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April 27, 2006 - Leading motorway service station chain, Welcome Break, today announced it has selected Card Connection as its sole supplier for greetings cards to all its service sites in the UK. Card Connection’s network of franchisees will supply and merchandise greetings cards on a consignment basis to Welcome Break’s 36 shops and 8 forecourt sites countrywide.

“This deal represents a win-win situation for Welcome Break and its customers,” confirms Kiran Robinson category buyer, Welcome Break. “Card Connection’s consignment model allows our retail outlets to stock an increased variety and quality of product at no outlay, therefore offering more choice for consumers.”

Robina Every, sales and franchise director, explains: “Our consignment approach can be described as one step beyond sale-or-return. It means the stock is installed free of charge to the retailer. Welcome Break doesn’t have to purchase product up-front – it only pays for the stock sold to its customers. The additional benefit is that our franchisees merchandise regularly to ensure product displays are always up-to-date.”

The announcement comes after a successful pilot project within Welcome Break stores in 2005 and follows recent decisions from Budgens, Somerfield Essentials, Somerfield Forecourt and Sainsbury’s Local also to appoint Card Connection as sole supplier for greetings cards.

A full member of the British Franchise Association, Card Connection – established in 1992 - now has more than 100 franchisees specialising in supplying greeting cards on a consignment basis to almost 17,000 retail outlets throughout the UK and Ireland. Customers include convenience stores, sub post offices and petrol station forecourts. In addition, Card Connection supplies numerous national accounts, including MBL members (Londis and Budgens), Spar and Shell.

“A Card Connection greeting card is now being sold every two seconds in the UK and Ireland,” confirms Every: “Welcome Break’s decision to appoint Card Connection further cements our position as the UK’s leading greeting card franchisor and one of the top card publishers in the country.”

View Company Website: http://www.card-connection.co.uk