The Retas 2009 - No eCommerce category?

The Retas. The only awards that celebrate greeting card retailing in the UK.

The Retas 2009 will take place at The Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London on Wednesday 8th July.

The Retas were launched by Progressive Greetings magazine in 2004, in recognition of the tremendous contribution that retailers both large and small, make to the success of the greeting card industry. Now in their fifth year, The Retas awards ceremony is established as the Summer event for the greeting card community. It brings together the entire £billion+ greeting card industry for an afternoon of celebration.

The Retas recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple greeting card retailers regionally and nationally, but also the new generation of retailers as well as employees of outstanding excellence.

Awards are for the following categories:

Greeting Card Retail Employee of the Year
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales and the Midlands
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland
Best Greeting Card Newcomer
Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards
Best Greeting Card Small Multiple
Best Greeting Card Retail Initiative
Best Non-Specialist Retailer of Greeting Cards - Multiple
Best Non-Specialist Retailer of Greeting Cards - independent
Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards
Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards
Independent Greeting Card Retailer of the Year
Best Greeting Card Cash & Carry
Best Greeting Card Service Based Wholesaler

The judging for The Retas 2009 awards has now taken place and the finalists have been announced.
Shortlisted finalists can be viewed here.

Clinton Cards Shares Soar

Clinton Cards shares soar on the back of news that the loss-making Birthdays chain is to go into administration. Clinton Cards bought the Birthdays chain in 2004 for £46.4m.

Clinton Cards shares rose 37% yesterday. Good news for shareholders, not so good for the 2000+ Birthdays employees? Around half of the 300+ Birthdays stores remain profitable and no closures or job-losses have been announced.

"Clinton Cards chairman Don Lewin said: “Everyone at Birthdays has worked tirelessly to try and turn the business around. Nevertheless in the current environment the group cannot sustain supporting losses of approximately £7m a year at Birthdays.

“It is my genuine belief that there is a significant element of the Birthdays’ business that will have a profitable and sustainable future.

“It is sad that we have reached this position but this action will be earnings enhancing for Clinton and I have every confidence in the future of our business.”

Clinton also gave a trading update, revealing that like-for-likes across the group remained flat in the 13 week period to May 3, 2009. There was a 0.6 per cent decline at the Clinton stores and a 2.3 per cent increase at Birthdays".

Source: Retail Week

DESIGN IDEAS: Thomas Allen

DESIGN IDEAS:

"American photographer Thomas Allen constructs witty and clever dioramas using figures cut from the covers of old pulp paperbacks. Using salacious pulp art drawing’s of the ’40s and ’50s that covered books such as ” I Married a Dead Man” and ” Marihuana Girl’, Allen constructs one set of pictures up close while obscuring another, and in the process creates a different context. Each piece is given a brand new storyline, though never quite strays from their cheeky origins".





Source and more images here
Thomas Allen Homepage