BLUE EYED SUN LTD

What BLUE EYED SUN LTD does

Blue Eyed Sun Ltd is a UK-based greeting card and eco-friendly giftware publisher founded in 2000 by co-founders Jo Kirby (designer) and Jeremy Corner (Managing Director). The company designs handmade greeting cards, including a distinctive embroidered Vintage range and the Picnic Time range, and distributes sustainable gift products such as Bioloco drinkware and BambooCup by chic.mic. Cardboard is sourced from FSC and PEFC accredited managed forests, and the company has embraced carbon neutrality as a core operating principle. It is a private, founder-owned limited company headquartered in Brighton with 1-10 employees.

The company operates a wholesale-first go-to-market model, supplying independent gift and card retailers, leading UK multiples and supermarket chains, and international distributors in over a dozen countries. It also runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site, GreenMagpie.net, built on Shopify, but the primary customer acquisition and order-generation channel is event-driven: Blue Eyed Sun exhibits at more than 100 trade shows annually (Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, Top Drawer, PG Live) and supplements this with content marketing through a blog, podcasts (The Prod-Cast, Let's Talk Shop), an active social presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), and email campaigns with 30%+ open rates generating over £1,000 in sales per send.

Blue Eyed Sun has been consistently profitable over its 20+ year history and navigated a 90% drop in independent card sales during the COVID-19 pandemic by relying on supermarket distribution, online retailers, and white-label international production. The company's industry profile is reinforced by Jeremy Corner's role as Chairman of the Giftware Association since 2018 and involvement in Greeting Card Association campaigns (Festive Friday, Thinking of You Week). Recognitions include five Gift of the Year Awards in 2021 (including the inaugural People's Choice Award) and an 18th-of-800 ranking for Best Customer Service at the Henries Awards.

Name

BLUE EYED SUN LTD

Legal name

Blue Eyed Sun Ltd

Website

https://blueeyedsun.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blue Eyed Sun Ltd is a UK-based, founder-owned greeting card and eco-friendly giftware publisher that designs handmade cards and distributes sustainable products (Bioloco, BambooCup by chic.mic) wholesale to independent retailers, supermarkets, and international distributors in over a dozen countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Greeting Cards & Eco-Friendly Giftware

NAICS

Greeting Card Publishers (513191), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Greeting Cards (2771)

akta.pro primary industry

Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail (CRALAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Wholesale greeting cards
• Eco-friendly giftware
• Handmade cards publisher
• Sustainable gift products
• Card distribution wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Burgess Hill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Greeting Cards: Sale of greeting cards to independent retailers, gift shops, and multiples through wholesale distribution. Core product line includes handcrafted cards and licensed ranges.
2. Eco-Friendly Giftware Distribution: Distribution of sustainable gift products including Bioloco products and BambooCup by chic.mic
3. White Label/International Production: Custom production for international markets and white label manufacturing partnerships

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blue Eyed Sun publishes and designs handmade greeting cards and distributes eco-friendly giftware (such as reusable cups and drinkware including Bioloco products and BambooCup by chic.mic). The company supplies its card and gift ranges on a wholesale basis to independent gift and card shops, leading multiples/supermarkets, and international distributors across more than a dozen countries.

Product overview

Blue Eyed Sun LTD is an award-winning card and gift company offering a portfolio of greetings cards and eco-friendly gifts. The core product is their greeting cards range, supplemented by distributed eco-friendly giftware including BambooCup by chic.mic and Bioloco products. The company has also developed distinct card sub-brands like the Vintage embroidered range and Picnic Time range. Products are sold wholesale to leading multiples and independent retailers worldwide, with significant international distribution through various country-specific distributors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Green Magpie: B2C consumer website selling Blue Eyed Sun products directly to end consumers.

Products and services

• Greeting Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• Fulfillment rate reached 97% within 6 months of process improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Giftware AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2018Jeremy Corner elected as Chairman of the Giftware Association (GA) in June 2018, following two years as Vice Chair. Company actively participates in industry initiatives and speaks at GA events.
• UKTI (UK Trade & Investment)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment organization helping British businesses export. Jeremy Corner invited to speak at Autumn Fair International on exporting. UKTI has ambitious targets to grow British export and offers advice on international trade.
• International DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWork with distributors in specific countries who buy products outright at a discount and assume risk of selling. Currently distributing to over a dozen countries.
• Greeting Card Association (GCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for greeting card publishers. Jeremy Corner worked with GCA Council to create and launch Festive Friday and Thinking of You Week campaigns to promote card sending.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Paperchase: Multi-category stationery, greeting card, and gift retailer/brand with broad UK high-street presence. Comparable on product mix (cards, gifts, sustainable ranges) but as a much larger incumbent with integrated retail rather than wholesale-only model.
• Hallmark UK: UK arm of the world's largest greeting card publisher; directly comparable as a card publisher selling through UK multiples and independents, but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth across many product categories.

Emerging players

• Bioloco: Eco-focused gift brand whose products Blue Eyed Sun distributes in the UK. Comparable as a sustainable giftware peer and adjacent to Blue Eyed Sun's own brand positioning around carbon-neutral products.
• chic.mic (BambooCup): Eco-friendly reusable cup brand distributed by Blue Eyed Sun in the UK. Comparable as a sustainability-led reusable drinkware peer adjacent to Blue Eyed Sun's giftware distribution business.

Direct peers

• Woodmansterne Publications: Family-owned UK greeting card publisher supplying independent gift shops and multiples with photographic and art-led cards. Highly comparable in size, channel strategy, and independent/specialty focus.
• Cardology: UK independent greeting card publisher focused on design-led cards distributed wholesale to independent gift shops. Closely comparable as a small-to-mid UK card specialist targeting the same indie retail channel.
• Paladone: UK-based wholesale gift supplier selling quirky gifts and homeware to retailers worldwide. Highly comparable wholesale GTM, international distribution, and trade-show-led sales motion; referenced in company data as a peer on The Prod-Cast.
• Noble Works / Hot Potatoes: Design-led UK greeting card publisher selling through independent gift and card retailers. Comparable in positioning, scale, and channel mix to Blue Eyed Sun's specialty card portfolio.
• Ling Design: UK-based greeting card and gift publisher selling wholesale to independent retailers and multiples. Closely comparable in product mix, distribution model, and target customers to Blue Eyed Sun's card business.
• GBCC (Greeting Card & Calendar Company): UK greeting card publisher with wholesale distribution to gift retailers; offers a portfolio of own-brand and licensed cards comparable to Blue Eyed Sun's licensed range and core publishing model.

Market position

Strengths6 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=GJ-iFhtKtHk
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlueEyedSun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/429125
• Instagraminstagram.com/BlueEyedSun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BLUE EYED SUN LTD