Social media usage knocks greeting cards out of business

Chennai: Greeting cards have not moved out of shelves for the past few months in commercial spaces as there are fewer takers with each passing day. Despite the dawn of a new calendar year unfolding in a few days, gift shop owners see no movement in greeting cards.

The upsurge in social media tools such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter has completely changed the manner in which youngsters and elderly convey messages and exchange love. “Firstly, a decent branded card is expensive, and moreover when we have options in our phone, why spend time on sending a card?” asks Rajesh Kanna, a student DG Vaishnava college. When DC caught up with a few vendors of card outlets in the city, they agree that sales have dipped by at least 40 to 50 percent in the past two years. “Technology has made a huge impact on wishing your dear ones not just on New Year, but on most occasions including Valentine’s Day and Xmas. While using these tools, when they can convey the message without spending a penny, they feel it is unnecessary buying a card,” said Rini Mathew who is running a gift shop near Perumal Koil North Mada Street, Villivakkam.

“However, the craze for gifts still remains. Designer coffee mugs or teddy bears with love symbols or photo frames with quotes are in demand even now, she added stating that it is just a very few number of cards that are sold in the past two months.

Two big international brands mark their presence in two different shopping malls but many other gift shops have shut shop. “In the past one year, at least ten gift shop selling greeting cards exclusively in areas like Parrys, Egmore and Mount road have closed down. The branded companies are managing to run their outlet in the major malls of the city. The most affected are small time vendors,” maintained a marketing official of a leading brand based in Parrys.

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