinks. If it goes, communities suffer. Empty shops lead to broken windows. Broken windows signal broken communities.”
At odds with this, Elliot is determined that the retail group he is building will be at the heart of communities.
“As the sign on the wall says, we will be there for all of life’s moments... from buying and sending a card to welcome a new baby into the world, to returning that outfit that didn’t fit, to settling a bill to picking up your holiday currency!”
“Your culture forms an important part of your being,” highlights Geoff Sanderson, whose greeting card acumen is matched by his Northeastern roots. His latest achievement is something of a double tick.
The greeting card stalwart, whose wide industry experience includes having been Moonpig design director and creative director of Hallmark/Tigerprint, has spent the last few years nurturing new creative talent. This has involved collaborating with Newcastle College University Centre and its alumni to first create a special collection of Christmas cards for Fenwick’s Newcastle department store which
“It’s amazing… it’s a chance to get your foot in the door of the design world, which is really competitive.” – Charlene Cowan
now been followed by everyday and Spring Seasons ranges.
“It’s with a great big smile and much pride that I’m sharing this dream project,” Geoff Sanderson enthused on a social media reel. He was referring to a significant greeting card project which has come to life in Fenwick’s flagship Newcastle store involving talented alumni from Newcastle College University Centre who have largely taken local references to create inspiring bespoke ranges.
With the inaugural Christmas collection proving a great success, PG checked in with Geoff about how this has since been expanded to cover everyday, Valentine’s Day. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Geoff is a special individual who does not give up on a dream, even if the main beneficiaries of that dream becoming a reality are others, in this case artists and designers the majority of whom have never commercialised their artwork previously.
“There are so many talented creative people out there in the UK, but very few know how to get it seen by the public, let alone on products on sale in prestigious retailers, such as Fenwick,” highlights Geoff.
Having founded Jungle Studio several years ago as an incubation hub for students and would-be designers, Geoff has been mentoring many UCUC design students
(among others), for several years.
Moving back to his homeland of the northeast some time ago, Geoff was reminded every day of how the local culture was being celebrated, be it through the language, the deep-rooted love of Newcastle United FC, the Angel of the North, local heroes such as Ant & Dec, Cheryl Cole and Sam Fender as well as comestibles, including Newcastle Brown Ale and Greggs (which started in the city).
“Seeing how supportive Fenwick’s Newcastle was in championing local culture in its store, together with UCUC, we approached the buying team with the idea of creating a bespoke Christmas card collection that would feed into this.
used or subject matter depicted. Being given the opportunity of capturing the culture of a place, with assured retail distribution that sits in the heart of that culture is amazing and not one to be wasted,” Geoff added.
The resultant Christmas collection, although multi-faceted in design styles, reflecting the respective artistry of the 30 creators involved, there were some common themes that proved popular, such as references to the city’s hugely popular football team as well as local landmarks, including the Tyne Bridge and Anthony Gormley’s Angel of the North sculpture.
“As the early sales of the Christmas collection indicated, when given the go ahead to develop everyday, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ranges, we were encouraged to go even more ‘local’ with the designs, so we have!” says Geoff.
“Coming up to Christmas, I could say to everyone: “Ee, guess what I’ve got in Fenwick!”
– Aleesha O'Neill
The immediate positive response was beyond my wildest dreams,” recalls Geoff.
Design briefs were agreed, which Geoff shared with those in the Jungle Studio.
“As I have always told designers, greeting cards are about relevance, culture features strongly in that ‘relevance’, be it the language
“The greeting card market is like a big pie that you can cut in several different ways. This can be by sending occasion (everyday, seasonal, relations and occasions), by genre (humorous, sentiment, art, photographic etc), but as Fenwick’s approach testifies, it can also be by local relevance. I sense this slice is likely to get bigger,” predicts Geoff, who is showing himself to be the king of this particular Jungle!
“Being local is at the very heart of the business,” underlined Abigail Ball, buyer of Fenwick for greeting cards, giftwrap as well as several other product areas.
“Wherever we can, we look to add a local flavour, as evidenced by our various pop-ups in store, as well as bespoke products,” she adds. Abi cites the charity Christmas boxes it has developed with The Art File as well as special designs with Five Dollar Shake as being prime examples of how it has been working with existing suppliers to deliver Newcastle-themed products for its flagship store.
Revealing that not only its greeting card sales are “doing well, up year on year”, but its giftwrappings sales saw “a big growth in 2025,” it is obviously an approach that is doing well.
“It was always my dream to have my work in a shop like this. So, it feels like, Oh my god… I don’t have words for it!” – Aredee Pericleous
Abigail sees the addition of the collaboration with Jungle Studio and NCUC as a perfect example of how Fenwick is going increasingly “large scale” with its localisation approach.
retailers expand their product offer on the wrapping side.
“We’ve seen a shift towards bold, playful colour palettes and flatter graphic styles,” explained Penny Kennedy’s ceo David Byk, “which led to our new licensed collections with Eleanor Bowmer. Her uplifting designs are gaining real momentum in the gifting market.
“Over the past year, gift packaging has become much more than just wrapping, with more people using it for crafts like scrapbooking and upcycling. That’s why we’re launching our Christmas 2026 gift sticker packs, featuring licensed designs from Cath Kidston, Eleanor Bowmer and Sophie Allport.”
As leaders in the giftwrap field, Glick MD Becky Dobson knows gift bags are the most
On the product diversification front, giftwrappings are right up there as an area independent greeting card retail stockists are looking to further expand this year.
The findings of the recent PG Retail Barometer, the only survey into indie greeting card retailers’ trading showed how giftwrapping has nudged up a place into 3rd place of all products which are seen as ripe for further expansion, only pipped to the top spot by stationery and impulse gifts.
Research findings underline that a thoughtfully wrapped gift reflects care and adds value to a relationship, which are just a couple of reasons gift wrapping products add so much value for greeting card retailers. Here PG delves into developments, trends and display solutions.
popular because of their convenience, and the introduction of a new flower bag further expands the options.
“Roll wrap remains a very strong performer as well,” she said. “Many customers still enjoy the tradition of wrapping gifts, especially for key occasions and seasonal events. Rolls offer flexibility for different gift sizes and are
often seen as better value, particularly for multiple gifts.”
On the sustainability front, paper handles mean bags are fully recyclable, while Glick is actively working with suppliers to explore more responsible sourcing options, and alternative finishes that maintain a premium look and feel while further reducing environmental footprint.
But that doesn’t affect the premium style as florals remain a key driver, evolving into more stylised, oversized, and graphic interpretations, along with more neon prints and clashing patterns than ever, plus foil and embossing.
“We’re also noticing a sustained interest in texture-led visual designs that incorporate the look and feel of embossing, layered print effects, or mixed finishes, for premium, tactile elements,” Becky added.
Woodmansterne, which stated its claim as a giftwrap player a couple of years ago, has been experimenting with colour, new substrates, licences and innovation for its latest collection with a new emulated fabric trim detail finished with a wavy die-cut edge as part of the Harlequin giftbag range.
And sustainability remains front and centre, according to design manager Helen Latter, with strong support for environmentallyfriendly boards and an increasing appreciation
for reusable elements within the gift bag sector: “Consumers are looking for packaging that feels considered; something that can be reused, repurposed or kept.
“In response to the continued rise of maximalist styling, we’ve also developed extra-large gift tags designed to create a stronger finishing statement.”
While giftwrap is a vital addition to any greeting card and gift shop, it can also be one of the trickiest as making sure it’s displayed to advantage can be difficult.
She added the “continued appetite for individuality” means more unique, eye-catching designs have proven enticing for buyers, reinforcing the importance of distinctive finishes and considered detailing.
Helen said: “As consumer expectations continue to rise, gift packaging must balance
Having recognised flexibility is key for smaller stores, Glick offers compact FSDU box solutions, for a strong visual presence in-store while keeping wrap organised and easy to shop, and designed to drive purchases near tills or high-traffic areas.
Glick’s md Becky Dobson added: “To further support space-saving needs, we offer roll wrap loops and euro hook options so wrap can be displayed vertically, as they free up valuable floor and shelf space while still presenting the product clearly and attractively.
“We also provide a complimentary display management service working directly with retailers using their specific store measurements to design layouts that maximise both sales potential and visual impact.”
sustainability, practicality and design-led appeal. Our focus remains on creating collections that not only complement the gift inside but enhance the entire gifting experience.”
On the bestsellers side, for Woodmansterne it’s bottle bags that performed exceptionally well for the recent Christmas, while the publisher has also placed “greater emphasis on our smallest format, the
wrap without needing dedicated rack space.”
format gives stores a different way to merchandise
At UK Greetings, product manager Lisa Wray said: “We provide display inspiration in our brochures to showcase how retailers can help products perform to space. Our roll wraps also come with hanging tabs so these can be hung within the display or stored in built-in dumpbins depending on the available space.”
Roll wrap supplied in 12-pack boxes that open from the top is Ohh Deer’s way of creating an easy display option with every order, and co-owner Mark Callaby commented: “The packaging is designed with retailers in mind, particularly smaller stores.
While lack of space may be an issue for smaller stores, Kali Stileman, founder of Kali Stileman Publishing advocates: “Rolling flat wrap into individual scrolls and displaying them neatly in pretty wastepaper baskets.”
Earlybird’s Dom Early concurred: “A lot of our retailers roll up the single sheets and pop them in a container by the till, it’s perfect because some customers can be a bit lazy –or pressed for time! – and pick up what’s in front of them. Make it easy for them!”
Over at Woodmansterne, the publisher provides a purpose-designed spinner display, enabling retailers to present wrap, tags and bags clearly and efficiently within a compact footprint.
“These compact boxes are ideal for maximising under-table or under-shelf space, helping keep walkways clear while ensuring gift wrap remains accessible and beautifully presented.”
Manufacturing and converting everything in-house in the UK means can offer retailers flexibility as they can create their own roll wrap selections, so smaller stores can focus on the lines that perform best without overcommitting on stock.
“This tailored approach helps maximise space, improve sellthrough, and keep displays commercially effective,” said owner Lydia Scamponi. “We also provide practical display solutions, including roll hangers for wall space and printed display cartons for floor placement.
In addition, design manager Helen Latter said: “We offer a range of display plans that can be supplied alongside greeting cards under our signature one order, one delivery, one invoice model, simplifying administration and stock management.”
Deva Designs has re-formatted the sizing of its bag collections for a cleaner, more cohesive planogram across in-store fixtures, standardising proportions, to make it easier for retailers to merchandise their ranges in a structured, visually balanced way.
“The neater fixture presentation enhances the overall shopping experience,” said sales director Jenny Williams. “The revised sizing creates clean lines and a polished, intentional look. For retailers, this translates to easier merchandising, stronger visual storytelling, and better use of space.”
Binding its wrap into a tear-out book is one Storigraphic solution, as director Roz Nazerian explained: “The book
Display solutions tailored to each store’s size and layout is ’s way of supporting retailers as well as Christmas FSDUs designed to maximise space by housing roll wrap, gift bags and boxed cards together in one unit.
“Space is tight for most stores, so flexibility matters,” recognises Cardology co-owner David Falkner. “Because our wrap is part of a coordinated range, our packaging allows it to sit alongside matching cards and bags rather than needing a big standalone fixture.
Knowing how difficult it can be to decide how to display gift wrap, The Art File’s sales and marketing director James Mace said: “Our roll wrap bin is beautifully designed, can hold up to 24 rolls, and doesn’t take up valuable shop space, while the gift wrap display stand is specifically designed to display flat wrap, allowing a store to show off up to 20 designs to catch the eye of shoppers.”
And at Abacus, where the product is two-wrap two-tag packs, there’s a compact gift wrap display unit for retailers, which accommodates 20 full-facing gift wrap hangers.
Whatever way you look at it, gift packaging dressing is being given the red carpet treatment.
mug bag”, Helen explained, as it’s perfectly sized for candles, jewellery boxes and smaller luxury items and “taps into the growth in thoughtful, smaller-scale gifting and creates an easy add-on opportunity”.
Size really matters for Deva Designs this year as the giftwrap specialist has increased the sizing of many bags – but without changing the pricing structure.
Sales director Jenny Williams commented: “This move delivers added value to both retailers and consumers. Shoppers are now getting more capacity and functionality for the same price point, making the range even more attractive in a market where value perception is key.
Six bright new children’s designs and three floral options are keeping Dyson Design on trend while also complementing some of the publisher’s greeting card ranges.
“Larger sizes mean improved practicality while maintaining the brand’s signature style, better in-store presentation and increasing product value.”
Building on in-house innovation, Storigraphic has just released its second Wrap Editions, a bound book of 12 of its colourful graphical patterned papers which are perforated near the spine so each sheet pulls out cleanly, all printed and produced in the UK, and a Christmas edition is in the works.
While its mainly flat-wrap designs align with the current trend for bold palettes, co-founder and director Roz Nazerian said: “We've just launched two new collections comprising 12 wrapping paper prints alongside other products, all in our signature style of bold, graphical pattern and colour – it's less about trends and more about staying true to what we love.”
Ohh Deer is keeping things simple after expanding its popular Stripe gift bag designs into matching roll wrap, making a strong statement as the Checkerboard rolls are on their way.
“Many trends feature lots of colour,” commented Jemima Stileman, director of operations at Kali Stileman. “As an antidote to the cold, dark weather, people are seeking bright, uplifting hues. Our Bauhaus spot wrap delivers just this – retro style spots in gorgeous on-trend tones.”
carbon-negative footprint, reduces waste and removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Bold pastels and striped designs are a popular theme for The Art File this year too. As sales and marketing director James Mace said: “We’ve leaned into this trend with stripes across our gift wrap, ribbon and tissue paper in our Everyday and Christmas 2026 collections. Gift bags are often sold in tandem with their matching wrap. However, roll wrap and flat wrap have more designs in the collection, meaning they perform well too as they appeal to such a wide market.”
Bolder more expressive designs are coming through at The Gifted Stationery Company too, according to head Julian Massie, which is the company’s focus this year rather than new formats: “We know which product lines perform well for us, so our aim is to keep the ranges fresh, giving our customers plenty of options that are commercially strong.”
Gift bags are Gifted’s best-performing format with convenience for shoppers being a strong draw, while the “nested gift boxes are also hugely popular”, giving customers multiple gifting options, while stores can create an eye-catching tiered display thanks to the different sizes.
And Julian added: “One key takeaway from the last 12 months is the importance of recyclability. Sustainability matters more than ever, so we’re focused on combining strong, relevant design with responsible materials.”
The Art File has been pushing eco-boundaries with its Kelp Ink range, a sustainable biomass ink made from leftover algae waste that has a
Gift bags are big business too at UK Greetings, where they’re the bestsellers year-on-year, and the plant and bouquet bags have been particularly popular – especially with the RHS Curated Wild collection, which is coordinated across cards, gift dressings and partyware
“The bouquet bags are a new format,” explained product manager Lisa Wray, “they allow for a larger bunch of flowers and the extra-long paper handles make them 100% sustainable, allowing consumers to do their bit for Mother Nature while celebrating her – and also ideal for larger presents such as vases and homeware.”
Recent feedback has seen Paper Mirchi significantly expand its gift bag offering as they’re now the publisher’s bestsellers, with the
With over 50 designs in Kali Stileman’s current flat wrap collection, it’s the consistent seller but, running the entire operation from Kali’s home means there’s little storage so teaming up with Woodmansterne for a licensed roll wrap and gift bag collection has provided a perfect solution.
Jemima added: “People love a matching mini card and it’s a fab way to boost a sale as they look gorgeous paired together. So, this year, we’ll be adding even more mini cards to match our wrapping papers.”
bright and playful new block print collection proving very popular.
As Pollyanna Bell, the company’s accounts and operations manager elaborated: “It’s reworking a traditional
commitments (being part of the 1% For The Planet movement) without using plastic on its roll wrap, Louise said the publisher is enjoying the fun and colourful designs including cool cats, smiling birthday cakes, waving cacti and burgers and pizza, all 100% recyclable.
Almost every trade show sees Earlybird launching new flatwrap designs, as co-owner Dom Early explained: “For us, it’s the imagery that sells, we’ve found not any kind of finish to really matter – pigeons are having a moment we’ve found, especially kitsch ones, plus good generic happy birthday designs.
Unique’s current focus “reflecting the wider trend for joyful, maximalist design”, owner Lydia Scamponi said, with high-contrast colour combinations popular too.
Unique’s in-house conversion facilities give the publisher flexibility with all designs able to be produced in both flat and roll wrap,
“Taking strong-selling card designs or ranges into gift wrap is always a good move. Generally, if it’s popular as a card, as long as it can be scaled ok, it usually ends up as strong selling wrap. We sell a lot of gift wrap and it’s a fab addition to a card order.”
Packs are also the thing at Abacus where the refreshed two-sheet two-tag offer is neatly packed in a sustainable cardboard outer with an integral euro hook to help create a compact, eyecatching display.
And it’s all been thought through as studio manager Liz Ellis explained: “The self-seal gift tags form part of the integral outer packaging, they can easily be popped out before being applied to a gift – and the wrap, tags and hanger are all fully recyclable.”
technique with a modern feel. The range features trend-led colours such as butter yellow and lilac alongside fun, versatile patterns including bows and ginghams.”
Wrap is a relatively new product area for James Ellis. As key account manager Louise Amesbury freely admitted: “We’re still testing the water with it! Selling flat wrap seems to work brilliantly for some shops but for others, where space is limited, less so.”
In keeping with the company’s sustainability
The additions focus mainly on juvenile designs, but are in keeping with current trends with a soft pastel palette of blues, ethereal purples and celestial yellows evoking dreamlike vibes, alongside vibrant, bold and expressive colour ways depicting playful icons and fun details teamed with spontaneous doodle line work
although Lydia said: “Roll wrap remains our strongest seller. It’s easy to merchandise, takes up minimal space, and offers better perceived value for consumers.”
Gift bags are growing in popularity, so she’s developed coordinating ones for the new ranges that are more square and slightly larger than standard sizes.
Sustainability continues to be a key purchasing driver as Lydia said: “So we’re further investing in our biodegradable glitter wrapping paper — produced entirely in-house.
“As the only UK manufacturer printing this reel-to-reel, we’re able to offer retailers a differentiated, value-added finish that combines standout visual impact with credible environmental credentials.
“Despite past negative press, consumer demand for glitter remains strong, especially at Christmas. Our biodegradable glitter wrap allows retailers to meet this demand responsibly –sparkle still sells!”
Shaku’s small giftwrap collection now has matching gift tags and cards, with the latest blue Abstract Flowers design evolved from the interest in the company’s repeat pattern prints, and director Sonera Tayub said: “Customers – retail and wholesale –seem to prefer the more vibrant and colourful designs.”
Bold florals and playful fruit motifs are
The proliferation of licensed collections within giftwrapping packaging collections has continued to add appeal tapping into brand recognition and encouraging co-ordinated card and gift giving.
In line with its expansion in gift packaging, licensing specialist Danilo continues to utilise the strongest licensed properties to drive engagement with consumers.
“Our insights are led by popular licensed properties,” explained licensing director Dan Grant. “One notable area of growing interest currently is KPop Demon Hunters, which we’re seeing demand for across both everyday and Christmas giftwrap. Character-led designs featuring new hot properties, as well as classic evergreen properties continue to perform strongly, particularly where there is crossover appeal with cards and other gifting categories.”
At Penny Kennedy licensed products remain a key part of the offer, from official William Morris designs under the Morris & Co licence to brands like Cath
Kidston and Sara Miller London.
CEO David Byk commented: “As a group, alongside Ling Design and The Great British Card Company, retailers’ customers can buy a card, a matching licensed gift, such as a notebook or water bottle, and wrap it in coordinating paper or pop it in a gift bag featuring the same licensed brand.”
Woodmansterne continues to strengthen its licensed collections, as design manager Helen Latter explained: “From the bold artistry of Sophie Harding and the enduring charm of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to the instantly recognisable appeal of Emma Bridgewater, our coordinated gift packaging ranges are designed to deliver visual impact and strong retail performance.”
Designers’ Guild is a long-term licensing partnership for Deva Designs where the designled brand’s recent acquisition by Dunelm generated considerable interest across the interiors and textiles industry. As Deva’s sales director Jenny Williams noted: “Naturally, any ownership change prompts questions about brand direction, licensing agreements, and creative continuity. For us the news signals continuity and growth rather than disruption. Importantly, the licence remains fully intact and unaffected by the acquisition. Existing agreements continue as planned, with no
changes to distribution, product development schedules, or introducing the new designs for 2026.”
Using original Illustrations from its licensed art ranges, The Porch Fairies has two delightful new flat wraps for this year, with each image telling a wonderful story within itself.
Claire Fletcher's Bed Of Books sets dreams of whimsical stories and adventures flying around the room, while Foxwood Tales’
Candlelight is full of cosy nostalgia and the magic of Christmas candle lights so people can wrap their gifts in nostalgic happiness.
And Unique’s owner Lydia Scamponi is “particularly excited” to be launching her first licensed partnership, introducing a wrappings collection based on Lucilla Lavender’s popular Human Bean and Little Quirks greeting card ranges. “These offer something refreshingly different to our existing collections,” adds Lydia.
The inaugural collection features five designs, available as both flat sheets and rolls, and all printed and converted in-house at Unique’s UK factory, complemented by six coordinating gift bags.
Multi-sheet packs are the runaway stars for Cardology, with its four-sheet four-tag format which has just been launched in its Stormtrooper Neon Retro range, along with flat wrap.
“Nostalgia is powerful right now,” co-owner David Falkner said. “In a slightly uncertain retail environment, consumers are gravitating towards bold, familiar, optimistic design. Neon Retro hits that sweet spot. It’s high-impact, colour-driven and unapologetically graphic – but anchored in an iconic licence. That balance of on trend and commercially safe is what’s cutting through.”
The force is most definitely with licensing collabs on the giftwrappings front.
From traditional tiered units to celled displays, we have the solution for every greeting card requirement.
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A selection of lovely new products that have recently launched.
Checkerboard Circus is a bold, bright and joyful everyday and occasions greeting card range from Jessie Maeve Studio. The contemporary designs combine a dopamine colour palette, hand-lettered typography and geometric print backgrounds, which include gingham, checks, diamonds and stripes. The A6 cards are printed on premium GF Smith recycled board and come plastic-free with an ecokraft envelope.
Jessie Maeve Studio 07941 393861 www.jessiemaeve.com
Grace Jackson Design has collaborated with Devonshire-based artist Emily Smith to create Vibrant Animals. This collection of 20 cards features Emily’s paintings enhanced by Grace’s signature bright hot foiled accents and heartfelt messages. Each A6 card is blank inside and is printed in the UK on textured 300gsm FSC-certified board. Grace Jackson Design 07902875014 www.gjdesignwholesale.co.uk
All That Glitters is a new celebratory greeting card collection from Popsy & Plum. The classic and timeless designs incorporate beautiful words to both inspire and commemorate life’s achievements. The first tranche of designs was launched at Spring Fair with more to follow later in the year. Popsy & Plum 07769 212269 www.popsyandplum.com
Constantly inspired by all things nostalgic, Ornament Art has created a new range of greeting cards, this time starring vintage playing cards. The Big Deal collection follows the publisher’s signature kitsch photographic style, bold use of colour and statement messaging that celebrates life, love and birthdays. The A6 cards are printed on luxury hammered finish board with extra pop from neon pink type and envelopes. Ornament Art 07971 704650 www.ornament.art
Roundabout is a fantastical new children’s collection from Hotchpotch London. Conceived to add to the fun to any kid’s birthday, these die-cut cards feature ages as well as a myriad of different characters in a cheerful, contemporary colour palette. They each come with a quality white envelope.
Hotchpotch London 01243 792600 www.hotchpotchlondon.com
Embellish is a joyful new everyday and occasions greeting card collection from Lucilla Lavender. With finishes galore, the designs feature foiled swirls, dots and stars, interplaying with embossing and joyful messages to add to the celebratory nature of the range. Classic birthday motifs, such as cakes and cocktails, are expressed in a contemporary colour palette with a quality white envelope completing the look.
Lucilla Lavender 0203 405 1410
www.lucillalavender.com
A selection of lovely new products that have recently launched.
Among the wealth of newness from Ohh Deer is the Teresa Bellon greeting card collection. Here Teresa’s artistry creates bright, joyful contemporary reinterpretations of instantly recognisable artists, including Grayson Perry, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet, and their work.
Ohh Deer 01509 812075 www.ohhdeerwholesale.com
Newbie publisher Tipsy Vanilla is serving up CakeToppers, a bright and breezy new birthday card range. The 12 designs combine sports, hobbies and interests (such as rugby, football and gardening to fashion, flowers and music) with a themed birthday cake, each finished with a pop of flame foil. The 120x170mm cards are printed on textured board and come with a recycled kraft envelope.
Tipsy Vanilla 07527 580333 www.tipsyvanilla.co.uk
Sunshine Lane’s new Wired for Wonderful collection comprises 20 designs that provide authentic representation for the neurodivergent community, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other processing differences. Among the designs are those that celebrate a ‘diagnosiversary’ as well as acknowledging the "Aha!" of a late-in-life discovery.
Sunshine Lane 07985 310456 www.sunshinelane.co.uk
The Little Dog Laughed has been speaking canine for years. Its new From The Dog greeting card range builds on its dog-related prowess. Created specifically for pet-parents, this inaugural collection of 12 contemporary designs honour birthdays, dog owners and say thank you from the ones we often love the most. The A6 cards are printed with vegan inks on a soft deluxe board and come naked, nested or wrapped with a premium cream envelope.
The Little Dog Laughed 01332 290605 www.thelittledog.co.uk
Combining a gift and a card in one, Marina B’s new Little Pretties collection is a range of 12 gift greeting cards which each incorporate a pair of delicate sterling silver earrings beautifully presented on contemporary foiled artwork. The cards are printed on luxury board and come paired with a crisp white envelope.
Marina B 01858 434462 www.marinab.co.uk
Bright, bold and packed with seaside silliness, Chip Chip Hooray is the latest range from Stoats & Weasels, the Brighton-based publisher known for its playful, design-led humour. The collection features 20 fun designs spanning birthday, love and everyday occasions, all centred around cheerful chip-loving gulls and joyful wordplay that feels unmistakably British. Each card is paired with a signature yellow envelope. Stoats & Weasels 07796 664912 www.stoatsandweasels.shop
MULTI AWARD-WINNING COLLECTION OF HANDCRAFTED
ARTISAN-MADE GREETING CARDS AND GIFT WRAP, MADE USING 100% RECYCLED COTTON RAG PAPER.
Have you cottoned on yet?
Scan the QR code to purchase our products on Faire and use promo code MARCH10 to receive 10% off your order (valid until 31st March 2026)
A selection of lovely new products that have recently launched.
Say hello to a brand new selection of quirky photographic occasions designs joining Abacus Cards’ popular Rapture range. The publisher has gone bold and eye-catching with the new additions, which feature comical animated animal characters teaming with striking colours and captions. There are designs for both major and minor occasions. Abacus Cards 01638 569050 www.abacuscards.co.uk
ArtPress has announced a new licensing partnership with the University of Cambridge Museums & Botanic Garden which debuts on a range of 18 Christmas wallets, with an everyday collection to follow. Spanning nearly 300 years of discovery and research, these collections encompass more than five million works of art, artefacts, and specimens.
New from AfroTouch Design is Vibrance, a bold, design-led greeting card collection that celebrates life’s moments through rich colour, joyful illustration and modern Afro-inspired styling. The collection spans 12 stunning designs, each featuring gold hot foiled details. Each card comes with a beautifully patterned envelope.
AfroTouch Design 0208 798 2645 www.afrotouch.design
ArtPress Publishing 020 7231 2923 www.art-press.co.uk
Shiny Waves is Ricicle’s new range of joy-filled cards, featuring playful handdrawn illustrations across birthdays, new baby, congratulations and wedding occasions. Each design is finished with a distinctive wavy edge and a coordinating hot-foil border, carefully chosen to enhance the colour palette and add a subtle shimmer. Ricicle 07850757676 www.riciclecards.com
Lottie’s new Spring Time collection features 12 hand-illustrated designs celebrating Easter. Distinguished by her hand-drawn style, the range features playful rabbits, chicks and lambs in soft pastel tones, capturing the essence of Spring. Each 127×177mm card is printed on luxury FSC-certified board and comes with a recycled kraft envelope in a compostable bag.
Lottie Murphy 07716 304741 www.lottie-murphy.com
The Painted Poem is a new card collection from Claire Louise, the designs of which are centred around gentle and encouraging poems inspired by everyday moments. The words and illustrations on the 27 designs (15 everyday reflections and 12 music-themed ones) work together as if from an illustrated sketchbook. The 120×170mm cards are supplied cello-wrapped with a white envelope. Claire Louise 07715 373344
www.claire-louise.co.uk
“How perfect, simple, convenient, easy, cheap, easy to access… it’s brilliant,” is just one of the upbeat straight-to-camera videos on the TikTok @signedwithlove account about the wonders of giving greeting cards.
The stars of the show are the GCA Minis – which currently comprise Amelia, Daisy, Elle and Izzi - who have taken it upon themselves to get the message out there about greeting cards to their peers in an authentic way and they are slaying it.
“From a young age, through my parents, I’ve always understood the importance of sending cards to your loved ones,” said Amelia Early, daughter of Earlybird Designs’ Dom and Heidi. “My Mum asked if I’d go along with her to the PG/GCA Retailer Forum last
Summer as one of the topics to be discussed was how to engage the younger generation with card sending.”
While the other attendees at the meeting were very experienced and successful card retailers and publishers, they didn’t have what
“If you’re anything like me and you’ve been really struggling to figure out about what to get everybody for Christmas this year… stop. I’ve got exactly what you can get for literally anyone, no matter who they are - if it’s your boyfriend, if it’s your Mum, if it’s your Dad, if it’s your Uncle, whoever it is, it will work - it’s greeting cards.
How perfect, simple, convenient, easy, cheap,
easy to access, it’s brilliant. Telling the people who mean the most to you just how much they mean to you, how proud you are of them, how proud you are of how hard they’re working - honestly it will go a million miles and it’s also helping out local businesses so it’s a two in one.
So, get yourself down to local card shop buy some beautiful cards and write out the most meaningful gift there is to give.”
Amelia had… the mind of a teenager. This is a demographic that the greeting card industry needs to communicate with, but by using the right language and channels.
As Kaye Thurgood, owner of Sincerely Yours in Shenfield and Hornchurch said at the Forum: “In the run up to Mother’s Day, our shops are full of youngsters buying cards for their mums, but then for the vast majority of the rest of the year, we don’t see them at the card displays. It is so important we find ways of engaging these young people to send cards all year round.”
TikTok was highlighted as an ideal channel, but the group of retailers and publishers attending the Forum were unanimous in recognising that is not something that could be forced. This savvy demographic would immediately be turned off by the equivalent of ‘Dad dancing’; of a voice being used that was just a masquerade.
While attracting the interest of influencers was recognised as a potential route, this invariably comes with a cost, and their
Forget the digital world, the trends are saying we’re going back to basics, with handwritten letters and cards predicted to be the next big thing by social media site Pinterest.
Pinterest’s annual Not-Yet-Trending report highlighted 21 trends across food, fashion, home décor and more, that businesses should be taking not of to know where their audiences are going, and Pen Pals was one of the biggest.
In the recent Pinterest Predicts report, it says: “Your inbox is about to get jealous of your letter box. Expect a letter-writing renaissance in 2026, as Gen Z and
authenticity is often called into question because of their derived financial benefits.
Without too much persuasion, there and then Amelia agreed to take on the challenge, believing that by sharing it with a few other likeminded teenagers more interest would be sustained, and it would probably be more fun.
Kaye felt sure that Elle (a Saturday girl in Sincerely Yours) would be up for it, David Byk, ceo of Ling/GBBC boldly suggested his daughter Daisy would get on board, while Amelia was keen to involve her friend Izzi, who was also a greeting card fan. And thus, the GCA Minis group was born.
“I’m pretty good with social media and being a teenage girl, I understand how to get other teenagers’ attention, so I was really up for the challenge. I’ve also always promoted cards to my friends by sending them cards for their birthdays or Christmas, etc and I always ask them to give me one back, so being part of this just felt right for me,” said Amelia, who took on the task of putting the schedule together for the girls to use for the regular video posts.
Millennials turn snail mail into authored art. Think elaborate envelopes, special stationery and so many stamps. DMs, you’re dust.”
From the platform’s internal data, global searches, related Pin saves and Product Pin outbound clicks, it said searches for cute stamps had increased by 105%, pen pal letters is up 35% and pen pal ideas rose 90%, handwritten letters has risen by 45%, and there’s been a 110% increase in those looking for snail mail gifts – which all bodes well for the tradition of sending greeting cards too.
And Pinterest also said: “Skip the fads,
invest in trends. Over the last six years, 88% of the trends we’ve reported have come true – they’re lasting cultural phenomena that help you to drive real business impact.”
Ling/GBCC] I’ve seen how special cards can be when you give or receive one. I also know that most people my age don’t really feel connected to cards anymore, and I wanted to help change that. Being part of the GCA Minis
Sharing why she was keen to join the group, Elle added: “Since working in Sincerely Yours I have loved seeing all the beautiful cards and how special it is to receive them. This is a good opportunity for me to get involved and inspire others. It is great to connect with other young people with the same interest and I have loved every bit of it. I have also gained a greater appreciation for cards and the thought that goes into them.”
Like Amelia, Daisy has greeting card roots and so is relishing the opportunity of playing a part in helping to ignite GenZ with card sending.
“Through my Dad [David Byk, ceo of
shaping it. Being involved in that feels exciting and meaningful.”
Having kicked off with activity around Christmas, side swiping Valentine’s Day, the Minis have recently put their own spin on promoting Mother’s Day, with Izzy and a couple of friends creating a reel which prompts their peers into thinking about all the things their mums do, inspiring them to send a card and tell them how much they are appreciated. Simple, but honest and meaningful messaging.
gives me a chance to bring a proper Gen-Z point of view and make cards feel fun, personal, and actually relevant for my generation. I want to show that people of my age do care about real connection; we just need cards that feel like they’re made for us.”
Daisy admits that the biggest thing she’s learned so far by being part of the GCA Minis is that “greeting cards do have a future, especially if our generation is part of
Summing up the activity thus far, Amelia reveals how much she has “really enjoyed working with the girls and meeting other people who have the same passion for cards as I do, which is rare in teenagers. It’s also reminded me over and over again why people send cards and why we need to keep the tradition going. It’s been a super fun experience already and I look forward to carrying on.
If anyone else’s teenagers are interested in getting involved please let Danielle at the GCA know and she’ll put them in contact with us or message our tiktok account @signedwithlove.”
Passionate about creating whimsical scenes full of magic and celestial motifs, drawing inspiration from the ocean, plant life, cosmos and Japanese woodblock prints, Ewa Rosa is a talented Polish illustrator, who works from her beautiful studio in Gdańsk.
PG tracks her story from literary translator to greeting card designing.
“My path to becoming a professional illustrator was very winding! It was my childhood dream, and yet I didn’t go to art school, and ended up working as a literary translator for almost two decades.
Somewhere along the way, I finally realised that creating art is what feeds my soul and makes my heart happy. So, I got back to drawing and have spent the last ten years learning, experimenting, and honing my skills, embracing opportunities as they have come my way.
I would describe my art as lush, opulent, intricate, decorative, dreamy and glowing with magic and mystery. It’s also heart-driven, and I love the calming effect it seemingly has on others. People often say my illustrations are serene and soothing, and it truly makes my heart sing when I hear that someone’s day got a little better thanks to my work.
The best ideas invariably come to me just before I fall sleep, when my mind starts to wander. I often find myself having to jump out of bed to jot down the insights or make some quick doodles.
Later, I develop my sketches, decide on composition and colours, and start working on the details. Throughout the whole process, I try to stay open to the flow of inspiration, changing and adding to the original idea as I go along.
I am a firm believer that everything in the Universe is connected. That’s why, in my art, I like to filter nature through the lens of the magical, whimsical and surreal. As part of this I do not shy away from putting the moon at the bottom of the ocean or a jellyfish in the sky. To my mind a galaxy swirl mirrors the pattern of a shell. We are all star stuff!
WANT TO BE FEATURED?
I love it that my illustrations lend themselves to greeting cards, and have very happily had my work published by the likes of Calypso Cards, Sellers Publishing and Pictura France.
I like to think of greeting cards as little windows into the worlds of joy and magic you can share with others.
A lovely woman from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, reached out to me in January after receiving a Christmas card featuring one of my illustrations from a friend living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was so happy with it that she wanted to buy some herself to send this Christmas, but she couldn't find them in the store anymore. It was wonderful to think that something I painted in my little studio in Poland brought so much joy to someone on the other side of the world!
As well as creating my own greeting card designs, I also love collecting them to adorn my own studio walls with small versions of beautiful work by my favourite artists. Looking at them throughout the day always makes me smile.
Two of my favourite pieces of work I have ever created are Creatures of the North ex aequo as well as Festive Galaxy. I created both of these pieces for Jehane’s ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ challenge in 2024, and for me, they symbolise the moment when I felt my work really entered a professional level. In Creatures, I found the courage to use a new, bolder colour palette, while Galaxy perfectly encapsulates my love for all things celestial and magical.
Now that I am being represented by Jehane I am ready for the new chapter, safe in the knowledge that being an illustrator is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.”
• Ewa Rosa is represented by Jehane for licensing and commissions. (www.jehane.com)
Rob and Pete Sampson, co-owners of A Stone’s Throw, Sherwood A popular card and gift store in the heart of a ward of Nottingham, which offers a popular free giftwrapping service as well as a mix of local hand-crafted products, greeting card and gifts.
Category
Relations & Occasions Humour
Sarah Kelleher
Stormy Knight
The Art File
Quite Good Cards
Ohh Deer
Fox Under The Moon
Pickled Prints
Rosie Made A Thing
From You To Me
Alljoy Design
Citrus Bunn
B Marriott Design
Ruth Thorp Studio
Luke Holcombe Studio
Ink And Snail
Alljoy Design
Roger La Borde
Sarah Kelleher
Alexia Claire
Lisa Angel
Little Spring
Satchville
Lynn South Farm
Miss Sparrow Cottage Garden
Puns
Gin & Frolics
Age card/book in one
“Our customers have loved Sarah's artwork for a number of years, but this new range has really caught their attention!”
“An order we placed at Spring Fair so new to us, but the travel-themed cards are a hit.”
“You really can't go wrong with The Art File. These ranges are our pick of the bunch.”
“Since arriving in our shop, customers have spent a lot of time giggling to themselves.”
“A great selection of cards to cover all occasions.”
“Wonderful artwork with a wide range of sentiments that are particularly popular for some of the sadder occasions.”
“A fairly new brand for us. The bright cards make a big impact, and our customers love them.”
“Continues to be one of our bestselling card ranges!”
Animal ages
In A Bottle
“Bright contemporary laser-cut cards strike a chord with our customers.
“Beautiful artwork.”
“The contemporary bird designs literally do fly out!”
“The price is only a little more than a standard card, but with the added extra of a gift book.”
“The individual art cards sell well, and the boxes of mini notecards are really popular.”
“Very popular purchase for men, the monochrome designs with a yellow sun stand out.”
“A really cute range of cards that make you go ‘awww’!”
“We've stocked these for a few years, but the demand is getting stronger; customers pick up handfuls at a time.”
“These three are our current bestsellers. A great combination of bright contemporary, floral and British wildlife.”
“A great little pick-me-up in a pocket-sized package.”
“Customers have been loving the range of little vases we have on offer, and many of them choose to combine their purchases with a small bunch of dried flowers for a wonderful, everlasting gift, at a very reasonable price.”
“Bright, colourful and fun, great quality too.”
Rebecca De Voisey, owner of Paper Bird, Lyme Regis
Paper Bird has been pretty in pink since Rebecca opened the store but it’ll be all change soon as she’s outgrown the original pastel-hued location and is about to move into a bigger shop just up the road.
Category Name of Publisher
Everyday Relations & Occasions
Humour
Children’s
Adult Ages
Art
Cute
Ohh Deer
Eleanor Bowmer
James Ellis
Pigment
Caroline Gardner
Bold & Bright
Louise Tiler
Raspberry Blossom
Ohh Deer
Cath Tate Cards
Prints By The Bay
Louise Mulgrew (now The Art File)
Product/Name Range Comments
Seedlings
General
Offshore
Daydream
Cath Kidston
Lucy Loves Literature
General
Bijou
“Quality with simple but beautiful sentiments.”
“Modern and cool.”
“Customers love this range of coastal-themed cards.”
“Beautiful bright, bold and colourful cards.”
“Always wonderful quality.”
“Customers buy handfuls at a time!”
“Cute animals and lovely colours.”
“They’re always so colourful.”
“So detailed. It gives the age but in a subtle way.”
“Love the detailed illustrations. Being in Lyme Regis the Jane Austen one is always the bestseller.”
“Amazing, women-focused, lino print cards.”
“Such simple but beautiful illustrations. Customers love them!”
Stefanie Dalglish, owner of Sabden Village Nook and Post Ofice, near Clitheroe Having come home from Australia 18 months ago, Stefanie has been enjoying her time as a card and gift retailer.
Category
Everyday
Relations & Occasions
Name of Publisher
Avant Garde Studio
Lesley Hayworth
Piccadilly Greetings
Kingfisher Cards
Humour
Children’s
Adult Ages
Cute
Photographic
Gift Wrappings
Gifts
Backland Studio
Regal Publishing
Tulip Studios
Kingfisher Cards
Avant Garde Studio
Simon Elvin
UK Greetings
Sue Marsden
Avant Garde
Partisan
Stefanie Dalglish
Product/Name Range
Timeless Handmade
General Aroma
Grumpy Old Gits
Bright Sparks
General
General Petals
Special Years
Boofle
General Aperture
Design By Violet
Worry Witches
Comments
“These are great and they’re good value.”
“These felt cards are by my sister and we sell loads as they’re something different.”
“Our customers lap up all the captions. The embossing and foiling add appeal.”
“These larger cards cover all the occasions. Floral watercolours in a classic, good quality card with a bit of foil.”
“They take the mickey out of age with classic humour.”
“They're not too mushy.”
“These all feature something extra.”
“Great designs covering from 18 up.”
“Floral, colourful and a bit modern.”
“Great for men.”
“Just perfect cute designs.”
“Sue is a local photographer capturing local scenes.”
“Great images of wildlife, flowers and scenery.”
“Really lovely gift bags, wrapping and accessories.”
“The felted wool Worry Witches I make myself sell well. We’re in the Pendle witch country so it’s all very witch-themed.”
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.
Impress Publishing Appledown House
6 Heron Trading Estate Alliance Road, Park Royal, London W3 0RA T: 0208 385 4474 F: 0208 385 4471
E: info@Xpressyourselfcards.co.uk
WWW.XXPRESSYOURSELFCARDS.CO.UK
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.
METHOD OF SALE: SENSATIONS –Direct to retail
XPRESS YOURSELF –Now one of the leading wholesale publisher suppliers in the UK
