Hallmark plans its card shops around customers

Hallmark places great emphasis on listening to what customers want from a card shop. Their base in Kansas City advises all their individual stores world-wide about product placement and presentation.  With a shop’s ‘look’ on a 5-7 year shelf life, they are continuously researching their customers to find out what they want.  Missing out  on customers preferences could be expensive.

Bob Harper, Head of Hallmark Gold Crown Program in Bradford UK speaks knowingly as he says: “Our research confirmed that what customers like from specialist card shops is a peaceful environment in which they can connect to the person they are buying the card for, staff that know their stock and a sense of space.

A big challenge, he adds, is to find ways to make product ‘stand out’, and this is more often achieved through what he terms “fixing options” – that’s display possibilities to you and me.

Mr Harper, like all card retailers recognizes that balance is all.  He goes on to say “A shop that is perceived as a Card Shop receives more regular visits from customers than one perceived as a gift shop as cards drive customer traffic”. 

 
Tell that to the publishers pushing their cards in all manner of places from Garden Centers to Tourist Attractions. Isn’t it nice to know that retailers appreciate our need to browse in a spacious environment – and our need for nice, agreeable staff.  Now that’s a bonus if ever there was one.

They’ll be giving us comfy chairs to write our cards in soon.  They already sell stamps in lots of shops.  Now how about a post box, right outside!
 

Written by Geraldine Jozefiak
Craft Expert and Demonstrator

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