Adopt A Shop for Christmas

Has anyone else noticed everyone is getting ready for Christmas a little earlier than usual this year? We are – the Christmas trees went up two weekends back.

There is no other way to say it – 2020 has been a shit year! One of our most popular Christmas Cards this year seems to have hit the sentiment perfectly looking at how many of you are buying it … Fuck 2020!

We have friends and family in all four countries of the UK who have had to go through different lockdowns, tiers and restrictions. And of course, our stockists and shops have been open and closed more often then you put your left leg in doing the Hokey Cokey.

This year it feels like we have not seen many of our friends as we usually do – a catch up over a coffee, a pint, after work Friday Prosecco or a lunch date.

During the first lockdown we knew times where difficult and a bit unsettling for many. So we sent greeting cards to friends, family, some of our favourite restaurants and businesses. There was no reason for doing this other than to reach out and let them know we are thinking about them (and I had loads of fantastic cards in my card box that I’ve collected over the years that I wanted to send). We had so many people call saying how touched they were and how much they appreciated the sentiment.

A survey that was conducted by The Mindlab in Brighton (commissioned by Royal Mail) confirmed that sending greetings cards really help those who are feeling lonely or isolated, something that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused for many.

“The psychology of greeting cards has a lot to do with self-esteem and self-worth. Simply put, if you receive one, you feel better. Time is the most precious gift anyone can give. So, if someone spends time choosing, writing then giving or posting a greeting card, the recipient knows they have been given some of the sender’s precious time,”

— Dr Lynda Shaw

At this time of year, many of us sit down and think about Christmas Cards, how many to send and to whom? Sometimes it is seen as a chore to do, but we do not see it like that. Think how you feel when you receive a card from a friend you have not seen for a while? It is nice to know that they are thinking of you. While we cannot be with people physically this year, we can let them know they are in our thoughts.

We love orders on our own website, and we love seeing the reviews and feedback. But more than that we love our small independent shops up and down the country that stock our cards and those from all the other publishers we know and love. And we would encourage you to support these shops.

This coming Saturday (5^th December) is Small Business Saturday, and this year is more important than ever since so many of these shops are opening for their first weekend to welcome Christmas shoppers this year.

There is the old phrase “service with a smile”, and we have certainly found that to be true when shopping small. Before lockdown we had begun to do less shopping in supermarkets and much more around the shops in a small village just a mile away from the house. Very quickly the staff got to know us, to know what we liked, they would put things aside without asking knowing we would be in to pick them up. And as the year and Covid restrictions has gone on we have found those shops to be so important. No crowding, no stock shortages, and always a welcoming smile and appreciation of support.

We loved an idea Mary Portas shared on her own Instagram last month about “Adopt A Shop” which was started by Tim Carey in Dublin. It is a very simple idea – you pick two or three small independent locally-owned shops and commit to shop there and support them. And if you can share details of those shops with your friends or on your own social media.

And by supporting a small local business you are supporting the community where you live and keeping the high street active and interesting.

If you follow us on Instagram you will have seen us highlighting our stockists all over the country. Because we have so many we can’t list them all here, but if you would like to buy some cards locally, please get in touch with us, and we will tell you the nearest store to you.

Finally. if you are posting cards this year Royal Mail recommends posting 2^nd Class items by Friday 18^th December and First Class Monday 18^th, you can check international last posting dates on the Royal Mail website.

Merry Christmas from us here at Dean Morris Cards towers.