Abstract
In an age of instantaneous communications, how have greeting cards managed to remain a relevant and growing market? Why do people still send greeting cards? How do greeting cards relate to and affect more modern and immediate ways of communicating?
Mintel' s research into the greeting cards market reveals insights about such topics as:
- Who is most likely to purchase greeting cards?
- What influences greeting card senders to choose one card over another?
- Do race and ethnicity affect what types of cards are purchased and sent?
- How is availability of online cards affecting the traditional card market?
- How do current technologies such as cell phones, digital cameras, computers and the Internet affect the sales and nature of greeting cards?
- Are value cards or premium cards driving growth in the market?
- What makes a card from a specific company such as Blue Mountain Arts stand out?
- What are Hallmark and American Greetings doing to keep control of the market?
- What holiday is growing in popularity and bringing more opportunity to card manufacturers?
- How is the market continuing to grow?
- Are there really any alternatives to traditional cards?
In addition, the report will present the principal factors driving sales of greeting cards, such as the aging population, gender, ethnicity, race, and purchasing power. Key trends in greeting card messages are identified, such as an emphasis on real life situations and humor. Mintel also presents insights and opportunities in the market as they relate to people' s desires to stay connected, create memories, and express their emotions.
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Executive Summary
- Overview
- Principal factors driving sales of greeting cards
- Trends in greeting card messages
- Profile of the greeting card purchaser
- Where consumers are purchasing greeting cards and shopping behavior
- What makes consumers purchase a certain card
- Market Size and Forecast
- Key points
- Sales growth
- Almost everyone sends cards
- Figure 2: Total U.S. sales and forecast of greeting cards at current prices, 2004-10
- Figure 3: Total U.S. sales and forecast of greeting cards at inflation adjusted prices, 2004-10
- Significant changes in market dynamics since last review period
- Competitive Context
- Phone calls/cell phones
- VoIP
- Instant messaging and social networking
- E-Cards
- Home made cards--the precious keepsake
- Flowers/food
- Gifts
- Segment Performance
- Key points
- Christmas cards are the largest segment, online cards are the smallest
- All segments experienced growth
- Figure 4: Top card-sending holidays, February 2008
- Father' s Day cards grow the least and Halloween the most
- "High tech" not universally appealing
- Figure 5: U.S. sales and forecast of greeting cards at current prices, by segment, 2004-10
- Figure 6: Index of U.S. sales and forecast of greeting cards at current prices, by segment, 2004-10
- Figure 7: U.S. sales of greeting cards, by segment, 2005 and 2007
- Overall consumer spending
- Figure 8: U.S. consumer spending on holidays, 2004-06
- Segment Performance--Christmas Cards
- Key points
- People want to personalize and send more than just words on paper
- Figure 9: U.S. sales and forecast of Christmas cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Birthday Cards
- Key points
- Slowed growth as market matures
- Aging Boomers
- Figure 10: U.S. sales and forecast of birthday cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Valentine Cards
- Key points
- Love is worth--$1.3 billion
- The alternative
- Figure 11: U.S. sales and forecast of Valentine cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Father' s Day Cards
- Key points
- Wanting to connect with dad
- Figure 12: U.S. sales and forecast of Father' s day cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Easter Cards
- Key points
- Easter Card segment experienced 55% growth since 2004
- Religious expression
- Figure 13: U.S. sales and forecast of Easter cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Mother' s Day Cards
- Key points
- Significant growth could not be sustained
- What to get for mom? A card
- Figure 14: U.S. sales and forecast of Mother' s day cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Halloween Cards
- Key points
- No longer a sleepy holiday for cards
- Overall Halloween spend on the rise
- Figure 15: U.S. sales and forecast of Halloween cards, 2004-10
- Segment Performance--Online Greeting Cards
- Key points
- E-cards are not stealing share
- Folks still send traditional cards, but e-cards keep the greetings category top of mind
- It is all about exposure
- Figure 16: U.S. sales and forecast of Online greeting cards, 2004-10
- Retail Channels
- Key points
- Where people are buying cards
- More shelf space for Spanish
- Offering more at drug stores
- Figure 17: U.S. retail sales of greeting cards, by channel, 2005 & 2007
- Market Drivers
- More people equates to more cards to be purchased
- Figure 18: Population by age, 2002-12
- Age matters
- Figure 19: Incidence of greeting card purchases in past 3 months, by age, May 2006-June 2007
- Women are more likely to purchase
- Figure 20: Incidence of greeting card purchases in past 3 months, by gender, May 2006-June 2007
- Product availability and purchase inclination for Hispanic and other minority populations
- Population by race/ethnicity
- Figure 21: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2002-12
- Income by race/ethnicity
- Figure 22: Median household income by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2006
- Tendency to purchase
- Figure 23: Incidence of greeting card purchases in past 3 months, by race/Hispanic origin, May 2006-June 2007
- Leading Companies
- Key points
- Hallmark
- American Greetings
- AG Interactive
- Additional purchases and launches
- Paramount Cards Inc.
- Blue Mountain Arts
- Leanin' Tree, Inc.
- Brand Qualities
- American Greetings
- Humor
- Personalization
- Hallmark
- Sound--creatively breaking through the expression clutter
- Pop culture and current events-based offerings
- Niche targeting and retailer-specific offerings
- Paramount Cards
- Blue Mountain Arts
- Innovation and Innovators
- Edgy--Anti-seasons greetings
- Diversity
- Green movement
- New audiences
- Personalization
- Dual purpose cards
- Make someone feel appreciated, give a gift, and support charity all at once
- An eminently useful, and memorable, greeting
- Why give chocolate and a card when you can give a chocolate card?
- An environmentally friendly, and fragrant, greeting card
- Advertising and Promotion
- Overview
- Hallmark Advertising
- American Greetings
- Brand building
- General promotions
- Cause marketing
- Cross merchandising opportunities
- Usage
- Key points
- Where cards are bought
- Figure 24: Where greeting cards are most often bought, by age, December 2007
- Figure 25: Where greeting cards are most often bought, by gender and household income, December 2007
- Greeting card price
- Figure 26: Amount generally spent on single card, by gender, December 2007
- Profile of greeting card purchasers
- Figure 27: Profile of greeting card purchasers in past 3 months, by key demographics, May 2006-June 2007
- Impact of education on greeting card purchase
- Figure 28: Incidence of greeting card purchases in past 3 months, by education, May 2006-June 2007
- Frequency of Buying Greetings Cards
- Figure 29: Frequency of buying greeting cards, by gender and household income, December 2007
- Brands
- E-card brands
- Figure 30: Sites used to send e-cards, by gender, December 2007
- Figure 31: Sites used to send e-cards, by household income, December 2007
- Traditional cards
- Figure 32: Most sought after greeting card brands in a discount or superstore, 2006
- Attitudes and Motivations
- Key points
- Text vs. artistic design
- What is important when buying a card
- Figure 33: Greeting card shopping behaviors, by age, December 2007
- Figure 34: Factors that influence greeting card purchases, by age, December 2007
- Figure 35: Factors that influence greeting card purchases, by gender, December 2007
- Figure 36: Type of greeting cards purchased, by age, December 2007
- Figure 37: Type of greeting cards purchased, by region, December 2007
- E-cards
- Figure 38: Attitudes about e-cards, December 2007
- Figure 39: Attitudes about e-cards, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2007
- Race and Ethnicity
- Figure 40: Greeting card shopping behaviors, by Hispanic origin, December 2007
- Figure 41: Factors that influence greeting card purchases, by Hispanic origin, December 2007
- Figure 42: Type of greeting cards purchased, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2007
- Figure 43: Sites used to send e-cards, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2007
- Appendix: Simmons Cohort Analysis
- Figure 56: Incidence of buying greeting cards, by least likely cohorts, May 2006-June 2007
- Figure 57: Incidence of buying greeting cards, by most likely cohorts, May 2006-June 2007
- Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
- Overview
- Shopping behaviors of greeting card purchasers
- Figure 58: Key shopping behaviors of greeting card purchasers, May 2006-June 2007
- Extracurricular activities and general life attitudes
- Figure 59: Key extracurricular activities and life attitudes of greeting card purchasers, May 2006-June 2007
- Food and diet
- Figure 60: Food and diet attitudes and behavior of greeting card purchasers, May 2006-June 2007
- Ads and media
- Figure 61: Attitudes to ads and media of greeting card purchasers, May 2006-June 2007
- Appendix: Trade Associations
