The Future of Greeting Cards

The greeting card category continues to maintain consistent sales, although rising production costs pose challenges. Industry leaders are focused on creating cards that reflect multicultural themes, timely content and values important to younger generations, while humor and pop culture references remain popular across different age groups. Looking at the future of the category alongside the current state, company leaders are dedicated to aligning their products with the demands and needs of their consumers.

“Overall the greeting cards category continues to stay steady, evolving to meet the needs and shopping behavior of today’s modern consumer,” said Amy McAnarney, Hallmark's Vice President and General Manager, Strategic Accounts and Business Development.

“According to the Greeting Card Association, there are approximately 6.5 billion cards exchanged every year in the United States. Despite more ways than ever to reach out and stay in touch, many people feel less connected than ever, and at Hallmark, we believe that cards have the power to change that— and our consumer research is confirming this insight. About 90 percent of consumers believe a card can brighten someone’s day. Almost 90 percent of consumers feel that a card is a good way to let someone know they are special. About 80 percent of consumers tell us that with everyone going digital, they feel paper greeting cards are a more personal and intimate way to communicate. Eight in 10 consumers say they enjoy receiving cards, and eight in 10 consumers save the cards they get.”

Hallmark has continued to keep the category vibrant and relevant throughout the years, even as technology has infiltrated the way people communicate in their daily lives. “Hallmark knows it’s imperative that we evolve to meet the diverse needs of today's consumers. We aim to create cards that get to the heart of what shoppers want to say, while authentically reflecting their lives and relationships,” said McAnarney. “We have been proactively developing new creative strategies to meet the needs of multicultural and multi-generational consumers.”

Designer Greetings’ CFO Dawn Garvey emphasized the current state of the category has a lot of potential and promise. “The current climate for the greeting cards category is very promising, as the traditional greeting card segment held the largest market share in 2022,” said Garvey. “It is engrained in people’s behavior to send cards to share a sentiment and foster connectivity. These elements will help maintain the traditional card category’s strength.”

“We have a very appealing new card line called Designer Pop, which contains 3D cards that open to reveal intricate pop-up designs and are vibrant in the literal sense,” she Garvey. “In true Designer Greetings form, this line is priced at a cost that is favorable to our consumers, showing again that Designer Greetings provides top quality at great pricing.”

“As we all know, the current economic climate remains uncertain. However, greeting cards still maintain a consistent purchasing presence in our society. Thus, from a customer’s perspective, sales remain strong. On the flip side, the cost of production has been strained due to rising costs,” Garvey continued.

Designer Greetings has several plans for the rest of 2023, including an expansion of its stationery line. “We are in the process of expanding our full stationery line, adding more journals, planners, list pads and calendars," Garvey said. "With fresh, trendy cover designs and improved interiors, as well as exciting new products altogether, our product offerings span the full umbrella of stationery. Designer Greetings prides itself on its long-term relationships with retailers and distributors. The retailers and distributors look to Designer Greetings as a partner that is flexible in meeting their customers’ demands, while offering superior in-store service through our network of merchandisers.”

Since its inception, Greeting Card Association (GCA) has set itself apart within the category while remaining a trusted supplier. “For more 80 years, GCA has represented the greeting card industry,” Executive Director Nora Weiser told Grocery Insight in a previous interview.

“Recognizing grocery as an important retail outlet for greeting cards, GCA has actively included grocery buyers as partners in our community. For example, each year GCA’s Pitch Program gets brands in front of buyers for a 'Shark Tank' style opportunity to pitch their cards, and in 2022, Meijer participated. In addition to Meijer, we’ve also invited grocers like Wegmans and H-E-B to participate in our events and share tailored educational content on the grocery channel with our members.”

“People tend to overlook the importance of greeting cards, and their power to build true connections,” Weiser continued. “In a survey conducted by GCA, eight out of 10 respondents said that social media simply cannot replace greeting cards. It is also critical to ensure that retailers understand the vibrancy and relevance of greeting cards, as evidenced by the fact that Millennials now buy more greeting cards than any other demographic. Millennials are also willing to pay a premium for unique cards with a hand-made feel, embellishments and messaging that reflects their sentiments and style. Knowing this, retailers can focus on ensuring they have the right product mix for this key demographic.”

There are several opportunities that are unique to the greeting cards category, and GCA has noted the many benefits to receiving a card in the mail. “We often talk about the ‘mail moment’ and how receiving a greeting card delivers a unique moment of connection,” Nicky Burton, GCA Board Member and owner of Calypso Cards previously said. “Nearly three-fourths of consumers who send holiday cards do so because they know how good it feels when they receive a holiday greeting. As technology evolves at a rapid pace, many of our members are keeping up with innovations like video messages and augmented reality. At the same time, greeting cards remain rooted in a simple authenticity that is only gaining impact for card senders and receivers in a busy world. This 'retro' aspect of greeting cards is particularly resonating with young people, which is an exciting opportunity for the category.”