Card Quandary: The stationery goods market reached $36 billion in ‘04, up 6.3% over ‘02. While greeting cards account for $10.3 billion in ‘04, sales of cards declined 3.9% from ‘02. The market is mature, with 78% of adult Americans having bought a greeting card in the past year. A typical consumer purchases 10 cards annually. An analysis of ‘why people buy’ greeting cards found that about half view them as an important way to share and communicate their feelings. The other half buy cards largely because somebody else expects to receive one. Greeting cards are not connecting or relevant to consumers’ lives as they once were. Like commodities, shoppers look for a card that will work for the specific occasion and is priced right. Price sensitivity is growing. More consumers view the price paid for a card and wrapping paper as part of the overall price of a gift. More are opting to put that extra toward the gift itself. (Unity Marketing 9/29/05)
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