Want to know who are the UK’s best greeting card retail stockists? The finalists in The Retas 2018, the only dedicated annual awards for greeting card retail stockists, are revealed today (May 1) with the line-up reflecting the diversity of the card retailing landscape
“We have had a terrific level of engagement with the industry, both suppliers and retailers themselves, to arrive at this year’s worthy finalists,” commented Warren Lomax, joint managing director of Max Publishing (and PG), which owns and organises The Retas.
The Retas 2018 Official Finalists
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London (inside the M25)
Caxton – Temple Fortune
Medici Gallery – South Kensington
Mooch – Ealing
Moments – Wanstead
My Favourite Things – Raynes Park
Northwood Cards & Gifts – Northwood
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties
Cardies – Stevenage
Card Shack – Broadstairs
Creased Cards – Brighton
Moda – Folkestone
Nest at No 9 – Olney
White Mint –Berkhamsted and St Albans
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia
Cards R Us – South Woodham Ferrers
The Card Shop – Norwich
Celebrations Hallmark – Aylsham
The House Of Cards – Lincoln
The Olive Branch – Billericay and Brentwood
Snape Maltings – Aldeburgh
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West
Just Cards – Honiton
Lorelei – Truro
Occasional Cards – Kingsbridge
Paper Moon – Sidmouth
Romantica – three stores in Bristol
Southbourne Cards – Bournemouth
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales and the Midlands
Austin & Co – Malvern
Celebrations – Stourbridge
The Little Card & Gift Co – Newport
Nest – Leicester
Paperweight – Cardiff
You – Stamford
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland
Hallmark Widnes – Widnes
Just For You – Belfast
RBUK – Rochdale
Reflections – Nantwich
Sincerely Yours – Warrington
Thinking Of You – Denby Dale
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland
Everyone’s Designs – Edinburgh
Gibsons of Haddington – Haddington
JP Pozzi and Bijou – Buckie and Elgin
Kairds – Kirkwall
Paper Tiger – two stores in Edinburgh
Top Drawer – St Andrews
Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer Or New Branch – South
Bromley & Co – Ipswich
Cat’s Whiskers – Bishops Cleeve
Mustard – Oadby
Objectables – Folkestone
Paper Turtle – Lewes
Wave – Bungay
Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch North
Baileys Cards & Gifts (Hallmark) – Ainsdale
Best Wishes – Garstang
Cards & Gifts – Sheffield
West Kirby Cards – Wirral
Holly Blue – Saltburn By The Sea
Pencil Me In – Elgin
Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards
Carnforth Bookshop – Carnforth
Daunt Books – eight stores
Diss Publishing Bookshop – Diss
Gerrards Cross & Chorleywood Bookshops – Gerrards Cross and Chorleywood
The Guisborough Bookshop – Guisborough
Wimbledon Books – Wimbledon
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – North
The Apple Tree Gift Shop & Teahouse – Ockbrook
Blaby Post Office – Blaby
Church Gallery – Kirkby Stephen
Gift + Home – Altrincham and Hale
Oklahoma – Manchester
QLM House & Home – Leeds
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – South
Cadeaux & Co – Chipping Sodbury and Wells
Darts Farm Shop – Topsham
Fourteen Lifestyle – Stroud
Ginger Fig – Taunton
In Heaven At Home – Market Harborough
Newport Pagnell Post Office – Newport Pagnell
Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (4-20 stores)
3 Wishes – Broadstone, Ferndown, Lymington, Ringwood and Verwood
Between The Lines – 14 stores in the South
House of Cards – six stores in the Home Counties
Mayther – seven stores in the South
Postmark – five stores in London
Zo & Co – four stores in Greater Manchester and Cheshire
Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards
Atkinsons – Sheffield
Barkers – Northallerton
Bentalls – Kingston
Fenwicks of Newcastle – Newcastle
John Lewis – 50 stores
Morley Group – eight stores
Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards
Asda
Co-Op
Morrisons
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Waitrose
Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ stores)
Gee Tee’s – five stores in the North
Marks & Spencer –1000+ stores nationwide
National Trust – 200+ stores nationwide
Oliver Bonas – 70 stores nationwide
Waterstones – 250+ stores nationwide
WHSmith – 611 stores nationwide
Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ stores)
Cards Direct – 20+ stores
Card Factory – 900+ stores
Cards Galore – 50 stores
Cardzone Group –100+ stores
Paperchase –130+ stores
Scribbler –34 stores
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards
British Garden Centres – 10 branches nationwide
Garsons – Esher and Titchfield
Hawley Garden Centre – Dartford
Klondyke & Strikes – 22 garden centres
Longacres – Bagshot, Bybrook Barn, Chobham and Shepperton
Thurrock Garden Centre – Ockenden
Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative (for a specific project or initiative undertaken by a retailer to promote card sales)
Blue Rose Gifts & Balloons, Heywood – for its 1940s celebration and Armed Forces Day initiative
Calliope Gifts, Alton, Dorking and Haywards Heath – for its Thinking of You Week initiative
Dragonfly Cards & Gifts, Knaresborough – for its Thank You Teacher initiative
Ohh Deer, Ipswich – for its Creative Corner
Scribbler – for its Valentine’s Speed Dating Event
Wishes of Cudworth – for its Cudworth Bunny Trail
Best Greeting Card Service Based Wholesaler
Archway Cards – Norwich
Budget Greeting Cards – eight branches UK and Eire
Crosswear Trading – Enfield
Greetings House – Walsall
Jacksons – Sheffield
Paul White Group – Gateshead, Leeds, Nottingham
Greeting Card Retail Employee of the Year
Jan Dowell, manager of three Card Factory stores, Merry Hill shopping centre, Birmingham
Emma Guy, sales assistant of Jarrolds, Norwich
Kelly Medgett, store manager of Card Factory, Bluewater shopping centre, Kent
Norma Tomkinson, The Card Room supervisor for Gee Tee’s, Westhoughton
Samantha Williams, retail store manager of Blaby Post Office, Blaby
Tracy Wynne, manager of Hallmark, Widnes
Greeting Card Retailer of the Year
This will be announced at The Retas Awards. The winners of the other categories form the finalists in this category.
All UK card retail stockists were invited to enter The Retas, detailing their progress over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, card publishers, agents and sales reps came forward in their droves with their nominations for which card retailers they consider have excelled over the last year.
With award categories catering for both multiple retailers, small groups and independents, The Retas recognise and reward excellence of card stockists of all shapes and sizes, the length and breadth of the UK.
In addition, retailers were invited to make submissions for retail employees who have gone the extra mile as well as nominate wholesalers and cash & carries.
The winners of The Retas 2018 will be unveiled at an Into The Blue oceanic-themed lavish afternoon awards event at The Dorchester on Wednesday 11 July.
For tickets to The Retas contact Clare Davies of Createvents on clare@createvents.co.uk or 01183 340085.
