.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Downsizing
One of my absolute favorite paper/card/gift stores in the city Is Kate's Paperie. However, I recently discovered that Kate's Paperie has shut down all of it's NYC locations and re-opened a small flagship store in SoHo. It turns out that Kate's has run into some financial trouble according to this article by Crain's New York. Apparently sales have dropped as much as 50 percent since 2007 due to online competition by websites such as Etsy. This makes me really sad, especially since my dream is to have my own stationery store. I guess it's impossible to compete with cheaper vendors who don't have high rent costs. And I while I still think stationery is valid in this world of email and text, I'm not sure if most people appreciate the $5 letterpress card. What do you think? Are stationery stores a dying breed? Do you frequent them often or do you buy all of your stationery online? Is price a factor or do you make your decisions based on quality of design? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
.
.
3 comments:
Oh sad news! I love stationary stores and feel like being able to touch the beautiful letterpress cards is part of the fun.
As I'm working on my own invites, I would much prefer to work with someone face-to-face. While Etsy is amazing, I will always prefer working with people in the real world and not online.
When you open your store, I will definitely be a great customer!
Aww! Thanks Tara! I can't wait to see what invitations you pick out!
just found your blog and am enjoying reading your posts, obviously, since I'm responding to a post from July!
It's so sad that Kate's Paperie is suffering. I also worked in the wedding industry for a brand that had a website and direct mail catalog selling wedding invitations and accessories to brides. I can tell you first hand how graphic design in general has affected this industry. I'm a product of a bad economy, as I was laid off from that company. So sad. I do believe there is still a place for printed items in this economy, but like you said there need to be cheaper. I believe if you have a cute, trendy product along with a strong social marketing strategy that you will be able to succeed. Good luck, I'm curious to read if you started your store.
Post a Comment