Kochi: Dip seen in sale of greeting cards

KOCHI

: The tradition of sending and receiving Christmas and

New Year

cards, which was once a staple of the season, appears to be dying out — particularly among younger generations in the city who prefer the digital alternatives like e-cards and social media posts. The sale of Christmas and New Year cards is continuously witnessing a decline over the past few years and card-sellers in the city said that exchanging greeting cards has now become a habit only among the elders. They said the card-selling business in the city is alive during this festive season mainly because of those elders ‘who still prefer paper cards to wish their beloveds’.


“Until a few years ago our greeting cards business was prospective and we used to bring out 100 to 120 new designs every year. But over the past few we had to reduce the number of designs to 50 or 60. There are several websites and apps that allow users to create and send customized and personalized cards within less time,” said Archies gift shop Ernakulam area manager Joshith M.

Meanwhile, most of the elders said greeting cards are all about keeping in touch, keeping the emotional connection and spreading goodwill. “They are a physical manifestation of someone’s regard that people keep and display. Sending a handwritten card to tell someone ‘I wish you Merry Xmas’ is a far more powerful connection than sending wishes through the social media,” said Abraham Joseph from Kadavanthara, who was busy choosing New Year cards for his friends.

But at the same time card-sellers said the trend is exactly opposite ahead of Valentine’s Day when the customers will be mostly youngsters who are in search of new-design cards irrespective of their prices. “Usually these cards are expensive but the youngsters, mostly students, spend much time choosing and buying them,” said Joshith.