Why invest in us
1. Opportunity for future growth
Card Factory PLC is now growing within the celebration occasions market, combining our greeting cards offer with our growing gifts and celebration essentials ranges. We are now addressing a £13.4 billion market in the UK with further growth opportunities internationally through our franchise and wholesale partners.
2. Virtuous circle of design, manufacturing and retail provides competitive advantage
We design 80% of our cards and 75% of our gifts in-house through our team of 60 creative designers, verse writers and creative management. This allows us to rapidly respond to changes in customer taste and needs.
Last year we manufactured 164.5 million of our cards and other products in Baildon, Yorkshire.
We have more than 1,900 distribution points for retail, including our online sales via our websites: cardfactory.co.uk and gettingpersonal.co.uk and in cardfactory retail stores.
3. Established brand - making celebrating life's moments accessible for all
cardfactory is the most trusted brand in the UK amongst competitors and our brand is anchored in the core truth that life needs celebration and our brand purpose: ‘we make sharing in and celebrating life’s moments special and accessible for everyone’. At the same time, we have made enormous headway on improving our gifts and celebration essentials offer, which is the biggest growth area. As a result, we are ranked at No. 1 for ‘good value’ and ranked the No. 1 destination for balloons.
4. Growing sales and profit
+6.7%
+6.7% cardfactory like-for-like (LFL) sales growth in FY23 (Stores + cardfactory.co.uk). This was underpinned by a strong performance in the core business activity of store-based sales and Everyday card ranges, accompanied by strong trading through the Christmas season. This led to a PBT of £52.4m up from £11.2m in FY22.
+7.6%
growth of store sales in FY23 on a LFL basis, reflecting a return of customers to the high street, the success of our new ranges and our strong value for money proposition despite selective price increases.
5. Proven sources of growth
Progress continues at pace on the delivery of our ‘Opening our New Future’ growth strategy which is transitioning cardfactory into an omnichannel retailer of cards, gifts and celebration essentials in the UK and internationally.
Recent milestones include:
- Rollout of Store Evolution Programme which is showing increased customer satisfaction and a positive revenue impact with the reduction in card space allocation not adversely impacting sales, while we have seen revenue growth from increased space allocation to gifts and celebration essentials.
- Strong sales growth within the gifts and celebration essentials categories through the introduction of new and refreshed ranges.
6. Cash generative model with diversifying income sources
Scope for generating growth from proven success of current partner relationships including Aldi and Matalan in the UK as well as The Reject Shop stores in Australia.
The appointment of a franchise partner in the Middle East and the acquisition of SA Greetings, adds to the diversification.