Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester About the Future of Greeting Cards
Recently, I was invited onto BBC Radio Leicester to talk about something I care very deeply about: the future of greeting cards, changing customer behaviour, and the growing importance of trust in our postal system.
As both a greeting card retailer and publisher, I see every day just how much cards still matter to people. In fact, I’d argue they matter more than ever.
In a world that often feels rushed, distracted and increasingly digital, a card is one of the few things that asks someone to pause for a moment and genuinely connect with another person. It says: “I thought about you.” And that still has enormous emotional value.
But the conversation wasn’t just about cards themselves. It was also about confidence.
Many customers are becoming increasingly worried about whether cards will arrive reliably and on time, especially around important moments like birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day or Christmas. And once trust begins to erode, people naturally start questioning whether it’s worth the effort, cost or emotional investment.
That’s a real concern, not just for greeting card publishers and independent retailers, but for society more broadly. Card sending creates connection. It supports relationships. It encourages thoughtfulness and emotional expression in a way that digital communication often struggles to replicate.
As an independent shopkeeper, I also see something else very clearly: customers still want to buy cards. They still browse carefully. They still stand in front of the racks reading captions and laughing or becoming emotional. They still want to find the right card.
In our own shop at Narborough Hall, cards are what I often call our “mission anchor”. People may come in for one card, but while they’re here they connect with the atmosphere, the experience and often with each other too. Cards are not just products. They are social glue.
It was a real pleasure to speak to BBC Radio Leicester about these issues and to represent independent retailers, publishers and card senders who care deeply about preserving something very human in an increasingly transactional world.
And honestly, I remain optimistic.
Because despite all the noise about changing habits and digital communication, people are still looking for meaningful ways to connect with one another. That fundamental human instinct hasn’t disappeared at all.
