Despite the widespread adoption of digital and online methods of communication, it’s clear that Greeting Cards remain a popular sign of support and celebration in 2022.
In-fact, even during a global pandemic, the UK spent a staggering £1.4billion on single greeting cards in 2020.
According to some experts, there has been a huge uplift in sales of “no occasion” cards, especially amongst millennials and gen Z. It is thought that cards are seen as more powerful than social media messages.
In addition to the growth of no-occasion cards, we’re seeing several growing trends within the greeting cards industry.
- Recycled and biodegradable cards
One of the knocks on greeting cards is their impact on the environment. As a result, we’re seeing a huge rise in the use of recycled and biodegradable materials. Silk, uncoated card and kraft paper are all great eco-friendly options that don’t compromise on quality or style.
- Micro-occasions
As mentioned above, we are seeing a huge rise in the gifting of greeting cards ‘just because’.
With that, we are also now seeing outside-the-box occasions becoming card worthy. People are not just giving cards for Christmas, birthdays and valentines, they are giving cards for pets 1st birthdays, breakups, friendship anniversaries, pregnancy reveals and many more.
- Supporting local
The more personal, the better when it comes to greeting cards. This pertains to both the card design and the store selling it.
Gen-Z have made it clear that they love buying from local, artisanal and individuals. Subsequently, we are seeing huge growth in the amount of people selling handcrafted cards through online platforms like Etsy or via their local high-street.
- Current affairs
The pandemic created a huge opportunity for comedy within the greeting cards industry. Soon we were seeing the faces of political figures like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson all over birthday, valentines and Christmas cards.
This trend has continued into 2022, which comedy card manufacturers incorporating current affairs into their designs. It wasn’t long before we started to see jokes about fuel shortages, energy prices and cryptocurrency on the front of our greeting cards!
- Blank messaging
The rise of “no-occasion” cards has also led to a growth in blank messaging. Leaving cards free of any messaging means that the giver can be as personal as they like with the words that they use. Often the card itself is secondary in sentimental value to the message inside, so leaving consumers with the option to write whatever they like is becoming more and more popular.
These are just 5 of the most popular greeting card trends for 2022. Much like everything these days, the markets are fast-moving and ever-changing so we’re sure to see the emergence of further trends over the coming months and into 2023.