Could texts write off the Christmas card?

CHRISTMAS cards could soon vanish because so few young people send them.

They are switching instead to text messages and social media, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to send emoji-laden festive greetings.

In the same way as CDs and books have succumbed to the digital revolution, traditional cards with religious or festive themes appear to be losing their appeal.

Less than half of those under 35 buy Christmas cards, research by retail analysts Mintel found.

Around one in three of those aged 25 to 34 said social media was an appropriate way to send seasonal greetings.

While three in four of those aged 65 and over send cards, the figure falls to just 49 per cent for those aged 25 to 34 and 43 per cent for those aged 16 to 24. When people do buy cards, they appear to be opting for more expensive and personal options, rather than cheap multipacks.

As a result, the money spent on single cards has risen by 61 per cent in the past five years to £225million, while the amount spent on boxes of cards has fallen from £272million in 2005 to under £200million a year.

However, Mintel says that just as sales of books and vinyl records are rebounding, the same might happen for cards to prevent the 170year-old tradition from dying out.

Samantha Dover, senior retail analyst at Mintel, said: ‘Despite ongoing concerns that the greetings card sector is likely to suffer from the rise of digital communication, the market continues to perform well.

‘In a digital world where the tangible is vanishing, consumers are increasingly elevating the value of physical goods and the emotional attachment to sending and receiving post and greetings cards.’ The Christmas card was created by Henry Cole, founding director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, in 1843. He was also instrumental setting up the Uniform Penny Post, which encouraged the sending of seasonal greetings. The Mintel research found that Christmas is more likely to be a time of stress than an occasion for fun and relaxation.

Over half – 55 per cent – say that shopping for gifts in-store is too much of a strain, while sticking to a budget is also too difficult.

This could help explain why eight in ten of us bought at least some of our Christmas presents online last year.