Dog greetings card firm lands John Lewis partnership

A Chorley-based business which manufactures edible greetings cards for dogs - believed to be the only product of its kind in the world - has secured orders from three retailers including John Lewis.

Following a successful instore trial in four of its stores, John Lewis, which champions independent, British companies, is now set to stock a range of bespoke Scoff Paper edible dog cards at all of its 35 sites across the UK, as well as online.

And the self-proclaimed dog-friendly retailer has commissioned an exclusive Christmas collection of edible cards for dogs.

Daylesford Organic, the high-end gift retailer, has also formed an ‘In Cahoots’ partnership with Scoff Paper, where the artwork of famous artist, Hugo Guinness, will be incorporated into a set of bespoke cards. These will be sold at the company’s six bricks and mortar stores in London and the Cotswolds, as well as online.

The founders of Scoff Paper came up with the ‘In Cahoots’ partnerships idea when it was talking to potential retailers about stocking their products. It became clear that companies increasingly wanted tailored ranges to fit their specific audiences’ needs, with original products and approaches.

The company also recently worked with fresh dog food subscription company, Butternut Box, to develop a one-off card to help the company celebrate its 7th birthday. This involved a direct mail out to Butternut Box’s database of customers.

Scoff Paper secured £15,000 of investment from the Lancashire Innovation Challenge in 2022 and a further £50,000 after appearing on Dragons Den earlier this year.

The cards - available for birthdays and other special occasions, are made with potatoes and natural flavourings which are complementary to a dog’s diet. They are available in flavours such as chicken, bacon and cheese.

Gemma Connolly, Scoff Paper founder, said: "It’s so important to us to make our cards accessible to dog lovers’ everywhere. By carefully selecting the right partners, we can work side-by-side with retailers who know and understand their own customers’ needs to develop products that are just right for them.

“As our business grows, we’re keen to explore more exclusive ‘In Cahoots’ partnerships to make it easy for dog lovers’ to show their appreciation for their pets - wherever they like to shop. As part of this, it’s critical our brand values are aligned and that our collaborators are as keen as us to keep things fresh, creative and top quality.

“We’re always interested to hear from companies, large or small, to do something unique, innovative and exciting with them. In the past we have also made bespoke edible dog passports and invitations. The possibilities are endless.”