Seasons of Change

By  Dorothy Creamer, Editor-in-Chief
Paper & Chocolate, Dallas, TX
Owner: Vicki Petersen
www.paperandchocolate.com
Vicki L. Petersen admits that she has returned to her roots. “We started with a selection of gifts and stationery and did experiment with a few different looks and directions, but now we realize that our identity is better served by our desire to have things in our store that we would love to use ourselves,” Petersen explains.

Petersen accomplishes this by carrying an array of items including Graphic Image leather goods, which she admits is one of her consistent best-sellers. “We carry the full line of their products and the colors and breadth of the line has made this one of our signature vendors,” Petersen notes.

Petersen has several other “go-to” lines that she consistently stocks. “We always carry our classics -- William Arthur, Dempsey & Carroll, Crane and Smock boxed stationery,” Petersen illustrates. “Other important vendors are Cavallini, Caspari, Midori Ribbons, Smock letterpress cards and wrapping papers, Lollia lotions, Paddywax and LUX candles.”

Having a mix of items is key to the success of Paper & Chocolate. Petersen is always on the search for new brands that will harmonize with her existing mix. “Squirrel Brand nuts have been popular for us,” she details. “It is a great complement to our chocolates.” 


R.S.V.P., Plymouth, MI
Owner: Tanja VonKulajta
www.rsvpplymouth.com
R.S.V.P. provides a one-stop-shop for unique and personalized gifts and papers. Owner Tanja VonKulajta, admits that the store has had to evolve, having started out as strictly stationery, it is now about half stationery and half gifts. Part of the reason for this shift according to VonKulajta was the rise of imprintables and that people were figuring out how to print invites at home. She also points out that e-mail invites took a bite out of the paper business.

“I started carrying Demdaco, which is an artist-driven line, so it’s easy to put a montage of things together,” VonKulajta explains. “My product mix has changed, but I still have my regulars, such as Archipelago, Crane, William Arthur and Envelopments.” While VonKulajta recognizes the importance of those “old standbys” she strives to keep things fresh. She sees popular lines as having a one- to two-year life cycle. “If buyers see the same artist over and over who doesn’t change his/her look, they will get tired of seeing it,” she states.

Greetings still sell well at R.S.V.P.. “People are sending cards,” she notes. “They see the value in them.” Among her best-selling lines are: Design Design, Calypso, Compendium and Papyrus. She also added My Favorite Things, a new line that has been doing well.


Sweet Paper, LaJolla, CA
Owners: Julie O’Brien & Theresa Anderson
www.sweet-paper.com
Sweet Paper is still a relative newcomer to the retail scene, having opened in 2010, but owners (and sisters) Julie O’Brien and Theresa Anderson have a seasoned attitude about catering to their clientele. The duo sees their customers as buying items that are a reflection of their individual tastes and styles. “They are tired of mass produced products and cherish the experience of shopping in an intimate store and purchasing unique items,” O’Brien explains.

Best-sellers in stationery include Austin Press’ monogrammed stationery 700 series and Bella Muse greeting cards. “Jonathan Adler stationery and pens just fly off the shelves – I think because of the bright designs and lower price point,” O’Brien muses. “We also sell out of Girl of All Work page flags, fabric covered thumbtacks and other small items.”

O’Brien reveals that Rifle Paper Co. is also a great sell-through. Other go-to lines for Sweet Paper include: Mr. Boddington, Momiji and Wiley Valentine.


The Paper Peddler, Williston, VT
Owner: Kathie Cooke
Kathie Cooke, owner of The Paper Peddler had a recent surprise hit with Chamilia Beads. “I knew beads/charms were becoming very popular, so I looked into several brands and once I made the decision, it was an immediate success,” Cooke admits. The majority of The Paper Peddler’s customers are women ages 25-80, but in the past year, Cooke notes that she has had more men browsing than ever before. “I believe it’s because men know that our cards and gifts are what their spouse or significant other loves,” Cooke explains.

Cooke finds herself returning to Crane, Design Design and Caspari for boxed notecards and thank yous. In greeting cards, Cooke’s clients favor Seller’s Publishing, Papyrus, Design Design, Avanti and Notes & Queries. For gift wrap, bags and bows, she looks to The Gift Wrap Company.

 The biggest change was due to the fact that the store doubled in footage. Cooke extended her Vera Bradley line, added in Chamilia beads while also increasing the number of greeting card lines she carries.

Shara’s Paperie, Memphis, TN
Owner: Shara Danziger
www.sharaspaperie.com
“You need to stick with what you say you are,” Shara Danziger of Shara’s Paperie states. “We’re called a papery – people expect paper.” She admits that her store does carry gifts, but strives to avoid becoming a bridal registry. “I always hear stories about shops that expand and start carrying china and baby things. I feel like they lose their focus and that’s something I don’t want to do.”

Danziger turned her knowledge of what her customers want into a well-received line called Confections by Shara’s Paperie which makes up about 35 to 45 percent of the store’s inventory. “Our initials post-it notecubes do very well and our personalized cutting boards continue to be a huge hit!” she exclaims.

However, Danziger understands that she can’t only carry her brand. “Confections has a very specific look and not everybody is going to like that, so I have to have a good mix,” she admits. Some of the lines buyers clamor for include: Waste Not Paper, Cid Pear, Three Designing Women, Whitney English, Maude Asbury, Midori Ribbons, Style Press by Bonnie Marcus, Boatman Geller, Mudlark and Envelopments.

“My customers love anything that’s useful – the Mudlark sticker note portfolios do really well,” Danziger reveals. “Things that are pretty and functional are always popular.”

Write-On Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
Owner: Eileen Hays Wallace
www.writeonandmore.com
Eileen Hays Wallace, owner of Write-On Sarasota, says her clients are looking for design extras and fine packaging. “I sell a lot of Karen Adams Designs,” she notes. “Although the price point is higher, customers appreciate the embellishments and enjoy presenting friends with this gift.  They buy a box for themselves as well.”

Wallace notes that cards drive people to her store. “I carry many lines but the funniest sell through quickly, such as Shannon Martin and Shade Tree Greetings. I also like Papaya and Pictura’s Champagne bottles that POP and Cheer.” Among Wallace’s “go-to” products are Crane boxed notes/cards, Vera Wang boxed notes, Itty Bitty invitations, Stevie Streck imprintables, Meri Meri cards and boxed invites plus Stacey Hagerman’s invitations. She also does well with journals of all kinds with pens to match.

Wallace was also pleasantly surprised with how well Graphic Image products have done for her. “At the holiday I carried the goat skin book ‘1000 Places to See Before You Die.’ I bought it in hot pink, turquoise and orange.  A woman came in and saw the book and asked me if I had seen the movie The Bucket List. She said she was ordering six books for her friends,” Wallace recalls. “After retelling this story, I sold an inordinate number of those books.”

In a clever merchandising matchup, Wallace displayed Sea Stones (which are used in place of ice to avoid diluting beverages) with the Graphic Image book, “Single Malt Scotch.” “It was great for the ‘hard to buy for’ man,” Wallace claims. “As people eliminate paper invitations, the challenge has been to carry the right boxed paper product, have enough selection and to stay fresh,” she states. “Gifts that work with desktop and bridal are good. People continue to need desk accessories, pens etc. and continue to buy for bridal. The challenge is finding product that is pretty, different and affordable.”