retail PROFILE
QUICK Q&A
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Happy Place
· Liz Scott · Q. There are some things that are timeless — a little black dress or the perfect martini come to mind. What epitomizes “timeless” for you when it comes to stationery? A. A letter opener.
One store’s recipe for success blends a personal touch, fetching papers and free candy
Opposite and above: Welcome to Lovely Somethings, where a carefully curated merchandise mix blends with a welcoming atmosphere. All photographs courtesy of Lovely Somethings
Q. With new stationery designers cropping up daily, how do you recognize the talented entrepreneurs among the hobbyists?
A. Their craft. They put time and money into producing quality products and, generally the rest of their business materials, too. Q. What are your three top-selling vendors? A. Bench Pressed, Rifle Paper Co. and Waste Not Paper. Q. What have you learned about running a stationery
business that’s surprised you? A. The camaraderie. Everyone is so attainable — ask a question to an artist’s Instagram post and get an instant answer. Q. If you were a stationery product, what would you be? A. An envelope liner. They are always a surprise and can be changed depending on your mood. Q. What is the best buy under $50? A. What my customers have dubbed the “Monster Pads” — E. Frances Paper’s notepads, $16.50. Q. What is the best splurge item? A. Haute Papier’s Stationery Wardrobe, approximately $300.
BY REGINA MOLARO SPECIAL TO STATIONERY TRENDS
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simple “thank you” can go a long way. That was certainly the case for Liz Scott, owner and creative director of Lovely Somethings, a modern paper boutique in Bath, Ohio. The artist and entrepreneur learned the art of writing thank you cards in childhood. “My grandmother passed on a love of correspondence,” Scott recalled. “Hopefully I can pass it on to younger generations.” Scott cultivated her artistic skills at art school, and in college she began working at local art gallery Don Drumm Studios & Gallery, and spent nearly two decades as a graphic designer there. Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, Scott eventually began exploring other ventures. One of those was Immix Studio, a corporate design business that Scott launched in January 2004; its first client was Don Drumm Studios & Gallery. Then in 2009, she ventured on to create Lovely Somethings, a custom invitation segment of Immix Studio. That division unfolded organically, as many of Scott’s friends were getting married and requesting that she create their invitations. Although Immix Studio had amassed a healthy client roster, in 2012 Scott decided to scale back so she could refocus on Lovely Somethings. 2013 turned into quite a milestone year. In October, Scott married and moved from Akron, Ohio, to nearby Bath with her husband Blair. Then Scott began to contemplate fulfilling a career goal: the unveiling of a paper and gift store.
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There was only one location that Scott wanted, but there never seemed to be availability. As fate would have it, one day a “For Rent” sign appeared in the small village plaza. Curious, Scott and Blair went over to peek inside the windows. After only a weekend of pondering, Scott soon signed the lease. So in October 2014, only a week after celebrating her first wedding anniversary, Scott opened the Lovely Somethings shop.
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A PEEK INSIDE The colorful shop spans just 800 square feet of space. The retail and bridal consult space occupy approximately 480 feet, while the remaining space is comprised of a design studio, production space and stockroom. Lovely Somethings lures a diverse range of women. “Every time I think I know my customer, it changes, but I have a very loyal following,” Scott observed. The shop boasts pink walls, which are offset by dark gray and gold wallpaper by Hygge & West. Scott enjoys mixing different textures and colors, from multicolor rag rugs to vintage wood, leather chairs to white fixtures. Stationery and paper-related items dominates the shop’s merchandise mix. Beyond playful greeting cards and boxed notes, Lovely Somethings sells tons of gift wrap, dream-like paper dolls by Crankbunny, artistic animal heads from Cardboard Safari and coloring
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books from Free Period Press. It also offers an array of journals, masterfully illustrated art prints, calligraphy kits and more. Retail prices range from $1.75 for a fine line pen from Le Pen to upward of $300 for Haute Papier’s Stationery Wardrobe. Most items are between $9 and $40. Top brands include Rifle Paper Co., Bench Pressed, The Social Type, E. Frances Paper and One Canoe Two. Scott has a special eye for curating, and is always in search of a great story. “I love describing to customers about how artist Meg Gleason’s studio Moglea is up on stilts overlooking a cornfield in Iowa and how each item is hand-painted. Not only does it always lead to sales, but more importantly is the client takes that story away and shares it with the gift recipient,” noted Scott. Always eager to spotlight the artist — and making the most of her gallery experience — Scott displays signs at the shop highlighting the artist names and bios beside their works. And as for Scott’s custom invitations, she tries to push the boundaries as to what an invitation can physically do. Her repertoire includes spinning wheels, a die-cut peony folio and Celtic designs.
BUSINESS PROWESS A strong sense of brand is the framework for the store’s success. Clockwise from top left: Geography-themed finds cover the local area, regional getaways and dream destinations. Class is in session at a calligraphy workshop. Great finds and fun vignettes abound wherever the gaze may rest. A young customer shows off a Rifle Paper Co. calendar. A blend of high-end giftwraps are carefully selected for the perfect presentation. Custom fabric bags leave no doubt where that special gift was purchased. A vintage candy machine dispenses sweets to customers.
Although Lovely Somethings is only in its second year, the shop has already exceeded Scott’s predictions. Holiday 2015 generated more than double the revenue of the prior year. Beyond instinct, some of the philosophies that Scott abides by include only introducing clients to designers that she truly believes in and striving to offer an innovative approach to the stationery category. Since design and craft are paramount, Scott always attends National
Stationery Show to scout out new artists. She marries her sarcastic sense of humor to well-designed selections. Working with reps also ushered in some flair at Lovely Somethings and has proven to be a useful method of learning about new lines. Scott credits Instagram as one of her most effective marketing tools. Although taking the time to snap photos can be challenging, it’s always proven to be worth her effort. Several minutes after posting an item, eager customers flock to the shop in search of it. Complimentary services add appeal. Gifts are specially wrapped in fabric bags sewn by a friend or they’re nicely wrapped in decorative papers. There’s also free candy! And, fostering a sense of community establishes Lovely Somethings as a go-to shop. A major advocate for local startups, Scott started carrying a collection of homemade soaps handcrafted by a customer. She also assisted a friend in launching M. Stuart Monograms, a monogrammed line now sold exclusively at Lovely Somethings. Scott occasionally helps with corporate gift giving as well, and plans to investigate it further. She also organized last year’s inaugural Sugarland Express Cookie Tour, a shopping event that invited browsers to shop while sampling cookies at each participating store. As for special events, Scott recently started hosting lots of workshops on everything from gift-wrapping to origami. What Scott hoped to achieve with Lovely Somethings is a great shopping destination and a fun place to work for upcoming generations. She enjoys watching people’s lives change and grow through all of their happy events. So, when customers tell the entrepreneur that Lovely Somethings is their “happy place,” she can’t help but smile and reply “me too.” S
Introducing
by
LINNEA DESIGN From the meandering minds of MikWright, comes 64 NEW hand lettered greeting cards. Garnished with the eye-popping artistry of Kristen Henderson Calligraphy, our 46 Birthday and 16 All Occasion cards come in four low-gloss, color-embossed foils.
888-629-0695 |
[email protected] | mikwright.cameoez.com
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Celebrate every month with the Linnea Design Poster Calendar. linneadesign.com
National Stationery Show Booth 2540 Circle 433
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