Card Factory Share Discussion Threads

[1224saj] 27/12/2019 15:41

Portugull, happens everywhere in retail, buyers are afraid to buy too much stock. A number of large retailers ran out of popular lines, sizes, tastes and fashion in the run up to Christmas, and then they moan how bad the high around is???

[ukneonboy] 24/12/2019 10:03

Hard to believe portogal

maybe do your xmas shopping sooner......lol

[portugull] 24/12/2019 09:11

For the second Christmas running I visited the Teignmouth Devon Branch of Card Factory on 21 Dec and they had sold out of cards for the Wife
Hard to understand.

[fizzypop] 19/12/2019 08:36

Div Pay Today.

[wiseman1967] 17/12/2019 22:23

You are very welcome.

[multibagger] 17/12/2019 20:38

Many thanks Wiseman 1967 for your insightful posts on the CF business - much appreciated !

[wiseman1967] 17/12/2019 09:05

The online market was below 5% of the market a few years back. It was projected to get to around 8%. The male/female split here is closer to 50/50. Online (especially something like Moonpig) is more of an emergency/impulse purchase (like supermarkets) (and so a higher male proportion!) whilst visiting a card shop is a planned purchase (often buying cards for the month ahead). The issue is that it takes quite a long time to make an online purchase versus a card shop purchase and if you are buying three of four cards at a time it would take too long. I have bought online cards to create a funny card - the first time it is easy, second time around (for the same person) it is harder to be funny, the third time I just bought a ready made funny card from CF.

[wiseman1967] 17/12/2019 08:57

Hi Multibagger. Given the large number of stores (1,000) and hundreds of millions of cards sold, the demographics of the customer base from a socio economic point of view is similar to the country as a whole. From a gender point of view it is close to 80/20 in favour of women (who tend to be the buyers of cards). From an age point of view, people don't tend to buy many cards until they have children of their own and have to buy cards along with presents for kids parties. So the 18-30 age range have never been big card buyers. The older you are (especially if you have grandchildren) the more cards you are likely to buy. We had some consultants look at what would happen if the younger generation never bought cards and the model showed it would take quite some time to flow through. I will deal with online in a new post.

[multibagger] 17/12/2019 07:39

Thank you Wiseman1967 for your input and few queries if I may, given your vast experience and knowledge of your former business.

In the context of customer age and demographics, what is the "sweet spot" for Card Factory ?

Anecdotally, it appears that millennials and younger generations spend less on cards/personalised gifts etc - how do you think that CF address this changing trend or prepare for it ?

Is online a significant proportion of revenues ?

Thanks in advance for your time and effort.

[cflather2000] 16/12/2019 22:13

Strengthening Sterling very good for CARD. Hopefully the reformed govt will put some real intent to shoring up the high street

[wiseman1967] 16/12/2019 21:15

Novice - it matters little to me whether you believe me or not. Your response should have been "just because you were close to the business a few years ago - it doesn't make your opinion right". I would have agreed with that point. My response would have been that we are all entitled to opinions - some will be right and others wrong. I may be wrong to think that CF is a category killer with fabulous cash flows and opportunities to grow the top line and margins at the same time, as well as benefitting from the stronger pound through cheaper USD based purchases, but at least if you state an opinion on these posts please try to explain how you got to that opinion. We have been waiting for at least three months to hear the logic behind your unfathomable comment that this business is headed for a CVA. If you explained it I would be happy to argue the other side.

[ukneonboy] 16/12/2019 20:59

1NOVICE

why not go and find another company to short sell and then bad mouth to try to drive down the share price.

you've failed spectacularly with Card Factory, bye bye

[1novice] 16/12/2019 20:07

Of course you was wise, you'll be telling me next you was nearly the prime minister next!

[ukneonboy] 16/12/2019 12:27

Fantastic response WISEMAN - couldn't have put it better myself :-)

It's quite obvious who "lost the argument" and who had to resort to using profanity to attempt to justify the garbage he spouts on here.

Probably better if you crawl back under your rock 1NOVICE !!!
might save you making an even bigger big fool of yourself

[wiseman1967] 16/12/2019 10:05

Novice - the reason that I can speak more authoritatively than you is not just because you write undiluted drivel but because I bought this business off Dean Hoyle in April 2010 for £367.5million and then listed it on the LSE just over four years later. I have no current links with the business other than an investment in it, but having been very close to the business for five years and made over 5.25x the money invested for my fund investors I feel I may know this business better than you. I am happy to try to answer genuine questions from posters on this board who may have concerns/questions but you just post unsubstantiated tosh about how bad this business is and how it is headed for a CVA. I will not tire of pointing out how crass your opinions are.

[luderitz] 15/12/2019 00:05

Tut tut language please 🧐

[ukneonboy] 14/12/2019 19:27

thats really encouraging news MULTIBAG and in terms of the footfall it mirrors my own recent observations.

[multibagger] 14/12/2019 12:14

Aldi rollout - spotted at an Aldi store in Wakefield, West Yorks

An approx 5 foot x 5 foot end of aisle Card Factory section (with advertising signage stating that the cards are designed and made in the UK) at 99p each. Not labelled as Card Factory, but a card had designed by Studio 41 at the back with a Wakefield address

About 8 card types per row x 6 rows = 48 types of cards approx - largely birthday and occasion types.

So rollout has begun...on a modest display/stocking per store scale....

Card Factory in Wakefield town centre also very busy compared to Clintons by a ratio of approx 6:1 browsers in the shops.

I expect a very good Christmas sales period.

[ukneonboy] 13/12/2019 11:21

Message to 1Novice and BORINGSteve

You can BOTH crawl back into your boxes

Bet you are BOTH getting burned now - having "short-sold" LMFAO

Don't say we didnt warn you. Busy Xmas trading, ringing tills, etc

[luderitz] 12/12/2019 22:58

Looks like you better crawl back into your box Novice.