On the hop to discover UK’s best greeting card retailers
Don’t be shy…if you’re a great greeting card retailer then we want to hear about you as The Retas 2024 Awards are now open for entries with a deadline of Friday, 15 April.
“Despite many ongoing challenges, from the concerns over Royal Mail to running cost increases, so many greeting card retailers really have pulled out the stops in the last year with their product selection, customer engagement and marketing initiatives,” commented Warren Lomax, chairman of Max Publishing which owns and organises The Retas.
“And they absolutely deserve to have their prowess recognised – The Retas 2024 Awards promise to do just that.”
The world’s only dedicated awards for greeting card retailers, winning a Retas’ trophy is recognised as a true accolade of retai excellence, with 19 award categories covering indies through to multiple chains, department stores to grocers, and everything in between.
The entry form can be downloaded here by retailers to nominate themselves, while the Max Publishing team is also canvassing publishers, agents and reps for their retailer nominations.
“With retailers being actively encouraged to put their own shops forward, and nominations sought from the trade this will collectively ensure the truly worthy will be celebrated,” Warren added.
Once again, The Retas have attracted a strong roster of committed sponsors which include Abacus Cards, The Art File, Belly Button Designs, Carte Blanche Greetings, Cath Tate Cards, Danilo, GBCC, Hallmark, Ling Design, Lucilla Lavender, Meraki, Museums & Galleries, Ohh Deer, Paperlink, Paper Salad, Pigment, Progressive Greetings Live, Rosie Made A Thing, Sensations/Express Yourself, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, UK Greetings, W Select, Wendy Jones-Blackett, and Woodmansterne Publications.
All Retas 2024 winners will be announced at a fabulous awards lunch and afternoon event to be held on Thursday, 4 July, in the Ballroom of London’s Grosvenor House Hotel which this year will take on a World Of Peter Rabbit theme, with the full blessing and support of Frederick Warne & Co and Penguin Ventures, with images supplied courtesy of the Frederick Warne Archive.
Highlighting the appropriateness of Beatrix Potter’s artwork fronting The Retas this year Thomas Merrington, creative director of Penguin Ventures, commented: “Beatrix Potter began her prolific career by licensing her beautifully-observed artwork to greeting cards companies in the late 1800s. She created the world’s first licensed literary character in Peter Rabbit and such is her legacy as an artist and storyteller that her images are still being licensed today.
“We’re thrilled The Retas will showcase her incredible characters from The World Of Peter Rabbit at this year’s award ceremony. Wishing all finalists congratulations and good luck on this special day.”
To be among the UK’s best greeting card retailers as well as some great card publishers, you can book your tickets to The Retas online now via Max-Tickets.net or contact The Retas’ awards manager Clare Hollick, director of Createvents, on 0118 334 0085 or email clare@createvents.co.uk.
