Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on greetings cards and personal stationery
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on greetings cards and personal stationery, 2020
- The market
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- Figure 2: Consumer spending on greetings cards, 2015-25
- Stationery sees a decline as consumers cut back on discretionary items
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- Figure 3: Consumer spending on personal stationery, 2015-25
- Consumers want personalised cards
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- Figure 4: Consumer spending on greetings cards, by segment, 2020 (est)
- Seasonal events are key for greetings card retailers
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- Figure 5: Seasonal events consumers buy greetings cards for, 2020
- Consumers limit time in-store and shop more online
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- Figure 6: Changes to behaviours due to COVID-19, 8-13 January 2021
- Card shops capture 44% of market by value
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- Figure 7: Distribution of greetings card, by type of retailer, 2020 (est)
- WH Smith hit by travel restrictions around the globe
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- Figure 8: Distribution of personal stationery, by type of retailer, 2020 (est)
- Companies and brands
- COVID-19 causes disruption to sales
- Card retailers show responsiveness with COVID-19-related card ranges
- Adspend up 70.6% in 2020
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- Figure 9: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on greetings cards and stationery, 2016-20
- Key advertising campaigns help those struggling with isolation during lockdown
- The consumer
- Greetings card purchasing declines as COVID-19 prevents gatherings
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- Figure 10: Greetings card purchases, 2019 and 2020
- Greetings card purchasing is mainly in stores
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- Figure 11: How greetings cards are purchased, November 2020
- Supermarkets benefit from essential status during lockdown
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- Figure 12: Types of retailers greetings cards are purchased from, 2019-20
- Greetings cards give a personal touch to gifts
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- Figure 13: Greetings card behaviours, November 2020
- Supermarkets a go-to place for personal stationery
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- Figure 14: Types of retailers personal stationery is purchased from, November 2020
- Value is an important factor when buying personal stationery
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- Figure 15: Factors shoppers look for when buying personal stationery, November 2020
- Shoppers buy stationery to help support working from home
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- Figure 16: Personal stationery behaviours, November 2020
Issues and Insights
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- COVID-19 accelerates online shopping
- Retailers should celebrate non-occasions
- Retailer should find ways to support the working-from-home lifestyle
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Demand for greetings cards persist despite store closures
- COVID-19 helps spark an increase for personalised cards
- Print-on-demand and supermarkets emerge as lockdown winners
- Retailers should encourage trading-up at seasonal events
Market Size and Forecast
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- Greetings cards and personal stationery to recover in the medium term
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- Figure 17: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on greetings cards and personal stationery, 2020
- UK greetings card market holds up despite store closures
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- Figure 18: Consumer spending on greetings cards, 2015-25
- Figure 19: Consumer spending on greetings cards, 2015-25
- Stationery sees a decline as consumers cut back on discretionary items
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- Figure 19: Consumer spending on personal stationery, 2015-25
- Figure 20: Consumer spending on personal stationery, 2015-15
- Market drivers and assumptions
- Learnings from the last recession
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Consumers want personalised cards
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- Figure 22: Consumer spending on greetings cards, by segment, 2020 (est)
- Figure 23: Consumer spending on greetings cards, 2013-20
- Encourage consumers to trade up at seasonal events
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- Figure 24: Single cards, share by value, 2020
Channels to Market
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- Card shops capture 44% of market by value
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- Figure 25: Distribution of greetings cards, by channel, 2016-20 (est)
- WH Smith hit by travel restrictions around the globe
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- Figure 26: Distribution of personal stationery, by channel, 2016-20 (est)
Market Drivers
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- Population trends
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- Figure 27: Population of the UK, 2020-30
- Figure 28: Population of the UK, 2020-30
- Over-75s set to grow the most
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- Figure 29: Population of the UK, percentage change, by age group, 2020-30
- Deaths and marriages contribute to greetings card purchasing
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- Figure 30: Number of deaths and marriages in England and Wales, 2010-19
- Seasonal events are key for greetings card retailers
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- Figure 31: Seasonal events consumers buy greetings cards for, 2020
- More households have internet access
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- Figure 32: Percentage of households who have internet access in the UK and EU, 2010-19
- Smartphone ownership increases
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- Figure 33: Technology device ownership, September 2020
- Consumer confidence holds up well
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- Figure 34: Consumer confidence, January 2020
- Back-to-school contributes to personal stationery market
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- Figure 36: What consumers bought for the new term in 2019, September 2019
- Consumers limit time in-store and shop more online
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- Figure 37: Changes to behaviours due to COVID-19, 8-13 January 2021
- Brexit impact
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- COVID-19 causes disruption to sales
- Card retailers show responsiveness with COVID-19-related card ranges
- Adspend set for a record year in 2020
Companies and Brands
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- COVID-19 causes disruption to sales
- WH Smith sales down as travel restrictions impact stores at airports
- Paperchase saved out of administration
- Clintons highlights unfairness for supermarkets to keep selling cards
- Moonpig goes public as it emerges as a lockdown winner
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- Figure 38: Leading greetings cards and stationery retailer revenues, 2014-20
- Figure 39: Leading greetings card and stationery retailers, store numbers, 2014-20
- Figure 40: Leading greetings card and stationery retailers, sales per store, 2014-20
Market Share
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- Market shares decrease due to COVID-19
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- Figure 41: Greetings card market share, by value, 2014-20
- Figure 42: Personal stationery market share, by value, 2014-20
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Seasonal event launches
- Filthy Sentiments launches COVID-19-related Mother’s Day cards
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- Figure 43: Filthy Sentiments’ COVID-19-related Mother’s Day cards, 2020
- Moonpig blood donation range for Mother’s Day
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- Figure 44: Moonpig’s Mother’s Day card range, 2020
- Louis Vuitton’s #WELVMOMS e-card service
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- Figure 45: Louis Vuitton’s complimentary e-card personalisation service, 2020
- Sustainability
- Co-op teams up with Econature in new stationery range
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- Figure 46: Econature range sold by Co-op, 2020
- Inclusivity and diversity
- Scribbler celebrates Black card designers
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- Figure 47: Scribbler’s dedicated webpage for Black card designers, 2020
- Waterstones stocks first Black-owned greetings card business in stores
- COVID-19-inspired innovations
- Moonpig’s Little Lockdown Heroes
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- Figure 48: Moonpig’s Little Lockdown Heroes card range, 2020
- Scribbler helps customers send cards to NHS workers
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- Figure 49: Scribbler’s free greetings card ranges, 2020
- Now TV recreated Love Actually doorstep scene
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- Figure 50: Now TV Greetings Gram, 2020
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Adspend set to increase in 2020
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- Figure 51: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on greetings cards and stationery, 2016-20
- Moonpig is the biggest advertising spender
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- Figure 52: Moonpig and NHSBT Mother’s Day cards, 2020
- Figure 53: Moonpig’s Mental Health Awareness cards, 2020
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- Figure 54: Above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on greetings cards and stationery, selected retailers, 2016-20
- Adspend on TV increases
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- Figure 55: Above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on greetings cards and stationery, by media type, 2020
- Key campaigns
- Thinking of You Week
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- Figure 56: GCA Thinking of You Week banner and Sainsbury’s’ dedicated displays to the camping, 2020
- Collins wants you to #StayWriteAtHome
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- Figure 57: Spotlight Stationery and Collins collaboration, 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Greetings card demand holds up well despite cutback for non-essentials
- Younger shoppers buy non-occasional cards
- Younger consumers buy greetings cards on smartphones
- Supermarkets benefit from essential status during lockdown
- COVID-19 has made it more important to stay in touch
- Younger consumers buy personal stationery from a range of retailers
- Shoppers buy stationery to help support working from home
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Safety concerns peak during key retail events
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- Figure 58: Levels of concerns about exposure to the virus, February 2020-January 2021
- Greetings card demand holds up well despite cutback on non-essentials
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- Figure 59: Changes in behaviour due to COVID-19, 21-26 January 2021
Occasions Greetings Cards are Purchased For
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- Greetings card purchasing declines as COVID-19 prevents gatherings
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- Figure 60: Greetings card purchases, 2019 and 2020
- Younger shoppers buy non-occasional cards
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- Figure 61: Greetings card purchases, by age group, November 2020
Who They Purchase Greetings Cards For
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- Shoppers purchase cards for family members
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- Figure 62: Who they purchase greetings cards for, November 2020
- Card giving predominantly female-driven
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- Figure 63: Who they purchase greetings cards for, by gender, November 2020
How They Purchase Greetings Cards
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- Greetings card purchasing made mainly in-store
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- Figure 64: How greetings cards are purchased, November 2020
- Younger consumers buy greetings cards on smartphones
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- Figure 65: How greetings cards are purchased, by age group, November 2020
Which Retailers They Shop At
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- Supermarkets benefit from essential status during lockdown
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- Figure 66: Types of retailers greetings cards are purchased from, 2019 and 2020
- Online-only retailers are popular across demographics
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- Figure 67: Types of retailers greetings cards are purchased from, by age group, November 2020
Greetings Card Behaviours
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- Greetings cards give a personal touch to gifts
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- Figure 68: Greetings card behaviours, November 2020
Retailers Personal Stationery is Purchased From
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- Supermarkets a go-to place for personal stationery
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- Figure 69: Types of retailers personal stationery is purchased from, November 2020
- Younger consumers buy personal stationery from a range of retailers
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- Figure 70: Types of retailers personal stationery is purchased from, by age group, November 2020
Important Factors When Shopping for Personal Stationery
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- Value is an important factor when buying personal stationery
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- Figure 71: Factors shoppers look for when buying personal stationery, November 2020
- Females want stylish personal stationery
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- Figure 72: Factors shoppers look for when buying personal stationery, by gender, November 2020
Personal Stationery Behaviours
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- Shoppers buy stationery to help support working from home
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- Figure 73: Personal stationery behaviours, November 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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