Catherine Larner takes a look at some of the card and gift Book products which might just help Christian retailers keep their tills ringing as well as meeting customer needs

Have you ever wondered how those large high street card shops manage to exist? They are rarely swarming with customers and the majority of the items they stock are usually only around £2 or £3. The answer is of course the profit margin – cards and gifts have a very attractive trade-to-retail mark up. They are therefore a valuable addition to any outlet and there is a huge variety of suppliers both small and large who are prepared to work with you in stocking their designs.

A visit to a trade show, both for the Christian market and outside it, is a good way of seeing the extent of the range of products now available, but it is also worth looking out for new cards and gifts wherever you are - visiting shops elsewhere, browsing magazines or the internet, or by asking your reps if they promote other ranges.

The key to successful sales is in providing something a little different. People will come to a Christian bookshop with a definite idea of what they expect to see and what they hope to buy. Their need for cards and gifts is most probably quite specialist – a confirmation gift, a sympathy card, an ordination card - something with a message which has the words they’re struggling to find.

But people are getting more sophisticated in their taste and expectation, so it is important to keep abreast of modern styles and quality. A striking, wellproduced card will draw the eye when it’s placed on a mantelpiece and can be a powerful voice both to the recipient and their household and visitors.

There is no point in trying to compete with the big stores, and you couldn’t possibly house their range, so it is essential to know your customer base and offer them what they want while also encouraging them to try something new.

Choose carefully, particularly with the more specialised messages. You don’t want dozens of cards for baptism anniversary, I would suggest, but a blank card with a beautiful image and a powerful, encouraging Bible verse inside is likely to be useful for many occasions. Cards which stay on your racks prevent other purchases and soon become tired and battered.

Order in small numbers so that you can achieve the biggest range of designs possible. Cards are usually available in sixes rather than dozens, for example. Take care when ordering gift items as you don’t want to have a dozen of something that will only sell one or two during the year. Space for display and for overstock is always at a premium.

Greetings

Probably one of the best known card ranges in Christian bookshops is that of Leonard Smith, now also stocked in post offices, garden centres and visitor centres in this country and overseas. Formed by the eponymous photographer in the 1980s, the cards combine his beautiful pictures with inspiring Bible verses. “Out ethos is to publish cards which people love using and which bring glory and praise to God,” says Managing Director, Isabel Smith.

The company aims to bring out something new every three months but, at certain times of the year, releases designs more frequently.

“Every now and again Len captures an image which strikes a chord with people,” says Issy Smith. “Our Inspire card of Durdle Door, Dorset has huge appeal, as does a wedding anniversary card with a simple vase of perfect roses. It is fascinating that you never know which cards are going to be a hit – people’s taste is always unpredictable.”

The Mothers’ Union now has an extensive range of cards, having produced them for more than 20 years. “These were typically sold through MU members,” says Coleen Starkey, General Manager of MU Enterprises. “But we felt there was a widermarket which was ill-served by secular card shops not understanding the needs of the Christian market, and products sold through Christian bookshops which tended to be aimed at the North American market and not the UK.”

The cards are selling well, says Starkey; eight occasions are covered with two ranges in each. One features a cover image and spiritual words of encouragement inside, and the other range features a Bible text on the front in colourful modern font.

The designs are sourced and created in-house. The bestsellers are the Dandelion (CC0017 prayer), Smile (CC0013 encouragement) and Water Pool (CC0023 adult baptism). There are also cards for Welcome Church, Baby Baptism, Blessing, Ordination, Confirmation and Anniversary of Baptism cards. A new range is being launched any day. Waiting for the situation regarding STL distribution to be resolved by John Ritchie, the fine art company Veritasse is soon to a launch its new range of designs.

Having produced cards for just a couple of years, the designs have already proved incredibly popular with their unique offering of original art interpretations of faith, supported with Bible texts inside. The new range will feature photography as well as figures in history and people from the Bible.

A small company in Surrey, called Just Cards Direct, sells handmade cards from Africa as well as Christian printed cards. “Our aims are twofold – to support card projects in Africa, providing an outlet in the UK, as well as raising money for charities in Africa,” says founder Anne Horrobin. The company was formed in 2007 and its name springs from the fact that it sells just cards, but also cards which help to provide justice, dignity and hope for the disadvantaged. The company raises money for Christian charities in the developing world, including Wycliffe Bible Translators, Christian Blind Mission and Ellel Ministries. Anne has recently started working with Potter’s House cards who are distributing the printed cards.

Take note

Discovery House produces a range of attractive stationery products including its range of music greetings cards. With a simple design and message on the outside, the card opens to reveal a Bible verse together with a small booklet; for example, ‘Words of Encouragement’ for someone ill, or ‘Words of Blessing from our Daily Bread’ for new parents. Open the card further and there is a message of blessing and a CD containing six tracks of appropriate worship songs. We may write fewer letters in these days of email, but most people agree that it is still special to receive something through the post, or to place on your mantelpiece, so notecards continue to hold their appeal. Those produced by Discovery House feature a beautiful image on the exterior and a discreetly placed Bible verse inside, with a blank card for your own message. The range includes Our Daily Bread Notecards, boxed sets of 12 cards, three each of four designs, and (oddly?) 13 envelopes.

There are also the Scenic Designs Folio and the Floral Designs Folio wallets containing 12 cards of four designs from the art and writings of Victorian Christian missionary, Lilias Trotter (rather like The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady). St Andrews Press has a new range boasting beautiful images from nature overlaid with a poem by Kenneth Stevens, the Perthshire poet and broadcaster. They come in packs of six of the same image, or an assorted card selection. Kevin Mayhew has an attractive range of notecards as well as an array of other gift items including mugs, mousemats, candles, printed artwork, soaps, jewellery and ornaments. The company also stocks wrapping paper which is modern, attractive and fun with designs that are suitable for a variety of occasions.

Words and pictures

For some people, a card does not convey all the emotions, feelings or encouragement they want to say to their friend or loved one. There are then a variety of gift books based around themes which prove popular, particularly at certain times of the year, or for special occasions like the birth of a child, for example.

A New Mum’s Special Gift has just been released by CWR. Compiled by Catherine Butcher, it has a mix of prayers, thoughts and gems of wisdom, focusing on thanks, concerns and hopes, drawn from many sources. It is an excellent gift for a Christian to give to their non-churched friend or family member at this very special time. (CWR / 9781853455476 / hardback / 112pp / £7.99).

An attractive padded hardback book called Thanks, Mom: Inspiration for a Mother’s Heart (Barbour Publishing / 9781602607668 / hardback /96pp / £8.99) is very clearly American with that title, but it combines an interesting variety of scripture, quotations and prayers interleaved with beautiful images of an oriental lily and with a ribbon to keep the page. In the same series are A Celebration of Friendship by Helen Steiner Rice (9781602607156), Promises to Encourage Your Soul (9781602607651) and, scheduled to be released for father’s day, Inspiring Thoughts for Golfers (9781602607507). They are well produced and the text is thought provoking and inspiring, particularly suitable as a gift for someone not feeling well or who isn’t a great reader and can dip into the sayings as they feel led.

Harvest House Publishing released a number of gift books at the start of this year. They range from Words of Comfort for Times of Loss (9780736924290 / hardback /64pp / £7.99) and Good Friends are Like Angels (9780736925822 / paperback / 48pp / £8.99) to The Promise of Heaven by Randy Alcorn (9780736927246 / paperback / 64pp / £8.99) and A Woman after God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George (9780736925594 / hardback /48pp / £9.99). They are beautifully illustrated and are inspirational and moving in their content.

A more unusual item is the Countertop Inspiration range of spiral bound recipe books. They are freestanding and flip over to display your recipe of choice. Each one carries the minimum of information regarding directions, implying nice and easy dishes to make, despite American ingredients and measures, and the sections of recipes are divided by a verse from the Bible. The range includes Simple Slow Cooker Meals (Barbour Publishing / 9781602607422 / hardback / 144pp / £6.99) and Just Desserts (9781602607644).

An interesting book for Father’s Day, or for dads to give to their children, is the gift book from Lion, in association with Alpha, called With Love, Papa by Bear Grylls (9780745955018 / hardback / 64pp / £4.99). The Chief Scout, TV personality, author, adventurer and Alpha ambassador has put together some of the spiritual wisdom and practical tips he wants his children to heed. These are short sayings, not linked by any theme, and are illustrated with pen drawings by Charlie Mackesy. It’s a quirky little book but actually quite charming and inspiring, and will appeal to a more modern, perhaps less traditional, reader.

With Easter approaching there may well be some gift ideas there which will help your turnover; and cards, positioned and displayed effectively, will of course sell at any time of year.