How Print-on-Demand Cards Can Cater to Rapidly Changing Retail Trends

The way people shop is changing, but there are some things that will always stay the same. No matter why people buy their greetings cards, the expression of friendship, love, or support behind sending them is the most important thing. The pandemic has shown us that connectivity and heartfelt messages are as important as ever. Sending cards has proved invaluable during the months we’ve spent in lockdown, unable to see some of our nearest and dearest face to face. However, with shopping trends changing, how can retailers continue to offer greeting cards that perfectly fit people’s needs?

One solution is print-on-demand (POD). Any greeting card supplier or retailer will know the importance of keeping up with consumer trends, and POD is set to be the next big thing. Let’s find out a little more about what POD means and how it can help retailers continue to provide their customers with high-quality personal cards.

What is Print-on-Demand?

POD is a way for your customers to get their hands on their favourite designs without having to anticipate their orders. In a POD system, the product that the customer orders will only be printed after their order has come through. This varies from the traditional practice of bulk printing stock before your orders start rolling in. By opting for POD, you’ll be able to offer your customers a wealth of options when it comes to designs and personalisation while reducing your own financial risk.

The flexibility of POD is sure to benefit both your business and your customers. It is also well-suited to these key shopping trends that have emerged in recent years.

Quality not quantity

While customers will always want to get their money’s worth, quality over quantity has become a key trend over recent years. According to Marketing Week, 21 per cent of consumers define value as getting the highest quality items within their budget. When it comes to greeting cards, the “quality over quantity” trend couldn’t be more true. As cards are such a personal purchase, high-quality products will always win over customers’ hearts in this department.

Luckily, POD can help retailers provide the highest quality of greetings cards to their customers. Instead of opting for quantity and printing vast amounts of stock before any orders have been placed, POD means that you can focus more on the quality of your designs.

Sustainable shopping

Another key advantage of POD is the lack of wasted products. If you print stock in advance, there’s always a chance that the cards won’t sell, and you’ll end up with excess cards that might have to be disposed of. When you factor in the printing process as well, you might end up with a lot of waste, unnecessary costs, and an unsustainable production line.

31 per cent of online shoppers say that for 2021, they opt for “green” brands. 35 per cent said they would only associate with “responsible” brands. Therefore, minimising any waste is key to keeping up with consumer trends towards sustainability.

Personalisation

A personal touch can be so important, especially when it comes to greetings cards. While POD allows your customers to browse through all of your designs, it also means that you can be a little flexible if they have any personal requests. When each and every card is printed with a customer in mind, the opportunity for personalisation is far greater. For example, POD makes it possible to allow your customers to add a heartfelt message inside their greetings card before getting it printed.

With the ever-changing consumer market, it’s important to always be on the lookout for ways to keep your customers happy. For card retailers, POD could be the perfect solution.