It’s Been Declined: The Card

The decline in personalised Christmas cards has been steady for at least the last five years, with a lot of years seeing a more prominent part drop than others, particularly 2008 where the banking crisis put the fear of god into everyone, so both businesses and buyers plainly kept on to their cash and didn’t spend on pricey luxuriousness cards. Let’s make no fault here either they are a luxuriousness item, even for businesses. Many would say they are a necessary sales and retail tool for businesses, but the trend is unquestionably away from them at the moment.

So what are the contributing elements to the decline?

1) Cheap number of things from which only one can be chosen

2) Aging demographic of purchasers

3) Advent of e-cards

4) Environmental worries

We’ll commence with cheap alternatives.

During the 1980′s and 1990′s it was mutual place for persons to buy a single card design with a personalised insert stuck in. You would then write your envelopes and post your Christmas cards. This was and still is an costly option, but does provide the best in quality and thoughtfulness. Then for the duration of the late 90′s and early into the current decade cheap card shops held cropping up such as ‘The Card Factory’ or ‘The Card Warehouse’. These outlets would trade non personalised greetings cards at in truth cheap prices, hardly covering the costs of sales and manufacture. Now this isn’t direct contest to luxuriousness Christmas cards, but they did drive the price and quality of the whole industry downwards. Although the intermediate buyer wouldn’t buy from a cheap outlet they did take detect of for less cards and have made their conclusions from there.

Aging Christmas Cards Buyer

People in their 20s, 30s and 40s don’t send Christmas cards – it’s that simple. As each year goes buy the older generation have less people to send cards to and there are less of them to send cards. The problem is there are no new senders coming through society. Why send one when you may just message an individual on Facebook or myspace or the next generic social networking website. There will always be the exception to the rule, but in general people that send Christmas cards in bulk grew up before the digital roller coaster started in earnest.

E-cards

There’s no hiding from them and they are unquestionably here to stay exceptionally with companies such as 123greetings doing so well. A recent article in the Telegraph news paper on Christmas cards suggested that the e-card market was growing at over 200% year on year. You have to imagine that each e-card sent is one less traditionally printed card that isn’t fictitious and sold. So it would be safe to say that e-cards are having an enormous effect on the personalised Christmas card market. The Environment

Our final piece of the jigsaw is the ever growing worries regarding the environment. We are all getting much more conscious of our carbon footprint and how much waste we generate. This again has contributed to people not buying cards, or at least buying less and choosing cautiously whether their personalised Christmas cards have been fabricated on recycled material or at least FSC accredited material.

So to sum up the Perosnlaised Christmas card market has been hit and battered by the economy, the environment, digital technology and the ordinary passing of time.

The piece is unquestionably a ‘doom and gloom’ article but I will follow it up with a ‘Reasons to be optimistic’ article in the next few days. If I get chance I might do one on environmentally friendly card production too – I’ll see how I feel.

Its Been Declined The Card

Cover: I’m here for you. I know it hasn’t been easy. I know there are times when it’s tough… I recognise that things aren’t always fair…Inside: But that doesn’t mean it will have to be this rough. The journeying must be a lot smoother, and life will have to play by the rules. Time passes too quickly in everything…. Except when it heals our wounds. With all my heart, I wish I had more answers. I want to let you recognise how much I care. I wish the path in front were clearer to see. I want to walk besides you all the way there. I want you to have a guardian angel; someone to watch over you. I want you to listen closely to your heart, for it will always speak the truth. I want you to have faith in tomorrow. It will guide your steps today. And I know that things haven’t been easy.. but I know things will be okay. -Douglas PagelsMy Thoughts and Wishes Are with You.Details: Fine textured card stock.Top and bottom edging artistically crafted to look like torn edging.Manufacturer: Blue Mountain Arts Size: 5″x7″

Its Been Declined The Card Pic

Its Been Declined The Card Picture

Its Been Declined The Card Image

Its Been Declined The Card Picture