Greeting card company Pyarful is ‘naan stoppable’

Local entrepreneur appeals to South Asian consumers and beyond

Meaning “full of love” in Hindi, Pyarful is a Palo Alto greeting card company that takes pride in illustrating South Asian culture in a fun and light-hearted way. Pyarful’s hand-drawn greeting cards incorporate food, holidays, rituals, and traditions that will be familiar to South Asian Americans, an audience that the company’s founder, Krisa Tailor, knows well.

Building on the values of “celebration, connection, and craftsmanship,” entrepreneur Tailor began Pyarful to “promote diversity and inclusion in the gift-giving industry.” And, thanks to Tailor’s unique designs, Pyarful is reaching a broad consumer base, which delights in her clever puns and fanciful artwork.

She describes her cards as “a playful ode to multicultural upbringing, which grant small glimpses of experiences that so many South Asian-Americans share.”

“Side hustle” to full-time card designer

In 2017, Tailor started making and selling greeting cards as a creative outlet outside of her career in health technology. “I always loved greeting cards, and as an artist, I wanted to share my ideas through meaningful products.”

She began selling her cards around the Bay Area, including local businesses such as Philz Coffee. Krisa was surprised to find that her South Asian-themed cards were the most popular, appealing to people of all demographics. The response was “overwhelming,” she said. “They quickly became my top-selling cards everywhere,” Krisa said.

Realizing that she could not meet customer demand without exclusive attention, Tailor left her job to run Pyarful full-time in September 2018.

Bridging the diversity gap in greetings

South Asians are one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States. In 2015 there were roughly 5 million South Asian Americans, and this number is expected to double by 2060. With this growth, South Asian culture is becoming mainstream in many parts of America, and products such as  chai, turmeric, and naan- not to mention yoga- are now well known by people of all backgrounds.

However, Krisa notes, “in spite of the increasing popularity of craft stationery and paper goods, diversity and inclusion were seriously lacking from the space.”

As a first-generation Indian American, she found that greeting cards relating to her South Asian roots “simply didn’t exist. A relatable Mother’s Day card that captured a special bond with my Mom, or a fun Diwali card for my Indian friends was nearly impossible to find.”

Social media fuels greeting card growth

The greeting card industry is booming, with milennials like Tailor leading the way. Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year, and retail sales of greeting cards are estimated between $7 and $8 billion.

Thanks to social media, more people recognize life events such as birthdays and anniversaries and want something tangible to accompany digital greetings. A beautiful card, such as those from Pyarful, is the go-to solution for many consumers.

Tailor hopes Pyarful will “become a global stationery brand,” aiming to grow its wholesale partnerships with shops and boutiques, and ecommerce platforms like Amazon.

How to buy Pyarful cards

Online: Pyarful cards are available at pyarful.com.

How to get involved: Pyarful is looking for retailers interested in selling its products to expand consumer outreach. The company is also looking for mentors and advisors interested in helping grow Pyarful’s brand. To collaborate, use the contact form or email krisa@pyarful.com.

Follow Pyarful on social media

All images courtesy of Krisa Tailor/Pyarful