The Stationers Guild

Swoozie’s, the gift  and stationery store chain, filed for bankruptcy on March 3.   Citing their ill-considered acquisition of 13 Blue Tulip stores in the northeast as a contributing factor to their demise, the Atlanta-based chain reportedly owns 43 stores in 15 states.

The bankruptcy of Swoozie’s is just another example of how venture capitalists have failed to understand the dynamics of the personalized stationery business.   Why Swoozie’s acquired the failed Blue Tulip stores (also in bankruptcy) last year remains a  mystery.  Nevertheless, I suspect that there was some form of finacial chicanery or tax play involved since both companies are owned by private equity firms.   As the financial crisis has taught us all: greedy financial wizardry lasts as long as the merry-go-round continues to go round.  I for one extend my heartfelt sympathy to each and everyone of the 350 Swoozie’s employees who have  lost their job.

The fine stationery industry is in a crisis:  there is simply too much product chasing a finite market.    Companies who seek to extend their distribution channels either physically or digitally will only compound the problem and most will fail.   I don’t have the answer, but what I see happening doesn’t augur well for the future of our industry.  It takes very bold leadership to back the “slow stationery” movement and continue to produce beautiful papers while other others are compromising standards to remain price-competitive.    Frankly, I don’t see much value in chasing the The Taylor companies down the price chain.  They are even beginning to make “Made in China” look good. 

Richard May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

I continue to be amazed that “Cheap Wedding Invitation” websites continue to emerge on almost a daily basis.  Just today, I learned that Love Bug Invitations had just launched a website selling “cheap” wedding invitations.  While I have no quarrel and indeed encourage bridal couples to seek the most affordable wedding invitation for their budget, the idea of searching for a “cheap wedding invitations” strikes me as a bit daft.  Furthermore, I think most people agree with me.

According to Google, roughly 40,000 searches were performed in September using the search term “cheap wedding invitations,” while 1,200,000 searches were performed for “wedding invitations.”  This suggests that less than 4% of web searches had already decided on their market niche: “cheap”.    Not “affordable,”  “budget-conscious,” “inexpensive,” or “reasonably priced,” but “cheap!”   Beware bridal couples, you will get exactly what you are paying for.

The first tell-tale sign that you are being played is the About Us section.   The Love Bug About Us Section is most revealing:  

“Love Bug Wedding Invitations began as a result of the fun and excitement of planning weddings.  After many years of looking through bridal books and shopping the aisles of  stationery stores, we knew we had found our niche.  We love what we do and find immense joy in helping brides to find the perfect stationery for a day they will never forget. We only work with the leading manufacturers in the industry to assure our customers are getting the very best in wedding stationery.”

The first clue is that anyone could have written this.  You have no idea who you are dealing with and what level of experience they have in dealing with bridal couples.  The second clue is their claim to “only work with the leading manufacturers in the industry.”  The manufacturers listed on their website are Carlson Craft, Nuart, McPhersons:   Taylor Companies that use the same recycled designs under different labels.    The third clue is to see a percentage discount linked to a particular brand name.  Except for seasonal promotions, this generally signifies that the manufacturer does not stand behind integrity and intrinsic value of their brand.    In the case of Love Bug Wedding Invitations and the Taylor Company distribution channels, disounting is a way of life.   I find it amusing that Love Bug’s Tag Line is “LoveBugWeddingInvitations … where ‘discount’ is our claim to fame!”  How appropriate.

If you are looking for invitations and working on a tight budget, I strongly recommend that you contact a Guild Member store in your neighborhood to see the paper and design options that fit your budget.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

I came across an online news release entitled “Online Store Offers Savvy Brides Exclusive Wedding Invitations at Attractive Prices” published yesterday on a Reuters news feed.  The article self-promotes a website called AllMyInvites.com which claims to help savvy brides ”searching for the latest in modern, custom invitations at an affordable price point.”  Marketing Director Roxy Diba states that “All My Invites is not your everyday wedding website; type in the name and you will be wowed by the unique and expressive invitations that will set the mood for the most important day of your life.”

With all due respect to Ms. Diba’s opinion, All My Invites, is virtually identical to the plethora of dull and insipid online wedding invitation websites that populate cyberspace.  I find All My Invites designs no more “unique” and “expressive” than any of the 100 or more online wedding invitation websites that one can easily  find in a Google or Yahoo search.  If All My Invites is where “savvy” brides search for wedding invitations, then I must not understand the definition of savvy.  It’s funny, but the Internet has a curious way of  dispensing with common sense in exchange for self-promotion claims that rarely need to be substantiated.    If All My Invites is to be successful, it will need to compete on price and cost controls, since their designs do not dazzle.

While these may sound like harsh words, they reflect a growing concern that companies like All My Invites (and hundreds - if not thousands – of others) are dumbing down the public perception of quality papers, craftsmanship and superior design that define fine stationery.    In fact, collectively these companies are bringing the entire fine stationery industry into disrepute by insisting that “fast-food” invites are the equivalent of custom invitations, printed on quality paper.

One easy way (among many) for the “savvy” consumer to see if  websites have the proper credentials for your business is to visit the About Us page on their website.   The About Us page of All My Invites illustrates this point in spades.  It is always wise when buying online (particularly for custom invitations) to find out who you are working with.  Personally, I like to know the names of the owners, their experience in the industry and what makes them motivated to do what they are doing.  If that information is not plainly evident to you, I strongly recommend that you move on to the next online dealer.   Better yet, visit a qualified stationer in your neighborhood for real expertise.

 In the case of All My Invites, Ray Diba (related to Roxy? or are they the same person?) provides a most revealing introduction to the company. Nevertheless, what is Mr. Diba’s role in the company?  In fact, who owns the company?  Is it self-funded, owned by venture capitalists or, perhaps, it is just another Taylor Company slogging their recycled designs under a different label?   Mr. Diba states that he is a designer that worked for “companies worldwide”  on branding.   Is this qualification enough to design custom invitations, select fine papers and, most importantly, offer a variety of printing processes (i.e. engraving, letterpress).  Personally, I think not.  If Mr. Diba thinks that providing bridal couples with designs other than “blue circles” or “yellow linings” makes for “exclusive” wedding invitations, he has a lot to learn.   Most importantly, Mr. Diba has an overriding concern on price, “frivolous” candles and other wedding accouterments that he believes are not necessary for a wedding.  This acknowledgement is a sure recipe for a cheap invitation.  If you are a savvy bride, I would give All My Invites a pass.

What struck me odd in this revealing self-promotion is  Mr. Diba’s claim to have wanted to “strangle” himself for being exposed to the “most unattractive and gosh-awful designs” he had seen going from “shop to dreadful invite shop.”   I have no idea what “dreadful” shops he went to, but if he wishes to see truly “exclusive wedding invitations” at prices that reflect their craftmanship and design, then I would suggest that he drop by a Guild Member store in his neighborhood.    Perhaps, he might learn that there is more to crafting a custom invitation than Photoshop and a template-based website. 

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair