Coming from a large family I am constantly in need of cards and small gifts for birthdays and holidays. When I was younger my Mum would shop in Clintons which was ok back then but now that money is tighter its no longer possible for me to do. So when a birthday rolls round, which typically for me is 2 times per month I pop down to my local Card Factory store in my town centre and have a look around.
The shop always very aesthetically pleasing and depending on the time of year and which popular occasion is coming up it is decorated according. For example, the last time I visited it was full of roses and pinks and reds for the sake of Mother's day. The front of my store is often dedicated to the current occasion and so there will be an entire stand equipped with cards and gifts appropriate. The gifts paired with the mothers day items were varied from things like fridge magnets with heart-felt messages written on them to mugs with "I <3 Mum" written on them. In fact we still have a mug I purchased from the store when I was much younger and despite a little wear and tear it has lasted well over 7 years now, a small example of the great quality their own brand goods have to offer. Other brands include ones like "Me to You" and certain teddy bears.
Cards:
The name of the shop logically implies what they sell, and that is cards! They offer a huge variety from Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Sister, Brother to all the in-laws and even joke cards. There are also a few racy cards that are great for a jack-the-lad 20something year old and my Mum was prone to purhcasing these for my older male cousins instead of the usual nephew cards which were pretty age-biased with a small red card or Thomas the Tank Engine plastered on the front! Cards start as cheap as 99p and if you look about you are sure to find lovely quality ones. Often the £1.25 cards are a little less basic and so are worth buying from time to time if you aren't the kind of person to mind. My cynical self says that cards only ever get thrown away so while they make great sentimental gifts, I don't think it's necessary to spend a bucket-load on them and so Card Factory is perfect for meeting this need.
The pricier cards also include more complex hand-made cards that often are 3D or a little more creative. For example, instead of your bog standard embossed card, you can buy ones where the image almost pops out of you or the flower detail sits a little off the page adding a creative twist. I love these ones and more often then not tend to buy them for my Mum especially, because she was always the delocated card-buyer throughout my childhood so she enjoys good quality ones.
They also often do deals where less decorative cards can go for 7 for a £1 which is excellent if like me its easier to buy in bulk. They don't faulter on the quality, simply the price!
Other products:
As mentioned other products include things like magnets, mugs and teddies. As well as this its possible to buy picture frames for certain occasions such as the birth of a new child or a marriage.
Everything is made in a variety of sizes and the product list really is extensive. As well as this you can often buy diaries, rulers and pens etc. at the till. They also sell and inflate balloons in the shapes of a variety of cartoon characters or with messages written on them such as "Happy 18th". These too make great gifts because he doesn't love a big braggy balloon.
Overall Card Factory is an excellent store I frequently visit and will continue to do so. It is consistently cheap as they boast never having increased the prices of select goods in the past 10 years, and really a brand you can trust. It makes an excellent alternative to other card selling stores, especially on the price, and customer service tends to be cheap and cheerful as well as helpful when required. I would definitely recommend.
Card Factory - Great store with great prices 
