A new survey¹ by Moneypenny suggests the death of the business Christmas card may not be too far away, with less than half of the UK businesses surveyed (49%) planning to send their clients and suppliers Christmas cards this year, as the company encourages people to pick up the phone instead. Alternative Christmas gestures planned by businesses and revealed in the survey are:
– sending digital Christmas messages e.g. by email 54%
– sending a small Christmas gift or token of appreciation 45%
– making charity donations 43%
– emailing a summary of the year’s achievements 33%
The declining popularity of business Christmas cards mirrors the reported declining Christmas card market in the UK, with sales down from a peak of £186 million in 2016 to £161.8 million in 2020*, perhaps due to the soaring cost of stamps.
The Moneypenny survey also revealed that 47% of businesses plan to host a Christmas or end of year event for clients, which suggests that businesses recognise the value of human contact in cementing business relationships at Christmas.
Commenting on the survey results, psychologist Dr David Lewis said: “It’s interesting that the survey shows businesses are setting aside time to meet their clients at this time of year and this will pay dividends for them in the future. Christmas and New Year greetings are primarily emotional messages expressing messages such as friendliness, and remembrance. We can communicate far more powerfully and directly through a few spoken words than volumes of written endearments.”
Moneypenny spoke to a number of people around the country asking who last year made a phone call to a loved one rather than sending a card. Some of the comments included:
Sarah from Edinburgh: “A quick phone call to my cousin this Christmas brought so much joy—it was like we were sitting together despite being miles apart. I’ll definitely be doing this every year now.”
Mike from Huddersfield: “Taking five minutes to call an old colleague instead of sending a card was the best decision I made this Christmas. Hearing his voice and laughter brought back great memories.”
Emma from Cardiff: “I always thought cards were enough, but after calling my aunt this year, I realised how much more meaningful it is to hear someone’s voice and truly connect.”
Tom from Newcastle: “I’ve been exchanging cards with my university friends for years, but when I called one of them this Christmas, it felt like no time had passed. We ended the call planning a reunion.”
Julie from Chester: “Instead of writing a card to my mum’s best friend, I called her to check in. She told me it was the highlight of her Christmas—proof that a phone call can be the best gift of all.”
Steve from Belfast: “I called my brother on Christmas morning for the first time in years, and we ended up chatting for over an hour. It reminded me how small gestures can rebuild big connections
Wendy Swash, Chief Operating Officer from Moneypenny adds: “The days of signing piles of impersonal Christmas cards are thankfully in retreat, as digital messages are more efficient and less costly to implement. However, Christmas is not all about efficiency, as our survey clearly shows companies plan to go the extra mile in giving their key contacts gifts or hosting festive events for them. Christmas messages generate so much more goodwill if delivered in person or via a phone call. Our recent consumer survey² showed that regardless of age, gender or profession, 54% feel the emotional connection is stronger on phone calls than via other communication methods such as texts and 47% mostly use their phone for chatting with friends and family. So if time is short, or distances mean a face-to-face get together is difficult to achieve, we’d encourage businesses and the general public alike to pick up the phone to deliver a heartfelt, personalised message this Christmas. It will mean so much more than a card.
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ENDS:
*Greeting Card Association, Statista 2020
¹The Moneypenny Christmas survey was conducted by Censuswide among 100 general business decision makers across the UK, age 18+, from 11.11.2024 -15.11.2024.
²The Moneypenny research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2004 general consumers in the UK (nat rep) (18+). The data was collected between 06.08.2024 – 12.08.2024.
Notes To Editors
As the leading and most trusted provider to businesses large and small, Moneypenny offers advanced tech solutions and highly trained professional teams. Looking after millions of great conversations across multiple channels in the UK and the US, Moneypenny delivers outstanding service to clients’ customers every day. Moneypenny was founded by brother and sister team Ed Reeves and Rachel Clacher back in 2000 and is proud to have been part of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ seven times and be recognised as a Great Place To Work (GPTW)
