Shop Talk Greetings card retailers tell it how it is during the Golden Quarter, with Christmas round the corner... Name Sally Wilde Shop Planet Sal Address Honiton, Devon How did you get into greetings card retail? My first ‘proper’ job was in a fantastic cookshop in Bristol. I loved it and went on to be a rep, staying within the housewares industry for many years. After a redundancy, I decided to move on to being self-employed and met up with an established card agent, who was interested in taking on a sub-agent. She was so helpful and suggested I set up on my own instead. She was also really enthusiastic about the greetings industry and how friendly everyone was. I had been to art college and liked the creative side of cards, so went for it! What a great move that was for me. I just love everything about the world of cards. My first visit to find agencies was Spring Fair 2009 and I was really taken with the brightness all around me. Housewares is also a great industry, but quite traditional. They always put grey carpet down in that hall at the NEC and suits were the order of the day. Here was the card hall with a bright pink carpet and everyone in jeans! Far more my style. I had many happy years as an agent and worked for some fantastic people, including lovely Avanti in their UK distribution days. Opening Planet Sal was a natural move when I decided to settle a bit and work nearer to home, just over three years ago. I am proud to be the winner of the Prestige Awards Card and Gift Shop of 2020 in the South West. What are the best and worst things about working in retail? The best is, of course, the customers, bless them. I am in Honiton, which is a smallish market town. The locals are very supportive of their independent businesses, so I have lots of regulars here. Another great thing is that I have a ‘naughty corner’ with all the cheeky cards and gifts. Customers love them and all I hear are gales of laughter (it’s happening as we speak, coincidentally!). This tends to set off other visitors in the shop and everyone else starts to giggle. We all so need this at the moment. I like to think I have created a bright and welcoming little oasis from all the daily worries. Not many negatives, but I suppose that more gift shops opening in the town recently and the budgeting at seasonal times can be very stressful, plus I don’t enjoy the admin! Sometimes I do miss the open road and am quite tempted to just keep driving on a lovely, sunny morning, but am fine once I open the shop doors and realise how much I love it all over again. What cards are selling well? Always the humour for me. So many publishers get that just right now. I sell Rosie Made A Thing and she has a huge following, so they fly out. Also, Dean Morris, Brainbox Candy, Bold & Bright, and Whale & Bird all do well for me. I have had customers in daily waiting for my rude Christmas offer - which is now unpacked at last! I like to work with small, independent companies, especially for my Occasion cards. Cinnamon Aitch, Art File, Louise Mulgrew and Jelly Armchair are all go-to’s for me, but there are too many others, who are just as important, to list. I also do like Woodmansterne for humour and all across the board, especially for Christmas. What card range or category do you always ensure you keep in stock because of its popularity? Always humour and cheeky: by far my best categories.
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What’s in your window? At the moment Christmas is sneaking in more and more, obviously! I am aware that birthday shoppers do get a bit miffed about lack of choice about now, so I introduce it as gradually as I can until the second week of November. I have about half Advent calendars and charity cards in the window, and the other half general cards and gifts. What’s by your till? Sadly, Covid safety measures have meant that most of my till display area is now given over to a clear screen. I do have a jewellery cabinet and my gift wrap by the till, but the cards are all around the walls of the shop and on spinners at the front and outside. I always sell more cards than anything else in the shop every day.
“I have a ‘naughty corner’ with all the cheeky cards and gifts. Customers love them and all I hear are gales of laughter’’
What’s the most surprising thing a customer has asked for? With cards, it always surprises me how many customers want relation cards without ‘special, loved, wonderful’ etc on them, because they don’t really get on! They are quite hard to source, too. In-laws are the usual suspects….
If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why? I know it sounds a bit sentimental but it would be a Thank You card to my Dad. He died when I was in my 20s and just starting out in my career. He had a great sense of adventure and was not afraid to take risks, which he encouraged me to do, too. He also had an artistic side and taught me to love cars and the sea - both passions of mine ever since. He would have been proud to see the shop. How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you? I do love a trade magazine! Apart from at show times, it’s not easy to find out what’s coming up as a trend or find small publishers to support. Greetings Today is a great source of information. The agents and reps are also vital but, of course, we have had all these months with fewer visits, understandably. With no reps and no trade fairs, I have really relied on you!
