The latest GCA Market Report shows that in 2015 the UK public spent more on greeting cards than ever before – taking the market value up to a value of £1.7 billion.
The report, covering January - December 2015 sales, is the only research based on actual retail sales figures, with data confidentially submitted by UK publishers to market analysts Ebiquity.
The vast majority of greeting cards are bought in bricks and mortar stores, as opposed to online and remain an important, highly-profitable product for all manner of retailers.
In addition an estimated 900 million Christmas cards were sold in boxes and packs worth around £200m, as well as millions of cards bought from online operators, such as Moonpig.
The total retail value of single cards sales in the UK stood at £1.5 billion in 2015, with 880 million single cards being sold in this period - compared with 2014, value is up 5%.
The overall value of Everyday card sales increased by £60.1 million from 2014. Sales of birthday cards showed the greatest growth by percentage (up 10.39%) to almost £564 million. Relations and Occasions cards edged up another 1% by value, taking this category £586.4 million.
Single Christmas Cards account for 12% of total retail value for all cards.
Facts About the Greeting Card Industry
Directly and indirectly the greeting card industry is responsible for the jobs of 100,000 people in the UK including:
- Publishers.
- Artists.
- Photographers.
- Image suppliers.
- Verse and prose writers.
- Printers, paper and board companies.
- Envelope and cello wrap suppliers.
- Specialist finishers.
- Warehousing and distribution companies.
- Trade fair organisers.
- Retailers.
No other country has such a tradition of card sending or card display in the home - the sending and receiving of cards is an important part of British culture.
85% of all cards are bought by women.
The UK card industry is acknowledged to be ten years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of design.
There are over a thousand publishers in the UK, most of which are small businesses with fewer than five employees. Out of the 400 plus members of the Greeting Card Association, over 350 are small/micro businesses.
It’s a creative industry with strong bases in London, Nottinghamshire and the North - especially Yorkshire and Lancashire - where it has replaced many of the heavy manufacturing industries as a major employers.
Charities estimate that £50m is raised for good causes through the sales of charity Christmas cards each year.
Greeting cards are stocked in more types of outlet than any other product – with one in six retailers stocking greeting cards.
The commercial Christmas card was invented in 1846 by Sir Henry Cole, the chief organiser of the Great Exhibition, pioneer of the penny post and founder of the V&A Museum. One of Sir Henry’s first Christmas cards, sent to his Grandmother, was recently sold at auction for £22,500.
Greeting card making is also the number one craft hobby, according to Crafts Beautiful - the top consumer craft magazine, which receives more enquiries about greeting cards than any other subject.
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