Designer Greetings

What Designer Greetings does

Designer Greetings is a family-owned wholesale greeting card and gift wrap company founded in 1982 in Staten Island, NY by Jack and Vickie Gimbelman and now headquartered in Edison, NJ. The company designs, produces, and distributes more than 24,000 greeting card designs across 17+ branded product lines (including Premier, Palm Press, Madison Park Greetings, Northern Exposure, Great Arrow, Faithfully Yours, A Little Salty, Designer Pop, and the Glitterwrap gift wrap sub-brand), supported by an in-house creative team of over 100 artists and freelance contributors.

The business model is exclusively B2B wholesale: Designer Greetings sells to independent grocery stores, independent pharmacies, and independent card shops through a field sales network that provides custom planograms, category management, and merchandising support, with reorder fulfillment via dedicated Control and Catalog online ordering portals and 24-48 hour shipping. The company also lists six branded product lines on the Faire wholesale marketplace to reach smaller independent retailers. Revenue is generated from one-time wholesale purchases of everyday, seasonal, and premium/alternative card lines plus coordinated gift wrap, tissue, ribbons, and bows; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The company is led by the founding family, with Steven Gimbelman as CEO, Fern Gimbelman as Chief Creative Director, and Josh Kirschbaum as President. Growth has been driven by a sustained acquisition program (13+ acquisitions of card brands and a distributor since 2006, most recently Great Arrow Graphics in 2025) and physical capacity expansion, including a 2024 warehouse expansion to 200,000 square feet in Edison and an expanded AmericasMart showroom in Atlanta. Operations are domestic (United States only), with no disclosed international presence.

Name

Designer Greetings

Legal name

Designer Greetings

Website

https://designergreetings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Designer Greetings is a family-owned Edison, NJ-based wholesaler of more than 24,000 greeting card designs and Glitterwrap gift wrap, distributed through field sales to independent grocery stores, pharmacies, and card shops across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Greeting Cards

NAICS

Greeting Card Publishers (513191)

SIC

Greeting Cards (2771)

akta.pro primary industry

Greeting Cards, Gift Wrap & Party Paper Goods Distribution (CRAOALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal & Holiday Gifts & Decor Retail (CRALAJAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale greeting cards
• Social expression products
• Greeting card distribution
• Gift wrap wholesale
• Alternative greeting cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Edison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Greeting Card Sales: Designer Greetings generates revenue primarily through wholesale distribution of greeting cards and gift wrap products to independent retailers including grocery stores, pharmacies, and card shops. Retailers purchase on credit terms and receive products shipped within 24-48 hours. The company offers everyday cards, seasonal cards, and alternative/premium card lines along with coordinated gift wrap, tissue, ribbons, and bows.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Designer Greetings designs, produces, and distributes wholesale greeting cards and gift wrap products to independent retailers in the United States. The company offers over 24,000 designs spanning everyday occasions, seasonal holidays, and alternative/premium lines through field sales, dedicated online ordering portals, and Faire marketplace storefronts. Coordinated gift wrap, tissue, bags, ribbons, and bows are sold under the Glitterwrap sub-brand alongside the card portfolio.

Product overview

Designer Greetings is a family-owned greeting card and social expression company offering over 24,000 designs across multiple product lines. The core product consists of everyday and seasonal greeting cards sold to retailers including grocery stores, pharmacies, and card shops. The portfolio includes proprietary lines (Premier, A Little Salty, Oh Snap, JG Studio, Locally Yours, Faithfully Yours, Great Arrow, Artists Collection, Short & Sweet, Jumbo Cards, Colossal Cards, Blank Cards), acquired brands (Palm Press, Madison Park Greetings, Northern Exposure, Designer Pop), and the Glitterwrap™ gift wrap sub-brand. The company operates primarily as a wholesale supplier with online ordering portals for retail partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Premier: High-end collection featuring tip-ons, jewel gems, glitter, ribbon, bows, embossing, foil and intricate die-cuts.
• Palm Press
• Madison Park Greetings
• Northern Exposure
• A Little Salty
• Oh Snap
• JG Studio
• Locally Yours
• Designer Pop
• Faithfully Yours
• Great Arrow
• Artists Collection
• Short & Sweet
• Jumbo Cards
• Colossal Cards
• Blank Cards
• Glitterwrap

Products and services

• Everyday Greeting Cards Designer Greetings' core everyday greeting card assortment covering occasions including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, get well, sympathy, and friendship/encouragement. Part of a 24,000+ design library sold wholesale to independent grocery stores, pharmacies, and card shops across the United States. Everyday counter card displays can span up to 120 feet in retail environments.
• Seasonal Greeting Cards Seasonal and holiday greeting card lines including 4th of July, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and over 200 festive boxed and packaged holiday cards. Seasonal offerings can span up to 48 feet in retail displays.
• Glitterwrap Gift Wrap Premium gift wrap brand offering hundreds of designs in foil, holographic, pearlescent, and opal laminate papers. Product range includes gift wrap rolls, flat wrap, gift bags, tissue, bows, ribbon, and gift enclosure cards. Sold wholesale to independent retailers as a coordinated companion to greeting cards.
• Premier Alternative Card Line High-end greeting card collection featuring tip-ons, jewel gems, glitter, ribbon, bows, embossing, foil, and intricate die-cuts with die-cut, stamped, or glittered inserts. Targets differentiated retail positioning.
• Palm Press Greeting Cards Greeting cards combining premier photography and profound prose featuring award-winning professional photography that evokes emotions and captures life's moments.
• Madison Park Greetings Greeting card line showcasing talented artists with fresh, trendy designs often enhanced with foil, glitter, or embossing. Recognized for over 40 years in the industry.
• Northern Exposure Greeting Cards Leading humor greeting card line known for charming photos and funny text, curating cards that emphasize the funny side of life.
• A Little Salty Humor Cards Edgy, topical, political, and trendy humor greeting card line with social media references, featuring matching signature envelopes.
• Oh Snap Greeting Cards Trendy greeting card line featuring cutting-edge imagery with humor, where pictures and verse complement memorable photography and selfie-style snapshots.
• JG Studio Boutique Cards Boutique greeting card line with contemporary feel featuring witty verse, puns, pop culture references, stunning floral and chic designs. Created in memory of co-founder Jack Gimbelman.
• Locally Yours Personalizable Cards Personalizable greeting card line featuring state, hometown, school, university, or landmark customization for a personalized touch of locality.
• Designer Pop 3D Cards 3D laser-cut and hand-assembled greeting cards that open to reveal intricate structures, serving as centerpieces, shelf decorations, and desk displays.
• Faithfully Yours Faith-Based Cards Greeting card line featuring artwork inside and out with inspirational thoughts, subtle glitter or foil touches, and carefully chosen Bible scripture.
• Great Arrow Greeting Cards Newest greeting card line inspired by bold, layered silkscreen art with vibrant colors, matte UV finish, and modern handcrafted aesthetic.
• Artists Collection Greeting Cards Greeting card collection featuring international artists with pleasing color palettes, glitter, spot UV, and foil treatments featuring fairies, animals, landscapes, and floral imagery.
• Short & Sweet Mini Cards Mini greeting cards with few words on the outside and blank interiors for personalized messages, designed as cute and trendy gift additions.
• Jumbo Cards Oversized greeting cards measuring 8\" x 15\" featuring vibrant artwork and engaging patterns for bold, memorable celebrations.
• Colossal Cards Giant greeting cards measuring 15\" x 24\" for occasions including Birthday, Love, Friendship, Get Well, Retirement, and Bridal Shower.
• Blank Cards Greeting cards with blank interiors for personalized messages, featuring stripes, dots, florals, animal prints, and embellishments like tip-ons, beads, bows, glitter, and foil.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-48 hour order turnaround enables retailers to maintain minimal inventory without lost sales
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FaireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesigner Greetings operates branded storefronts on Faire wholesale marketplace for multiple product lines including Short & Sweet, Palm Press, Great Arrow, Designer Pop, Madison Park Greetings, and Northern Exposure. This allows smaller independent retailers to discover and purchase Designer Greetings products through the Faire platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Greetings: Publicly traded greeting card publisher (NYSE: AMCR exited) and wholesale distributor to mass-market retail including grocery, drug, and dollar channels — the most direct U.S. competitor in greeting card wholesale, sharing the same retail customer profile and B2B field sales model as Designer Greetings.
• Recycled Paper Greetings: Independent U.S. greeting card publisher distributing to independent retailers and chain drug/grocery accounts — comparable size, comparable wholesale B2B model, and overlapping design-aesthetic positioning as a non-Hallmark/American Greetings alternative for indie accounts.
• Avanti Press: Family-owned greeting card publisher distributing to independent retailers through field reps — comparable scale and channel, with a portfolio of everyday and seasonal cards competing head-to-head with Designer Greetings' lines on retailer planograms.
• Blue Mountain Arts: Long-established greeting card and social expression publisher (now part of AG Interactive / American Greetings family) — comparable artistic/verse-driven product positioning with overlap on premium alternative and inspirational card lines such as Designer's Faithfully Yours and Artists Collection.
• Crane & Co. Premium stationery and greeting card manufacturer (est. 1801), most recently acquired — competes in the premium/engraved stationery and greeting card category alongside Designer's Premier and Palm Press premium lines, with overlapping specialty retail and gift shop distribution.
• MBI (Marian Heath): U.S. greeting card, stationery, and gift product publisher/distributor serving independent gift shops, card shops, and specialty retailers — directly comparable scale and channel, with calendar, boxed card, and gift wrap adjacency similar to Designer's Glitterwrap offering.
• IG Design Group Americas: Global greeting card, stationery, and gift wrap manufacturer (publicly listed in UK) with U.S. operations serving grocery, mass, and specialty retail — competing in the same B2B wholesale channel with comparable product breadth across everyday, seasonal, and gift wrap categories.
• Dayspring (Hallmark subsidiary): Faith-based and inspirational greeting card brand under Hallmark — directly comparable to Designer's Faithfully Yours line, distributed through the same independent Christian bookstore, gift shop, and church-supply channels.

Broad incumbents

• Hallmark Cards: The dominant U.S. greeting card publisher (privately held, Kansas City) with a national retail store chain, wholesale to grocery/mass, and Dayspring faith-based line — overlaps directly with Designer's product and channel strategy but operates at significantly greater scale and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Demdaco: U.S. gift and home décor brand with a curated greeting card and gift wrap line distributed to independent gift shops and boutiques — overlapping with Designer's premium alternative card positioning and Glitterwrap gift wrap in the indie gift shop channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/designergreetings
• Instagraminstagram.com/designergreetings
• Pinterestpinterest.com/designergreetings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designer-greetings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Designer Greetings