FEATURE / ETHNIC CARDS
Different strokes
Ethnic cards are making dramatic inroads into the mainstream card
market as retailers discover there’s profit to be made from everyday
ethnic designs. GT asks two major players their views.
giants like Tesco and cultural world that we now live in, almost
Sainsbury stocking everybody knows somebody who celebrates
ethnic food groups an ethnic festival. Schools now routinely
and promoting them teach about Diwali and Eid as part of the cur-
to the mainstream. In riculum and both occasions feature annually
greetings cards there across various channels and programmes
has always been a from CBeebies to Eastenders.
market in traditional Couple this with the very British tradition
ethnic areas for of sending cards for any occasion and it’s not
imported product hard to see that there is a very real opportu-
but only recently has nity for retailers to target this market.
home-grown British Samantha Alfred of Jivana Style has
talent emerged to tar- also been trailblazing a route to mainstream
get the wider area of retailing with her fresh and exciting ranges of
espite being a multicul-espite being a multicul
Jivana Style
everyday card retailing with ethnic designs.d d t ili Asian and Afro-Caribbean themed designs.
D
tural society for decades Companies like Davora and Jivana Style “The ethnic market has always been here
now, traditional and have set themselves up to supply cards to but it’s been overlooked,” says Samantha.
mainstream retailers are any retailer in the UK who is keen to develop “And being Indian I recognised the demand
only just starting to get to sales amongst an ethnic audience. for not only funkier, fresher product for
grips with sourcing and selling product that So how big is the opportunity? the ethnic audience but also the need for
will sell into the growing ethnic market. Well, with 4.6 million people from ethnic everyday product as well as seasons and oc-
British Asians and Afro-Caribbean groups minority groups (7.9% of the UK population) casions.”
have often been overlooked despite their there’s a very obvious opportunity for retail- This focus on everyday ethnic product has
obvious buying power when it comes to ers to explore. seen Jivana exploring all manner of sending
retailing. In many ways the UK’s multiple Inevitably it comes down to looking at opportunities: from birthdays to weddings
grocers have led the way with supermarket your local area and assessing whether there is and children’s cards. There are designs for
likely to be a need for ethnic-themed product. mixed race relations and weddings too.
A basic under-
Being Indian I recognised the
standing of ethnic
demand for not only funkier, fresher
occasions can also
Ethnic Occasions
product for the ethnic audience but
help to maximise the
Dates are for 2009 only – they change every year!
potential offered as
also the need for everyday product
Rajeev Arora, from
as well as seasons and occasions.
Jewish New Year - 19th September 2009
Davora Ltd, the spe-
Samantha Alfred –
cialist greeting card
Jewish New Year,
publisher, explains.
Jivana Style
known as Rosh
“Every year,
Hanasah, which
Jivana Style
between the end of
translates literally from
the spring seasons Hebrew as ‘First of
and the start of win- the year’ is a time for
ter, a host of ethnic
introspection. It is said
occasions prevail to
that during the two-day
fi ll the gap – occa-
occasion, God opens
sions such as Diwali,
the Book of Life and
plans the fate of people
Eid and Jewish New
.co.uk
basedbased upon their deeds over the last yearupon their deeds over th . Time is
Year, to name but a
spent in the Synagogue where special services take
few.
place. A ram’s horn trumpet called a Shofar is blown
While these oc-
one hundred times, with the intention of waking the
casions are consid-
listener from his or her slumber to the judgment taking
ered by many to be place.
‘minority’ events, A traditional greeting for Jewish New Year is
eetingstoday
they have over recent
L’shanah Tovah – “for a good year”. During family
.
gr
years become very
gatherings and feasts apples are served with honey to
mainstream.
signify a “sweet new year”.
www
“In the multi-
42
www.greetingstoday.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64