The 2025 annual GCA Conference and AGM was held at Manchester Hall on Thursday 25th September 2025. The day brought together GCA members from across the UK and Ireland. Retailers, publishers and specialist suppliers to the industry joined together to hear from an impressive lineup of speakers, sharing insight into the greeting card market in 2025, what consumers are buying where and how the industry is responding to current challenges, with greeting cards contributing over £1.53 billion to the UK economy a slight increase again on the previous year.
Welcome & Reflections
GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson opened the day with a warm welcome to Manchester and was joined by outgoing President Darren Cave reflecting on the past year and the GCA’s work to support, protect, and promote the greeting card industry. From lobbying and sustainability to trade marketing and diversity, the GCA continues to champion the industry on all fronts.
They also welcomed incoming President Karen Wilson (Paper Salad) and new Vice President Mark Callaby, co-owner of Ohh Deer. Amanda also thanked the GCA Council for their ongoing work, and Georgina Fihosy from Afro Touch and Mark Williams from Brainbox, who both stepped down from the Council this year and have have made valuable contributions and their input has been much appreciated.
A big shoutout also went to Danielle McCarthy, GCA’s Events and Marketing Coordinator, for pulling the day together
Thank You to Our Sponsors
A huge thank you to our sponsors — all GCA Supplier Members, recommended by fellow members and actively supporting the industry:
We’re grateful for their support in making the day possible.
GCA Highlights
Amanda reflected on the work of the GCA sub-committees, where council members are joined by others from across the industry bringing skills knowledge and experience, working together on behalf of the industry to protect and promote card sending.
Latest updates on the work the GCA is doing on Sustainability, led by Hallmark’s Fiona Pitt, were shared. With 78% of GCA members having reduced or removed plastic and a further 10% planning to do so in the next 2 years, the work the industry has done to reduce their environmental footprint was reflected on, along with help the GCA is providing to navigate new legislation.
Diversity, Inclusion & Trade Marketing Highlights
The Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, led by Mark Callaby, has made a real impact over the years, strengthening GCA policies, collaborating with retailers, and championing the breadth and diversity of greeting cards available today. Highlights include:
Leadership of the sub-committee now passes to Sarah-Jane Porter, who’s calling on any members interested in getting involved to get in touch.
Amanda also thanked retailers Heidi Early, Kaye Thurgood, and Sally Matson for their valuable contributions to the Trade Marketing Sub-committee, and shared some of the initiatives they’ve helped shape to support card sales and visibility across the UK.
Fun with GCA Stats!
Sarah Jackson, owner of Stormy Knight and GCA Council Member, delivered an entertaining snapshot of the GCA’s year in numbers. From the hundreds of members who’ve attended events, to the 400+ years of combined industry experience shared by the Council, the figures speak for themselves. She also highlighted the 396 articles now live on the GCA website and the 657 pieces of media coverage achieved in the past year alone—proof of the GCA’s growing reach and impact.
Introducing Card Club
Rebecca Green, GCA Council Member and co-owner of Raspberry Blossom, introduced Card Club—a brand-new GCA initiative designed to inspire the next generation of card senders. The project includes a ready-to-use lesson plan for teachers, making it easy to bring greeting cards into the classroom and onto the curriculum.
Members are encouraged to share Card Club with teacher friends and their children’s schools to help spread the word and get more young people excited about card sending.
Industry Insights and Future Focus
The latest lobbying work of the GCA was shared, with the work being done with government and others impacting the industry, such as Royal Mail, Ofcom and Temu, discussed.
Market Statistics
Seth Woodmansterne shared highlights from the GCA’s annual Market Report – with the the value of the market £1.53bn, slightly up on previous year. The full report is now available for members to download.
Jon Hendy from Kantar delivered a data-packed and thought-provoking session on the state of the nation and how consumer behaviour is evolving. His presentation revealed just how deeply embedded greeting cards are in British culture—with some surprising stats to back it up.
According to Kantar’s research, 92% of UK households purchase greeting cards, putting them ahead of household staples like toothpaste (91%), tea (84%), and even baked beans (83%). That’s right—cards are more British than tea!
Pip Heywood, Managing Director of thortful, delivered a fascinating session titled “The Evolving Card Market: Data, Direction and Disruption”. She explored how digital platforms are reshaping the greeting card industry and shared valuable insights into what consumers are buying online—and how their habits are shifting.
One key takeaway? While humour is often assumed to dominate online card sales, traditional designs still outsell humour on thortful—a surprising insight that sparked plenty of discussion in the room. Pip also highlighted how consumer expectations are evolving, and what publishers can do to stay relevant in a fast-moving digital landscape.
Hazel Walker, Buying Manager at Waterstones, gave a behind-the-scenes look at how the retailer approaches card buying—what’s working well in 2025, and what publishers should keep in mind when pitching or planning ranges. She shared valuable insights into trends, buying cycles, and the importance of strong design and storytelling.
Fun fact: Cat cards are still a top seller!
One of the most talked-about sessions of the day was “AI in Focus”, presented by Raj Arora (Nettl) alongside Kelly Hudson (McDaniels Law). Together, they explored how artificial intelligence is already reshaping the creative landscape—and what greeting card businesses need to know to stay ahead.
From copyright concerns to content creation, the session offered practical advice on how to use AI tools effectively (and responsibly). But it wasn’t all serious…
Raj surprised the room with a deepfake video message from “Donald Trump”, a tongue-in-cheek reminder of how convincing AI-generated content can be. And just when we thought we’d seen it all there was a GCA-themed song written and performed by AI.
The Ballad of Paper Salad
New GCA President Karen Wilson closed the day with The Ballad of Paper Salad—a heartfelt, emotional, and honest reflection on the 20-year journey behind her brand. Standing on the red carpet (a surprise gift from the Brainbox Candy boys!), Karen shared the pivotal decisions, lessons learned, and challenges overcome in building Paper Salad into the colourful, successful business it is today. Delivered in her hometown of Manchester, it was a fitting and inspiring way to wrap up the day.
Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead
To close the day, Amanda Fergusson encouraged everyone to make the most of the free GCA Toolkits and get involved in the Cardmitment initiatives for Christmas 2025. Whether it’s sharing resources, promoting card-sending in your community, or joining in on national campaigns, every little bit helps.
“If we all do just a little bit it adds up to a lot; and we have to keep this work going to keep UK consumers engaged with cards and inspire the new generation.
We know the benefits; cards are good for our mental health and we all love receiving a card.
So let’s work together Team Greeting Card Industry to ensure that we remain a nation of Card senders!”
Snapshots of a Brilliant Day
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Manchester and helped make the 2025 GCA Conference and AGM such a memorable and inspiring day. We’re so grateful for your continued support and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing you all again at next year’s Conference in September 2026!
