Trends change year on year, and fast moving technology seems to make people update and discard ideas and items faster then ever before, but the UK market still has a great fondness for exchanging humble greeting cards.
Greeting cards have been around for as far as we can all remember, and while postcards and even telephone conversations continue to decline in the ever changing world of communication, greeting cards continue to be sent by the postal sack full every single year.
According to the BBC, the average person in the uK sends 55 cards a year, that may sound high, but consider how long your Christmas card list is, then add birthday cards sent to your nieces, nephews, parents, siblings – you can already see the figure of 55 greetings cards a year being easily met. Add to that list anniversary cards, get well, retirement, commiseration, the list just goes on.
So with the holiday postcard becoming almost obsolete, why does the humble greeting card continue to survive so strongly, with card shops on the high street along with supermarkets and newsagents all selling so many greeting cards.
I believe the answer is that whilst the outdated postcard has become almost entirely replaced by the much faster and reliable text message, greeting cards continue to be loved by the recipients. Imagine a birthday without a collection of colourful cards on the side of your lounge ? It would make you a little sad, whilst if your friend goes on holiday and only sends a text message to say she’s having a great time, you’re just happy to hear from them.
Prices of greeting cards vary greatly, supermarkets often sell their own brand style cards for between fifty pence to a pound each, where as a high end quality greeting card from a high street shop could cost as much as five pounds.
With several different types of greeting cards available, and dozens of different celebrations each year the greeting cards life looks like it will continue to be a long one.
Here are the main types of Greeting Card sent :
Standard Greeting Cards: Used for all occasions, and printed on high-quality card, the standard greeting card is rectangular and folded, usually with a picture or decorative design on the front.
Within the greeting card there is a preprinted message appropriate for the special occasion, above and beneath the message is usually a blank space for the sender to add their name and handwritten message. There is always matching envelope sold with the card.
Some greeting cards and their envelopes feature additional materials such as foil, ribbons or glitter.
Photograph Greeting Cards: Printed photo greeting cards are where the sender combines a photo of their loved one with artwork on a card, and is printed. With the home PC now a firm fixture in most homes, people have opted to create their own cards to send to loved ones by scanning in images and using specialist software.
Personalised Greeting Cards: With the explosion of the internet into our homes, personalised greeting cards have become easier to create then ever. Popular websites use special personalisation technology, allowing their customers to type their own messages on the front cover and inside of the greeting card, adapting them for the individual.
Musical Greeting Cards: Popular with young children sending them to their parents, these modern greeting cards have been conceived which play music or sound when they are opened, often in an annoying yet amusing fashion. Small recording chips and a battery allow the recipient to be near deafened by a loud blast of repeating noise every time the greeting card is opened.
E- Greeting Cards: Electronic greeting cards are sent via email. Often described as the greeting card sent by the person who forgot your birthday until the very day, they are flash-based communications that arrive on your PC. Some clever websites also allow you to upload images such as your own face, and embed them into moving characters for the recipients amusement.
