Short Messaging Service (SMS) is becoming more popular than traditional greeting cards among the younger generation, particularly in Chennai, for greetings on festivals and other occasions.Going by stiff competition, leading mobile service providers Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Airtel, Hutch, Reliance and Aircel have frequently been reducing their STD, ISD and SMS tariffs.According to the statistics given by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), till November 2008, there are 67,32,187 mobile users in Tamil Nadu.A majority of the people, encouraged by the reduction, look forward to extended talktime with friends and relatives residing in other states and countries, instead of sending cards for different occasions.The greeting card industry is the biggest casualty of this recent phenomenon."There is no doubt that in the last five years greeting card sales have declined by more than 25 per cent," said Mohammed Ithrees, sales in charge of Archies Gallery, a greeting card showroom in Chennai.He said sales of greeting cards wer gradually decreasing each year. "Last year, we sold an average of 1,900 cards per month. But this year we could sell an average of only 1,500 cards," he added.Mohammed said that the younger generation now prefer giving gifts to their loved ones instead of greeting cards.He said greeting card sales usually pick up in November and December. However, sales have fallen by more than 20 per cent this year when compared to the same period last year.Archies, one of the largest manufacturers of greeting cards in India, currently operates exclusive outlets in 14 states in 24 cities and has more than 350 franchise outlets.Students say that shelling out anywhere between Rs 25-100 for a greeting card is more expensive than sending a 50 paise or free SMS across."It is immediately delivered. Phones, SMS and emails are the high-tech means of communication and it gels with our on-the-move lifestyle," said B Ramakumar, a Commerce student of Loyola College listing the advantages of SMS and email."Cards have been elbowed out by cellphones and SMS and now reduced STD rates would further encourage people to extend greetings over the phone," said Suresh Kumar, who runs a mobile services showroom in the city."It is true that our card sales has come down, but if you base our estimates on the sales logged during Valentine's Day, you will find that the decline in cards sales has bottomed out," said Shankar, who sells greeting cards of all brands in the city.However, Archies Executive Director Pramod Arora said that SMS and e-cards (cards on email) are trashed immediately as they occupy mailbox space, while greeting cards are preserved for a much longer period. It should be remembered that there is no alternative to cards, he said.The 40 plus age-group still vows by the appeal of a greeting card.Diageou India regional sales manager R Kumar says "the value of cards and letters is that they can be stored and kept for years. Cards my wife sent to me when we got engaged are still with me and are probably my most valuable possession. The convenience factor though cannot be overlooked."S Sriram, a software engineer from Verizon, a leading US telecom company, says, "I send my friends and acquaintances group SMS and e-mails, but when it comes to a message to my girlfriend or parents, I make sure that a carefully selected greeting card is handed over to them".There are so many personal things that can be conveyed via a card. "Maintaining a balance is essential, a high-tech lifestyle notwithstanding," he added.
