Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners of the Retas Awards 2017 celebrating Greeting Card Retailing in the UK. We would especially like to thank all of you who stock our cards! We consider ourselves very privileged to be serving such a fine host of retailers.
The Retas Awards 2017 Winners and Finalists are
Postmark, London won Greeting Card Retailer of the Year
Tim Reynolds, shop manager of the Medici Gallery, Kensington, London
won Greeting Card Retail Employee of the Year
Finalists 2017
Carol Budd, manager of The Card Hall, Maidstone, Kent
Heather Clarke, senior merchandiser/sales of Ivad Gifts, Paisley, Renfrewshire
Lisa Dean, manager of Feathering Your Nest, Rayleigh, Essex
Hilary Hayes, senior sales assistant of Coles of Sidmouth, Sidmouth, Devon
Denise Keers, sales person of Cards 2 Confetti, Brixham, Devon
Susan Robertson, greeting cards & wrap supervisor of The Mains of Drum, Banchory, Aberdeenshire
Sue Williams, retail assistant/buyer of The Hollies Farm Shop, Lower Stretton, Cheshire
Nor - West Norwood won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - London
Finalists 2017
The Cherry Tree - East Finchley
Hallmark - Hornchurch
Northwood Cards & Gifts - Northwood
Postmark – Greenwich
With Best Wishes - Petts Wood
Threads - Harpenden won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Home Counties
Finalists 2017
The Card Hall – Maidstone
Dee's Cards – Leighton Buzzard
Paddock Wood Cards – Paddock Wood
SWALK – Lindfield
Zest - Crowborough
Spots - Southwold won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - East Anglia
Finalists 2017
First Class Greetings and Plum Green - Hadleigh
Love It! – Stamford and Bury St Edmunds
Pedlar’s Gold – Fakenham
Mackenzies Cards – Gainsborough
Snape Maltings – Aldeburgh
Paper Gangsta – Bristol won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - South West
Finalists 2017
By The Way – Bradford On Avon
The Card Collection – Bath
Celebrations – Waterlooville and Eastleigh
Coles Of Sidmouth – Sidmouth
Expressions - Swindon
The Tutbury Present Company – Tutbury won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Wales and the Midlands
Finalists 2017
Celebrations – Stourbridge
Doodlebug – Cwmbran
Sentiments – Whitchurch
Something Special – Kingswinford
Special Occasions – Castle Bromwich
Wishes Hallmark – Cockermouth won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - North and Northern Ireland
Finalists 2017
Belly Button – West Didsbury and Heaton Moor
Blue Rose Gifts - Heywood
Cards & Candles – Lancaster
On Church Hill – Knutsford
Mantons Cards – Port Erin
JP Pozzi and Bijou – Buckie and Elgin won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Scotland
Finalists 2017
Blueberry - Musselburgh
CloudyBlue – Aberdeen
Kairds - Kirkwall
Papyrus - Glasgow
Polka Dot – Dumfries
Peppertrees - Northampton won Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer Or New Branch – South
Finalists 2017
Ceri Jam - Warwick
Expressions - Broadstairs
Ohh Deer - Ipswich and Loughborough
Paper Turtle - Lewes
Sweet Autumn - Buckingham
Zo & Co – Knutsford won Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer Or New Branch – North
Finalists 2017
Baileys Cards & Gifts (Hallmark) - Ainsdale
Card Heaven – Mexborough
Celebrations - Kirkham
The Hummingbird at Shrewsbury - Shrewsbury
Joy! - Heswall
The Guisborough Bookshop - Guisborough won Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards
Finalists 2017
Aldeburgh Bookshop - Aldeburgh
Daunt Books – London, Saffron Walden and Marlow
Gerrards Cross & Chorleywood Bookshops – Gerrards Cross and Chorleywood
J&G Innes – St Andrews
Simply Books - Bramhall
Proudfoot - Scarborough won Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards - North
Finalists 2017
Cloud 9 – Edinburgh
Gee Tees - Wigan
Give the Dog a Bone - York
The Hollies Farm Shop - Tarporley
Paper Moon - Dore
Farrants - Cobham won Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards - South
Finalists 2017
The Alphabet Gift Shop - Burton-On-Trent and Mickleover
Berts Homestores - Brighton
Darts Farm Shop – Topsham
Little Boat Gifts – Brightlingsea
Loveone - Ipswich
Bentleys – four stores in the Midlands won Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (4-20 Branches)
Finalists 2017
Between The Lines – 13 stores in the South
House of Cards – six stores in the Home Counties
Mayther – seven stores in the South
Paper & Script/ Funky Pigeon – 10+ stores nationwide
Three Wishes – Ferndown, Lymington, Ringwood and Verwood
Fenwicks Of Colchester won Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards
Finalists 2017
Barkers – Northallerton
Bentalls – Kingston
Harrods – London
John Lewis – 29 stores
Selfridges – Oxford Street, Manchester and Birmingham
Tesco won Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards
Finalists 2017
Asda
Co-Op
Morrisons
Sainsbury’s
Waitrose
WHSmith – 612 stores nationwide won Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ branches)
Finalists 2017
Marks & Spencer – 914 stores nationwide
National Trust - 200+ stores nationwide
Next – 500 stores in the UK and Eire
Oliver Bonas - 42 stores nationwide
Waterstones –275 stores nationwide
Card Factory – 850+ stores won Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ branches)
Finalists 2017
Cards Galore – 46 stores
Cardzone – 100+ stores
Clintons – 400+ stores
Paperchase – 130+ stores
Scribbler – 34 stores
Frosts – Brampton, Millets Farm, Willington and Woburn Sands won Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards
Finalists 2017
Bents – Glazebury
Klondyke Strikes – 22 garden centres
Longacres - Bagshot
The Mains Of Drum – Banchory
Thurrock Garden Centre - Ockenden
Postmark, four shops in London – for its Feel Good Friday initiative won Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative
Finalists 2017
Clintons – for its Thinking of You Week activity
House of Cards, six shops in the Home Counties – for its Sympathy Card initiative with The Ladder Club
The Lynn Tait Gallery, Old Leigh - for its Queen’s 90th Birthday Card Competition
Nor, Norwood – for its community Okido mask-making workshop and poetry balloon day
Ohh Deer, Loughborough – for its Gemma Correll instore charity event
The Secret Garden, Borough Green – for its ‘Win Kylie for Valentine’s Day’, Beany Boo and Pots of Dreams initiatives
Archway Cards - Norwich won Best Greeting Card Wholesaler
Finalists 2017
Budget Greeting Cards – eight branches UK and Eire
Crosswear Trading - Enfield
Jacksons – Sheffield
Merseyside Greeting Cards – Liverpool
WJ Nigh – Isle Of Wight
Now in their thirteenth year, The Retas Awards are established in recognition of the tremendous contribution that retailers - both large and small - make to the success of the greeting card industry. Launched by Progressive Greetings magazine in 2005, The Retas Awards recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple greeting card retailers regionally and nationally, but also the new generation of retailers as well as employees of outstanding excellence.
This year the Retas Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of greeting card retailing, was held at at a Enchanted Tales forest and animal themed luncheon at at The Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday 12th July, where the Retas Awards 2017 winners were announced by comedian Charlie Baker. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists!
Click here to see previous winners of The Retas Awards
To visit the Awards Website click here
Click here to request more information on Blue Eyed Sun
