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  • Did you know: how card shopping has changed over the years?

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Did you know: how card shopping has changed over the years?

It’s official: sending greeting cards is hardwired into our DNA!

Historians think that the habit probably originated soon after humans began to write. Clay tablets from ancient Sumeria ( in the third millennium BCE), which have greetings inscribed on them, suggest they had been sent as cards to wish others well. This just goes to show that our ancestors really were a thoughtful bunch and perhaps not so different from ourselves in that sense!

Today the materials used as well as the card manufacturing process and delivery options open to us are clearly a world away from the world of clay tablets but the desire to express our sentiments to those we care about remains as strong as ever.

However, it’s true to say that shopping trends change with the times. In recent years economic factors had already impacted both the high street and our shopping habits even before the pandemic hit. As one of the UK’s leading online card retailers, Bury based Cards Galore Online, we’ve certainly noticed differences in the way that our customers purchase cards and accessories.

So, when it comes to buying cards, what are we doing differently now?

Online Shopping

Perhaps the most notable way that card shopping has changed is that more of us are choosing to buy online. After all, it’s convenient-we don’t need to make a special trip to find something we like. It’s possible to search for the right card while sitting comfortably at home with a cup of tea, or perhaps while we’re staying elsewhere- as long as we have internet access it really doesn’t matter where we are. And purchasing online may be the best option for people who live in more rural areas or for those who struggle to get out and about. At Cards Galore Online we’ve helped countless customers save time when they’ve used our service.

What’s more, it’s logical to purchase more than one at a time, not least because building up a supply reduces the risk of running out as in theory there’s always going to be an appropriate card to hand.

Changing Tastes

Although some themes remain popular today, our tastes have largely changed over the years. Naturally this is reflected in the design ranges available to us.

While as a nation we’ve largely moved on from cards featuring embellishments and also from naughty cards, at the moment puns, foiled lettering and explitives seem to be popular!

 

 

 

Recycled cards

Our shopping choices are also shaped by global issues.

These days, the sustainability of products is key. Naughty cards may no longer be in vogue but increasingly, greeting cards are sold “naked” - in other words, without a plastic film, to combat environmental concerns.

Instead, some now feature a “smart seal” sticker to keep envelopes and cards together. And designers have responded to those environmental concerns by taking things even further- one is known to make her envelopes from recycled coffee cups.

 Innovative approaches like these just go to prove that necessity really is the mother of invention.

Outdated Habit? No way!

We might imagine that because they seemingly have technology constantly at their fingertips, and with it the power of instant messaging, the younger generation have largely given up on card-buying and sending.

But the statistics may surprise us. According to the Greeting Card Association’s market report of 2019, the British public spent £1.7bn on cards in 2018, with generation Z (18- to 24-year-olds) buying more cards than any other age group.

Industry experts report growth in the numbers of people sending a message to cheer someone up which explains why there has been a huge rise in so-called “No occasion” cards. Interestingly, millennials and generation Z are the ones buying these cards because they view them as more powerful than social media messages.

Clearly these younger customers know what matters!

How we go about our card shopping may have changed over time for a variety of reasons.

That said, it’s a cause for celebration that the British send more cards per capita than any other nation, and it seems unlikely we’ll give up that habit any time soon. Which to all the team at Cards Galore Online, is great news!