Features Industry Profiles

July 14, 2014 •
A Rare Find

Even as a child, Erin Austen Abbott — now the owner of the Oxford, Mississippi-based Amelia— yearned to have her own signature style. Unsettled when someone else happened to have the same shoes or shirt as she, Austen Abbott always strived to create her own identity. That same philosophy defines her vision of Amelia, a carefully curated shop offering exquisite papers and gifts.

Far from following a traditional lifestyle, travel was a way of life and a significant part of Austen Abbott’s early career. Following stints traveling as a merchandise manager for various touring bands, as well as a travel nanny for The Flaming Lips, Mates of State and Jeff Gordon (of NASCAR fame), Austen Abbott finally decided to plant some roots and launch Amelia.

The charming shop opened in July 2009 and is a destination where paper and gift devotees are sure to discover rare treasures that they haven’t seen before — possibly anywhere.

“After grad school, I started traveling with bands and in each city I visited, I’d look for stores that had gifts that couldn’t be found anywhere else — something to remember my time in that town,” Austen Abbott recalled.

That experience, along with a college job at a vintage shop, sparked Austen Abbott’s interest in having her own shop. What she envisioned for Amelia was the kind of store that she always searched for while on the road: classic, relevant and fresh.

To this proprietress, the name “Amelia” evokes an era when items were still handmade. Amelia Earhart and the beloved children’s book character Amelia Bedelia both represent that old-fashioned feeling. At only 187 square feet, Amelia tends to feel more like a gallery space than a traditional shop. Austen Abbott strives to make shoppers feel like they’re viewing a special collection as opposed to items simply for sale — everything is carefully coordinated and considered.

With limited space, Austen Abbott’s retail strategy revolves around smaller quantities of merchandise, but they’re items that truly make a statement. Of the 120 collections offered, approximately half of them hail from the stationery category.

As for curating the collection, it’s quite a journey.

“I go down the daily rabbit hole. I source by reading a blog that may lead me to another blog, which leads me to information about an artist, which takes me to an Instagram page that links me to a Pinterest account — and so on. I also visit the National Stationery Show — it’s the only market that I attend,” Austen Abbott said.

Amelia’s target customer certainly isn’t seeking a “Made in China” price tag or product. Although the shop’s items are handcrafted and carry loftier prices, they always have a story associated with them — and Amelia’s customers are enchanted by that narrative.

Amelia’s collection includes a vast selection of cards, as well as an assortment of art prints, handmade notebooks and calendars. For a few notable collections such as Scotland’s Lovely Pigeon, Amelia is the exclusive retailer in the US.

As for pricing, paper products range from $5 to $50 (for prints) while gifts, wooden toys and colorful office items range from $5 to $145. Handmade jewelry extends from $12 to $145 and children’s items are priced from $8 and $60.

Top-selling brands include Rifle Paper Co.; Sycamore Street Press; Ferme à Papier; Emily McDowell; Dear Hancock and Thimblepress. At this time, Amelia doesn’t offer custom invitations, but the shop gets enough requests that they soon may become reality.

Beyond the shop’s brick-and-mortar sales, Amelia also has a thriving e-business that launched in November 2011.

“That portion of Amelia has doubled in the last two years. I’ve had customers from all over the world who may never think about coming to Mississippi — yet they’re shopping my business,” Austen Abbott said.

Concept Driven

Customers often tell Austen Abbott that every time they visit, Amelia feels like a new shop since she’s always shifting something around. She loves when people remark that they see something new at each turn. One of the best compliments she’s received is that stepping into Amelia feels like being in a Wes Anderson film. Austen Abbott strives for a certain aesthetic and color palette, where everything flows well together.

To generate traffic and keep consumers engaged, Austen Abbott tends to think outside of the box. With the advantage of Amelia being attached to The Lyric Oxford, a live performance theatre, Austen Abbott hosts monthly pop-up shops for artists and other visionaries. Amelia is also a stop on the town’s local art crawl.

In August, Amelia Pop Up Parties will debut nationwide, granting people all over the country an opportunity to host parties and earn commission from sales. In true Amelia fashion, each offering will be hand-selected and limited — with different introductions four times per year.

Social media initiatives also boost awareness and promote business. Instagram and Pinterest have both proven to be very successful for Amelia. Since people are stimulated by newness, Austen Abbott posts new items weekly. Due to the activity on Instagram and small quantities, Amelia often sells out of items before they have an opportunity to launch online.

Austen Abbott has also connected with bloggers to offer giveaways to their followers. That too has proven to be an effective way to engage with design blogs and their following. As for more traditional approaches, occasionally Amelia hosts half-off sales.

Each week Amelia spotlights a new artist from the shop on Instagram. Via her weekly “Studio Stories” department, Austen Abbott provides a platform for artists to showcase their work. They’re invited to send six images along with captions, and every Thursday the images are posted as a way of offering insight into the story and personality behind the products. Each order that results from the promotion is packaged in special wrapping. “I want everyone to feel like it’s their birthday,” Austen Abbott described.

Certainly passionate about art, Austen Abbott really enjoys discovering it, supporting it and creating it. Helping to foster the work of young, undiscovered artists is certainly a mission. Austen Abbott also invites the artists to become a part of an annual art show that she curates in Oxford. It certainly seems as though this former traveler has found her home at Amelia.

Quick Q&A: Erin Austen Abbott

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. I love a good writing sheet — one that’s a bit regal with a classic design around the edges.

Q. With new stationery designers cropping up daily, how do you recognize the talented entrepreneurs among the hobbyists?

A. So many designs are copied. I take submission packages seriously. Feeling the paper weight and seeing what designers put into their packages says a lot about how serious they are about being sold at Amelia.

Q. What are your three top-selling vendors?

A. Ferme à Papier, Emily McDowell and Rifle Paper Co.

Q. What have you learned about running a stationery business that’s surprised you?

A. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by how many people still send letters. My grandmother and I used to write letters to one another all the time. That tradition lies with a lot of families in the South. I love it!

Q. If you were a stationery product, what would you be?

A. A letterpressed “Yay” card from Iron Curtain Press, in mint.

Q. What is the best buy under $50?

A. A letterpressed State Flower print by Thimblepress. It includes a packet of wildflower seeds; $25. Mississippi’s state flower is the magnolia.

Q. What is the best splurge?

A. Amazing “city prints” from Rifle Paper Co.; $50.




Stationery Trends Winter 2024
Get one year of Stationery Trends in both print and digital editions for only $15.

Interested in reading the print issue of Stationery Trends?

Subscribe Today »