New openings for indies and multiples keeps cards out front
There may be chill winds blowing through parts of the retail industry, but it’s still summer on the greetings front as new stores continue to be opened.
Proving it’s not just the big chains that continue to expand, Somerset indie Stationery House has relocated into larger premises in the village of Winscombe after outgrowing its Wrington site.
Now known as Winscombe Stationery & Cards, and stocking greetings, gift wrap, stationery, artists’ materials, jigsaws, pens, children’s books, toys and gifts, it’s the third in owner Malcolm Adams’ retail estate, alongside the original Stationery House in Somerton, and the Clevedon store which opening in 2021.
“In two weeks we managed to complete the move, which was an amazing team effort,” Malcolm said adding that the first week’s trade was well above expectations: There’s certainly a customer demand for traditional stationery shops.
“We had a good opening with customers waiting for us to open at 9am. The comments and appreciation of us opening the store has been humbling. A big thank you to sales agent Rosie Trow who planned and set up an eye-catching Glick giftwrap display.”
Meanwhile artist Susan Entwistle is braving the retail side for the first time with the opening of her eponymously-name gallery in her home village of Tollerton, showing her own contemporary pointillist works as well as greeting cards, gifts and homewares featuring her designs.
Susan, who is drawn towards painting the natural environment and exhibits widely at events in the horticultural calendar including RHS shows at Chelsea and Wisley, said: “It’s been my ambition to open a gallery in the East Midlands for a long time, so it was very exciting when an opportunity arose right here in Tollerton.
“It has been a difficult journey to turn the space into a contemporary gallery and studio but it has been so exciting to see the vision turn into reality.”
And she plans for the gallery to become a hub for local events: “It’s really important to us that the gallery integrates into village life and we’re able to support local artists and artistic practice within local schools.”
On the multiples front, Cards Direct has been busy expanding its store estate, as the privately-owned Hemel Hempstead-based retailer has now passed the 80-mark.
The Bridgend outlet was the 79th and is the most westerly in the empire, with Corby grabbing the 80th accolade, and the recent arrival in Chichester means the Cards Direct empire stretches from Leeds to Poole and Eastbourne on the south coast, with Great Yarmouth the eastern-most store.
Scribbler has also been busy painting shops its signature bright lime green as it grows to a 37-strong estate thanks to Clapham Junction and Chester – and is asking fans on social media to suggest where the next few openings should be.
The behemoth that is Cardfactory shows no signs of slowing its efforts to continually grow the UK’s largest greetings retail specialist, now hovering around the 1,070 mark thanks to Bamber Bridge, Bolton, Hartlepool and Staines in Britain plus Ennis and Bandon in Ireland, while the Bluewater outlet is all fresh and shiny thanks to a makeover after 10 years in the shopping complex.
Meanwhile, having become the UK’s largest garden centre group, British Garden Centres is continuing that expansion, which includes a wide-ranging greetings, gift and home offer, by taking over a further four former Dobbies sites, to add to the three already incorporated since Christmas.
“To reach 72 centres is a huge achievement for our family-run business,” BGC founder and director Charlie Stubbs said. “This would not be possible without our amazing team and the passion they have for what we do. A huge thank you must go to our suppliers who have been so supportive as we have grown over the last few years, for which we will always be grateful.”
