There where whoops of joy and ear-to-ear smiles as the winners of The Retas greeting card retailer awards, organised by Progressive Greetings (sister magazine to Progressive Gifts & Home) were revealed yesterday (November 16) at the glittering Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane.
The Awards brought together the cream of greeting card retailers, with stockists from across the retail spectrum, to include gift retailers, recognised, rewarded and celebrated. In keeping with the current thriving passion for houseplants and gardening, as well as a desire for the green shoots of optimism, the theme of The Retas 2021 was The Finery of Greenery.
Welcoming guests, Progressive Greetings co-owner Jakki Brown paid tribute to The Retas finalists and winners, highlighting that in one of the most torrid times for retailers ever, “so many showed their true grit and determination, learning new skills and instigating initiatives to enable them to nurture their customers’ loyalty.”
Among the worthy winners was gift and greeting card retailer Jo Barber, winner of the Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – South category, and the Blue Diamond Group, which won the Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards – Multiple or Group category. John Lewis & Partners won Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards, while Sainsbury’s was crowned Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards.
Finalists included: Lark London; The Bean Hive, Kettering and Falmouth; The Tutbury Present Company, Tutbury and Bijou and JP Pozzi, Elgin and Buckie.
The full list of Retas Awards 2021 winners are…
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London
Earlybird, Stoke Newington
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties and South East
Red Card, Petworth
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia
Celebrations Hallmark, Aylsham
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West
Expressions, Cats Whiskers and Polkadot, Swindon, Bishops Cleeve and Keynsham
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales and the Midlands
Austin & Co, Malvern
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North and Northern Ireland
Reflections, Nantwich and Rugeley
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland
Paper Tiger, two stores in Edinburgh
Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch – South
Kingfisher Cards, Sidmouth
Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer or New Branch – North
Henry & Co, Bridgnorth, Nottingham and Ormskirk
Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards
The Bookshop, East Grinstead
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – North
Stationery Supplies, Marple and Wilmslow
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – South
No. 14, Ampthill
Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (4+ stores)
Postmark, Balham, Blackheath, Chiswick, East Dulwich and Greenwich
Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards
John Lewis & Partners
Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards
Sainsbury’s
Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (4+ stores)
WHSmith
Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ branches)
Cardzone
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards – independent (1-4 centres)
Bernaville Nurseries, Cowley, Exeter
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards – Multiple or group (5+ centres)
Blue Diamond Group
Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative
Earlybird, Stoke Newington for its Hope Programme
Best Greeting Card Wholesaler
Budget Greeting Cards
Greeting Card Retailer of the Year
Cardzone
The Retas, now in their 16th year, was attended by over 300 greeting card retailers, publishers and suppliers and hosted by comedian Stuart Goldsmith.
Top: The delighted Retas winners are shown on stage at the Grosvenor House in Park Lane at yesterday’s Awards.
