Schurman Retail Group

Schurman Retail Group
Private
Industry Stationery
Founded 1950
Founder Marcel Schurman
Margrit Schurman
Headquarters Fairfield, CA, U.S.
Area served
 Global
Key people
 Dominique Schurman (CEO)
Products
Brands PAPYRUS
Marcel Schurman
Paper Destiny
NIQUEA.D
American Greetings
Carlton Cards
Clintons
Website http://www.srgretail.com

Schurman Retail Group is an American stationery, greeting card, gifts, and paper products company based in Fairfield, California.[1][2][3] The company operates brands and retail stores under the names PAPYRUS, NIQUEA.D, and Paper Destiny.[1][4][5] It also sells the American Greetings brand and manages its subsidiaries, including Carlton Cards (in Canada and the U.S.) and Clintons (in the U.K.). Schurman Retail Group now operates over 450 retail stores across the United States and Canada and manages an additional 400 in the U.K.[2][6][7] It is currently the second-largest American specialty retailer in the greeting card industry.[8]

History

The company was founded in 1950 by Marcel and Margrit Schurman in their Berkeley, California kitchen. It was originally known as Schurman Fine Papers and operated as a wholesaler, importing fine art-inspired greeting cards, stationery, and other paper products from Europe.[3][6] The Schurmans would sell the imported paper products to local gift and book shops. In its first year of operation, the company earned $20,000. It earned its first $1 million in 1961, and, by 1965, it had a warehouse and several employees.[3]

In 1973, Margrit Schurman opened the first PAPYRUS retail store in Berkeley to exclusively sell the company's products.[3][4] Over the next five years, the company opened more PAPYRUS retail stores across the United States and eventually opted to start selling franchises. In the 1980s, Schurman Fine Papers had salespeople and showrooms across the country and began pulling in around $10 million in annual revenue. In 1982, the Schurmans' youngest daughter and current CEO, Dominique Schurman, began working at the firm.[2][3][6]

Dominique Schurman became the company's Vice President within a few years.[9] When her father, Marcel, retired in 1991, Dominique took over as CEO.[1][3] Her primary goal was to promote the PAPYRUS brand and continue to create in-house greeting cards. By 2005, Schurman had increased the number of PAPYRUS retail stores from 37 to 146.[9] In 2009, Schurman Retail Group sold the PAPYRUS brand and wholesale division to American Greetings and bought 341 American Greetings retail outlets. In addition to the American Greetings retail stores, Schurman Retail Group also acquired Carlton Cards outlets in Canada.[1][6][7]

Following the American Greetings deal, the company began earning $200 million in annual revenue.[1][4] In 2012, American Greetings, which owns a 15% stake in Schurman Retail Group, appointed the company to manage Clintons retail stores in the U.K.[6][10] The company operates over 400 retail stores in North America with brands including PAPYRUS, NIQUEA.D, Paper Destiny, and Carlton Cards.[1][5] Schurman Retail Group also operates around 400 Clintons stores in the U.K.[6][10]

Brands

PAPYRUS

Main article: PAPYRUS (company)

PAPYRUS is the Schurman Retail Group's flagship brand. It also operates as a retail shop with over 450 stores in the United States.[1][4][11] It sells a variety of products including greeting cards, gift wrap, stationery, note cards, journals, customized invitations, and other gift and paper products.[1][9][12] The first PAPYRUS retail store was opened in 1973 in Berkeley, California.[3] PAPYRUS-branded products feature a pink hummingbird logo.[1]

American Greetings

In 2009, the Schurman Retail Group purchased over 300 American Greetings retail shops, eventually rebranding them into PAPYRUS shops. PAPYRUS currently sells American Greetings products.[1][2][6] Additionally, American Greetings owns a 15% stake in the Schurman Retail Group.[10] American Greetings also owns the Carlton Cards (in Canada) and Clintons (in the U.K.) brands and retail shops. As part of the 2009 deal, the Schurman Retail Group began operating Carlton Cards shops.[7][8] In 2012, American Greetings appointed Schurman Retail Group to manage the Clintons brand in the U.K.[6][10]

Other brands

The Schurman Retail Group also offers several other brands including NIQUEA.D and Paper Destiny. NIQUEA.D is a line of gifts, jewelry, and other accessories that are sold at PAPYRUS outlets. Paper Destiny is another retail outlet that sells greeting cards, stationery, and other products. It is similar to PAPYRUS shops, but is considered a mid-market alternative.[1][5][13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Selling Sentiment". Success. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bammer, Richard (1 May 2011). "Fairfield firm finds success in paper, gifts". The Reporter. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Eng, Dinah (29 August 2013). "Schurman Retail Group: Crafting a real paper success". Fortune. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lee, Ellen (11 August 2012). "How Papyrus greeting cards still connect". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "JOLIE PAPIER IS CLINTONS' NEW SIBLING BRAND". Progressive Greetings. 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Simpson, Emma (24 December 2012). "Clinton Cards has a new look, but can its reinvention work?". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "American Greetings Sells Retail Stores to Schurman Fine Papers and Purchases Papyrus Brand". PR Newswire. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  8. 1 2 Pazornik, Amanda (9 December 2010). "'Congrats' card in order: Papyrus CEO from East Bay named a 'Jewish woman to watch'". j. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Fried, John (1 December 2005). "Things I Can't Live Without: Dominique Schurman". Inc. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Thompson, Jennifer (24 July 2012). "US owner of Clinton Cards reveals new look". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  11. ↑ Lepore, Meredith (26 June 2012). "Executive Suite: Papyrus CEO Dominique Sherman Says It Is A Misnomer That 'You Can Have It All'". The Grindstone. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  12. ↑ Golden, Fran (27 August 2007). "There's something about a letter—still". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "A First for the City – Paper Destiny opens at St. Laurent". A Girl from Here. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2016.

External links

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