Table of Contents
Issues in the Market
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- Key themes
- Definition
- Abbreviations
Future Opportunities
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- Championing the need to really connect
- Fostering generosity
Market in Brief
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- Flat consumer spend
- Everyday cards dominate the market
- Demand fairly predictable
- Population growth means expanding audience
- Availability of technology
- Saving the planet, but not at any price
- Electronic innovations
- Following the Moonpig
- Card shops hold onto a third of the market
- Small advertising spend
- Types of card shopper
- Outlook
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Ownership of technology
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- Figure 1: Ownership of selected technology items, 2006-10
- Home computing widespread
- Have an e-Christmas
- Free e-cards
- Online shopping for cards
- The virtual calendar
- Generate your own on the PC
- Use an app
- Millions of occasions to celebrate
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- Figure 2: Number of births, deaths and marriages in the UK, 2005-10
- Hatch, match and dispatch
- Congratulations
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- Figure 3: Number of graduates, first degree, UK, 2005/06-2008/09
- Exam success
- Driving test passes
- New home
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- Figure 4: Number of completed property transactions in the UK, 2000-10
- Remembering friends at Christmas
- Diverse Britain
- Associations
- The Greeting Card Association (GCA)
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Population growth
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- Figure 5: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2005-15
- More people, so more cards
- Socio-economic structure of the population
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- Figure 6: adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2005-15
- Saving the planet
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- Figure 7: agreement with statements relating to the environment, 2005-09
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- New product developments
- Retail developments
- Online services
- Hallmark celebrating 30
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Virtual greetings
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- Figure 8: Ownership of selected technology items, 2006-10
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- Figure 9: Type of activity undertaken on the internet in the last three months, April 2008-10
- Huge potential for e-greetings
- E-mail a familiar medium
- Fast growth for social networks
- Pictures worth a thousand words
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- Figure 10: Selected features used on mobile phone, 2008-10
- Not just talk
- Craft cards
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Steady demand for cards
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- Figure 11: UK retail value sales of greeting cards, at current and constant prices, 2005-15
- Figure 12: UK retail volume sales of greetings cards, 2005-15
- The future
- Forecast
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Everyday cards dominate
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- Figure 13: UK value and volume sales of greeting cards, by sector, 2010
- Christmas cards spend under pressure
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- Figure 14: UK retail value and volume sales of greeting cards, by sector, 2010
- Dip in demand at Christmas
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- Figure 15: UK retail value and volume sales of Christmas cards, 2005-10
- Everyday cards see steady demand
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- Figure 16: UK retail value and volume sales of everyday cards, 2005-10
- Resilience of birthday cards
- Polarising market
- Landmark occasions
- Spring cards – a bit more special
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- Figure 17: UK retail value and volume sales of spring cards*, 2005-10
- Wanting to appear generous
- Risks of overstocking
- Not just Easter eggs
- Love to mums everywhere
Market Share
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- Key points
- Over half of market in hands of the majors
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- Figure 18: Company shares of UK retail value sales of greetings cards, 2008 and 2010
Companies and Products
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- The Great British Card Company plc
- Ling Design
- Carte Blanche Greetings
- International Greetings Plc
- Paper Rose
- The Art Group
- Simon Elvin
- Moonpig
- UK Greetings
- Hallmark Cards UK
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Small advertising spend
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- Figure 19: Main media advertising expenditure on greeting cards, by leading advertisers, 2007-10
- Moonpig raising awareness
- Hallmark personalises an ad for its personal cards
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Exit of Woolworths favours supermarkets
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- Figure 20: UK retail value sales of greeting cards, by outlet type, 2006-10
- Store numbers
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- Figure 21: Specialist card retail multiples, estimated number of outlets, 2010
- Tough trading conditions precipitate fall-out
- Demise of Card Warehouse and Cardfair
- Farewell to Woolworths
- Clinton rationalisation
- WH Smith
- Clinton (and Birthdays)
- Paperchase
- Scribbler
- Card Factory
- Internet-based greeting card services
- Personalised cards, ordered online
- Online sellers
- Virtual greetings
- Moonpig
- Other online specialists
The Consumer – Types of Occasions for Which Greeting Cards Are Purchased
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- Key points
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- Figure 22: Occasions for which cards are purchased, December 2006 and July 2010.
- Cards are universal
- The gender divide
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- Figure 23: Occasions for which cards are purchased, by gender, July 2010
- Who looks after the card shopping?
- Christmas cards going off the boil?
- Who buys Christmas cards?
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- Figure 24: Purchasers of Christmas cards, by age, July 2010
- A demonstration of love and affection
- Different cards for different age bands
- About half buy 5+ cards
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- Figure 25: Repertoire of types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
- What are they buying?
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- Figure 26: Types of greeting cards purchased, by number of types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
- Women buy more types of card
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- Figure 27: Repertoire of cards bought, by gender, July 2010
Attitudes Towards Buying Greeting Cards
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- Key points
- Four in ten find cards too expensive
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- Figure 28: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, July 2010
- Price limits
- Charity begins with women
- Paying more for special celebrations, but not for brands
Buying Behaviour for Greeting Cards
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- Key points
- Attitudes towards shopping for greeting cards
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- Figure 29: Attitudes towards shopping for cards, July 2010
- Make it easy
- Close friends
- Leaving it until late
- Stocking up the letter rack
- Older consumers more charitable
- Coded pricing
- Virtual greetings
- Howling at the moon
- Remind me please
- Obscure occasions
- How different consumers behave
- Charity begins at Christmas
Target Groups
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- Key points
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- Figure 30: Target groups for greeting cards, July 2010
- Cautious Givers (16%)
- Who are they?
- Their buying behaviour
- What cards they buy
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- Figure 31: Cards purchased by type, Cautious Givers, July 2010
- Style Seekers (26%)
- Who are they?
- What cards they buy
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- Figure 32: Cards purchased by type, Style Seekers, July 2010
- Their buying behaviour
- Price Conscious (39%)
- Who are they?
- What cards they buy
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- Figure 33: Cards purchased by type, Price Conscious, July 2010
- Their buying behaviour
- Splashers (19%)
- Who are they?
- What cards they buy
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- Figure 34: Cards purchased by type, Splashers, July 2010
- Their buying behaviour
- Types of cards bought by customer groups
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- Figure 35: Repertoire of types bought, by customer typology, July 2010
Appendix – Competitive Context
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- Figure 36: Type of activity undertaken on the internet in the last three months, April 2005-10
- Figure 37: Features used on mobile phone, 2006-10
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Appendix – The Consumer – Types of Occasions for Which Greeting Cards Are Purchased
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- Figure 38: Types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 39: Attitudes towards spend on greeting cards by repertoire of types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 40: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by repertoire of types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 41: Target groups, by repertoire of types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 42: Most popular types of greeting cards purchased, by demographics, July 2010
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- Figure 43: Next most popular types of greeting cards purchased, by demographics, July 2010
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- Figure 44: Other types of greeting cards purchased, by demographics, July 2010
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- Figure 45: Repertoire of types of greeting cards purchased, by demographics, July 2010
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Appendix – Attitudes Towards Buying Greeting Cards
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- Figure 46: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, July 2010
- Figure 47: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by most popular types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 48: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by next most popular types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
- Figure 49: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by other types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
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- Figure 50: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by least popular types of greeting cards purchased, July 2010
- Figure 51: Most popular attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by demographics, July 2010
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- Figure 52: Next most popular attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by demographics, July 2010
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Appendix – Buying Behaviour for Greeting Cards
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- Figure 53: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, July 2010
- Figure 54: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by most popular attitudes to buying greeting cards, July 2010
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- Figure 55: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by next most popular attitudes to buying greeting cards, July 2010
- Figure 56: Most popular attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by demographics, July 2010
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- Figure 57: Next most popular attitudes to buying greeting cards, by demographics, July 2010
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Appendix – Target Groups
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- Figure 58: Types of greeting cards purchased, by buying behaviour, July 2010
- Figure 59: Types of greeting cards purchased, by next most popular attitudes towards buying greeting cards, July 2010
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- Figure 60: Attitudes towards spending on greeting cards, by target groups, July 2010
- Figure 61: Types of greeting cards purchased, by target groups, July 2010
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- Figure 62: Types of greeting cards purchased, by target groups, July 2010
- Figure 63: Attitudes towards buying greeting cards, by target groups, July 2010
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- Figure 64: Target groups, by demographics, July 2010
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