How to Sell to American Greetings Stores

American Greetings leads the social expression market in Canada and Australia; New Zealand and South Africa rank second respectively. Furthermore, their subsidiary UK Greetings Ltd holds strong market presence within Britain.

Retail marketing efforts often include themed display units and electronic touch-screen kiosks for party planning. Demographic research is also an integral component of retail marketing initiatives.

How to Sell to American Greetings Stores

American Greetings is the world’s leading publicly owned maker of greeting cards and other “social-expression” products, accounting for 35% of the U.S. market compared to Hallmark Cards’ 43% share. Brandywine ranks first in Canada, Australia, and South Africa and can be found in two out of every three mass-merchandiser stores in the United States, as well as many drug, grocery, and convenience stores. Company products now include seasonal wrapping paper marketed under Plus Mark; educational supplements, such as nonprescription reading glasses and learning tapes and books (marketed as Magnivision); candles; stationery; and party supplies featuring licensed images of children’s characters such as Ziggy from Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, Richard Scarry.

American Greeting’s technological investments have enabled it to stay ahead of its competition in the greeting card industry. Along with automated distribution systems and high-tech printing presses like Komori printing presses which can produce cards more accurately than older machines, its sales staff use laptop computers for tracking customer information and creating quotes for them.

American Greetings was established as a Cleveland jobber’s shop in 1906. Since its inception, American Greetings has experienced steady growth thanks to an increasing emphasis on creating and marketing “anytime” cards – designed to be used throughout the year rather than solely during holidays or special events. Furthermore, AG Properties was formed in 1999 as an expansion strategy, licensing characters like Care Bears, Ziggy and Strawberry Shortcake characters for design purposes.

The company has also expanded beyond the United States, where sales growth in the mature greeting-card market has been slow. In 1993 it entered Canada through the purchase of Carlton Cards which later became its leading greeting-card producer; and then in 1996 acquired John Sands as the leading card producer in Australia and New Zealand. These moves took advantage of countries whose average age populations are much younger than in America while consumers spend more per capita on social expression products.

Become a Vendor

American Greetings is the world’s leading publicly owned manufacturer of greeting cards and other forms of social expression products, holding 35% market share in the US greeting card market and second only to Hallmark. American Greetings also produces gift wrap and party supplies; its headquarters are in Cleveland, Ohio while it operates globally spanning 25 countries – featuring its flagship American Greetings brand cards alongside Papyrus, Carlton Cards Recycled Paper Greetings Gibson plus DesignWare party goods and Plus Mark gift wrap as lines of products available to its consumers.

The company is well known for their seasonal and holiday-themed cards, as well as all-purpose “Just Because” greeting cards. This line was inspired by magazine advertisements that showcased greeting cards sent out for non-calendar-related reasons – like telling clients they were pregnant with twins or Joan Rivers telling her daughter about an upcoming sale!

Demographic research plays an integral part of any company’s marketing strategy. They conduct demographic studies to ascertain which consumer groups would most appreciate their greeting card products; for instance, women between 55-64 purchase multiple dozen greeting cards annually while also showing strong interest in parties; this knowledge has allowed the company to tailor products specifically tailored for this demographic audience.

American Greetings invests heavily in technology and innovation to meet the demands of an expanding customer base, using Komori presses that print faster while producing higher quality cards than traditional machines. Furthermore, this company employs 400 artistic personnel who specialize in designing themed display units for different seasons and holidays so customers can find what they are searching for more quickly and efficiently.

Due to their investment in technology and innovation, the company continues to experience robust sales growth. They strive to make their products more eco-friendly; this appeals to their consumers who appreciate that much of the production involves recycled paper products.

Vendor Registration

American Greetings was established in 1906 and today holds the second-highest market share for cards sold publicly – at 35% in the US market, only second to Hallmark. Alongside cards, this company also produces seasonal wrapping paper (under the brand name Plus Mark); educational supplements from Learning Horizons; nonprescription reading glasses and candles under Guild-House brand. American Greetings licenses the images of popular children’s characters such as Rugrats, Holly Hobbie and Teletubbies to use on its greeting card products. American Greetings has its products sold in approximately 100,000 stores globally – including two out of every three mass-merchandiser chains and six of every 10 drugstore chains.

Before doing business with New York State agencies, vendors must register with the Office of the State Comptroller. This registration includes declaring eligibility and complying with the UN Supplier Code of Conduct. In addition, New York requires vendors file financial documents showing income/balance sheets over the past three years.

As the initial step in becoming a vendor with the state, registering the business name must match that of its owner’s legal name. Business owners can register through either online registration through the state e-register system or contact their county clerk to find out about local registration processes. While registering doesn’t protect against misuse, it does provide key public information such as ownership and address details that will aid with future dealings with them.

American Greetings provides a formal idea submission process through regular mail for card idea submissions. A completed submission form with sample verse, illustrations and photography should be sent directly to our Idea Submission Team at P.O. Box 5730 Cleveland Ohio 44141-5151 for review and consideration.

Attending open vendor days is another effective way to meet retailers in search of new vendors, providing potential vendors an opportunity to showcase samples and meet store managers while forging personal connections that will make them stand out among other applicants. It is essential that attendees dress professionally at these events and are ready to answer questions regarding product lines that fit well into retail environments.

Vendor FAQ

American Greetings Corporation is one of the world’s largest creators, manufacturers, and distributors of greeting cards and other social expression products. Additionally, they produce gift wrap, stationery, candles and other items designed to bring people together. Headquartered in Cleveland Ohio with offices around North America, Canada, UK Mexico Australia South Africa New Zealand selling products through approximately 100,000 retail stores worldwide.

American Greetings’ products are sold under several trademarks and brands, such as American Greetings. Additionally, digital products like ecards and Creatacards allow people to design their own greeting cards through online or mobile applications. Their website provides information about its offerings as well as allows users to search greeting cards by occasion or category.

American Greetings began targeting grocery stores and non-gift card retailers during the 1990s as an innovative strategy against Hallmark which had long neglected these channels of distribution. American Greetings targeted women in their prime shopping years who desired purchasing multiple cards per year for purchase at multiple grocery stores and non-gift card retailers, specifically targeting these demographics for sales of cards per year. American Greetings’ new strategy allowed it to compete effectively against Hallmark which had long ignored these channels of distribution.

As part of its strategy, this company hired a research council to study consumer trends across its geographic markets where it sold products. This allowed it to develop products tailored specifically to customer needs such as changing family dynamics and demographics shifts as well as longer and healthier lifespans.

The company expanded their product lines to offer more holiday-oriented items, such as wrapping paper and tableware. Furthermore, they widened their presence in the United Kingdom through the acquisition of Carlton Cards; and established themselves within Japan through Camden Graphics Group’s purchase.

As part of its employee benefits and programs, this company also provides tuition reimbursement, employee recognition programs and numerous online and in-person training courses on topics like customer service, problem solving and teamwork.