The UK greeting card industry is worth over 1.3 billion annually, according to Mintel, - more than tea and coffee put together. It is the most successful greeting card industry in the world with 800 publishers producing over 2.87 billion greeting cards in 2006 for the greeting card hungry British public. Keynote's market report puts the average number of greeting cards sent at 55 per person per year.
Interesting Facts About the Greeting Card Industry85% 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 approximately 800 publishers in the UK, most of which are small businesses with fewer than five employees. Out of the 400 members of the GCA over 280 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.
Greeting cards are stocked in more types of outlet than any other product – with one in six retailers stocking greeting cards.
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 our culture.
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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