Editor Lewis Eckett
LEADER
Publisher in chief: Malcolm Naish learly, Alistair Darling has never
because they will be based on rental values as of April
malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk
C
worked in a shop. 2008, before the downturn started hitting rents.
Publisher: Mark Naish
If he had he might have realised This time the BRC was determined to be tough with
mark@lemapublishing.co.uk
that changing prices on hundreds or the Chancellor with chief executive, Stephen Robertson
Editor: Lewis Eckett
thousands of small items in the run up to Christmas saying: “This is a serious oversight.” Wow! Such
lewis@lemapublishing.co.uk
would be a retail nightmare – to put it mildly. condemnation. Take that Mr Darling!
Editorial assistant: Jo Cooper
The 2.5% reduction in VAT is something your Despite such strong words from the BRC and plenty
jo@lemapublishing.co.uk
average card retailer is going to struggle to pass on to of advice from the likes of Terry Leahy at Tesco and
Advertising manager: John Furlong
the consumer by way of lower prices. Stuart Rose at M&S, the Chancellor
jfurlong@lemapublishing.co.uk
Production director: Paul Naish
Clearly many will not bother and even Lets be honest, decided to forego a truly meaningful
paul@lemapublishing.co.uk
the Chancellor admitted as such when
at a time of
measure and instead expected
Circulation manager Jo Wilkinson
he merely “urged” retailers to pass the retailers to run around re-coding
jo.w@lemapublishing.co.uk savings on in his Pre Budget Report
reduced margins
their tills and re-stickering their
Circulation Assistant: Sharon Cruz (PBR).
and price-cutting
goods with a weeks notice.
sharon@lemapublishing.co.uk
Lets be honest, at a time of reduced
Layout/Design: Richard Vickers
most retailers will
Sometimes you have to wonder
margins and price-cutting most retailers where politicians’ heads are at.
rick@lemapublishing.co.uk
will gratefully accept the reduction on
gratefully accept
Graeme Thomas
suppliers invoices and keep the money
graeme@lemapublishing.co.uk
the reduction on
• Spring Fair is rapidly approaching
in the till. If anything, many shop and soon we will all be be making
Contributors: Terry Harvey
owners will wish that the reduction had
suppliers invoices
the long trek to Birmingham for
Gill Davies
come before their Christmas stock had
and keep the
the most important buying show of
been delivered or invoiced.
money in the till.y
2009.
Even with price bands, card retailers card retailers This year Greetings Today has
Subscription per annum:
are going to think twice been named as the ofbee ficial preview
UK £45, Europe £55 (surface),
about putting time and magazine for the showma .
£65 (airmail) money into adjusting It’s a tremendous honour and
prices by a few pence, we’re committed to making our we
despite the health of the February issue a must-read for Fe
entire UK economy being retailers and publishers
alike.re
at stake. Don’t miss it!
Lema
PUBLISHING LTD.
In contrast you can
easily imagine card • By the time you get to read •
Published by:
retailers switching the this issue, Christmas will almost th
Lema Publishing Ltd
VAT breakdown feature on n certainly be overc .
1 Churchgates, The Wilderness,
their tills to display 15% I sincerely hope the business of
Berkhamsted, Herts. HP4 2UB
and hoping shoppers won’t t giving has treated you well and the g
Telephone: 01442 289930
Fax: 01442 289950
notice that prices have cash tills were ringing right up to c
Email:
info@lemapublishing.co.uk stayed the same.
Darling Clementine page 33
Christmas Eve.Christmas Eve
And then there’s the news that retailers will have Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the
The views of the Contributors expressed in
to do it all again in 13 months time when VAT reverts economy at large, I have been struck by the general
this journal are not necessarily those of the
back to its original level. cheerfulness of people in the greetings card industry, no
publisher. Comments, letters and criticism
Thanks Alistair. matter what hand they are being dealt. Whether they are
are welcome.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) dutifully retailers, publishers or suppliers, the sense of optimism
announced the nation’s shopkeepers would indeed has been uplifting.
be passing on the VAT cut to embattled consumers. At Greetings Today we’re trying to be ‘positively
Although in the pre-Christmas blizzard of price pragmatic’ and provide practical solutions and real
promotions, discounts and three for two offers on the examples of how to thrive and survive in the coming
high street, it was hard to see how shoppers would be months. Our Challenge 2009 feature in this issue is
able to see the difference. an exercise in trying to help retailers without trying
Member of the Audit Bureau Much worse for retailers was the distinct lack of an to teach them to suck eggs. But we don’t have all the
of Circulation. ABC audited announcement on a far greater danger: Business rates. answers - nobody does.
circulation: 6,219 (Certified for the
Missing from Darling’s rescue package was plans What we need however is input from you, the
period July 2006-June 2007).
to freeze or reduce next April’s business rates increase reader. We want to hear your news, views and opinions
as well as a postponement of the 2010 revaluation. on anything and everything to do with the greetings
If it goes ahead, April’s increase will be followed a card scene. Please get in touch.
year later by a truly colossal increase in business rates And finally, a Happy New Year to you all.
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