Congratulations to all the finalists in the 2023 Retas Awards.
Among them is Creative Cove in Lampeter, Wales, and Stationery Supplies in Cheshire – whose respective owners Sandra Jervis and Sarah Laker (pictured above) talk about the London Stationery Show in the latest issue of Greetings Today – and Hugs and Kisses in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, which appears in our Shop Talk feature.
Also included is WHSmith, whose online trading manager Amanda Corrigan talks to us in our retail interview.
Read all about them in Greetings Today.
The winners will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on July 6.
The full line-up of finalists is…
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London
Diverse, Brixton
Earlybird Designs, Stoke Newington
Gift, Crouch End
Medici Gallery, Kensington
Mooch, Ealing and Fulham
Snap, Bow
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties
Cards 4 Occasions, Hayling Island
Joyce’s Best Wishes, Lingfield
Maddy Moos, Totton
Objectables, Folkestone
Red Card, Petworth
Threads, Harpenden
Zest, Crowbridge
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – East Anglia
The Card Centre, Felixstowe
Cards ‘n’ Things, Norwich
The Eel Catcher’s Daughter, Ely
Just Cards and Abigail’s Cards & Gifts, Norwich and Dereham
LoveOne, Ipswich
Sincerely Yours, Hornchurch and Shenfield
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West
Bazaar, Barnstaple
The Card Collection, Bath and Shaftesbury
Kingfisher Cards & Gifts, Sidmouth
PaperGangsta, Bristol
Stationery House & Gifts, Somerton and Clevedon
Tickles & Co, Wimborne
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales
Card Value, Merthyr Tydfil
The Celtic Company, Welshpool
Charlton Cards, Tenby
Creative Cove, Lampeter
Daisy Daisy, Llanishen
Halls, Llanduff
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – The Midlands
Austin & Co, Malvern
Bentleys and Maddison, Birmingham, Harborne, Solihull and Stourport-on-Severn
Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall
Set Design, Leicester
Something Special, Kingswinford
Wishes & Kisses, Boldmere and Solihull
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North West England and Northern Ireland
Bailey’s, Ainsdale, Crosby and Maghull
Bus Stop Cards and Gifts, Castlederg
Celebrations, Carlisle
The Gift Box, Hoole
Reflections, Nantwich and Rugeley
Wishes of Cockermouth, Cockermouth
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – North East England
Artichoke, Tynemouth
Cards & Gifts, Dronfield
Castle Cards, Barnard Castle
Design@Six, Wetherby
Serendipity, Newcastle
Thinking of You, Denby Dale
Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Scotland
Gibsons, Haddington
The Gift Boutique, Fraserburgh
JP Pozzi and Bijou, Buckie and Elgin
Paper Tiger, Edinburgh
Pencil Me In, Elgin
Penny Black, Glasgow
Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer
The Beverley Card Company, Beverley
Cards & Moor, Yelverton
Dolly Daydream, Presteigne
Jelly Armchair, Cheltenham
Occasions, Jersey
The Paper Collective, Belper
Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards
Barnes Bookshop, Barnes
Bookends, Christchurch
Chorleywood Bookshop, Chorleywood
Guisborough Bookshop, Guisborough
The Hedgehog Bookshop, Penrith
Regency Bookshop, Surbiton
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – North
Archerfield Walled Garden Shop, Dirleton
The Hollies, Little Budworth and Lower Stretton
Mooch, Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn
Nest, Broughton Astley, Stoneygate, Thurlaston
Stationery Supplies, Marple and Wilmslow
Utility, Liverpool and Manchester
Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards – South
The Bay Tree Home & Gift, Devizes and Marlborough
Dart’s Farm, Topsham
Lark, London and Woking
MiMi, Hartley Wintney and Wokingham
Natsons, Barnes
No.14 Ampthill, Ampthill
Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (5-20 stores)
3 Wishes, five stores in the south
Between the Lines, 17 stores in the south
Henry & Co, nine stores in the Midlands
House of Cards, seven stores in the Home Counties
Postmark, 14 stores in London, Birmingham and soon Glasgow
Temptations, seven stores in the Home Counties
Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards
Atkinsons, Sheffield
Barkers of Northallerton, Northallerton
Daniels, Windsor
Elphicks, Farnham
John Lewis & Partners
Morleys Group, eight stores in the south
Selfridges
Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards
Asda
Booths
Morrisons
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Waitrose & Partners
Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards
Marks & Spencer
National Trust
Oliver Bonas
The Range
Waterstones
WHSmith
Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards
Cards Direct
Cards Galore
Cardzone
Clintons
Scribbler
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards – Independent
Bents, Warrington
Burford Garden Centre, Burford
Garsons Farm, Esher and Titchfield
The Grange Garden Centre, Melton Mowbray
Highfield Garden World, Whitminster
Stewarts, Broomhill, Christchurch and Titchfield
Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards – Multiple or group
Blue Diamond, 40+ centres nationwide
Haskins, five centres in the south
Longacres, five centres in the south
Klondyke/Strikes, 22 centres across the UK
Notcutts, 19 centres across the UK
RHS, five centres across the UK
Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative
Austin & Co, Malvern – Nessa’s Christmas Dog Food Drive
Expressions, Swindon – Scouts Post engagement
House of Cards, Home Counties – Thinking of You Week activities
Milford Cards & Gifts – Turkey Earthquake Appeal acivity
Nickery Nook, Bedale – upcycling cards programme
Stationery Supplies, Marple and Wilmslow – Festive Friday Design a Christmas Card Competition
Swagger, Chipping Sodbury – charity Swagbags
Best Greeting Card Wholesaler
Archway Cards, Norwich
Budget
CAPS, Bury
Crosswear Trading, Enfield
Greetings House, Walsall
Jackson’s, Sheffield
