RM research reveals Christmas cards are making comeback

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail research reveals Christmas cards are making a comeback

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An overwhelming 80 per cent of people would prefer a traditional card to any electronic festive wishes sent on Facebook or through other social media channels

This year the average person expects to send 19 cards, a 27 per cent increase on last year

25 per cent of people intend to make more of an effort to send Christmas cards this year

85 per cent of people plan to display their Christmas cards around their home

The Greeting Card Association Market Report 2012 found that the average price for a single Christmas card is £1.63, in comparison a pint of lager costs £3.19*

The first Christmas Card was sent in 1843 and just 1,000 of them were produced

One of the world’s first Christmas cards sold at auction for a record-breaking £20,000 in 2001

The robin has an association with Royal Mail going back to Victorian times when postmen were nicknamed ‘Robin Redbreasts’ after the red waistcoats they wore

Help Royal Mail’s postmen and women deliver this year’s festive mail by posting early this Christmas and using the postcode

When it comes to receiving or sending a Christmas card, 80 per cent of people prefer to receive a traditional card to any kind of electronic festive wishes or social media messages, new research has revealed. In fact, one in four people describe Christmas well-wishes on social media as feeling ‘a bit empty’ or impersonal.

In 2011, the average person sent 15 Christmas cards, but this year the research found that this will rise to an expected 19 cards per person, a 27 per cent year-on-year increase. This is partly attributed to a fifth of people planning to send more cards this year as they feel bad about forgetting to send a card to someone who was expecting one last year.

A quarter (25 per cent) of those surveyed said they aimed to make more of an effort to send more Christmas cards this year than last, because they feel it is what Christmas is about.

The research went on to reveal that traditional Christmas cards are still cherished, with 85 per cent of people planning to display the cards they receive around their homes. Further to this, the physical Christmas card still has a prominent place in the hearts of British people as 38 per cent of people feel that an e-card is far too impersonal.

Sharon Little, Chief Executive of the Greeting Card Association, said: “This research confirms that cards remain at the centre of all life's special celebrations.

“We all love to be in our homes at Christmas time surrounded by the cards we have received from far and wide. We know that all these people have taken the time to think of us. Christmas is all about caring, sending real cards to friends and family is far more meaningful than any form of electronic communication - you can’t put a Facebook message or an e-card on your mantelpiece.”

The Greeting Card Association Market Report 2012 found that the average price for a single Christmas card is now £1.63, in comparison a pint of lager costs £3.19*, Royal Mail provides one of the highest quality postal services in Europe and UK stamp prices are amongst the best value in the EU; with the 50p price of a Second Class stamp the lowest in Europe.


The tradition of sending Christmas cards was established in 1843 through the introduction of the World’s first commercially produced Christmas cards. The cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole who just three years earlier had played a key role in helping introducing Royal Mail’s Penny Post service. Only 1,000 of these cards were printed and sold for a shilling each – this meant that they were a luxury item and were not within the means of the working class.
One of the original 1,000 cards sent is also the most valuable in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The card, which was originally sent by Sir Henry Cole to his grandmother in 1843, was sold at an auction in Devizes, Wiltshire for £20,000 on 24th November 2001.

As with the first cards sent almost 150 years ago which featured some festive family fun, cards showing humorous scenes are the most gratefully received, with a quarter of people (25 per cent) saying this is the type of card they most like to receive through their letter box.

Men in particular like to receive some humour through the post with almost a third (32 per cent) saying this is their preferred Christmas card theme. Snow scenes come a close second in popularity with 24 per cent of people enjoying a wintry image on their cards.


Royal Mail’s postmen and women were also responsible for the ever popular robin gracing the front of cards. During the mid 1800s the postman’s uniform included a bright red waistcoat to match the official red of pillar boxes. The striking uniform resulted in postmen being referred to as ‘robin redbreasts’ and the robin being introduced to Christmas cards as a symbol of the postmen who delivered the cards.

The robin remains a popular theme today with many people, and in particular, as the research found, the over 65s of whom one in ten state that it’s their favourite Christmas card theme.

Post Early for Christmas:

Royal Mail is encouraging customers to post their festive greetings early, and order their online gifts and shopping well in advance, to help its postmen and women deliver the bumper festive mailbag. Its latest recommended posting dates for mail to arrive in time for Christmas are:

Posting dates for delivery within the UK:
• 1st Class Thursday 20th December
• 2nd Class Tuesday 18th December
• Special Delivery Saturday 22nd December

Posting dates for international mail:
• Airmail to Asia, Far East (including Japan), Australia, New Zealand, Wednesday 5th December
• Airmail to South and Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Friday 7th December
• Airmail to USA, Canada and Eastern Europe: Monday 10th December

ENDS
Notes to Editors:
* British Beer and Pub Association’s Handbook 2012
For more information please contact:
Natasha Ayivor
Royal Mail Press Office
100 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0HQ
Tel: 020 7449 8250
Mobile: 07436 280002
natasha.ayivor@royalmail.com
Methodology:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from OnePoll. Total sample size was 2000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24.10.12 – 25.10.12. The survey was carried out online.

[Lincox]

They must all be held up in mail centres then because they certainly ain,t getting through to us to deliver. Never known it so light for normal mail. Perhaps the scouts are doing us out of business.

[Mark_Law22]

Mails been pretty light this week here too, but Xmas cards are deffo up from last year!! Had loads of em! Most without house numbers too lol, people must think we're psychic?!

[PhilthyPhil]

We haven't had a lot come in for delivery yet but have collected shedloads from the boxes since the end of last week. The MC are sending 2c manual down for us to sort and farming some of their mech work out to the MPUs so I think there are a lot more cards to come, they are just stuck in the MC who have focused all their efforts on packets and now panicking about how to clear the letters.

[clashcityrocker]

Most of our xmas cards have gone through the IPS.
Can the super ilsms and CSSs not cope with handwritten stuff?

[DGP1]

We've had many more cards than last year and most of them are coming in manual, I suppose when the whole office has been made totally efficient then things like that wont even be sorted

[BernardBresslaw]

Most of our xmas cards have gone through the IPS.
Can the super ilsms and CSSs not cope with handwritten stuff?

I got a LOT of them sorted into walk sequence this morning, so they must be able to be machine-read. Pretty accurate too, surprisingly.

A sh*t load of cards today all round, and a lovely wet day to deliver them in. Lovely.

[mandelsons_toenail]

Has the acting dried up?

[bluealbert]

Plenty of cards & packets the last 2 days, bloody knackerd

[TeeferTiger]

Well of course 80% of people would prefer to receive a "proper" card than something on the computer. We're still a nation of people who like to "own" things...

[k979aaa]

Probably at 60p a pop it has as good a chance as the packets and DSA mail.