EDISON, N.J. — In business for over 40 years, Designer Greetings strives to find new ways to make the greeting card category relevant and thriving at drug stores and other retail outlets.

Chief executive officer Josh Kirschbaum says the company is virtually unrivaled in terms of quality, value and depth, with more than 22,000 everyday and seasonal designs. He points out that Designer Greetings offers a range of styles from traditional to alternative and from humorous to sentimental.

He says the company has some exciting products and plans in 2023 and as it heads into in the fall and beyond. “This year, we launched our brand-new 3D card line, Designer Pop!, which consists of intricate pop-up cards enhanced by high-end treatments, vibrant colors and complementary ­sentiments.”

“Additionally, we’ve added new gift wrap designs to our growing inventory of gift packaging options,” he adds. Kirschbaum points out that celestial and astrology are huge trends in the card and stationery world right now, as well as fruit patterns and animal artwork. “People have also been gravitating toward sarcasm and motivational words of self-empowerment, so those can be found on several of our products.”

“We’ve been trending toward cards and stationery that incorporate diversity and inclusivity, both with everyday occasions and special holidays. We also continue to add value to our cards with stunning attachments and embellishments,” he adds.

He notes that the company is seeing some new trends in the drug channel. “We’ve been seeing more pharmacies converting to a store-in-a-store concept to give the consumers convenience in their card and gift shopping experience. Card$mart Store-in-a-Store is our way of bringing the most value to this concept, with high-quality cards that are 50% off their retail price point.”

Kirschbaum explains that the company’s biggest push is working with small, independent pharmacies and helping them to have the right title selection to meet their needs and compete with national chains.