Some years back, paper greeting cards were the traditional and most accustomed means of expressing one's wishes to his/her friends and relatives on different special occasions including New Years, Eids, Valentines Day, etc.
Shops, stalls and outlets used to be flooded with different types of greeting cards attracting people particularly young boys and girls. Rush could have been observed on such stalls till late night on the eve of such occasions. The postal staff also had busy hours dealing the people appearing to dispatch the greetings to their loved ones.
But, as the world really overall has become increasingly busy and in particular women, e-cards are a way to reach out to people and to acknowledge big events, it's a quick and easy way that's also meaningful.
Over the past few years the best electronic cards have become ever-more sophisticated, delightful and funny, thanks to leaps in technology. A comprehensive animated e-card is like a mini 'movie'.
There are e-cards for every imaginable real holiday and for completely fabricated ones as well. E-cards express everything from love to disillusion, from congratulations to patriotism.
To some people, e-cards are cost-effective; to others, they are cheap. To some these are a sign of thoughtfulness, to others, laziness. To some, these are the perfect way to propose.
It is for this reason the overall sale of tangible greeting cards was observed at its lowest ebb in the city this year, whether it be Eid, Christmas or New Year.
A survey conducted by the scribe at different shopping spots disclosed that the increased use of the Internet and cellular phones had caused the sharp decline in the sale of paper cards.
Increased excess of masses to the Internet particularly in the cosmopolitan city having the largest share in the overall Internet penetration in the country and availability of variety of animated and non-animated online greetings has attracted people to a considerable extent triggering a diversion from the orthodox attitude towards the 'e-lated' approach, the term referred to the generation taking birth in the electronic age.
Besides, online greetings are much easier, cheaper and quicker to send. One not even needs an Internet enabled computer for the purpose, as cyber cafes in every nook and corner of the city are there to serve the purpose.
Any person spending quite a meagre amount may send online greetings to scores of recipients.
When asked, one person who had set up a temporary card stall said that there was no question of earning profit, he could not even recover his investment.
In addition to the Internet, mobile phones have also played a role in this regard. As many as six mobile telephone companies operating in the country offer attractive messages (SMS) for various occasions on cheaper rates.
Moreover, the advent of 2G mobile apparatus facilitating transmission of multimedia messages (MMS) even with music and animation encouraged the shift. A college student justified the online wishing complaining against the expensive nature of the cards coupled with the postal charges.
She said that it was far suitable for her to spend half an hour before the computer screen leaving online greetings with the inboxes of her kith and kin for absolutely no charge. "It is relatively quicker, more impressive and meaningful as well", she added.
The occasions this year following a devastating national tragedy was observed with austerity throughout the country and all markets witnessed a declining trend in the shopping behaviours of the masses. The decline in the sale of greeting cards is also attributed to the October 08 devastating earthquake, but the fact may not be overlooked that the online greetings coupled with cellular messaging (SMS & MMS) had shrunk the market for tangible greetings.
Almost all the permanent gift-shopkeepers admitted that the IT revolution, where online communication is the preferred channel for expressing, as the major reason of the decline in this market.
One such shopkeeper said that the vast variety of greetings and wishes available on the Internet for a long range of events and occasions was inspiring and motivating the masses particularly youth towards the 'online means of expression'. "When greetings for dozens of occasion even pornographic animated cards are available on the world wide web for free, even the connectivity charges are too little, why shouldn't people opt this way, he remarked.
There are infinite websites offering free greetings for scores of events. Now the question arises that why the product is being offered for free. Are there any hidden charges or any other gimmick?
Obviously, the mighty marketing is behind the scene in the form of online advertising. Yes, these free websites not only collect the data of visitors but also get their email addresses subscribed with different online marketing engines, which flood their inboxes with the e-advertisements.
Nonetheless, people still treasure the tangible cards as keepsakes, but the gentry are decreasing rapidly.
Apart from other factors, unattractive, sub-standard, repeated designs, lesser variety of cards has failed to attract the buyers. The publishers and printers should focus on the creativity and improvement of standards of the paper greeting cards keeping in view the sharp change.