Were you surprised by Apple's announcement of the new Cards app for iPhone? You shouldn't be -- it's a multi-billion dollar industry that has so far weathered the recession better than most.
According to the U.S. Greeting Card Association, Americans send 7 billion greeting cards every year, with the average household buying 30 cards. Retail sales of greeting cards within the States are estimated to be in excess of $7.5 billion.
The figures are no less impressive when you leave U.S. shores. The UK's Greeting Card Association reports £1.386 billion was spent on "single" (as opposed to multipack) cards alone in the last year. The UK card industry has also seen annual growth -- a value increase of 3% and a volume increase of 2.7% -- in the face of tough retail conditions.
The potential for Apple to app-ify the card personalizing, buying and sending process seems huge. Especially when you consider that around 80% of cards are currently bought by women.
But what about the developers already offering successful ecard solutions? How will the new Cards app cut into their business?
We've asked a handful of top developers, traditional greeting card companies with digital off-shoots, and industry bodies for their reaction to the Apple Cards app news.
[nggallery id=2593]