As the most recent Progressive Gifts & Home Retail Barometer 2018 confirmed, greeting cards are one of the fastest growing sectors for independent gift retailers, with over two thirds of respondents confirming that sales of cards had increased in the previous year.
With the countdown to the fifth Thinking Of You Week well underway (TOYW takes place from September 24-30), gift shops are being encouraged to download the branded Thinking of You Week PoS material, posters and fliers from the Greeting Card Association’s website Thinkingofyouweek.cards to enable them to display them in their windows and in store. The website’s free toolkit includes a banner, consumer handouts, an event poster, an email sign off and social media banner headers.
Last year, Calliope Gifts, which has stores in Dorking, Haywards Heath and Alton, was among the gift shops that got behind the event. “We were delighted with the results,” confirmed director Andy Adamson. “It was our best week for sales since Mother’s Day.
The idea behind Thinking of You Week is to create a wave of happiness and caring through sending greeting cards. “All the research shows the positive emotional impact receiving a card can have on a person,” says Sharon Little, ceo of the Greeting Card Association. “It’s so much more powerful than any form of digital message.”
Continues Sharon: “Feedback from retailers is that, as a result of this great campaign, they have seen Thinking of You Week growing as a year-round caption. It’s a brilliant way for retailers to engage with customers new and old, and provides a great opportunity to get involved in the community, perhaps by running a school competition, or working with a local charity or a hospital. There’s lots of scope to raise the profile of sending cards.”
Last month, the GCA joined forces with Home & Gift in Harrogate to fly the flag for Thinking of You Week. In addition to eye-catching signage, a ‘wall of happiness’ made its debut in the show’s buyers’ lounge. GCA members who were exhibiting at the show were invited to submit up to five cards which best embodied the spirit of Thinking of You Week.
Top: The fifth Thinking Of You Week takes place in September.
