GCA members and other greetings industry folk have been busy spreading the joy of cards across the media in the runup to Christmas
Greeting card publisher and GCA Council member Wendy Jones-Blackett appeared on BBC Breakfast, where reporters asked members of the public whether they still send Christmas cards. The response was mixed. Some said they no longer send cards at all, relying instead on social media for festive greetings, while others were passionate about keeping the tradition alive – sending cards to friends, family and even the dog!
Postage costs quickly became a talking point. One woman interviewed, who had just posted 27 cards, joked: “I needed a mortgage!” to pay for the stamps.
Wendy Jones-Blackett commented that while consumers may be sending fewer cards overall, they are spending more on their “nearest and dearest”, and that the personal message of a card remains highly valued.
The segment ended on a particularly poignant note, with caller Sue sharing that she still displays a card sent by her daughter Sam every Christmas. Sam died more than 30 years ago, but the card has remained a treasured reminder on display every Christmas since.
Grace Jackson of Grace Jackson Design also made an appearance on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, reflecting on the enduring power of cards. She said: “We are so connected in society now [by social media etc], but when it comes to Christmas and taking time out to send a heartfelt message on a card – it’s nice to know someone is thinking of you.”
On the same programme, John Bird from EJ Greeting Cards and Computers in Peterborough highlighted the impact of rising postal costs on sales, saying: “We’re 22% down on sales, week on week, compared to last year. It’s the postage – the cost of the cards is less than the post of the stamps.’’
Sales agent and Greetings Today columnist Dave Langdon also appeared, sharing his perspective. “For me the priorities are charity and charity boxed cards. If people can buy a box of charity cards they can send them to everyone, and it’s the season of giving. Also humorous cards – being able to make another person laugh is priceless.”
He added that he had sold more Christmas cards to retailers than last year, but would need to wait until January to see how they performed in-store. (Dave is our columnist for the January/February issue of Greetings Today, so we’re hoping he’ll report back!)
The presenter finished by asking about Father’s Day cards for dads who don’t drink, don’t play golf and don’t like classic cars. Dave’s response? The industry is working on it!
