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KN22090

KEY NOTE Market Report Plus : GREETINGS CARDS : AUGUST 2000

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ISBN 1-84168-103-2

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The UK market for greetings cards, on both the publishing and retail side, is one of maturity and intense competition. In recent years, three US companies have dominated the global market for publishing cards, with their UK subsidiaries expanding by acquisitions.

Retail sales of greetings cards were valued in excess of £1.1bn in 1999, with the industry reporting disappointing sales for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, but an encouraging take-up of Easter cards. Opinion is divided as to how successful the Millennium New Year was in increasing sales of New Year cards, with some reporting bumper sales and others concluding it had no impact. Publishers are continuing to emphasise the theme in other cards, such as in Millennium birth, wedding and engagement cards, and it is certainly expected that the number of weddings taking place in 2000 will be higher than usual.

The potential impact of the Internet on the greetings cards industry is considerable. Apart from the opportunity to advertise or sell online, it cannot be denied that electronic greetings are a threat to the industry. However, greetings cards are such an intrinsic part of the British culture that it is highly doubtful that they will endanger it to any great extent. Nevertheless, the method is likely to gain ground among the young and it is probable that sending e-greetings will become prevalent in countries where there is no established tradition of sending cards. If this should be the case, it will limit UK publishers’ opportunities to infiltrate the many underdeveloped export markets.

With the UK market at near saturation, exports are of great importance to the industry and the British publishing industry, with its reputation for innovation and design in the greetings cards sector, enjoys a significant trade surplus. Exports were worth around £65.2m in 1999, although imports, too, are increasing. There is some concern that the degree of consolidation being seen in the industry will somewhat dilute the product and that the British card-buying public, an avid one, will be deprived of the rich choice currently on offer. Small, design-led operations and individuals have to struggle to get their product noticed, and then be wary of having the design copied and mass-produced, while publishers large and small have to contend with the fact that manufacturing overseas is so much cheaper.

Key Note estimates that value growth in the greetings cards market will outstrip that of volume. Between 2000 and 2004, the overall market is expected to grow by 4 percent in volume and 9.8 percent in value.

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Last updated by Jacob van Eldik 10th September 2000