Short Messaging Service (SMS) is
becoming more popular than traditional greeting cards among the younger
generation, particularly in Chennai, for greetings on festivals and other
occasions.
Going by stiff competition, leading mobile service providers Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Airtel, Hutch, Reliance and Aircel have
frequently been reducing their STD, ISD and SMS tariffs.
According to the statistics given by Cellular Operators Association of
India (COAI), till November 2008, there are 67,32,187 mobile users in Tamil
Nadu.
A majority of the people, encouraged by the reduction, look forward to
extended talktime with friends and relatives residing in other states and
countries, instead of sending cards for different occasions.
The greeting card industry is the biggest casualty of this recent
phenomenon.
"There is no doubt that in the last five years greeting card sales have
declined by more than 25 per cent," said Mohammed Ithrees, sales in charge
of Archies Gallery, a greeting card showroom in the city.
He said sales of greeting cards was gradually decreasing each year. "Last
year, we sold an average of 1,900 cards per month. But this year we could
sell an average of only 1,500 cards," he added.
Mohammed said that the younger generation now prefer giving gifts to
their loved ones instead of greeting cards. He said greeting card sales
usually pick up in November and December. However, sales have fallen by more
than 20 per cent this year when compared to the same period last year.
Archies, one of the largest manufacturers of greeting cards in India,
currently operates exclusive outlets in 14 states in 24 cities and has more
than 350 franchise outlets.
Students say that shelling out anywhere between Rs 25-100 for a greeting
card is more expensive than sending a 50 paise or free SMS across.
"It is immediately delivered. Phones, SMS and emails are the high-tech
means of communication and it gels with our on-the-move lifestyle," said B
Ramakumar, a Commerce student of Loyola college listing the advantages of
SMS and email.
"Cards have been elbowed out by cellphones and SMS and now reduced STD
rates would further encourage people to extend greetings over the phone,"
said Suresh Kumar, who runs a mobile services showroom in the city.
"It is true that our card sales has come down, but if you base our
estimates on the sales logged during Valentine's Day, you will find that the
decline in cards sales has bottomed out," said Shankar, who sells greeting
cards of all brands in the city.
However, Archies Executive Director Pramod Arora said that SMS and
e-cards (cards on email) are trashed immediately as they occupy mailbox
space, while greeting cards are preserved for a much longer period. It
should be remembered that there is no alternative to cards, he said. The 40
plus age-group still vows by the appeal of a greeting card.
Diageou India regional sales manager R Kumar says "the value of cards and
letters is that they can be stored and kept for years. Cards my wife sent to
me when we got engaged are still with me and are probably my most valuable
possession. The convenience factor though cannot be overlooked." S Sriram, a
software engineer from Verizon, a leading US telecom company, says, "I send
my friends and acquaintances group SMS and e-mails, but when it comes to a
message to my girlfriend or parents, I make sure that a carefully selected
greeting card is handed over to them".
There are so many personal things that can be conveyed via a card.
"Maintaining a balance is essential, a high-tech lifestyle notwithstanding,"
he added.