Archies Ltd - Stock Valuation and Financial Performance

Archies retails greeting cards, stationery, gifts, and other related products primarily in India. It also provides corporate gifts and fashion accessories. The company offers its products under the Archies brand name through its retail stores and online retail channel at archiesonline.com. Archies also exports its products to international markets.

Milestones:

1990

• Archies Greetings & Gifts was incorporated on 22nd May, and took over the partnership firm. The company was converted into a public limited company. Subsequently a fresh certificate of incorporation was issued on April 7, 1995.
• The company is currently engaged in the manufacturing and trading of wide range of cards, stationery and gift items. The company manufactures about three lakh cards a day.
• The company entered into a technical collaboration with American Greetings Corp., USA for designs. The items were sold under the brand name of 'Paper Rose'.
• Archies also entered into a technical collaboration agreement with Gibson Greetings Inc., USA for production and marketing of their designs under the brand name 'Fine Expressions'.
• Archies has a licence from Helpage India, an institution that cares for the less privileged and elderly people and the company creates an exclusive range of greeting cards in the name of Helpage India.

1996

• The company designed one or more concept for sending greeting cards called 'Forgiveness Day'. The installation of some new state-of-the-art machines, an increase in the number of galleries and general growth in greeting card industry enabled the company to increase its turnover and consequently its profitability.
• The company diversified into music industry and launched two cassettes `Listen to my heart' an instrumental cassette in February 1997, on the occasion of Valentine's day and 'Volume of love', the collection of Hindi pop songs in May 1997.
• The company undertook to release one more album 'Ae Mere Watan' to commemorate the 50th-year of Independence Day.
• 21,04,000 number of equity shares of Rs 10 each issued, subscribed and paid-up. 11,46,000 number of equity shares were issued at a premium of Rs 60 per share in May, of which 90,000 shares were issued and allotted to promoters, directors on a firm-allotment-basis.
• Of the remaining 56,000 shares were reserved for allotment on a preferential basis to employees of the company (only 8,600 shares taken up). Balance 10,00,000 shares along with 47,400 shares and taken up by employees issued to the public. Additional 3,700 shares allotted to round off.

1997

• The company made a foray into a new venture-music and a separate division. The division released 10 high-quality-recordings which were well received in the market. The company automated its production process with the latest machines. 29 outlets were established during the year.

1998

• 76 franchisees were added and as at 31st March, 1999 there were 386 franchisees.
• The company appointed distributors in USA, UK and Canada. Besides the company has 14 franchisees outside India.
• The company undertook to develop in-house scanning facilities and install automatic envelope making machinery, insert-pasting machinery, automatic greeting card folding machine, fully-computerised paper cutting machine, card-packing-machine and five colour offset printing machines.
• The company came out with a novel concept of Vision 2000 stores which would be committed to Archies with 85% of shelf space. Moreover, the stores being bigger would provide perfect ambience for shopping with new consumer-friendly furniture and fixtures of international quality.
• Also, a very innovative system of recorder-ticketing was introduced for effective inventory control. Two such stores, one at Nagpur and the other at Delhi were opened.
• The company, recently, introduced cards in Indian language such as Marathi cards for Sankranthi, Gurumukhi cards for Baisakhi and for Khalsa Tricentenary celebrations.
• The company also introduced advertising campaign showing people a million ways to celebrate in the millennium and to make their occasions extra-special with cards and gifts from the company.
• To further strengthen the position in its core business, the company entered into a tie-up, with Portal Publication USA for their exquisite range of cards, posters & streamers including the best selling cards of Anne Geddes, the world renowned photographer.
• New Delhi-based Archies Greetings & Gifts Limited (AG&G), has tied up with Kingsley of UK to launch the `Kingsley' brand of greeting cards in India.
• Archies Greetings is a leader in the greeting cards segment. Besides this, it manufactures stationery and other gifts.
• Archies went public in 1996 with an issue of 10.56 lakh equity shares at a premium of Rs 60 per share totalling Rs 7.40 crore. Of the company's Rs 3.25 crore post-issue equity, 67.51 per cent shares are held by the Moolchandanis, 7 to 9 per cent by domestic funds and the balance is with the public.

1999

• Archies Greetings and Gifts announced a 1:1 bonus for its shareholders on an equity base of Rs 3.25 crore.
• Recently, Archies has introduced its millennium 2000 and vernacular cards in Marathi, Sankranti and Gurumukhi.
• Archies Greetings & Gifts Limited (AGGL), a Delhi-based company engaged in the greeting cards and gifts business, has recently test-launched its range of perfumes and deodorants for men and women and also room fresheners as brand extensions in the gifts business.
• The New-Delhi-based Archies Greetings & Gifts (AG&G) is all set to commence valuing the `Archies' brand.

2000

• The company has launched a new range of greeting cards which are in Hindi. It has introduced a total of 45 designs.
• On the occasion of Ram Navami, Archies Music, a division of Archies Greetings and Gifts Limited has introduced Ram-Ramaiya, a soulful rendition of Ram Bhajans.
• Archies has introduced an attractive range of cards to celebrate Easter.
• Archies Greeting and Gifts has launched a wide range of special cards, gifts and posters on the occasion of Father's Day on 18th June.
• The company has launched sports deodorant, in two variants, Boyz Sports and Gals Sports.
• The company has launched e-cards for the forthcoming festivals of Navroz and Ganesh Chaturthi. Archies Greetings and Gifts Limited in a tie-up with 'Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya', has introduced a range of merchandise featuring the film's stars, Abhishek Bachchan and Kirti Reddy. Archies Greetings & Gifts is all set to launch its new product 'Third party gift' through archiesonline.com from September 16.
• The company has launched a new range of cards on the occasion of Bijoy or Durga Puja and Vijaya Dasmi in the south.
• Archies Parfum, a division of Archies Greetings & Gifts Ltd., has introduced a three-in-one gift pack for Diwali.
• Archiesonline.com a 100 per subsidiary of Archies Greetings & Gifts Ltd. (AG&G) has launched a unique gift package for the cyber crazy friends.
• Archies Parfun, a division of Archies Greetings and Gifts Ltd. has introduced a `Twin Christmas Surprise' pack.
• Archies Music, the music division of Archies Greetings & Gifts Ltd., has launched two albums of Christmas carols. The Joy of X'Mas and The Magic of Christmas.

2001

• Archies Greetings and Gifts Ltd. has introduced a range of cards, gifts and e-cards on archiesonline.com for Valentine's Day.
• Archies Greetings and Gifts Ltd. has introduced a range of cards on the occasion of Women's Day, It has introduced 8 card designs and 10 e-cards.
• The company has introduced a range of cards and e-cards to celebrate Easter on April 15.

2002

• Archies Greetings & Gifts Ltd. has informed BSE that the company has tied-up with the following parties for the sale of their products through its franchise network --Cadbury India -- for sale of their chocolates and other products. Taneja Mines for the sale of their Divinity range of products.

2003

• The company has unveiled a new range of HelpAge cards, calendars and other stationery.
• Shareholders have approved to delist equity shares from Pune, Madras, Calcutta, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Jaipur Stock Exchanges.

2004

• Archies has informed that the equity shares of the company have been voluntary delisted from the Jaipur Stock Excange w.e.f. November 29, 2003 and The Stock Exchange, Ahmedabad w.e.f. January 15, 2004.
• Archies has informed that the equity shares of the company have been voluntary delisted from the following stock exchanges: 1) Madras Stock Exchange Ltd. w.e.f January 19, 2004; 2) The Delhi Stock Exchange Association w.e.f January 23, 2004; 3) Pune Stock Exchange Ltd. w.e.f January 23, 2004.

2006

• Archies opens its biggest Gallery in Pacific Taj, Agra

2007

• Archies has informed that the company secretary, Rupa Sarkar, has resigned w.e.f. December 8, 2007 and P C Joshi will take charge w.e.f. December 17, 2007 as a company secretary and compliance officer of the company.

2010

• Archies has joined hands with CRY to celebrate as the girl child / daughter, as a child first day.

2011

• The Company joined hands with the ‘Hallmark’ a $ 4 billion World leader in Social expression Company.
• The Company bagged four prestigious awards in different categories for printing excellence in NAEP 2011 Award Function at Bangalore.

2012

• The Company tied up with Switzerland based CowParade to introduce figurines in its galleries in India.