Tradition of sending Christmas cards declining

THEY once spilled off our mantlepieces and guaranteed postmen a gruelling round during the season of goodwill.

• It's been a tradition for manys a year but it may be on the way out

But the age-old tradition of sending Christmas cards to our friends and colleagues is on the wane, according to a new report.

There has been a dramatic downturn in the number of Britons buying cards at this time of year, with the value of cards also dropping as shops look to boost sales and maintain the tradition.

Retail analysts said the downwards trend was a result of dire economic forecasts, which have discouraged consumers from spending any more than is necessary.

However, charities and the Greetings Card Association have urged the public to continue to buy charity cards, pointing out that an estimated 50m is generated for hundreds of good causes every year.

The report by market analysts Mintel, published today, found that sales of Christmas cards has fallen by 13m over the past five years, from 272m in 2005 to an estimated 259m this year. The decline began during 2008, when hard on the heels of the economic downturn, sales dipped to 266m.

In a survey of more than 1,000 people Mintel also found that the number pledging to buy cards has fallen away. Whereas 84 per cent of people sent a card in 2006, just 73 per cent did so last year. The tradition is less well observed by men, just 67 per cent of whom sent cards in 2009, compared with 78 per cent of women.

Michelle Strutton, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, said: "Following the recession, consumers bought slightly fewer greeting cards and were thriftier about their purchases, and in 2010, it seems gloomy economic forecasts and the threat of job cuts are making consumers ever-more cautious.

"It seems the market for Christmas cards has been hit by consumers opting for lower priced cards and bulk packs or just not sending any at all." But Ms Strutton added that the digital revolution had failed to overtake traditional cards, at least for now. Mintel's research found that only one in eight people intended to send e-cards or texts as well as greeting cards, and only 5 per cent would use paid-for e-cards.

Olly Mann, a social media expert and podcaster, told The Scotsman that even he was a traditionalist when it came to Christmas cards. "Social media fulfils a very different function, and I think using Facebook or Twitter to say, 'Merry Christmas' is lazy," he said."It's not the same as putting the effort into writing and sending a card.

"However, there are now some e-card apps where you can send a card via the postal system from your phone, and there are some really interesting e-cards with weird designs and drop-down menus for people of different religions."

Despite the lack of festive cheer, the Mintel report found the greetings card market as a whole has witnessed increased popularity, with 92 per cent of people sending birthday cards last year compared with 90 per cent in 2006. This year Britons will send about 1.5 billion greetings cards in total.