Six-figure investment at direct mail firm to launch greetings card retail business
Yorkshire-headquartered direct mail specialist, Propack, has set up its own online sustainable greetings card retail business, Planet Bee Cards.
Propack has made a six-figure investment to establish Planet Bee. Its aim is to become a key player in the greetings cards sector and an alternative provider to market-leading brands.
It has the capacity to print and post up to 185,000 personalised cards per day from its 30,000 sq ft site in Huddersfield.
With charitable giving a core focus for the brand, it has committed to making a donation from each card purchase to one of two charity partners, Mental Health UK and Action for Children. Customers will be able to choose which charity to donate to at checkout.
The launch of the business has allowed two new roles to be created at Propack, with Nicole Clark and Martin Owen being appointed as head of marketing and graphic designer, respectively.
Clark has spent the last five years running marketing for start-ups, helping people such as Dr Alex George, Tom Daley and Mark Wright to create successful businesses from idea to fruition.
CEO and founder of Propack, Neil Lloyd, said: “We are thrilled to be able to launch Planet Bee Cards with such an incredible team behind us.
“The brand is allowing us to bring a new proposition to the marketplace that ties all of our core beliefs together; protection of the environment, carbon reduction, carbon offsetting and charitable contributions close to our clients’ hearts.
“Through Propack we also have our own ethical postage brand, Ethical Mail®, as well as recently partnering with Ecologi to ensure a climate positive operation.”
Emily Beahan, regional fundraising manager at Action for Children, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Propack and Planet Bee.
“This is such a huge opportunity for us to raise vital funds and awareness but also to work on some exciting new products together as the partnerships progresses.”
Paul Stewart, Mental Health UK’s senior partnerships manager, added: “Mental Health UK are happy to be a partner of Planet Bee, a socially conscious brand that strives to improve society through the support of charities and the environment.
“Planet Bee will contribute 10 pence per card sold to Mental Health UK to help provide the tools to those who need them to live their best possible lives.”
