bar,” says Stahl. “[On one trip,] I also needed a card, and I wasn’t going anywhere else.” While holding the two items in her hand, the concept of combining them into a single product struck her. “When Sweeter Cards popped in my head, it just checked all the boxes of what I was looking for. There’s just something so simply beautiful and top-notch about it,” she says. A New Kind Of Card Company Sweeter Cards’ model is simple: a greeting card and gourmet chocolate bar all in one, making it a cost-effective way to send a message and a tasty treat. The company’s signature bar, a sea salt caramel dark chocolate confection, is handmade in St. Louis with all-natural ingredients. Each batch is hand-stirred in copper kettles and contains no artificial flavors or colors, preservatives or hydrogenated oils. Stahl emphasizes that Sweeter Cards isn’t just about the product; it’s also about the people and the process behind it. “Everything is sourced locally in St. Louis,” she says. “We work with a family-owned chocolatier here in St. Louis. My print team is an employee-owned printer that has been around for 100 years. I warehouse with a father-and-son team.” Stahl says she wants to work with businesses that support people, ideas, joy and great things. “When people that I work with love what they’re doing, what they’re making, it allows me to have a product that I am unbelievably proud of.” In an age where virtual gifts and online interactions dominate, she isn’t concerned about selling a paper product. “[Digital gifts] aren’t fun. Getting something in the mail and opening something, that’s really fun,” Stahl says. “It’s the same thing with opening a bar of chocolate. There’s something that always makes me feel like I’m a little kid.” With Sweeter Cards, Stahl says, she sought to tap into the timeless appeal of greeting cards. The product is intended to be a combination of sweet and sentimental, which has earned it high demand in retail stores like Barnes & Noble, Paper Source. “We’re also in hundreds of independent retailers around the country,” she says. Sweet Success | Must Read PPAI • MAY 2024 • 37
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