Grußkarten: Handgeschriebene Grüße im KI-Zeitalter – funktioniert das?

In an era dominated by artificial intelligence, the question arises: can hand-written greeting cards still thrive? Burkhard Schepermann and Constantin von Braun, co-founders of Hamburg-based publisher Papiernest, believe the answer is yes. The two men launched Papiernest over a decade ago, specializing in anniversary, birthday, and condolence cards.

Papiernest now boasts a multimillion-euro annual turnover, with a reported 25% increase in revenue last year alone. The company's ambition is to triple its sales over the next five to seven years, aiming for a €70-75 million annual income. Despite market projections that suggest a mere 1% annual growth for greeting and anniversary cards, Papiernest remains optimistic about the future.

The company's success, however, lies not in online sales, but rather in physical stores. Papiernest avoids online channels due to the high costs associated with shipping to customers. Instead, the publisher focuses on securing large accounts, including major retail chains. This strategy has allowed Papiernest to acquire significant market share and maintain its offline presence despite the decline in traditional greeting card sales.