Are Greetings Cards Still Popular?
Greeting cards can sometimes get a bit of a bad rep. The internet is filled with forums of people asking whether greeting cards are even still a thing, and why bother sending them.
So are greeting cards still a thing?
The short answer is yes, greeting cards are still popular. Despite social media's continuing world domination, and a declining postal service, the greeting cards market continues to grow.
According to recent research by GVR, "The global greeting cards market size was estimated at USD 19.61 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 22.96 billion by 2033".
And while sales of greeting cards remain popular among the over 60s, younger consumers are still buying cards, with 35-60 year olds buying the most.
Research from 2020 by the Greetings Card Association (GCA) showed that "8 out of 10 people agree that greeting cards cannot be replaced by social media." And while digital forms of communication are instant and mostly free, they will never be able to compete with the sentimental value of a handwritten, handmade greeting card.
So if you're not interested in the longer answer, skip to the next article by all means. But if you're totally geeking out on this nerdy greeting card stuff (I am, can you tell?!), then here's the longer answer...
The Longer Answer...
The slightly longer answer is that yes, greeting cards ARE still popular, and the market IS growing, but how we choose to buy cards, and what we choose to buy has evolved.
How people Shop for Greeting Cards
"Nearly 40% of Mother’s Day shoppers in 2024 included a greeting card in their gift-buying, with a surge of purchases occurring in the week leading up to the holiday." (GVR, 2024)
People are buying their cards later than ever, expecting them to arrive in warp-speed delivery times. As a card maker of 17 years, I can definitely agree with this. We see our seasonal spikes much later than we used to, with customers often waiting until the 10 days before an event to order. I think that this is partly due to the convenience of Amazon Prime and massive printed card companies like Moonpig and Funky Pigeon offering quick delivery.
What Consumers Want from Greeting Cards
Consumers are also looking for ways to completely personalise cards and tailor them to really specific niche situations. This is, of course, where Pogofandango shines, because we've always offered extra personalisation, a huge range of colours and the ability to have a completely custom printed message inside at no extra cost.
But if you go way back to greeting cards in the 1980s and 90s, you would find that cards were all pretty generic. They offered no personalisation on the cards themselves, and they came with huge pre-printed verses inside.
We've also noticed this shift over the last 17 years as a card making brand- we started with a range of non-personalised cards and our products have been guided by customer feedback to include many different variations and personalisation options. Even some of our non-personalised cards feel pretty personal.
Who Still Buys Greeting Cards?
Despite digital alternatives, 94% of the British population still buys greeting cards. Women drive the market, purchasing roughly 80% of cards.
Final Thoughts
Greetings cards are still very much a thing in 2026, and the greetings card industry is predicted to continue to grow. While cards are still popular, the things consumers want from them has changed in recent years, with people demanding more high-end, luxury, eco-friendly and personalised options, as well as warp-speed delivery and convenience.
If you are looking for unique, personalised greetings cards, we'd LOVE to help you out with that- check out our greetings card shop online now!
TL;DR: Greetings cards are going to be around for a long time. Shop small for unique, personalised and eco-friendly greetings cards. And, completely unrelated to that, here's a banner image with a 20% discount code for our lovely laser cut cards:
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