Summer 2021 - 22

COVER STORY
6. Retain What Works. Jennifer Luna, owner
of Paper Luxe, Fircrest, Washington, more
than doubled her 2019 holiday sales in
2020, despite having capacity capped at
25%. " Curbside pickup has always been
available, so we were positioned well when
COVID-19 hit. We still see very strong online
and curbside orders, as shoppers find it
safe and convenient. I don't think this will
change even after the pandemic is over! "
7. Expand Virtually. Norwood is staying on
the path she forged last year. " For Holiday
2021, I would like to get more items from
our retail shop online, and also am looking
to update our website to be more conducive
to online shopping. "
8. Go Outside the Box. On Black Friday 2020,
Suzanne Loesch, proprietor of Mockingbird
Paperie, Ithaca, New York, and her husband
tested positive for COVID-19, impacting
not just their health but Mockingbird's
holiday season. An SBA loan helped refine
and relaunch their online presence so
sales were down " only " about 25%. Still,
her high-end, custom offerings retain
shoppers. " For example, we carry a line of
products by a West Coast artist who crafts
whimsical holiday dioramas within real
goose eggs. Customers return each year to
add to their growing collections. "
9. Hire Seasonal Staff. " (Last year) I didn't
hire seasonal help because I wasn't sure how
busy we would be or if (we'd) be shut down
again, " recalled Norwood. " With so many
more people shopping online, our shipping
team was much busier than previous years.
The USPS and all postal carriers were
overwhelmed, and packages were massively
delayed. In addition, one of our cards went
viral on Etsy, and we were completely
backlogged with orders. In 2021 we will be
more prepared with additional shipping
staff and additional retail workers. "
10. Throw a Party. Not being able to have
a physical open house did not stop
Matsler from creating a festive shopping
atmosphere. " Since we couldn't have an
in-store event, we preloaded our holiday
items on the website but made them hidden.
Customers pre-purchased tickets to the
online event. For either ticket level, regular
or VIP, customers received a swag bag
worth more than their ticket and an event
discount code.
22 Summer 2021 | STATIONERY TRENDS
Despite dealing with reduced capacity, Jennifer Luna of Paper Luxe, ST's newest editorial board member,
still doubled her 2019 holiday sales in 2020, with help from enchanting, engaging vignettes stocked with
colorful cards and a very distinctive advent box (top row). Pink Olive's windows, devoted to " Don't Stop
Believin' " and cozy comfort themes, turned many a streetside stroller into a store shopper (bottom row).
" On the night of the Launch Party, ticket
holders received a link and password to
the hidden collection. The VIP group was
allowed to shop an hour earlier, so that was
a great perk for our competitive shoppers!
At first, it was tricky to figure out the
logistics of filling a large amount of orders
in the middle of a merchandise flip, but it
worked out. Since we didn't put any holiday
products on the sales floor until after the
party, we didn't have to destroy a display.
Several items sold out, so those never even
made it on the floor! Customers told us it
still had a party atmosphere. Maybe the
limited number of tickets and the rush of
trying to login to a 'secret' website made it
feel like frantic holiday shopping? Whatever
it was - it worked! "
11. Make a List, and Check it Twice. " For
holiday 2021, I plan to be more strategic
with what our community really responded
well to last year, " Sim underscored. " I hope

Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Summer 2021