Card shop chain greets award nomination with delight
The Retas recognise the best greeting card shops in the UK.
Thoughts Cards, which opened its first branch in Cabot Circus last year, has been picked as a finalist.
Earlier this year, Retas forms were distributed to greeting card publishers, card reps and agents who nominated the retailers that they felt to be the worthy winners in each of the categories.
The Retas awards, launched in 2005 by Progressive Greetings Worldwide magazine, recognise excellence across the whole retail spectrum, from independent high street shops to national chains.
Thoughts Cards is one of five contenders for the Best Greeting Card Newcomer award.
The winner will be revealed at a glittering awards event at London's Dorchester Hotel on July 8.
Thoughts Cards director, MathewLlewellyn, 26, from Newport, said: "From day one at Thoughts Cards it has been about trying to bring something back to the high street, something fresh and new that people could get excited about.
"There is far too much doom and gloom around at the minute and in every new store we open we are trying to do our bit to turn that around.
"To have now made it through as a finalist is a huge boost, not just to the company but hopefully to Bristol's city centre."
Thoughts Cards opened its first store at Cabot Circus in September 2008 followed in November by another branch at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway.
In February this year a third store opened at The Bullring, Birmingham, and next month a fourth shop will open at Touchwood, Solihull.
In October Thoughts Cards plan to open a fifth store at the new St David's 2 shopping centre in Cardiff.
Mr Llewellyn said: "In the current climate it's apparently not the 'done thing' to be opening shops, so to have done so many, so quickly, is widely recognised as, quite frankly, staggering."
Thoughts is looking at another nine potential sites.
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