77% of people prefer physical Christmas cards
Royal Mail says that consumers still cherish the tradition of giving cards at Christmas
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Monday, 04 Dec 2023 13:09 GMT
89% of people say they display all their Christmas cards compared to 5% who only display a selection from their nearest and dearest
Research by Royal Mail shows that 77% of people say they would prefer to receive a physical Christmas card than a digital one.
The survey from the postal and delivery service is a positive response to consumers’ appreciation of print and physical communications as more digital alternatives emerge.
When it comes to keeping in touch with family and friends 63% said they would prefer to receive well wishes via a card, while 11% favour a text message/WhatsApp, and 6% prefer a phone call.
Amanda Fergusson, chief executive officer of the Greeting Cards Association, comments: “Greeting cards are just amazing little things that boost mental wellbeing, support communities, your local postie, and a thriving, vibrant, creative industry that’s so important to high streets and the wider British economy.”
The survey by OnePoll spoke to 2,000 people who have sent or received cards in the past and only 2% preferred digital Christmas cards.
Research also shows that four out of five people think that Christmas cards are important for maintaining relationships with friends and family, with 44% feeling they would send a card to anyone who sent them one.
Royal Mail says the Christmas tradition is joint only with giving gifts in terms of popularity as nine out of ten people say they send Christmas cards.
Speaking about the research, Nick Landon, chief executive officer at Royal Mail, says: “The festive period is by far our busiest time of the year, about double the amount of mail is sent during December compared with other months.
Some parts of the UK have already started to become affected by snow and cold weather
“The research shows that sending and receiving cards remains a much-loved tradition for the majority of people, and our postmen and women will be working hard to deliver all of these Christmas wishes.”
The research also showed that the tradition is also a popular way to raise money with 37% of respondents saying they buy cards from charity shops.
Allison Swaine-Hughes, retail director at the British Heart Foundation, adds: “Sending a message to someone special over the festive period is a tradition many of us cherish. At the British Heart Foundation, we sell about 10 million Christmas cards and it’s heart-warming to know 10 million people could have a BHF card on their mantelpiece this year.”
The Royal Mail has now begun communicating its yearly encouragement for customers to get orders in early and factor in certain dates for Christmas arrivals.
The company has recommended a posting date of at least Monday, December 18th for second-class deliveries and Wednesday, December 20th for first-class deliveries.
Recently Royal Mail was fined £5.6m for failing to meet its first- and second-class delivery targets which Ofcom said was a “wake-up call” for the company.
2023 was hit by a variety of challenges for the mail and delivery industry including industrial disputes and adverse weather conditions.
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