greeting cards

If you asked me what my favourite industry is, I would say the greeting card one. Low entry barriers, an explosion of variety and creativity and an almost unlimited scope for adding value as people will try to find exactly the right card for their loved ones.

If you looked at greeting cards 10 years ago they were all pretty dull and very few had sponge or felt stuck to them, or any kind of interesting illustration styles... 10 years on, here is a nice handmade card which my mum got her niece for about £4.50. Not my taste but charming nonetheless.



Anyway if you have to cite a mainstream industry that's a shining example of trends like small scale entrepreneurism, people being willing to pay for creativity and innovation, and consumers supporting the 'long tail', here it is.

(Btw, I never buy greeting cards aside from petrol station emergency ones, in which cases I quickly choose the least bad one. In the rare occasions where effort is needed, I make one.)