Male Cards
Red Dress is from a collection of images taken in Cuba
from photographer, Neil Proctor. His work can be seen
at: www.octopusstudios.co.uk or via: www.alamy.com
Why is it so diffi cult to buy greetings cards
for men Lewis Eckett reports
What What MenMen Want
M
en: What’s to be done with them? When I used to play rugby I got a
A high percentage
businesses, both Moonpig and Dean
Last year’s excellent Male Cards feature blizzard of cards featuring men and Morris are able to see exactly who is
in GT pondered the eternal question: funny shaped balls. When I started
of the male cards
buying their cards. The results show
“Why are men so hard to buy for?” mountain biking you wouldn’t believe that higher numbers of men are buying
As a category, male cards should be huge. Around how many designs featuring bikes I
available in high
cards online than in high street card
50% of the UK population is male and they all have received. Makes you wonder what shops.
a birthday, but for many retailers the sales of male- would have happened if I’d taken up
street retail stores
“In an average week I’m seeing a
specifi c cards is dwarfed by the numbers of cards Morris dancing or cross-dressing (or is
bought for women. that the same thing?).
are truly tragic. This
50-50 split,” says Dean Morris.
Online’s gain is the high street’s
The reason for this is simple: Men are unlikely to The point is, women often try to
buy cards for other men, even if they are related to marry up their card choices to whatever
is because most
loss when it comes to male cards not
because the product isn’t out there
them. Or to put it another way, men rarely buy cards their man is interested in at that
cards for men are
but because buyers are not choosing
for each other unless it’s absolutely the last minute and particular moment in time. The trouble to stock male designs that men might
they can’t fi nd anyone else to do it for them. for the poor bloke in question is that
bought by women
actually want to buy.
This ambivalence about greetings cards means his mum, sister, auntie, wife or girlfriend New designs styles and themes for
there’s a huge hole in retailer’s potential earnings from will be doing exactly the same thing and he’ll probably men are constantly being explored so there should be
male cards. Or in other words if card shops can fi nd end with the same card several times. no excuses.
some way of getting men to buy more cards for their Alternatively, it could be something I’m not Over at new card publisher, Brainbox Candy, Mark
male friends and relations then they stand to make a lot interested in at all like fi shing, cricket or a picture of a Williams confi rms that when he set up just under six
more money. train! months ago, they realised that male cards would be a
Sadly, one argument for why men do not enjoy I know it’s the thought that counts, but really, some category they could compete well in.
giving cards to each other is because we really aren’t of the inappropriate rubbish I’ve been sent over the “The feedback we were getting from day one was
that bothered about receiving cards either. It’s not seen years makes you wonder what on earth the sender that there was not a lot of decent male cards out
as manly to admit that you like people remembering was thinking when they were handing over the money. there,” says Mark. “And although we don’t want to be
your big day or that you are happy at receiving a card. pigeon-holed as laddish, male cards will defi nitely be
In contrast, another reason for why men are so Online gains something we will be expanding on in the future.”
ambivalent about giving and receiving cards is because But while high street card retailers are failing to give So there’s really no excuse for retailers not to be
a lot of the designs out there are outdated and dull. men what they want the modern male card buyer is offering a male card range that actually works.
Maybe we men have given up on greetings cards fi nding the solution online. The Internet is allowing men
because a lot of the cards are unsuitable. the luxury of selecting cards without ever having to Does it matter?
go near a shop and even have them mailed directly to To be honest once the card has been paid for and
So how do we change that? their mates. Even better, websites like www.moonpig. left the shop, there’s no need for the retailer to care
Start by selecting and stocking a range of cards that com can allow buyers to insert their own words and whether it’s well received or not. They’ve made the
men might actually like to give and receive, that’s how. customise their choices as they see fi t. sale, got the cash – job done!
A high percentage of the male cards available in Elsewhere, male buyers can access sites like But any retailer wanting to sell more cards should
high street retail stores are truly tragic. This is because www.deanmorriscards.co.uk and buy offensively pay attention to each and every category at their
most cards for men are bought by women, whether humorous cards that they would be unlikely to fi nd in a disposal, which means male c ards too. And there’s no
it’s as customers or retail buyers. So men receive what conventional high street store. doubt this is one of the most under-developed profi t
women think they will like. The designs may not be everyone’s cup of tea (to centres of all.
This is where the problems start. say the least) but they are selling in increasing numbers But while things are changing for the better, it will
Men have a very singular approach to their interests to male buyers who cannot fi nd anything as ‘male’ as take a few more years yet before men are buying and
and activities, which can be both a plus and a minus this in traditional card shops. sending as many cards as their female counterparts.
when it comes to choosing cards. Because of the nature of their web-based But we should at least make a start.
30 Greetings Today
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