Greeting cards lure customers and boost sales
In a world where time is a commodity, more and more Canadians are gravitating towards one-stop shopping experiences to conveniently check off their to-do lists. Case in point, those planning a party can count on the grocery store for everything from savoury snacks, birthday cake and beverages to fabulous greeting cards.
In fact, with no spoilage and 100% markup, greeting cards are fast becoming the grocer’s best return on investment. Plus, greeting cards don’t have to take up much valuable shelf space either. Several independent grocers in Toronto carrying as little as six feet of cards curated by Paper E. Clips, reported substantial revenue gains. Furthermore, one of Canada’s leading greeting card distributors says a two-foot, 56-pocket spinner with $4,000 worth of greeting cards can produce $16,000 worth of retail value with just four turns a year.
“The old paradigm of 40 feet of greeting card space is antique as you don’t need that level of selection to give customers what they need,” says Tory Wright, president and creative director of Paper E. Clips, which has been distributing distinctive cards, giftwrap and partyware to thousands of independent retailers and national chains for 35 years. “Some beautiful, curated cards will do the trick.”
Paper E. Clips works with its vendors to customize collections to fit a grocer’s needs and determine the best place to house product. Custom shelving can be provided, and reps will visit stores regularly to order, merchandise and replenish stock as needed. “Our greeting cards are curated from more than 60 independent vendors, so we don’t have a one-size-fits all program,” says Wright. “We make an effort to ensure that whatever is on the rack reflects the demographic that fits the store.” More than 95% of the collections are plastic-free or use compostable cellos and are printed on FSC certified or recycled papers making them “as green as possible,” she adds.
Wright says the addition of one or two greeting cards can easily bump up a grocery basked by $6 to $12. “We’ve discovered that customers love being able to pick up a card while shopping for groceries,” she says.
With the potential to boost sales and lure time-strapped shoppers, greeting cards should be on every grocer’s radar these days.