Schurman Retail Group
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Schurman Retail Group
|type = Private
|genre =
|logo = File:Schurman_RG_logo.png
|foundation = 1950
|founder = Marcel Schurman
Margrit Schurman
|dissolved =
|location_city = Fairfield, California
|location_country = U.S.
|location =
|locations =
|area_served = Worldwide
|key_people = Dominique Schurman (CEO)
|industry = Stationery
|products = {{flat list |
}}
|brands = {{ubl|Papyrus|American Greetings|Carlton Cards|Niquea.d|Paper Destiny}}
|services =
|market cap =
|revenue =
|operating_income =
|net_income =
|assets =
|equity =
|owner = Schurman family
American Greetings (15%)
|num_employees =
|num_advisors =
|parent =
|divisions =
|subsid =
|homepage = {{URL|www.srgretail.com}}
|footnote =
}}
Schurman Retail Group is an American stationery, greeting card, gifts, and paper products company based in Fairfield, California. The company operates brands and retail stores under the names Papyrus, NIQUEA.D, and Paper Destiny.{{cite news | url=http://www.success.com/mobile/article/selling-sentiment | title=Selling Sentiment | date=January 20, 2013 | access-date=August 10, 2016 | publisher=Success | archive-date=September 23, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923192405/http://www.success.com/mobile/article/selling-sentiment | url-status=dead}}{{cite news | last=Lee | first=Ellen | title =How Papyrus greeting cards still connect | newspaper =San Francisco Chronicle | date =August 11, 2012 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/business/ontherecord/article/How-Papyrus-greeting-cards-still-connect-3781579.php | access-date =August 10, 2016}}{{cite news | title =JOLIE PAPIER IS CLINTONS' NEW SIBLING BRAND | publisher = Progressive Greetings | date =2014 | url =http://www.progressivegreetings.co.uk/news/Jolie-Papier-Is-Clintons-New-Sibling-Brand | access-date =August 10, 2016}} It also sells the American Greetings brand and manages its subsidiaries, including Carlton Cards (in Canada and the U.S.). Schurman Retail Group has over 450 retail stores across the United States and Canada{{cite news | url=http://www.thereporter.com/article/ZZ/20110501/NEWS/110506823 | title=Fairfield firm finds success in paper, gifts | last=Bammer | first=Richard | date= May 1, 2011 | newspaper=The Reporter | access-date=August 10, 2016}}{{cite news | last=Simpson | first=Emma | title =Clinton Cards has a new look, but can its reinvention work? | publisher = BBC | date =December 24, 2012 | url =https://www.bbc.com/news/business-20773259 | access-date =August 10, 2016}}{{cite news | title =American Greetings Sells Retail Stores to Schurman Fine Papers and Purchases Papyrus Brand | publisher = PR Newswire | date =April 17, 2009 | url =http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-greetings-sells-retail-stores-to-schurman-fine-papers-and-purchases-papyrus-brand-61857532.html | access-date =August 10, 2016}} It is currently the second-largest American specialty retailer in the greeting card industry.{{cite news | last=Pazornik | first=Amanda | title ='Congrats' card in order: Papyrus CEO from East Bay named a 'Jewish woman to watch' | newspaper =j. | date =December 9, 2010 | url =http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/60221/congrats-card-in-order-papyrus-ceo-gets-big-honor/ | access-date =August 10, 2016}}
History
=Schurman Fine Papers=
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.{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2013/08/29/schurman-retail-group-crafting-a-real-paper-success/|title=Schurman Retail Group: Crafting a real paper success|last=Eng|first=Dinah|date=August 29, 2013|access-date=August 10, 2016|publisher=Fortune}} 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.
In 1973, Margrit Schurman opened the first Papyrus retail store in Berkeley to exclusively sell the company's products. 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. In the 1980s, the company began domestic production of papyrus products.
Dominique Schurman became the company's vice president within a few years.{{cite news | last=Fried | first=John | title =Things I Can't Live Without: Dominique Schurman | publisher =Inc. | date =December 1, 2005 | url =http://www.inc.com/magazine/20051201/life-essentials-schurman.html | access-date =August 10, 2016}} When her father, Marcel, retired in 1991, Dominique took over as CEO. 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.
=Schurman Retail Group=
In 2009, Schurman Retail Group sold the Papyrus brand and wholesale division to American Greetings, while buying 341 American Greetings retail outlets. In addition to the American Greetings retail stores, Schurman Retail Group also acquired Carlton Cards outlets in Canada.
Following the American Greetings deal, the company began earning $200 million in annual revenue. 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.{{cite news | last=Thompson | first=Jennifer | title =US owner of Clinton Cards reveals new look | newspaper =Financial Times | date =July 24, 2012 | url =http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/04aed248-d5a1-11e1-af40-00144feabdc0.html | access-date =August 10, 2016}} The company operates over 400 retail stores in North America with brands including Papyrus, NIQUEA.D, Paper Destiny, and Carlton Cards. Due to trademark issues, Schurman Retail opened in the UK as Jolie Papier in 2014 with its first store at Bluewater Shopping Centre followed by a second location in Newcastle.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Jakki |title=Papyrus, The US Leading Specialist Card Retailer Closes All Stores |url=https://www.pgbuzz.net/papyrus-the-us-leading-specialist-card-retailer-closes-all-stores/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=.pgbuzz.net |date=January 21, 2020}} In August 2017, American Greetings took back management of Clinton.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Jakki |title=Eddie Shepherd takes over as ceo of Clintons |url=https://www.pgbuzz.net/eddie-shepherd-takes-over-as-ceo-of-clintons/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=PGBuzz.net |publisher=Max Media Ventures |date=August 6, 2017}}
By November 2019, Schurman Retail Group was looking to get rent reductions from landlords and consider closing stores.{{cite news |last1=Unglesbee |first1=Ben |title=Debtwire: Papyrus considers store closures as it negotiates with landlords |url=https://www.retaildive.com/news/debtwire-papyrus-considers-store-closures-as-it-negotiates-with-landlords/566827/ |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=Retail Dive |date=November 7, 2019}} Starting in January 2020, all 254 remaining Papyrus, Paper Destiny, Niquea D, American Greetings and Carlton Cards stores were closed.{{cite news |last1=Hays |first1=Holly V. |title=All Papyrus stores to close, including 2 Indiana locations |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2020/01/21/papyrus-closing-store-fashion-mall-keystone-nationwide/4533384002/ |access-date=January 23, 2020 |work=Indianapolis Star |publisher=USA Today Network |date=January 21, 2020 |language=en}} The company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.{{cite news |last1=Thorbecke |first1=Catherine |title=Beloved stationery shop Papyrus closing all stores |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/beloved-stationary-shop-papyrus-closing-stores/story?id=68512801 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=ABC News |date=January 24, 2020 |language=en}}
Brands
=Papyrus=
{{Main|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.{{cite news | last =Lepore | first =Meredith | title =Executive Suite: Papyrus CEO Dominique Sherman Says It Is A Misnomer That 'You Can Have It All' | publisher =The Grindstone | date =June 26, 2012 | url =http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/06/26/mentors/executive-suite-papyrus-ceo-dominique-sherman-says-it-is-a-misnomer-that-you-can-have-it-all-293/ | access-date =August 10, 2016 | archive-date =July 28, 2016 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160728002025/http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/06/26/mentors/executive-suite-papyrus-ceo-dominique-sherman-says-it-is-a-misnomer-that-you-can-have-it-all-293/ | url-status =dead}} It sells a variety of products including greeting cards, gift wrap, stationery, note cards, journals, customized invitations, and other gift and paper products.{{cite news | last=Golden | first=Fran | title =There's something about a letter—still | newspaper =The Register-Guard | date =August 27, 2007 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20070827&id=vGBWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6626,6169980&hl=en | access-date =August 10, 2016}} The first Papyrus retail store was opened in 1973 in Berkeley, California. Papyrus-branded products feature a pink hummingbird logo.
=American Greetings=
{{Main|American Greetings|Carlton Cards|Clintons}}
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. Additionally, American Greetings owns a 15% stake in the Schurman Retail Group. American Greetings also owns the Carlton Cards (in Canada), the Schurman Retail Group began operating Carlton Cards shops. In 2012, American Greetings appointed Schurman Retail Group to manage the Clintons brand in the U.K.
=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.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://srgretail.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.papyrusonline.com/ Papyrus official website]
- [http://www.paperdestiny.com/ Paper Destiny official website]
- [http://www.carltoncards.ca/ Carlton Cards official website]
- [https://printcards.io/ Make Playing Cards]
Category:1950 establishments in California
Category:Companies based in Solano County, California
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020