The Stationers Guild

At the suggestion of a techie relative – who can still hold a civilized conversation without consulting his smart phone every 30 seconds – I decided to “invite” myself to the National Retail Federation’s 106th exhibition at the Javits Center.

Like most of the events at the Javits Center, this “high tech” exhibition was painfully disorganized. Nevertheless, there were several attractive young women standing around holding placards suggesting they might have the answers to a simple question like “Am I standing in the right line to register for the National Retail Federation Exhibition?” They too didn’t have a clue, but one nice woman offered to hold my place in the queue (incidentally, the wrong one) while I searched for a restroom. I wanted to reciprocate her kindness with a Starbucks coffee, but that queue was also a 45 minutes wait. Now I don’t know about you, but anyone who waits 45 minutes in line for a bloody coffee must surely drink decaf.

In any event, I did manage to get into the exhibition hall after waiting in two lines for the better part of an hour and a half, which is more than I can say for the poor suits that had a longer wait for their “express pass” badge. In any event, I suggest that the Javits Center organizers engage Oracle, IBM or Microsoft to help streamline the process rather than simply increase the prices of the largely inedible food at the food halls (a tuna fish sandwich is now $9.50). Enough complaining.

This show is for the heavy hitters of retailing. In one of the sideshows, former President Bill Clinton was telling retailers that “last year was pretty good so you guys should be smiling.” I suppose his audience was Walmart, McDonalds, Target, Pizza Hut and some of the other Big Box stores and food chains. I am not so sure this is true for main street retailing, but then the vendors at this exhibition are not pitching to Mom and Pop retailers. Found below are just a few things that caught my attention:

• Photo and Heat Imaging Traffic Patterns: Several vendors were offering an array of fascinating tools to track consumer behavior in stores. For instance, you could “track” yourself and others with sophisticated image reading devices as you moved through a booth or store. Computer software would then create a heat map to determine the level of interest in particular areas of the store and consumer traffic patterns. The equipment is so sophisticated that it will also capture whether you are carrying a cellphone or other digital device. Pretty scary. Maybe Homeland Security would be interested.
• There were several exhibits of digital kiosks whereby you would stand in front of a video camera which would project images in front of you (clothes items) and you could digitally dress yourself by making hand prompts. One gentleman in a suit ended up dressed in a nice yellow shirt and blue pants. Pretty amazing if digital dressing is your thing. Must be on every cross-dressers wish list.
• A similar touch panel prompted you to make a pizza with Wolfgang Puck muttering instructions. I didn’t stick around long enough to see anyone actually eat a digital pizza, since clearly no one was able to make one to Wolfgang’s satisfaction. Most of the wannabee Top Chefs failed and were then encouraged to buy his packaged variety.
• I saw a “Free” application which plugs into your computer and reads your inventory position from your POS and automatically posts your items for sale on eBay. As long as you have the “right” POS system, you can be selling online in no time with no website.
• One of my favorite exhibits was digital signage. In effect, you can create great digital messages for potential clients and easily customize the program to receive local feeds (i.e. the weather, local news). This is a very sophisticated way (and relatively inexpensive) to exhibit products and stationery sale promotions which, in my opinion, are far more effective than traditional storefront merchandising.

I will be discussing some of these trends later on, but retailing is changing and changing rapidly. We all need to wake up, since the Evil Empire is just around the corner and may already be in your backyard.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

Several months ago, we were “invited” by Elum Designs to receive our invoices through a service called Terms on Time.  Little did I know that the service was the brainchild of Brad Foster, the Founder and President of Elum Designs.   The worthwhile objective of Terms on Time is to improve communication and cash flow between suppliers and retail outlets.   Is it succeeding?

According to the smattering of testimonials on their website, Terms on Time is a roaring success.  In fact, several of our stationery suppliers like Real Card, Sweet Pea and Meri Meri now use Terms on Time.

While Brad’s brainchild may well be the beginning of an efficient online accounts receivable system, there are a few disturbing features that create great inefficiencies and confusion to end-users:  namely, the stationery stores that have been co-opted into this collection mechanism.    Specifically, it creates a mind-numbing amount of follow-up emails that are machine-generated that spread confusion rather than create efficiencies.  Secondly, control over one’s cash flow has effectively been delegated to your vendor.  Thirdly, by its nature it generates a huge amount of useless paper for the end-user.

While the techies in Terms on Time will insist that we are not using the system efficiently (which is true), I will counter that I am not a machine and have no plans on becoming one anytime soon.   I have heard from several Guild members that they feel the same and some suppliers now have doubts on the efficacy of the system.

When people introduce “new” technology you should always ask the question:  “Who benefits?”    In the case of Terms on Time, the entire benefit of the cash flow program lies with the supplier.   Is this fair and reasonable or should it be viewed as a win-win for both parties?     While I personally see great value for Terms on Time, its founders may best be served by looking for ways to gain wider acceptance by retailers.  As far as I can see, there is only one winner with Terms on Time and great disenchantment on the other side of the ledger from those forced to use it.

This is a shame.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

As most people are aware, I do try to remain upbeat for the stationery industry and local business in general, but the drumbeat of Armageddon beats louder than ever.  Yesterday,  CNBC’s “Mad Money” Jim Cramer stated that Barnes and Noble was simply a showroom for Amazon; and that food stalwarts like McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Domino pizza were core assets in one’s stock portfolio.  Personally, I think listening to Cramer would drive me crazy in a couple of hours, but he is smart and, if you buy into the theory that the stock market is a leading indicator of the future, then it just might be a wise idea to follow his advice.   But, then again, if you follow his advice to its logical conclusion then both you and I will either be eating at McDonald’s, working there or, quite possibly both.

If Jim Cramer is right, then mom and pop retailing is dead.  The small businesses that were so integral to our communities across the United States will simply fade into oblivion since there is no economic incentive to become a “showroom” for Amazon or the growing number of vendors who find it easier to connect with the consumer directly through their online store.  There are many who do not think this will occur, but  sadly, I am not among them.   Americans tend to be oblivious to the impact of their purchasing decisions and, quite frankly, it is probably far too late to reverse course once our small towns and communities are decimated by the “convenience” of shopping online.

Just yesterday, a woman walked into our store and said “I’m so happy you are still around with the number of stores closing in Greenwich.  You know, I occasionally shop locally to make sure that a few stores are still around so I can actually see what I am buying online.”    Mind you, she is not the only one who is oblivious to the impact of these seemingly insignificant one-off purchasing decisions that are radically changing our communities and way of life.  For instance, a well-known economist friend of ours who loves books was touting his new Kindle until I pointed out to him that Kindles would be the death of Borders, Barnes and Noble and hundreds of book shops that he frequented over the weekend.  He argued that they would co-exist “in some form or other.”   How wrong can you be.  I’d keep a eye on the libraries and the local Post Office to see what happens over the next several years.

Let it be said, that when  ETs picks over the remnants of our civilization I would hate for them to conclude that we simply ate ourselves to death in fast-food  restaurants and simply washed down our civilization with a Venti Latte.  I would prefer to think that the Pietà,  the Gutenberg Bible and Shakespeare’s plays still have relevance in today’s society, but I am not sure.

Now some will argue that I am a Luddite and don’t embrace change.  Quite the contrary, I grimly tolerate change – both good and bad – but I don’t think our Towns and the guy in the street fully comprehend what is going on in our rewired society.  In fact, I would argue that this “change” in the way we interact with each other is what these worldwide protests are all about:  a sense of powerlessness to affect the changes that are radically transforming our communities and way of life.

Our towns and communities are at the core of these changes and, if you would like to learn more, I suggest that you visit Strong Towns.org and take action in your community before it is too late.  Watch the informative 15-minute video and, if you would like to see what you can do to play a more active role in your community, download the free Fireside Chat.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

For a couple of years, I have been a member of the LinkedIn group Greeting Card, Stationery & Gift Industry Gurus. For the record, I am not a Guru, – but I wish I were – and I didn’t join the group to become one.  I simply joined to exchange ideas on industry trends with fellow professionals.  When I joined the Gurus, I seem to recall that there were some 300 members.   I now think that membership is approximately 2,000.  Today, this group has one less:  I quit.

My reasons are quite simple, I felt the forum had been hijacked by “members” with an agenda.  Specifically, the expanded Guru membership consists of Chinese manufacturers pushing everything from radio-controlled toys to cheap writing instruments and from multilevel marketing evangelists to barter trade scam artists.  This was not the group that I had signed-up for and I finally got exhausted at dealing with the inane self-promotion and general idiocy which characterizes a forum without direction.  The Age of Social Media has arrived:  Those who speak loudest and more often determine the message.  It is an age where chatter is more important than relevance.

The instruments of social media provide a useful platform for people to promote agendas without substance and self-promotion artists posing as respectable business people.    This is not a group that has much future since it has become a support group for people without an identity and not much self-confidence.  I suspect that many other Gurus will soon jump ship if they haven’t already done so.

How reassuring that some people still write personal notes and are still able to express themselves eloquently in this abyss of mindless social chatter signifying nothing.

As readers of the Stationers Guild news are aware, I am wary of the Chinese.   While I greatly admire their culture and work ethic, the Chinese business model is predatory and is decimating long-established businesses across Europe and the United States. Found below is a sample email that I receive once a month from our Chinese trading “partner”:

QUOTE

Dear Manager:

We are a Network Service Company which is the domain name registration center in Anhui, China. On November,10th,2011, We received DATON Company’s application that they are registering the name “stationersguild” as their Internet Trademark and “stationersguild.cn“,”stationersguild.com.cn” ,”stationersguild.asia“domain names etc.,It is China and ASIA domain names.But after auditing we found the brand name been used by your company. As the domain name registrar in China, it is our duty to notice you, so I am sending you this Email to check.According to the principle in China,your company is the owner of the trademark,In our auditing time we can keep the domain names safe for you firstly, but our audit period is limited, if you object the third party application these domain names and need to protect the brand in china and Asia by yourself, please let the responsible officer contact us as soon as possible. Thank you!

Kind regards

Angela Zhang

UNQUOTE

Consider the absurdity of this request. Who in their right mind would want to register an English domain name for China or Asia? It would be the equivalent of registering a domain name with a Chinese pictogram with a *.us or *.com or *.org URL. One of the reasons for doing so, might be to compete directly in the US market using a trademarked name but with a slightly different URL domain name. This is unlikely for the Stationers Guild, but a a more established brand name could be vulnerable.

What Ms. Zhang is trying to do is scare me – and perhaps hundreds and thousands of others – to register the Stationers Guild with them so they can pocket $50 to $100 a year in registration fees. This is a pure scam. Don’t be fooled.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

I just received a message from a rather prominent publishing company stating that they had decided to “go green” and I was asked to sign-up to receive email invoices.   By signing up, I was told that I would help save a tree.  Honestly, are companies that promote this disingenuous hype credible?    As my environmentalist friend counsels, “If you see any environmental claim, simply follow the money trail.  The ‘green’ claims of big business are generally bogus.”

Let’s look at the facts:

• The reason why XYZ Publishing Company would like to send “electronic” invoices is to save paper and postage.
• Will a tree be saved?  Highly unlikely.  I will need to print out an invoice to keep a paper trail.  In effect, the vendor has effectively passed on his invoicing costs to me.
• Regardless of who prints the invoices, will a tree be cut down?   Maybe, but doubtful.  So much of today’s business paper is recycled and, in any event, most companies source paper from environmentally certified forests.  Would it surprise you to learn that we have more trees in the US today than we did 100 years ago.
• If the leadership of this publishing company were really concerned that their invoicing policies were truly harmful to the environment, wouldn’t they shift all book publishing to electronic distribution channels?

Let’s face it.  These environmental benefits are totally bogus and true leaders should simply step out and say they are recommending changing their invoicing practices to save money.  Don’t use the environment to justify cost-cutting.  You discredit the environmental movement and simply look stupid.  In fact, I am not sure you are even a credible partner.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

In this age of “doom and gloom” it is often difficult to look on the bright side of things.  It is next to impossible to tear yourself away from the economic and political car wreck that characterizes much of today’s news.  I am not immune to this constant assault on one’s sensibilities:  As the proud grandfather of a lovely granddaughter, I am now referred to as “GRUMPpa” owing, no doubt, to my less than cheerful disposition.

This morning as I was catching up on  correspondence, I came across a personal letter from Tom Glazer, the President of Graphic Image.    I always make a point of reading personal correspondence since I assume that someone who invests the time putting pen to paper has something relevant to say.  This is seldom the case with social media.

In his letter, Tom describes his passion for faithfully reproducing The Greatest Gift, a short holiday story with an “illustrious history” but almost unknown in literary form.   The story was first begun in 1937 and completed in 1943, but never recognized or published.  Instead, the author sent 200 copies out as a  Christmas card to friends.  One of the friends, bought the film rights and The Greatest Gift became the basis of Frank Capra’s legendary film classic:  It’s a Wonderful Life.

With an afterword by the author’s daughter, Marguerite Stern Robinson, Tom has beautifully packaged this delightful novella and now shares this remarkable story with a few select stationery stores across the United States.  We are privileged to be one of them.

After reading Tom’s letter and indulging myself in It’s a Wonderful Life,  it is reassuring to know that people still care about the written word and would undertake what can only be described “as a labor of love” to share something this special with the public.  Thanks Tom – and the good folks at Graphic Image - for putting the “wonderful” back in my life this holiday season.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

Today, Sheila and I attended the funeral of George S. Atkins, Jr.   George was 86 and the owner of Charing Cross Ltd.  Charing Cross distributes fine leather products manufactured in the UK and annual diaries or organizers that have a large following in the United States.    The motto of Charing Cross is “Traditional Quality, Service & Integrity.”   These were not simply hollow words, George lived by this creed and his family, friends and business associates have all been enriched by the experience of crossing paths with this exceptional human being. 

Sheila and I have known George for almost a decade and we relished his occasional visits.  Sporting his traditional blue blazer, George would show up in his treasured Cadillac and after taking a detailed inventory by hand, would sit around and chat about business and other topical issues.    

George didn’t need a Blackberry or a slew of statistics to figure out what was going on in his client’s business.   George would simply remark, “Business looks pretty good.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, I had a difficult time finding a parking place,” responded a smiling George.

One could recount many personal stories, but I will focus on George’s role in the industry.   He staunchly defended quality leather products and purchased products only from established craftsmen with long traditions in the industry.  Sadly, he witnessed first-hand how cheap imports from the Far East eventually destroyed the leather industry in the British Isles.  Three years ago, he mentioned that only 4 leather craftsman remained in the UK from the 70 or so that existing when he established Charing Cross some twenty-eight years ago.  

Let’s face it:  This is a crafts industry that will never reinvent itself after the onslaught of cheap imports destroyed the livelihood of so many. 

George never flinched.  The integrity of the Charing Cross brand stands head and shoulders about the rest thanks in large part by George’s refusal to compromise on product quality.   

George, you will be missed.  Do think of us as you light up your final cigar.  Rest in peace.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

I just received this unsolicited email from the Chinese Wedding Invitation Factory (I have purposely disguised their real name):

QUOTE

Dear sir or madam,

I’m honored to find your website via a search engine and would like to introduce our company to you ,hoping it would be helpful to your business

HongKong XYZ Wedding Factory  industrial limited company is a Comprehensive paper products factory. It is a medium scale factory that manufacture wedding invitation cards, conference invitation cards, seats cards, return receipt cards, Reciprocate cards, hand bag, red envelopes, envelopes, candy boxes, etc. It is located in Guangzhou China.

You are welcome to visit our website: www.XYZWeddingFactory.com. We believe that you can rely on us to enjoy satisfactory service and products with best quality at the most competitive price.

We are so glad if you send any of your enquiries.Looking forward to hearing from you, now and in the future!

Yours Sincerely,

sales XYZ Wedding Factory

UNQUOTE

Presumably, this same email has been sent to hundreds or even thousands of other email addresses that are remotely connected to the wedding invitation industry.  How many will bite?

I guess the central question is this:  Do you want your wedding invitation printed by a factory?  It doesn’t sound too romantic or appealing, but this is precisely what many consumers are receiving when they shop on the Internet for wedding invitations.  If you don’t want your wedding invitation outsourced to China, think carefully of the purchasing decisions you make.  Shop locally.

This reminds of the controversial 1996 Seinfeld comedy scene where the bride-to-be dies from licking the envelopes on her cheap wedding invitations.    In the interests of full disclosure, there was no indication that those Seinfeld comedy invitations were sourced from China.

It is very sad for me to report that Encore is now closed for business.  My good friend and the long-time face of Encore, Brian Lawrence, has confirmed that Encore closed for business on September 20th.

As one of the innovative pioneers in fine stationery and custom invitations, this is a very sad day for the stationery industry.  I have met several times with the owners of Encore and they strike me as men of great integrity and vision.  I am sure that this comes as a terrible disappointment and my thoughts and prayers go out to them and their employees.

Encore’s lovely designs and great service quality will be sorely missed.