Greeting Card Market Is Experiencing a Generational Shift, Unity Marketing reports; The prime market for greeting card marketers used to be middle-aged women, but now it's GenXer consumers

STEVENS, Pa.--Oct. 1, 20058, 2005--In a new study of the $36 billion stationery goods market, including greeting cards, social stationery, gift wrap and partyware, paper crafting and other stationery, Unity Marketing found the most dynamic change in the market is a generational shift from older consumers to younger.

Traditionally, middle-aged consumers (45+) were the mainstay of the greeting card and stationery industry, but not anymore. Today consumers 44 years and younger take the lead as the most active buyers of all things stationery. For example, consumers aged 25-to-34 years spent the most on average in the stationery category in the past year, or $118, as compared to only $90 spent by shoppers aged 45-to-55 years.

"This generational shift means dramatic changes to the greeting card marketplace and foretells disruption for companies that are not attuned to the needs and desires of the younger consumer," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses -- as well as the Classes. "This shift toward a younger consumer represents both an exciting new opportunity and very real threat for the future of many greeting card companies and retailers."

A psychographic analysis also reveals the greatest vulnerability for traditional greeting card marketers is found among the younger consumers. Digital cameras, personal websites, email, instant messaging, text messaging and a whole host of other communications media popular with young people today are making paper greetings obsolete and/or just too plain slow.

Danziger says, "All one needs to do is watch college- and high-school-aged youths today in their electronics-empowered lifestyles to realize that greeting cards don't have a place in their future. Given young people's new ways of communicating, this generation is not going to get excited about receiving a greeting card in their mail box."

Make-your-own cards are now in vogue

While the sales of greeting cards are on the decline, growth in the stationery goods market is coming from increasing consumer demand for other memory and paper expression products, including gifting and party goods, such as gift wrap, ribbons and partyware, social and computer stationery and paper crafting supplies for scrapbooking and make-your-own cards. More people find make-your-own cards a more personal alternative to buying a $3 pre-printed card off the shelf.

Danziger says, "Traditional greeting cards were an early 20th century marketing solution designed around technology and consumer expectations from the times. The consumer needs that greeting cards were created to fill -- emotional communications that build and strengthen relationships -- haven't gone away, but the market is ripe for someone to come along with a new 21st century solution for consumers today."

Consumer Insights on Greeting Card, Stationery, Gifting and Paper Goods and Paper Crafting Markets

Unity Marketing's latest study of the greeting card, stationery, gift wrap and party goods and paper crafting markets includes findings from qualitative/focus group research among serious category users and a survey among a representative sample of 1,644 U.S. consumers focused on their purchases of stationery goods and the motivations that drove those purchase (i.e. why people buy). More information available at http://www.unitymarketingonline.com/reports2/cards/

The 160+ page research study includes research data and statistics about:

-- Stationery goods market size and growth including greeting cards, social stationery, gift wrap and party goods, paper crafting products and other stationery products

-- Demographics of the stationery goods market

-- Stationery goods buying behavior, i.e. why they buy, what they buy, how much they spend, where do they purchase, what factors influence purchase, etc.

-- Psychographic profile and segmentation of four different types of greeting card consumers.

About Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing

Pamela N. Danziger is a nationally recognized expert specializing in consumer insights for luxury marketers, whether they sell luxury to the masses or the 'classes.' She is president of Unity Marketing, a marketing consulting firm she founded in 1992.

Advising such clients as Lenox, Cartier, Herend, Remy Amerique, Interiors by Decorating Den, Stearns & Foster, The World Gold Council, The Conference Board and American Express, Danziger taps consumer psychology to help clients navigate and master the changing luxury marketplace. Her latest book, Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses--as well as the Classes, (Dearborn Trade Publishing, $27, hardcover) is in book stores now. She is the author of the recent book, Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior (Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2004).

She has appeared on CNN's In the Money, NBC's Today Show, CNBC, CNN International, CNNfn, CBS News Sunday Morning, Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, ABC News Now, NPR's Marketplace and is frequently called upon by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, American Demographics, Women's Wear Daily, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune for commentary and insight.

For media, Unity Marketing can make tables, charts and graphs available upon request.