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January 10, 2011 •
Specially Made

“When planning a party, remember the details. Fun straws, cute napkins and sweet desserts go a long way.” This bit of advice was a recent posting on the Facebook page of Mrs. Post’s Stationery, a stationer that opened in July 2010 in Memphis, Tenn.

Although the name “Mrs. Post’s Stationery” was chosen to reflect the charm and nostalgia of a bygone era, the entrepreneurs behind it certainly embrace the modern age.

“We wanted a name that reflected who we were, so we chose ‘Mrs.’ to represent that we were Southern and proper,” explained Natalie Chang, co-owner of Mrs. Post’s Stationery, as well as Lemon Tree Paper, a custom invitation wholesaler that was founded in 2008 by her partner Lindsey Cross. “We love the fact that mailing used to be called ‘posting’ and wanted to use that in our name since everything we offer can be mailed or gifted.”

Savvy, smart and strategic, Chang and Cross make a talented team. History was definitely in the making when the duo first met a few years ago when Chang hired Cross to design her own wedding invitations. Inevitably, Chang and Cross ended up socializing over lunch – or cupcakes – and the conversation often centered on stationery and their aspirations for the future.

A Paper Partnership
After years running Lemon Tree Paper, Cross had learned that wedding invitations accounted for most of her business. Colorful, whimsical and contemporary, the invitations certainly resonated with today’s brides. “I didn’t advertise, but word spread through a few wedding coordinators,” she described.

With that in mind, Cross decided to open a retail studio, and asked Chang to be her partner. Chang, who previously served as marketing, public relations and trade show director for Lifeguard Press, certainly brought a lot to the partnership. While at Lifeguard, she worked with the licensed collections, including Lilly Pulitzer and Jonathan Adler. “I instantly knew that this was something I wanted to do and that this is who I wanted to partner with,” Chang said.

With their combined experience, Chang and Cross felt they truly understood the business. Aside from the challenges one would expect when opening a stationery store, the team strived to keep the lines between Mrs. Post’s Stationery and Lemon Tree Paper clearly defined, since many of Lemon Tree’s clients are in the Memphis area.

Mrs. Post’s Stationery’s mission is to provide unique, personalized invitations and gift items. Children’s gifts and party supplies are a focus, so the store naturally expanded to include party and event planning as well.

In addition to carrying the Lemon Tree Paper collection, Mrs. Post’s carries the Lilly Pulitzer and Jonathan Adler lines from Lifeguard Press. “We try to present it differently, and I think our merchandising backgrounds shine through,” said Chang. “We really like to display items creatively and integrate products together to illustrate a party story.”

A Working Relationship
Custom invitations are what Lemon Tree Paper is renowned for, so that service holds an important place in the store’s vision as well. “Even in a tight economy, people love to have an invitation that is uniquely theirs,” Cross noted.

The team has the unique ability to create invitations for any budget. “We have great relationships and experience working with our vendors – which can include ribbon and paper providers as well as letterpress or offset printers – so we can estimate pricing, timing and what is do-able within their budgets,” Chang said.

The retail shop also serves as a testing ground for Lemon Tree designs. Armed with priceless customer feedback, Chang and Cross can tweak the stationery collection accordingly.

“We definitely recognized holes in our line, and it helps us stay on top of what’s popular for events,” Cross stated. “You start to notice customers gravitating towards particular designs and color schemes, and it’s interesting to see if the best-sellers cross-over between the wholesale line and the store.”

Many times custom papers lead to the design of Lemon Tree imprintables. “This is great because we discover a niche that is needed in the marketplace and develop (Lemon Tree Paper) designs to wholesale to stores … who also probably have customers looking for the same themes!” Chang said.

It was client feedback on a save-the-date that reads “He Finally Asked!” that led to the launch of a coordinating imprintable with the same saying. “It was an instant hit,” laughed Chang.

Store Specialties
Mrs. Post’s Stationery offers an inviting atmosphere that is accented with bold pops of color. Aside from its southern hospitality and distinctive charm, Mrs. Post’s strives to further differentiate itself by being the only store in Memphis that specializes in custom invitations. Unlike other stationers, Mrs. Post’s doesn’t have any sample albums.

“We typically use Lemon Tree Paper invitations for any celebration,” Chang said. “We start with a blank piece of fabulous paper and work from there.”

Any item necessary to party planning is displayed. Children’s gifts like activity books and princess crowns are also popular. Prices average $15 to $20 per item, and less for smaller items like confetti and candles.

Naturally, Lemon Tree Paper and the Lifeguard Press brands are among the top-sellers. Come holiday time, activity books, Jellycat plush, Blabla hand-knitted animals and backpacks, and baby booties from Best of Chums are expected to be popular.
Chang and Cross try to carry collections that aren’t available elsewhere in town. “Our décor aesthetic is quite different for the Memphis market and I think (our) products reflect that,” Cross noted.

The team’s intuition, coupled with strategic planning, seems a winning combination so far. With their focus on southern charm, it’s easy to imagine that Mrs. Post’s offers stellar customer service. This includes collaborating with customers during any step of the invitation or party planning process. “We love parties and I think it shows,” Chang said.

“We’ve been to hundreds of weddings (between the two of us) and are happy to share our ideas,” Cross added. “I think customers appreciate our attention to detail.”

Since many brides fall in love with the invitations, they tend to refer Mrs. Post’s to their friends and families for shower and rehearsal dinner invitations. “So much of our business relies on word-of-mouth, and we do everything we can to ensure that clients leave with a smile,” Cross said.

The team believes in catering to its customers even if it means referring them to other retailers. “We sold out of an item once and called a store several neighborhoods over to see if they had it,” recalled Chang. The store later referred a client to Mrs. Post’s.

Special promotions such as “daily lunch specials” also lure customers. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., complimentary items or services are granted. With a purchase, customers may receive a roll of wrapping paper or free personalization on fold-over notes. Chang and Cross also host open houses to showcase new products to clients and local wedding and event vendors.

The duo credits blogging and Facebook for generating traffic as well as valuable feedback. “We’re amazed at how many people walk in and say that they saw us on Facebook. It enables us to connect and build relationships with our customers on a daily basis by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at the store,” opined Chang.

Although Chang and Cross are quite busy, they still hold onto their lofty aspirations. “We would love to expand, but for now we’re trying to think smartly as we grow our store and the lines we carry,” Cross said, adding that caution can be wise in this economy. “I’ve seen other stores expand too quickly and face unforeseen growing pains.”

—Regina Molaro, Special to Stationery Trends




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