More gift-givers are using AI to write their cards or generate personalised content such as stickers and images, Moonpig has revealed. The online cards and gifts business said it had invested heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) which can “lower barriers to content creation”.
AI Features Double Usage in a Year
Moonpig said creative features were used in 31 million greeting cards in the year to the end of April, double that of the previous year. This includes personalisation such as video and audio cards, and AI tools such as handwriting, stickers and face swap, which merges a person’s face from a photo into a greeting card image. People can also choose to use the AI writing assistant by typing in prompts when they are creating a card and AI will generate the text to go in it.
“As advances in AI continue to lower barriers to content creation, we believe the ability to reliably manufacture, personalise and deliver products at scale becomes increasingly important,” chief executive Catherine Faiers said.
Revenue Growth and Customer Spending
Moonpig’s overall revenues increased by 8.6% year-on-year to £284.5 million. The company said that this partly reflected customers upgrading orders with higher-priced gifts and larger-size cards and choosing next-day tracked delivery. Nearly 18% of orders included a gift, which can be added after a card is chosen, driving a 5.7% increase in the average order value. Moonpig sells gifts from retail partners such as Next, Jojo Maman Bebe and Boots, as well as experiences from brands including Pizza Express, Virgin Wines and The Traitors Live Experience.
Mark Crouch, market analyst for eToro, said: “For Moonpig, loyalty is a significant asset. With more than 12 million active customers, the company benefits from a steady stream of birthdays, anniversaries and milestones that arrive regardless of the economic backdrop. Customers are not only returning but spending more, trading up to premium gifts, larger-card formats and faster delivery options.”
Stock Market Reaction
Moonpig shares were up by more than a 10th on Thursday morning, reflecting investor confidence in the company's AI-driven growth strategy.
