Do you still write paper greeting cards? What is the prospect of the greeting card market

According to US media, with the advent of the digital age, many people no longer write Christmas and Valentine's Day cards to relatives, friends and their significant other. This has led to the decline in sales of traditional greeting cards in recent years. At first glance, the greeting card industry is already like a sunset industry.

According to a report on the website of "USA Today" on March 26, Hu Liken, president of the American chain drugstore CVS, said that CVS, which has about 9,600 retail locations, had too much space for displaying greeting cards before, and now plans to use more space to sell health products. Because internal analysis tools show poor sales of greeting cards. He said: "More and more people use text messages, emails and e-cards, and fewer people buy greeting cards."

Wal-Mart's US executive Fulham also said that Wal-Mart is "rethinking" what to sell in the store. "Do we really need the traffic brought in by greeting cards?"

According to the American Greeting Card Association (GCA), Americans still buy more than 6 billion cards each year. Market research company Ibis predicts that sales in the greeting card industry are shrinking at a rate of 3% per year, and this trend may continue until the end of 2023. According to data from real estate data company Costa, between 2013 and 2018, the retail space occupied by card sales shops has been greatly reduced.

Ibis analyst Kumar said: “One of the major factors is technology. The rise of social media allows people to get in touch through these platforms, and electronic cards are popular.”

Ibis estimates that even Hallmark (an American greeting card manufacturer-Bennet's Note), the number one in greeting card sales, has laid off more than a thousand employees in the United States in the past five years due to declining profits. According to Costa's estimates, the retail space occupied by Hallmark cards shrank by about 28% between 2013 and 2018.

However, reports say that the outlook for the card industry is not so pessimistic, and there are still signs of excitement for the industry. For example, high-end cards with an asking price of more than US$10, cheap cards with a price of less than US$1, and cards with personalized options are still popular among consumers.

The industry said that there is a myth: young people no longer buy cards. But Flake, a North Carolina wedding and event preparation company, pointed out that in fact, "millennials" like her who are addicted to social media do not want to give up the touch and human touch of receiving paper greeting cards.

Roy, vice president of Hallmark, also pointed out that contrary to popular belief, "millennials" like to use handwritten greeting cards instead of social media interaction. She said: "In today's highly digital and rapidly changing world, having something unique is unique."

Entrepreneurs have also seized this opportunity to launch cards that cater to the tastes of the "millennial generation". Ibis’ Kumar said: “Everyone tries to tailor greeting cards for the younger generation. These cards are lighter, more ironic, and more funny.”