Type Private Area served North America Founded 1950 | Headquarters Fairfield, CA, U.S. Founder Margrit Schurman Parent organization Schurman Retail Group | |
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Industry Stationery
Greeting card Key people Dominique Schurman (CEO) Products Greeting cards
Stationery
Custom printing
Gifts
Journals
Gift wrap Profiles | ||
PAPYRUS (styled in all caps) is an American stationery and greeting card retailer that operates over 450 stores throughout the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Fairfield, California and is the flagship brand of the Schurman Retail Group. The company sells a variety of products, including greeting cards, stationery, gift wrap, specialty gifts, jewelry, customized invitations, and other paper products. It is one of the largest greeting card retailers in the United States.
Contents
History
The first PAPYRUS retail shop was opened in 1973 by Margrit Schurman in Berkeley, California. It began as the retail wing of Schurman Fine Papers (now, the Schurman Retail Group). The original store was opened for less than $1,000 and featured a variety of fine art-inspired greeting cards, postcards, and other Schurman paper products. Over the next five years, more PAPYRUS stores opened around the United States, and the company soon began selling franchises. In the 1980's, the company began domestic production of papyrus products.
In 1991, Dominique Schurman became the CEO of Schurman Fine Papers and PAPYRUS. At that time, there were around 37 PAPYRUS stores nationwide and the company was bringing in $10 million per year. By 2005, the company operated around 146 PAPYRUS retail shops. In 2009, PAPYRUS' parent company, Schurman Retail Group, purchased all 346 American Greetings retail shops. A number of these stores were eventually rebranded as PAPYRUS stores.
PAPYRUS currently operates 450 stores throughout the United States and Canada.
Products
PAPYRUS sells a variety of luxury paper products including a selection of stationery and greeting cards. The chain is perhaps best known for its high-end greeting cards that often incorporate items like buttons, fabric, leather, zippers, glitter, and other embellishments. The stores also offer products like journals, note cards, gift wrap, customized invitations, and more. Through the NIQUEA.D brand, PAPYRUS sells a selection of gifts, jewelry, and other fashion accessories. Other brands that can be found in PAPYRUS stores include American Greetings and Carlton Cards. The PAPYRUS logo is a distinct pink hummingbird and can be found on a variety of PAPYRUS products.