Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Strong growth forecast in the greetings card sector
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- Figure 1: Retail sales of greetings cards, including VAT, 2012-22
- Slower growth expected in personal stationery sales
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- Figure 2: Retail sales of personal stationery, including VAT, 2012-22
- Specialists account for over 40% of the greetings card market
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- Figure 3: Estimated share of UK greetings card market, by retailer type, 2016
- Competitive stationery market dominated by non-specialists
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- Figure 4: Estimated share of UK personal stationery market, by retailer type, 2016
- Companies and brands
- Card Factory continues to grow
- WH Smith losing share of the market
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- Figure 5: Estimated market share of greetings card and personal stationery market, by retailer, 2016
- Rising number of specialist stationery retailers
- Non-specialists tap into market
- The consumer
- Majority still shop in-store for greetings cards
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- Figure 6: Where they shop for greetings cards, in-store and online, May 2017
- Birthdays remain the primary reason for purchasing
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- Figure 7: Purchases of greetings cards, by occasion, May 2017
- People still think handwritten cards are more personal
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, May 2017
- Non-specialists dominate the stationery market
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- Figure 9: Where they shop for personal stationery, in-store and online, May 2017
- More than half want quality stationery
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- Figure 10: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, May 2017
- A third buy stationery as a treat
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards personal stationery, May 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- What are the opportunities in the greetings card market?
- The facts
- The implications
- What are the opportunities in the personal stationery market?
- The facts
- The implications
- Who are the winners and losers in the greetings card and personal stationery markets?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Greetings card market continues to perform despite threat of online
- Personal stationery sales stabilise, but growth remains slow
- Single cards account for 90% of greetings card market
- Online players losing share of greetings card market
- Grocers dominate the personal stationery market
- Stationery sector boosted by rise in school leaving age
Market Size and Forecast
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- Retail sales of greetings cards set to reach £2.1 billion
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- Figure 12: Retail sales of greetings cards, including VAT, 2012-22
- Personal stationery market forecast to grow 1.2%
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- Figure 13: Retail sales of personal stationery, including VAT, 2012-22
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Growth continues in both single and boxed card ranges
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- Figure 14: Estimated retail sales of greetings cards, by segment, 2012-16
- Seasonal cards account for 24% of the singles market
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- Figure 15: Estimated retail sales of greetings cards, by segment, 2016
Channels to Market
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- Grocers increase share of the greetings card market
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- Figure 16: Estimated share of UK greetings card market, by retailer type, 2016
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- Figure 17: Estimated share of UK greetings card market, by retailer type, 2012-16
- Fragmented stationery market
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- Figure 18: Estimated share of UK personal stationery market, by retailer type, 2016
- Figure 19: Estimated share of UK personal stationery market, by retailer type, 2012-16
Market Drivers
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- Rising inflation puts pressure on consumers
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- Figure 20: Real wages growth – Wages growth vs inflation, May 2014-April 2017
- Plenty of reasons to send greetings cards
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- Figure 21: Total number of births, deaths and marriages in the UK, 2011-15
- Changes in the UK population
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- Figure 22: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2014-24
- Figure 23: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2014-24
- Device ownership in the UK
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- Figure 24: Personal ownership of consumer technology products, December 2016
- Top five online activities
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- Figure 25: Online activities performed in the last three months, December 2016
- Back to school drives growth in stationery
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- Figure 26: Products purchased for the start of the school term in autumn 2016, January 2017
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- Figure 27: Amount spent on products purchased for the start of the school term, December 2016 and January 2017
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Leading retailer Card Factory’s sales continue to rise
- New players in stationery market establish strong position
- WH Smith losing share of the market
- Greetings cards become more inclusive
- Non-specialists tap into demand for fashionable stationery
- In-store events and pop-ups tap into seasonal gifting occasions
Competitive Strategies
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- Retail offering and brand positioning
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- Figure 28: Leading greetings cards and stationery retailers, 2016
- Financial outlook
- WH Smith reports weak high street performance
- Leading stationery specialists suffer from increasing competition
- Clintons’ position in greetings card market weakening
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- Figure 29: Leading greetings cards and stationery retailer revenues, 2012-16
- Recent acquisitions in the market
- Staples stores rebranded to Office Outlet
- Rymans acquires iconic art and design retailer
- Moonpig bought by private equity firms
- Rumoured sale of The Works
- Growing number of specialist stores
- New entrants in the market
- Card Factory extending its store network
- Clintons’ store closure rumours
- Paperchase looks to new markets for expansion
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- Figure 30: Leading greetings cards and stationery retailer store numbers, 2012-16
- Ongoing investment in digital
- Online accounts for estimated 5% of the market
- Pureplays continue to grow
- Store-based retailers discuss importance of online
- The rise of virtual greetings cards
- New developments in the market
- Non-specialists strengthen offer
- WH Smith trials new store format
- Clintons launches Party Delights
- Investment in travel retail
- Promotional strategies
- In-store events gain momentum
- Retailers bolster greetings card offer with inclusive ranges
- Tapping into the lucrative wedding market
- Collaborations generate brand hype
Market Share
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- Card Factory holds biggest share of greetings cards and stationery market
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- Figure 31: Estimated market share of greetings card and personal stationery market, by retailer, 2016
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- Figure 32: Estimated market share of greetings card and personal stationery market, by retailer, 2012-16
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Paperchase capitalises on emerging origami trend
- New players in the UK stationery market
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- Figure 33: Typo Westfield Stratford, London, 2016
- Figure 34: kikki.K London stores, 2017
- Tapping into demand for eco-friendly stationery
- The world’s favourite colour
- The Moleskine Café
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- Figure 35: Moleskine Café, Milan, 2016
- Debenhams Valentine’s Drive-Thru
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- Figure 36: Debenhams’ Valentine’s Day Drive-Thru, 2017
- Retailers tap into growth in same-sex partnerships
- Serving the Underserved
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- Figure 37: Happy Father’s Day Mum Greetings Cards, 2017
- Motivational stationery
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- Figure 38: The Happiness Planner, 2017
- Designer stationery
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- Figure 39: Matthew Williamson Stationery, 2017
- Figure 40: Matthew Williamson x Papier Collaboration, 2017
- The appeal of personalisation
- Personalised wedding stationery
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- Figure 41: Feather & Flourish Bespoke Wedding Stationery, 2017
- The Stationery Studio Tastemakers
- Instagram’s love for the handwritten word
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- Figure 42: Moleskine Smart Writing Set, 2016
- Handwriting services
- In-store events
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- Figure 43: Paperchase Love Week, February 2017
- VR greetings cards
- Post-its appear at London Fashion Week
- Smythson exhibition celebrates 130 years of business
- Chocolate Greetings Cards
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Aggregate advertising spend down 3.5% year on year in 2016 to £19.7 million
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- Figure 44: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure by selected leading UK greetings cards and stationery retailers, 2012-16
- Leading advertisers’ activity
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- Figure 45: Selected leading UK greetings cards and stationery retailers: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure, 2012-16
- Majority of advertising spend channelled through TV
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- Figure 46: Selected leading UK greetings cards and stationery retailers: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure, by media type, 2012-16
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- In-store purchases still dominate greetings card market
- Birthdays are the most purchased-for occasion
- People think greetings cards are overpriced
- Almost a third shop for stationery at the supermarket
- More than half want good quality stationery
- Half of consumers think sending post is pleasurable
Where They Buy Greetings Cards
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- Greetings card market resists the online movement
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- Figure 47: Where they shop for greetings cards, in-store and online, May 2017
- Young people most likely to shop online
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- Figure 48: Where they shop for greetings cards, by age, May 2017
- Women head to specialist retailers for greetings cards
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- Figure 49: Where they shop for greetings cards, by gender, May 2017
- A third only shop at one retailer
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- Figure 50: Repertoire of retailers used to buy greetings cards, May 2017
Purchases of Greetings Cards by Occasion
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- More people buy into Mother’s Day than Father’s Day
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- Figure 51: Purchases of greetings cards, by occasion, May 2017
- Older consumers drive the greetings card market
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- Figure 52: Purchases of greetings cards, by occasion, by age, May 2017
- Those in urban locations less likely to buy cards for majority of occasions
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- Figure 53: Purchases of greetings cards, by occasion, by location, May 2017
- Affluent shoppers buy into spring greetings
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- Figure 54: Purchases of greetings cards, by occasion, by socio-economic status, May 2017
Attitudes Towards Shopping for Greetings Cards
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- Greetings cards suffer overpriced perceptions
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- Figure 55: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, May 2017
- Young people more likely to invest in quality
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- Figure 56: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, by age, May 2017
- Men attracted to convenience of online
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- Figure 57: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, by gender, May 2017
- Gender-neutral ranges appeal to young shoppers
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- Figure 58: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, by age, May 2017
- Personalisation appeals to online shoppers
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- Figure 59: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, by where they shop, May 2017
- Department stores attract those looking for quality
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- Figure 60: Attitudes towards shopping for greetings cards, by where they shop, May 2017
- Greetings Cards vs Online Messages
- Gifts replacing greetings cards
Where They Buy Personal Stationery
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- Most buy stationery from non-specialist retailers
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- Figure 61: Where they shop for personal stationery, in-store and online, May 2017
- Men drive online stationery market
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- Figure 62: Where they shop for personal stationery, by gender, May 2017
- Purchasing significantly higher amongst 16-24s
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- Figure 63: Where they shop for personal stationery, by age, May 2017
- Less retailer loyalty in stationery market
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- Figure 64: Repertoire of retailers used to buy personal stationery, May 2017
Factors Influencing Personal Stationery Purchasing
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- Value for money driving force in purchasing
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- Figure 65: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, May 2017
- Women want attractive stationery
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- Figure 66: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, by gender, May 2017
- 25-34s most swayed by brand name
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- Figure 67: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, by age, May 2017
- Functionality important to affluent shoppers
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- Figure 68: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, by socio-economic status, May 2017
- Paperchase’s trend-driven ranges resonate
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- Figure 69: Factors influencing personal stationery purchasing, by where they shop, May 2017
Attitudes Towards Personal Stationery
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- Necessity purchases drive stationery market
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- Figure 70: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair one, May 2017
- Brand loyalty is low
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- Figure 71: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair two, May 2017
- Two in five usually shop at the same retailer
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- Figure 72: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair three, May 2017
- Split opinions on the importance of using high-quality stationery
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- Figure 73: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair four, May 2017
- Physical diaries resist the move to digital calendars
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- Figure 74: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair five, May 2017
- The pleasure of sending physical post
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- Figure 75: Attitudes towards personal stationery, pair six, May 2017
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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